You don’t want to hear this, I’m sure. Everyone loves Apple. Except me.
Sure, I love their products. Theoretically. I believe they are innovative and absolutely world changing. I bless Steve Jobs and his amazingly brilliant mind. His products truly make technology serve us and bring the world to our doorstep. For that reason, I bought a new Macbook Pro as my laptop. But it was a mistake.
To begin with, as a writer, the keyboard on the 15″ model is not made for me. There is no regular ‘delete forward’ key so I have learned (finally) how to press Fn Delete to make this happen. There is no ‘end’ ‘home’ key, so I have learned (finally) how to press ‘control arrow’, or is it ‘command arrow.’ Or something equally time consuming that makes me have to stop to remember rather than just type fast and create.
Also,the keyboard is so uncomfortable for me that I end up deleting whole paragraphs mistakenly, and I just learned how to do Control Z to get it back. Until now I was rewriting everything. Not to mention that I get red marks on my wrists from the sharp edge of the keyboard. What did they tell me at the Apple store about this all? Get a new keyboard – and for just $150 here is one of ours!
Next, the computer is faulty. Over the past couple of weeks, it mysteriously doesn’t turn on. Full of juice, all plugged in, and nothing. Dead. I learned what to do when this happens, but that begs the question, doesn’t it.
OK. Not happy. So I went to a one-to-one session that I purchased when I got the computer. And let me tell you that these folks are just plain arrogant. First, a group of them were standing together and talking and laughing (this, while dozens of potential customers were trying out their gadgets, unattended). My guy was almost 10 minutes late.
I was having an email problem that mysteriously started that day. My guy couldn’t help and told me I’d have to make another appointment for a tech guy: make another appointment, take time out of my day again, drive 1/2 hour each way, find parking, and come back, again, on another day?? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?? ‘That’s not what these sessions are for,” he said. WELL THIS ONE IS. He brought over a tech guy. (Funny how an angry customer gets results.)
When the Apple tech guy needed some data, I had to call my tech guy in the office. But I’d left my cell phone in the car. I asked the Apple guy if he could let me use his phone. “We’re not allowed,” he said. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. There were hundreds of working iPhones all over the store! “If I can’t use yours, why can’t use one of the others?” Nope. Sorry. So I had to borrow a phone from the customer sitting next to me. Ridiculous. In my mind that’s like being in a book store and being told I can’t read a book.
Then, there was my technical problem of the computer turning itself off. “Sorry,” said the help guy. “I don’t handle that. You’ll have to make another appointment and bring the computer in to work with the Genius Team.” WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. I’m here now! Why can’t you help me get this fixed now?
So I left the store, with a laptop that is only partially functioning, part of the time, that hurts to use, and doesn’t do what I want it to do. Great technology for Skype and video recording. But for me, daily use sucks.
I guess Apple doesn’t understand that they are there to help customers. There must be so many buyers just itching to make a purchase, so many fans bowing to the alter of their wizziness, that they don’t need to care about the lowly customers who just need to use the computer to do things like write reports or books or articles. Or be comfortable with the keyboard.
Except lowly customers have blog posts, and complain loudly. So here is my loud complaint: if you need a computer for writing a lot, and need an easy keyboard for long writing sessions, or might need some appropriate support for your usage, don’t buy a Mac.
sd
9 thoughts on “Apple is Arrogant”
I convinced my Dad to buy an iMac a few years ago and it worked fine out of the box – recently he wanted to add a wireless router so I told him to stay brand loyal and buy the Apple Airport Express from their website – it didn't work, he called tech support – the tech support guy couldn't get it to work sent him a new one – that didn't work either and he called tech support – the guy couldn't get it to work, got frustrated, sighed and then he told my Dad “look, if I can't get this to work it must be your computer – it's a few years old anyway so my advice is donating it to a local school and we can sell you a new one for $1200” – shockingly arrogant – I had my Dad return it to Apple and buy a Cisco router – it didn't work – he talked to a tech support, they changed out one IP address and “ta da” it worked.
I am an Apple fan and continue to be – but if you rely on cool products matched by arrogant customer service I think it will bite them in the long run – just because my 73 year old Dad doesn't have a soul patch on his chin and doesn't hang out at organic coffee bars doesn't make him a less relevant customer.
Actually, I'm with you on this. Apple is sexy but not functional. Notice how Apple features in those television series and movies? That's because they don't actually need them to work…like the actors, Apple products are just acting 😉
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Had the very same experience….Finally gave up and put the MacBook on Craigslist and bought myself a new computer. Absolutely recommend my brand new Lenovo ThinkPad T410 with its fabulous keyboard, made for people who actually write. FYI— it's a much better deal too, especially when you include the very expensive and snooty Apple Care
Had the very same experience….Finally gave up and put the MacBook on Craigslist and bought myself a new computer. Absolutely recommend my brand new Lenovo ThinkPad T410 with its fabulous keyboard, made for people who actually write. FYI— it's a much better deal too, especially when you include the very expensive and snooty Apple Care
Have you ever thought that maybe you are the arrogant one and that your high demands for attention reflect your own stubborn will not not learn how to use your products, much less how to be a writer. Technology is not perfect and never will be and not having patience will not help you no matter what product you choose. Get with the modern world and write something useful, not a bunch of rhetorical rants.
Surprisingly, I was a customer in the store during part of your experience… I’m almost positive it was you. You said something about losing $10,000 while there. Have you ever worked in retail? You don’t seem to understand that these people are people, and if you treat them with respect, BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE TO HELP YOU, that they will be kind and helpful. I have had nothing but GREAT experiences with the Apple stores in Austin, and I think it’s naive of you to assume that the one experience you had in an Apple Store can apply to every Apple Store in the world. You are committing a fallacy called Hasty Generalization (See here to learn about it: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/hasty-generalization.html). Your population from which you are drawing your conclusions is too small.
Control Z is universal to all computers. This shows that you seem to have a lack of knowledge about them. That’s okay because you are of an older generation. Older people tend to get upset when technology confuses them. You let yourself get out of control and start blaming your anger at confusion on the employees of Apple. My mom exhibits the same tendencies when something “isn’t working” (or she doesn’t know how to do) on her computer.
“Funny how an angry customer gets results.” — Yep, but what you don’t know is that Apple is notorious for rewarding very polite, understanding customers. Sure you’re the squeaky wheel that gets grease, but you don’t get the grease and a new tire.
Finally, your videos are insufferably boring.
OMG you are such an idiot.
I was know for a fact I was sitting next to you at the store.
I asked the guy that was helping me your name and he told me he couldn’t tell me. Thats ok though because I heard enough to type it into google and find you.
Anyway, your an idiot.
Thats all I am going to say. The young gentleman helping you was trying to be as nice as he could, but you could tell it was taking every bone in his body not to snap at you. I reward you mr. Apple man for being patient with this idiot.
No company’s products are made for everyone. If I weighed 300 pounds, Toyota’s Prius would not be “made for me”. I would have test drove it first. Just as you could have test drove your Macbook at the store you went to. Last time I went to an Apple store, there were a lot of computers to play with.
Control Z is actually a Windows command. On a Mac, it’s Cmd Z. Clearly you knew of the command before so, I won’t waste my time on your nitpicking or your pretentiousness towards the employees at the store.
Bottom line..if you didn’t like your Macbook, you should’ve returned it.
Yes, lowly customers have blog posts. 3 of the 6 comments over the last 3 days are in agreement with you. At the rate of 1 person per day, Steve Jobs will surely be knocking at your door and asking for your forgiveness.