Genius bar not so bright

There seems to be a problem with Mac OS-X, especially 10.3.X when it comes to computers sleeping and waking up. It happens to portables and desktops alike. Basically, the machine does not wake up from sleep, or wakes part way but the screen does not come back. The only fix is to hard reset the computer. Apple does not acknowledge that this problem exists, well, at least their ‘Genius Bar’ employees do not, but it happens to so many people I know, and many have reported it, I do not understand how they cannot be aware of the problem? Or are they, and just not saying anything?

Well, lucky for me, the beautiful San Francisco Apple store is only 1 block away from my work. Why not take it to the genius bar and get help? So I logged onto the Apple web site, I found the store and I made an appointment to see a ‘genius’ at this bar for 5:45 PM.

I arrived at the store about 5 minutes early (did not want to miss my appointment) and went upstairs to the bar. The next 5 appointments flash on large plasma screens behind and above the people working the bar. Strangely enough, my name was not there. I walked to the iMac at the end of the bar where you can walk in and sign-up for an appointment. You can also check your place in line here as well. I was listed at 5:45 PM, but there were at least 12 people in front of me, and it was now 6:10 PM.

So I waited, and waited, and waited while they continued to call names. Some had left, but each time a “genius” became available, they would go through the entire list of people again. This means if you leave and come back, you keep your place in line? At almost 7:15 PM, I was finally called. (note that I was also called 3 more times while I talked to the genius assigned to me now.) I explained the problem; the guy looked at my working machine, and then said they had to see the problem happen to help me. So after waiting 90 minutes or so, I got ZERO. I asked if they were aware of this problem? ‘Not really’ was the answer. What does that mean? Well, they did replace a lost foot on my laptop, so this trip was not a total loss, but it was not really much help either.

So the next time it happened while I was at work, about 2 weeks later, I again walked it down to the Apple store, and again I waited almost 90 minutes to talk to someone. This time, the guy looked at my machine, sitting opened but not “on”, the power button did nothing, he saw the condition, and again I explained this ongoing problem of wake from sleep. So what does this guy do? He reaches over and does a Ctrl-Alt-Power Reset on the machine, it reboots, and he says “See, its fine, you just needed to restart that machine.”

ARGHHHHHHHH!

When I explained AGAIN to him (and another “genius” that walked up, because apparently I raised my voice a bit!) why I was here, and why I waited 90 minutes with a dead machine opened and plugged in on the counter, he and the other “tech” said “Oh, well you will need to bring it back into the store when it is in that condition so we can see it.” I just about dragged these bozos across the counter. I looked at the first guy with such a stern glare that he actually backed up a few steps. Then I very quietly said “I just waited 90 minutes with the machine in that condition so you COULD see it as requested last time, and this bozo reset it. If that is what you needed, why did you reset it?” No answer, no apology, nothing but a blind stare at me.

They then told me that I could leave my machine, which is under warranty, and they would check it out. But if they found nothing wrong or could not reproduce the problem, I would then be charged $150, even though it is under warranty. I guess it is free ONLY if THEY can find the problem. After all, all us Mac users must just be dying to bring in and leave our Macs at the Apple store for a few weeks when nothing is wrong! Frankly, I was insulted by this accusation that I or anyone other Mac user would waste their time and give up their machine for several weeks for no reason, and then be charged $150 to tell me that basically the Apple ‘genius’ people are simply not good enough to reproduce the problem described. What kind of crap is that Apple? Why did I pay all this money for a extended warranty if you will not honor it?

They also told me I should reinstall my OS. “Why” I asked? “Because the OS may have gone bad!” (I kid you not!) Strange, I did not know that Mac OS software rotted. But to be safe, I did a reinstall, and the problem has not gone away. Guess there was nothing wrong with my install after all. They also tried to blame ‘third party software’ for the problem. ‘Uh, I bought the computer to run programs. Are you telling me that I should take all these programs off my machine?’ The answer was ‘yes, they could be causing the problem.’ They also told me I should do this one at a time to see which one IS causing the problem. I created a new user instead, with NO additional software installed, and the problem still occurs. Guess they are wrong AGAIN!

Unfortunately for me, it has also not happened while at work when I have had another 90 minutes more to burn at the Apple store, so I have not taken it back since. But frankly, it pisses me off that if they do not see it, it must not be happening! I am somehow reminded of the Hitcher’s Guide to The Galaxy. Put a towel over the tech’s head so he cannot see anything, and all your Mac problems simply no longer exist.

I suggest that if you too have this problem, write and call Apple and tell them that you have this problem, and demand that they look into and recall the machines if necessary to solve it. It happens on my G3 500 MHz fire wire laptop. It happens on new my G4 17’ laptop. It happens on my G4 tower, and I understand it happens to our publisher’s G5 tower as well. And in his case, the resetting from this ‘sleep hang’ seems to have damaged his HD now as well now.

I love my Macs, but maybe ‘Genius Bar’ is the wrong title for this Apple store service (and I used the term lightly.) Maybe ‘might help desk’ is more appropriate. But for Apple to ignore a problem of this magnitude, and then tell me that it does not exist or is a third party problem, to me is inexcusable. If this is the best computer in the world, and definitely among the most expensive, Apple needs to start treating their customers as if that were true! Because to be blunt, my $450, 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 Windows XP Machine, that I built myself, has significantly less problems of this kind than my new Mac, is MUCH faster, and is getting so much closer to being as easy to use, and is MUCH cheaper to build, add cool stuff to, and upgrade, that I sometimes think that maybe I do not need Apple problems any more. Mac is cool, but is it $1500 to $2500 more cool? Of that, I am no longer so sure. And keep in mind that all this is coming from an ex-Apple Mac engineer who has owned dozens of Macs since 1984! I am about as loyal as they come, but that expensive loyalty is wearing very thin now.

Apple, you need to pay attention: treat you customers like you want to keep them, because if I want to be treated badly, I can always switch to a Windows machine, and get what I pay for! I expect more from Apple and I am not getting it any more.