OT: Apple service [was [clue-tech] Qwest DSL download speed reduced]

[David L. Anselmi]

Nate Duehr wrote:
[...]
> "Consumers" aren't as dumb as most corporate support systems make them 
> out to be.  My recent example of Apple requiring an appointment at the 
> so-called "Genius Bar" to tell me my 4 day old laptop wouldn't even 
> POWER ON [ http://www.natetech.com/?p=203 ] is a good example of 
> corporate customer "service" policy gone insane.

Hi Nate!  Can you handle a little introspection this weekend? ;-)

I think your story disproves your point.  The system avoided spending 
any more money on you than it had to (better support than you got is 
probably  an ongoing cost, not just the one time that you walked in I 
think).  And in the end you bought a Mac anyway (sure, not from the 
Apple store but you probably aren't their target market--so they don't 
care a whit about you and rightly so).

So nice features and a low price trump good service.  And the slick apps 
and solid integration trump Freedom.  Isn't that what you're saying?

I'm not trying at all to be critical, just to clarify your values.

I find it tempting (being in the market for a laptop) to look at the 
MacBook.  But I won't because I won't run Mac OS on it and I can't bear 
the thought of paying for proprietary software and then throwing it away 
(maybe I can get one without OS?)  I wonder how well the hardware works 
with Linux?

That's me.  I'm learning to accept that even though I don't think much 
of RMS I'm much more the idealist he is than most Linux people I know.

My apologies if my fanaticism (or cynicism) offend.  I have a lot of 
respect for you and the experience you bring to the list.

Dave