ExpressCards, MacBook Pros, Apple Geniuses, and lack of userfriendlyness.

Author: Vidyut Luther

21 Jun

So, I’ve been traveling a lot due to work this year. One of the things I noticed in my travels, was the lack of free/reliable wifi around the country. Hotels charging $9.99/day for shittyband. I decided, I needed something different and more reliable, so I decided to try out the EVDO network of Sprint, they claim to cure “connectile dysfunction”, and their coverage maps seems say that they’ll work wherever I want to be. According to the forums and other people on the ‘tubes, Sprint is your best bet right now, from a coverage and quality of service standpoint.

So, I got this expresscard from them.. my laptop comes with an expresscard, so I figured I should get the expresscard, and actually use the slot. I put the card in and VOILA!!! the laptop rejects the card..no, not the software.. but the actual hardware.. rejects the card. It spits it right out, with gumption too. I can’t find the exact phrase to search for this on google, so it looks like I’m the only one with this problem. I take the laptop to the Apple Store, and try to talk to the apple genius.. the store is empty, and he says he’s going to take the laptop in and then they’ll get back to me in 3 days.

I look at the sign behind him… it says Apple Genius.. and then I look around the store.. there are 5 salespeople, and 3 customers.. 3 days? To even look at the laptop? It was obvious this guy wasn’t genius material.. he seemed afraid to delve into the hardware side of things..so I assumed the hardware geek was off today.

Anyway, I’m a little pissed, I can’t live without my laptop for 3 days, as I don’t have 3 days of vacation. Plain and simple. I don’t have a backup laptop, my data is backed up.. but I don’t have a spare 17 inch macbook pro laying around.. or even a macbook.

The sales experience at an Apple Store is great.. the support experience from these so called geniuses is not. Apple, you’re about to get an influx of customers due to the iPhone.. if this guy is still working when those customers have issues, you’re going to have some very irate customers, who are going to tarnish your name very quickly.

I’m done ranting.. sorry for all 3 of you who actually read this blog, just in case you’ve experienced a similar problem with your macs or expresscard slots.. please let me know if there is a simpler fix than handing it over to the idiots who know they aren’t even capable of diagnosing problems beyond an iPod reset.
Apple, you have a problem.. and it’s your new staff.

Filed under: php

8 Responses for "ExpressCards, MacBook Pros, Apple Geniuses, and lack of userfriendlyness."

Brian Moon June 21st, 2007 at 9:57 pm 1
I looked long and hard to be sure my ExpressCard would be Mac compatible. In this Windows/salesman centric world of working on the road, you have to check stuff for your Mac. I went with Verizon. There was a proven track record online that their card and service was Mac compatible.
Vidyut Luther June 21st, 2007 at 10:08 pm 2
Brian, I agree 100%. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the card itself is mac compatible.. and it works if I hold the card in place with one hand.. the software side works, but the hardware just doesn’t seem to fit.

From more googling, it looks like I need a new cage for the expresscard.
Stranger June 22nd, 2007 at 4:40 am 3
I found this post highlighted on php planet, and honestly I have no idea what it does there.
Ok, so it’s funny to learn that at Apple they call their salesmen “genii” (or should I say “geniuses”). And that an express card won’t work with a macbook.
And that for once you don’t complain about Microsoft
And that everybody can read the “Edit here in the footer.php” sentence at the bottom of this page.
papercrane June 22nd, 2007 at 9:40 am 4
I have a MacBook Pro and am using Verizon’s USB720 with no problems whatsoever. Of course USB != ExpressCard…..
Norbert June 22nd, 2007 at 9:43 am 5
I have no idea if it’s any help to you but I recently bumped into this site:
http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/475/63/

Please keep us updated on your EVDO experiences. I’m very curious if EVDO access is ready to be used as a primary connection.
The PHP Cult » Sprint EVDO/3G data cards, and Tele-Commuting October 26th, 2007 at 7:50 am 6
[...] while back, I had talked about the issues I had with my EVDO express card purchase and my macbook pro, a lot of you asked me to sum up my experiences with the card, and to comment on [...]
MacNut July 8th, 2008 at 5:55 pm 7
There is still a lot to improve for life in integrating the convenience of technology, even though it has come a long way.
Leny August 5th, 2008 at 8:03 am 8
Agree with what you said about store experience. It really is a model of what retail should be. It’s amazing really. If you have not been, you need to try it out. A far cry from the average Best Buy experience.