Just as dead as the service to track the problem – it all began with the plant having a power outage and this obviously fried our machine – and then to get a response and then the machine FINALLY shipped over night via FedEx.

Had to spend over $200 (the whole machine which originally was not planned) with a delay of several days with HUGE support delays and then answers like “oh, the machine doesn’t start up anymore” and then 6 hours later… “we can’t get the drives out” and then again 6 hours later, “it’s too late to ship today” and then 3 days later “it did not go out because our department did not have the right shipping materials and we can send it out only tomorrow” … and then FINALLY it was in FedEx’es hands and soon after we saw it. Oh, this is a HUGE data center, a whole building and “professional”. Don’t you hate these ticket submissions and after asking for help the only thing you can do is bite your cuticles.

The server is now in town. No longer any drives to Dallas. And no such situation of SIX days downtime due to bad service, as we can just drive downtown, pick it up and switch data center if need be.

But all said, the main and only important thing is : ALL our sites and domains – personal, friends, families and clients – are again up and running… and I can again get my mail.

Before I never worried and my needs never outlived the hardware, often I was able to sell the equipment when I upgraded to the latest gadget. But this Power Book was different. I had it in for repair several times, mainly problems with the DVD player which was repaired and twice the logic board was replaced and once the whole top of the laptop because the screen died.

As I do not use the CD/DVD player that often, I only recently noticed again a major problem. I was no longer able to either read or correctly access data on a CD/DVD, either it would not even show up or crash my machine when trying to install software from it. Wednesday a week ago I made the trip to the Apple Store and they sent it in for repair, only a few days later, yesterday, I received it back via FedEx.

Happy was I when I receive the package, but no longer so when I stuck the first DVD into the (replaced) drive: screeching sound, rumbling and an eternity and a little bit more until a file would open. Not usable at all. Tried an other CD and then another DVD – all with the same result.

Of course I needed to return the unit, so I logged into the Genius bar and made an appointment but definitely felt disappointed that I would have to again drive down to the Apple Store and lose a major part of Wednesday morning, my day off for this.

Just before going to bed my husband suggested to call Apple instead and have them send FedEx to pickup the package.

So here I was this morning and thinking that he is right. At 9:30 AM I then decided to call Apple, settled in with the headphones hocked up to my iPhone, expecting a long wait but was hoping to get ahead of too many people, knowing that Los Angeles is 2 hours behind us. I was so wrong: no long wait and a person who perfectly spoke English, no oversea person, but a friendly guy – let’s call him Paul – answered after less than a minute on hold.

Our conversation went something like this:

• ME : I just received my PowerBook back from repair but it’s not repaired.
• HE : So this is the same issue?
• ME : Yes, well not really…
• HE : So this is a new issue?
• ME : No, well yes. (this starts off really well).
• HE : Huh?!
• ME : First it didn’t read CD/DVD’s at all, now it sees it but it makes horrible noises and takes for ever when trying to access a file on it.
• HE : Which disk did you try, the original install disk?
• ME : No, I tried the “Tech Tool Pro” which comes with the Extended Warranty and 2 others and they ALL had the same problem, TRUST me, the original install disk will make it too (trying to avoid the run of the mill, especially as I did not have the computer NOR the disk at work).
• HE : So let me get this straight. You just had it in repair and they replaced the logic board AND the DVD drive and you are still having problems?
• ME : Yes.
• HE : Okay, so do I get this right, you first had problems in 2005 when the logic board was replaced the first time, and then the DVD unit was replaced and then… (listing all the repairs).
• ME : Yes.
• HE : Okay, I think at this point we need to replace the laptop itself.
• ME : Okay (expecting to get it replaced with some refurbished item, same model).
• HE : Which kinda software do you use it with?
• ME : Oh, EVERYTHING.
• HE : Well, what exactly?
• ME : The whole ADOBE suite, then 3D programs, video and web programs, movies, music… (exasperation in my tone because of course I am drawing a blank while thinking WHAT THE HECK is this question for?)… just the whole slew of it.. .
• HE : (never missed a second to be professional and friendly) : I just need to know that the computer we are exchanging with will be able to run the stuff.
• ME : Oh, I understand.
• HE : How much RAM?
• ME : 2 gig
• HE : Okay, the computer I am thinking of would be a 17-inch 2.5 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo processor and have 2 GB of RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, also have a DVD Super Drive… would that work as a replacement?
• ME : Uhm, yeah! (while thinking to myself, “would that WORK? … is he KIDDING me? This is like exponential better than my current machine, I am sure he will realize this in a second… or it’s just plain an April’s Fool joke).
• HE : Very good, then let me get this process started for the replacement.
• ME : (still thinking it’s some kind of refurbish or a joke) So, WHAT kinda computer is this then?
• HE : … (repeats the specification data) and then adds, “this is a Mac Book Pro, we can do this because you are still under warranty”.
• HE : (goes on setting the replacement process up and explaining how it works and who will contact me during the process and guide me through it all) … and when we have tracking of your return package with FedEx, the order for your replacement goes out – as it is a computer with no additions but right out of the box they will ship it overnight and you possibly will have it by the end of the week”.
• ME : (studdering) … this is good, I need to finish my taxes (finally realizing that this might not be a joke and that I am about to receive a new laptop – much better than my current one, but still not sure which model).
• HE : chuckles.
• HE : Your case number is …, if you have any questions you can reach me at … (direct phone number) or email me at (direct email address).
• … usual ending of a conversation.

Ever since I am unable to swipe that idiotic grin off my face.

It got worse once I hit Apples website and realized that I am receiving the latest model, top of the crop (not additionally decked out, but top notch). This means I am receiving a $3,000 computer (this price includes taxes) as a replacement of my April 2005 model which at this point I could possibly still sell for a couple of hundred dollars… maximum. When my warranty expires? In 7 days.

No, this is not an April’s Fool Joke.

It’s a great “bounce back” after my back injury incident. And once again I feel this chuckle and grin to myself as this is my “usual” – things like this DO happen to me – I am a Sunday child after all.

UPDATE : everything went so smooth and fast that I received my new computer already on Thursday. This beauty is so fast, it even leaves my current desktop computer in the dust. PLUS I can now natively run Windows too.

Installed the basic gallery for my art work at mStudiosREALM – needs clean up, some nicer CSS (I think I’ll stick for now with the white even though a medium gray would be more appropriate, but I just do not like that) and all larger images need watermarks and then the REAL big job of cataloging all artwork (sketches, drawings, paintings) which haven’t been digitized yet begins in earnest. But the first corner stone has been set.

Finished work on my 3 paintings, the Tarot trio “9 of Pentacles : Take 1, 2 and 3″ – photos to come when I’m getting the stuff back from JCCC. I’m definitely ready to move on.

Wrote the semester paper on the French Symbolism painter Odilon Redon and turned it in within the given time period :-)

Had my powerbook freak out on me over the past 2 days with several kernel panic‘s and even so after wiping out the machine and re-installing from scratch. Went to the Apple Store today, stood over an hour in line and Mike from the Genius Bar suspects that they’ll need to replace the motherboard – he said so after ensuring RAM was good etc. and when he heard I still had the same problem after re-installing on a fresh system, it was pretty much a done deal. At the same time I could show him the problem I have with the Trackpad (over months it became randomly non-responsive) and usually it’s really hard to show a problem when bringing the machine in, but this time all behaved and the first thing that happened after booting up was that the mouse was not responsive :-) and thus gladly I did not have to persuade him about this. This means probably that I’ll get a complete new top for the powerbook. I might get it back in 3-5 days, he didn’t think they need to send it in and can repair it right there in the shop. Thank good for Apple Care because I’d be just about a month out of warranty.

On the way home I passed by the grocery store and got everything needed for a ton of fresh ice cream which I’m making for Sunday (Mother’s Day AND Jim’s birthday party), this will be standard vanilla and chocolate ice cream but also strawberry ice cream made with fresh fruit… yummy.

Coming home and missing my admin station [ = powerbook ] I’m having a real hard time to locate myself and what I need to be doing and so on. At first I thought I can get away with just not using the machine for a few days, but I can tell by my immobility of the past 3 hours that I’ll need to install the basic organization software and databases on my desktop to continue functioning.

Overall I think though that I’m done for the week and will take it easy this evening. Stumbled over a great looking recipe for a 3-cheese souffle and I think that is exactly what I am going to go and cook now.

Technorati Tags: Apple Care, Kernel Panic, Odilon Redon, cooking

Verizon Wireless has changed its policy and will now let subscribers use several popular phones as high-speed modems for their laptops, company representatives confirmed Thursday.

The shift represents a major policy change for Verizon, which has traditionally restricted this type of usage in its terms of service agreement. The new plans are available starting today. A formal announcement will be released later today or tomorrow, company representatives said.

— (Via PC Mag – Verizon Blesses Phone-As-Modem Plans).

And following the rest of the article – a copy/paste for my own archives and for those days in the future that the above link no longer works:

Users of the LG VX9800, Motorola RAZR V3c, Motorola E815, and LG VX8100 phones are now able to connect their laptops to the Internet for $59.99 per month in addition to their voice plans, according to Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney.

They join users of the Blackberry 7130e handheld, who have been able to use their PDA/phones as modems since the 7130e came out. Users of the new Palm Treo 700w and Verizon XV6700 handhelds are still out in the cold, according to Verizon’s initial device list.

All these devices will connect to Verizon’s BroadbandAccess EV-DO network, which offers speeds averaging about 700 kbps/sec in most major metro areas of the US. The official announcement from Verizon mentions using a USB cable, not Bluetooth wireless technology, to connect your phone and PC. All the phones listed above can theoretically connect to PCs using Bluetooth, but Verizon disables that modem function. USB cables are available from various sources for $10-20; you can also use the cable that comes with the VX8100′s V CAST Music kit.

For a while now, Verizon subscribers have illicitly used their phones as modems; various Web sites have information on how to do so. But up until now, doing so has violated service contracts, leaving users open to Verizon cutting off their service or charging high per-kilobyte fees.

The new policy fixes one of Verizon’s major flaws in comparison to its rival Sprint, which offers phone-as-modem plans for all of its handsets. Sprint’s plans start at $25/month for 40 MB of data, moving up to a $59.99/month unlimited data plan for users who also have voice plans.

From: Steven Palm
Date: FriFeb3,2006 8:10 pm
Subject: Re: [maccellphone] The E815 cannot be used as a modem with Verizon. What phones can?

On Feb 3, 2006, at 7:44 PM, Sandy wrote:
> In reading a few things, it looks like Verizon has disabled dial up
> networking on the Motorola E815.

You did read the part earlier where I told you you had to re-enablethat, which is easily done by simply entering:

##DIALUP

If done properly with no more than about a second pause betweenkeys, you should see a message that dial-up networking is enabled/disabled… It’s a toggle.

I tested it and it worked on mine the day I bought it, but I alsoknow for a fact that I do NOT have a data plan with Verizon, and so Idon’t expect the functionality to continue to work and haven’t triedit since.

There are two issues involved. One is Verizon’s network policywhich may allow or disallow me using the phone to access their 1xdata network. The other issue is locking the bluetooth dial-up-networking profile out, and that is remedied as shown above. Afterdoing that, if you still cannot connect, then it is Verizon’s lockouton your account, not the particular phone.

Steve

— (Via – maccellphone : Message: Re: [maccellphone] The E815 cannot be used as a modem with Verizon. What phones can?).