The days before the release of the first iPhone where a mixed bag: there had been the discussion with which version to go, if at all – I had suggested the low end one as I barely use a cell phone and my spending budget was tight at the time too, but the boys where all determined on the best one, so I let myself get greedy too and went with the same model.

This time around things are a bit different: Bear and I both agreed on taking the low end route and go with the cheapest model first – which means 16 GB and no 3G. And it appears that Trey is passing on it completely (which I can hardly believe!). We both chose this approach because we know there will soon be a better model coming out, and that’s when we want to get the better ones.

A big reason to me for being this excited is the fact that I already own a ton of iPhone applications and many of them are dimming away in the archives because they need a larger screen to really shine. Mainly sketching applications come to mind here. Can’t wait to play around with those! And I really, really hope they will work well enough for daily sketches and so on. If so, this will be heaven, well, almost.

Only 6 more days to go.

This gave me ample time to enjoy a cup of tea while going through my daily’s [checking email, making the plan of what I want to do all today and so on... except checking my Twitter accounts, as those I moved to do only in the evening after completion of work, you can guess why!].

We had debated with which flavor of the upcoming gadget we want to go. Of course we have big eyes for the top of the line [64GB with WiFi+3G for $899] but we decided to go the lowest route [16GB with WiFi only for $499] for one single reason: we both know exactly that a new, better version of the iPad will come out within a year, and THAT is the time that we want to put our teeth into the expensive, top of the line, item. Until then, this one will be just dandy and I can hardly wait to have it in my hands: delivered on April 3!!!

The latest 2 WordPress installations were of course the least problematic ones, but even for those blogs it took forever to get the mySQL dump transfered and read into the new databases. Finally, after a couple of days of frustration and question marks and Google searches I found BigDump and sanity finally found again its foothold. Mainly allowed me this to understand why the newer databases were choking and how exactly my database exports needed to be to make it at least possible to transfer the data (mainly the extended inserts were problematic, but not just that).

At the end of this weekend I finally had moved mStudiosTalk, TarotDivergency and marlyse-dot-com. The first two blogs are fully updated and are working well with exception of the FlickrRSS image feed. On one site I’ve removed it completely and on the other one it’s an empty spot, but I won’t fret over this. This site here though was not able to easily upgrade and for this reason I decided not to go through the cPanels Fantastico installation option but to plain and simple move everything as is… yup, WordPress is still hovering here at 2.0.2 (outch, I know). Most works with some little twitch here and there: the PHOTOS section is not in it’s wrapper and thus pretty bland, but worse is that I was not able to get the TRIBE section running by simple transfer. All of this needs tracking down and later software found and installed, nothing I feel priority to get involved right now. Thus the TRIBE section is temporarily shut down. At this point I am tending to completely redo this blog, i.e. start with a clean install of WP and go from there, but it will need a good weekend or more to indulge… so don’t hold your breath :-)

While writing on this post I had Bear checking up on some of the other sites I needed to transfer and oh joy, we found out that I can drop a whole bunch and don’t have to worry – THANKS iWEB to be so SIMPLE and GREAT for NON-TECHIES!!!

This now boils down to 5 sites remaining needing to be done, each one which needs some extensive fiddling and special care, but at the same time will allow me to modernize and change gallery software as seems fit – on 2 of them I am tempted to write the PHP myself so as to never have to worry again in the future about upgrading, but I have not yet decided which way I want to go.

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.