Erasmus
Aug 26, 07:36 PM
not trying to start a war or anything but...isn't that what the mac pro is for? isn't the iMac considered consumer grade while the mbp is considered professional grade??? i think it is badass that the mbp is faster than the imac.
Yes, but Conroe processors are less expensive than Merom for faster clocks, faster bus speeds, but increased power consumption, but considering iMacs used to house G5's, and they don't rely on battery power, Conroe is the logical choice for the iMac.
Obviously the MBP should get the 2.16 and 2.33 Ghz Meroms, as you couldn't put a Conroe in one, but the MBP should not limit the speed of the iMac, just because it's not "Pro", and I would personally consider the iMac at least "semiPro" because it is damn fast. I've said before that there is much too much of a price and capability gap between iMac and Mac Pro, which could easily be filled with a "Pizza Box" or more likely, and probably more favourable in my opinion, a "fullPro" larger version of iMac (upgradeable of course) which I designate iMac Ultra, cos it's a cool name.
There are good gradients between Mac Mini and iMac, MB and MBP, but not between iMac and MP.
An appropriately maxed (RAM and GPU) 20" iMac costs AU$3169.
A "comparable" MP (20" ACD, 2Ghz, 2Gb RAM) costs AU$5148
That's 60% more. Enough to buy a Macbook to take to Uni. Apple needs a ~AU$4000 option to fill the gap, ie. with a bigger screen, upgradeable, better GPU, better CPU, and I will be very happy. :rolleyes:
Yes, but Conroe processors are less expensive than Merom for faster clocks, faster bus speeds, but increased power consumption, but considering iMacs used to house G5's, and they don't rely on battery power, Conroe is the logical choice for the iMac.
Obviously the MBP should get the 2.16 and 2.33 Ghz Meroms, as you couldn't put a Conroe in one, but the MBP should not limit the speed of the iMac, just because it's not "Pro", and I would personally consider the iMac at least "semiPro" because it is damn fast. I've said before that there is much too much of a price and capability gap between iMac and Mac Pro, which could easily be filled with a "Pizza Box" or more likely, and probably more favourable in my opinion, a "fullPro" larger version of iMac (upgradeable of course) which I designate iMac Ultra, cos it's a cool name.
There are good gradients between Mac Mini and iMac, MB and MBP, but not between iMac and MP.
An appropriately maxed (RAM and GPU) 20" iMac costs AU$3169.
A "comparable" MP (20" ACD, 2Ghz, 2Gb RAM) costs AU$5148
That's 60% more. Enough to buy a Macbook to take to Uni. Apple needs a ~AU$4000 option to fill the gap, ie. with a bigger screen, upgradeable, better GPU, better CPU, and I will be very happy. :rolleyes:
Stratus Fear
Apr 19, 02:28 PM
Sigh, you're entirely missing the point of this case. No one's arguing that there's been a grid of icons before, it's just that Samsung went the extra step. See, Android itself doesn't have a near-identical desktop, but TouchWiz does. TouchWiz is what you see here, the icons have been made into squares (like the iPhone), there's now a Dock with frequently used apps with a grey background to distinguish it (like the iPhone), it has a black background (meh) but it uses white dots to note the page it's on (like the iPhone). They went the extra mile to provide an iPhone-like experience for their Android devices.
Yes. People here are failing to understand the difference between traditional patents that we usually hear about here, and design patents. I believe what Apple is suing over is infringed design patents. That the Galaxy S has a icon grid method for selecting applications is irrelevant in that case. They tried to copy the general design and likeness of the iPhone, which is against the design patents.
Also, whoever it was arguing it previously... Let's not trot out the whole "Apple lost the 'look and feel' argument against Microsoft" thing. That was a different case. Design patents still get filed and granted all the time. This is a new case.
Yes. People here are failing to understand the difference between traditional patents that we usually hear about here, and design patents. I believe what Apple is suing over is infringed design patents. That the Galaxy S has a icon grid method for selecting applications is irrelevant in that case. They tried to copy the general design and likeness of the iPhone, which is against the design patents.
Also, whoever it was arguing it previously... Let's not trot out the whole "Apple lost the 'look and feel' argument against Microsoft" thing. That was a different case. Design patents still get filed and granted all the time. This is a new case.
NT1440
Mar 23, 10:27 AM
Good for Samsung!
To the industry: THIS is the approach you take to new markets. Don't just come up with an answer to the original (iPad in this case), get you engineers engaged and push to define where the market will go, not where it currently is.
This is honestly the first tablet introduced by the industry that I feel is a competitor to the iPad.
That said, sales wise iPad will be king of the castle for quite some time. You can't really price the apple ecosystem, or beat the usability of iOS. iPad definitely has the mindshare, which is what you need in emerging markets. Take a look at the category definers Apple has introduced. Basically they set the standard for whatever market they are in (with exceptions for a few).
To the industry: THIS is the approach you take to new markets. Don't just come up with an answer to the original (iPad in this case), get you engineers engaged and push to define where the market will go, not where it currently is.
This is honestly the first tablet introduced by the industry that I feel is a competitor to the iPad.
That said, sales wise iPad will be king of the castle for quite some time. You can't really price the apple ecosystem, or beat the usability of iOS. iPad definitely has the mindshare, which is what you need in emerging markets. Take a look at the category definers Apple has introduced. Basically they set the standard for whatever market they are in (with exceptions for a few).
littleman23408
Nov 30, 09:54 PM
Its tough, but i did it. Unless you are going to hit someone you really dont need to slow down for many turns. The buses dont go fast enough for it to be a problem. You can get to 11th at the first turn but cutting in very close to the cone (dont hit it!) and downshifting to slide a little. Sneak into 11th and start drafting the bus in front of you. Theres an easy left where you can pass on the inside and take one more place, then get as close to the tires on the right as possible and you'll be able to grab a few more spots before you hit the 2nd straight.
The next turn is a hard left into an easy 180� right. Be careful on the left as its easy to hit a cone, then cut close to the inside of the right. When you get out of that turn you should be directly behind the blue and teal buses. You wont be able to pass them for a while so draft as best as you can until you get to the hard left at the complete other end of the track. Take that turn really wide and stay to the inside as you exit. You should be able to stay at speed and sneak right by if you are careful enough to not bump into them. If you are too close just back off a little, as long as you pass the blue buses at this turn you are doing great. Just be careful.
The next is a hard left that takes you back to the starting line. If you got ahead of the blue and teal bus there will be a bit of congestion there. Stay close to the inside but be careful you dont hit the grass too much. You should be able to get 5th or 6th before the 2nd lap starts. Follow the same lines as before and watch your corners for a chance to pass on the inside. I got to 1st at the last long straight, but the dark green bus in front is a little violent, so screw the line and do whatever it takes to stay away from him. Take both last lefts carefully and you'll grab first.
Its tough, but possible when you learn the track. I havent tried the Lotus challenge yet because i've been working on licenses, but i assume its roughly the same process just much faster.
Cool thanks. I will give this a try. Anything to get this bus done. I hate the tasks where whatever it is you are driving is real slow!
The next turn is a hard left into an easy 180� right. Be careful on the left as its easy to hit a cone, then cut close to the inside of the right. When you get out of that turn you should be directly behind the blue and teal buses. You wont be able to pass them for a while so draft as best as you can until you get to the hard left at the complete other end of the track. Take that turn really wide and stay to the inside as you exit. You should be able to stay at speed and sneak right by if you are careful enough to not bump into them. If you are too close just back off a little, as long as you pass the blue buses at this turn you are doing great. Just be careful.
The next is a hard left that takes you back to the starting line. If you got ahead of the blue and teal bus there will be a bit of congestion there. Stay close to the inside but be careful you dont hit the grass too much. You should be able to get 5th or 6th before the 2nd lap starts. Follow the same lines as before and watch your corners for a chance to pass on the inside. I got to 1st at the last long straight, but the dark green bus in front is a little violent, so screw the line and do whatever it takes to stay away from him. Take both last lefts carefully and you'll grab first.
Its tough, but possible when you learn the track. I havent tried the Lotus challenge yet because i've been working on licenses, but i assume its roughly the same process just much faster.
Cool thanks. I will give this a try. Anything to get this bus done. I hate the tasks where whatever it is you are driving is real slow!
fehhkk
Dec 7, 10:44 AM
Does GT5 support using the clutch pedal in a wheel such as the G25? I was disappointed with GT5:P that you can't use it...
kupua
Nov 29, 12:19 AM
No way Jose...hahahahahahahaha
How much did they invest in the development in the iPod. Yah right just as I though, zip. If MS is that stupid, it just shows what leverage they have on the market for their Zune
How much did they invest in the development in the iPod. Yah right just as I though, zip. If MS is that stupid, it just shows what leverage they have on the market for their Zune
yg17
Apr 27, 09:21 AM
He could have released this years ago.
Why should he? He released the short form BC, which is valid and legal proof of citizenship.
Hawaii law states that no one can request an original long form BC, not even the person who's name is on the BC, so Obama had to call in a few favors to get this. I'm surprised the right wing loons aren't accusing him of overstepping his bounds and destroying states' rights to get it.
Why should he? He released the short form BC, which is valid and legal proof of citizenship.
Hawaii law states that no one can request an original long form BC, not even the person who's name is on the BC, so Obama had to call in a few favors to get this. I'm surprised the right wing loons aren't accusing him of overstepping his bounds and destroying states' rights to get it.
Benjy91
Mar 31, 02:52 PM
Please, enlighten us, how does fragmentation bite Android's ass when it is the #1 smartphone OS. Regardless what you think, Android and iOS are by far the most successful OS in the last 5 years.
How is it biting them in the ass? Android is the fastest growing OS with a larger share than IOS. I think it's been a very succesfull strategy.
I never said it's already got them, I said it would get them eventually, and now Google has seen this, and is now tightening control.
And how it will 'bite them in the ass' is with the user experience, users seeing apps on the Android Marketplace, but the app doesnt support their phone, or requires features their phone doesnt support, or their phone doesnt quite have the power to run it. Could crash their phone etc.
Their strategy ensured short-term gain, but problems later on.
Apple wont run into problems with iOS Fragmentation for a long time yet. And they can easily avoid these issues by officially not supporting older devices and preventing them accessing apps they cant run.
How is it biting them in the ass? Android is the fastest growing OS with a larger share than IOS. I think it's been a very succesfull strategy.
I never said it's already got them, I said it would get them eventually, and now Google has seen this, and is now tightening control.
And how it will 'bite them in the ass' is with the user experience, users seeing apps on the Android Marketplace, but the app doesnt support their phone, or requires features their phone doesnt support, or their phone doesnt quite have the power to run it. Could crash their phone etc.
Their strategy ensured short-term gain, but problems later on.
Apple wont run into problems with iOS Fragmentation for a long time yet. And they can easily avoid these issues by officially not supporting older devices and preventing them accessing apps they cant run.
ctdonath
Mar 22, 03:05 PM
I would rather buy that one than the iPad
Thing is...you can't.
Thing is...you can't.
shelterpaw
Aug 7, 03:54 PM
i love the changes they made.
now if only they can merge ical into mail so it can fully compete against entourage and other apps.
I want my full telephone book, contact data management, with calendar in one program.
easier for me that way.
Yeah, that'd be cool. Just imagine if you could grab certain things from other apps, like that widget web clip feature and paste together your own app in whichever way you please. Would probably confuse the heck out of some novice users, but would be great for advanced users. Elastic applications.
now if only they can merge ical into mail so it can fully compete against entourage and other apps.
I want my full telephone book, contact data management, with calendar in one program.
easier for me that way.
Yeah, that'd be cool. Just imagine if you could grab certain things from other apps, like that widget web clip feature and paste together your own app in whichever way you please. Would probably confuse the heck out of some novice users, but would be great for advanced users. Elastic applications.
rovex
Mar 22, 01:40 PM
Yeah a 50% smaller screen for the same price and less battery life is certainly going to crush the iPad2.
The screen is not 50% smaller. Nice way of making yourself look stupid.
Playbook has that elusive flash support out of the box which every apple fanboy wants to hide under the rug.
OS is more eloquent than iOS.
The screen is not 50% smaller. Nice way of making yourself look stupid.
Playbook has that elusive flash support out of the box which every apple fanboy wants to hide under the rug.
OS is more eloquent than iOS.
chrono1081
Apr 8, 03:46 AM
This is a victory for all the elitist fanboys who think that Apple products should only be sold in Apple Stores in upscale shopping areas.
You know that no one thinks that way right? I never understood all of these "fanboy" posts saying things that these mysterious "fanyboys" that I've never seen supposedly say.
You know that no one thinks that way right? I never understood all of these "fanboy" posts saying things that these mysterious "fanyboys" that I've never seen supposedly say.
mcrain
Mar 17, 12:51 PM
How many times did Barack Obama attempt to draw a difference between himself and Hillary by saying "I was against the war from the beginning."? Lots. He was against the war from the beginning, and he campaigned on ending the Iraq war and escalating the Afghanistan war in an attempt to do what we went there for in the first place; and actually plan on an orderly end of the conflict. So, yes, you are correct. He was against the Iraq war from the beginning, and he said so. Bravo, 1-1 so far.
How many times did he attempt to portray himself as the polar opposite of George Bush, especially his foreign policy? Lots. In what ways has he not been the polar opposite? Do you have examples or cites? He did try to close Guantanamo, and the GOP blocked him. He actually put in place a time table for withdrawal from Iraq. He actually focused our efforts on Afghanistan; the war that started in response to 9/11 (almost 10 years ago btw).
How many times did he say that he was going to repair the view of America in the eyes of the Muslim world? Lots. Hasn't he? A dead fish would have had a better image than GWB in that part of the world.
How many times did he the right wing media say he would talk to leaders of 'terrorist nations' without preconditions? Lots. Fixed that for ya.
How many times did he attempt to portray himself as the polar opposite of George Bush, especially his foreign policy? Lots. In what ways has he not been the polar opposite? Do you have examples or cites? He did try to close Guantanamo, and the GOP blocked him. He actually put in place a time table for withdrawal from Iraq. He actually focused our efforts on Afghanistan; the war that started in response to 9/11 (almost 10 years ago btw).
How many times did he say that he was going to repair the view of America in the eyes of the Muslim world? Lots. Hasn't he? A dead fish would have had a better image than GWB in that part of the world.
How many times did he the right wing media say he would talk to leaders of 'terrorist nations' without preconditions? Lots. Fixed that for ya.
adamfilip
Jul 14, 02:42 PM
more importantly then dual optical is being able to support 4 hard drives then!
Chupa Chupa
Apr 11, 07:51 AM
I'm sure the idiot fanboys will buy it no matter what, but people like myself (who actually make a living and want reliable, efficient software) are ready to leave.
Then that just begs the question, "why haven't these people left already?" FCP has been fairly stagnant for years. There are plenty of other alternatives, so doesn't that kinda make them fanboyish too for sticking it out when up to this point Apple has given zero hints about when or how it will take FCP to the next level?
I'm not in the video editing biz, but if the pro s/w I use in my profession hobbled my efficiency and workflow the way you are carping about FCP, and there were viable alternatives, I would abandon it quicker than pigeon can snatch a bread crumb. Just sayin'.
Then that just begs the question, "why haven't these people left already?" FCP has been fairly stagnant for years. There are plenty of other alternatives, so doesn't that kinda make them fanboyish too for sticking it out when up to this point Apple has given zero hints about when or how it will take FCP to the next level?
I'm not in the video editing biz, but if the pro s/w I use in my profession hobbled my efficiency and workflow the way you are carping about FCP, and there were viable alternatives, I would abandon it quicker than pigeon can snatch a bread crumb. Just sayin'.
blackcrayon
Mar 22, 09:56 PM
Christ I am so sick of them taking fantastic hardware and absolutely ruining it by using proprietary file formats and frankenstein versions of Android. I do get a kick out of their 10.1" model being both thinner and lighter than the 9.7" Ipad2 though. That will undoubtedly have the apple apologists out en masse.
Yes 2 tenths of a millimeter thinner and 6 - 12 grams of weight difference... I'm sure the "apple apologists" are losing a lot of sleep over that one :rolleyes:
Yes 2 tenths of a millimeter thinner and 6 - 12 grams of weight difference... I'm sure the "apple apologists" are losing a lot of sleep over that one :rolleyes:
iJohnHenry
Apr 27, 10:29 AM
More like arguing about where the dessert forks and soup spoons go in the place settings. I don't think lifeboats have even entered into the conversation.
I believe the 'long form' is rearranging the deck chairs. :)
I believe the 'long form' is rearranging the deck chairs. :)
BlondeBuddhist
Jun 8, 08:24 PM
I kind of take offense to the statement that the radioshack employees can ruin your credit. truth is it is impossible..there is no way to touch your credit when running an activation. the used phone incident sounded like a mistake, hardly the norm. I've never heard of that happening. Radioshack is connected to the carries and in fact have their own representative for each carrier. Also, Radioshack offers a 30-day policy same as everywhere. Oh and the cell-phones sold at Walmart, target and Sam's club are owned by Radioshack BTW.
haha.. yeah.. I dont pay much attention to the "my brothers, sisters, gardeners went to this one radio shack in ireland" stories. every store is different. period.
I live 50 feet from a Walmart, 100 feet from a Radio Shack, 30 miles from ATT and 2 Hours from an Apple store.
Will Walmart do pre-orders? If not I guess its another 50 feet to "The Shack" I have to pre-order at this store since I will be getting my iPhone 4 by adding a line to an existing contract.
haha.. yeah.. I dont pay much attention to the "my brothers, sisters, gardeners went to this one radio shack in ireland" stories. every store is different. period.
I live 50 feet from a Walmart, 100 feet from a Radio Shack, 30 miles from ATT and 2 Hours from an Apple store.
Will Walmart do pre-orders? If not I guess its another 50 feet to "The Shack" I have to pre-order at this store since I will be getting my iPhone 4 by adding a line to an existing contract.
opinioncircle
Mar 19, 03:38 PM
When will you people realize that Obama is not in charge? You're not in charge either. Corporate interest rules the USA, Libya has 2% of the world's oil supply and a lot of companies have interests there. No one intervened militarily in Rwanda or East Timor. You guys can continue to have your little left vs right, conservative vs. liberal distraction of a debate, meanwhile the real people running the show don't give a rat's ass about any of it.
I do agree with you to a certain extent. I still feel there is room to make things happen, but the trio money/power/interests is the big factor in decisions made.
I am openly disappointed with President Obama. It seems he's chasing something that he can't have, i.e. appreciation from each and every American (left and right included).
He's gone soft on several issues, and instead of taking advantage of the position the Dems were in DC, they tried to find a false consensus. Sad is the only word coming to my mind when talking about President Obama 1st term.
I do agree with you to a certain extent. I still feel there is room to make things happen, but the trio money/power/interests is the big factor in decisions made.
I am openly disappointed with President Obama. It seems he's chasing something that he can't have, i.e. appreciation from each and every American (left and right included).
He's gone soft on several issues, and instead of taking advantage of the position the Dems were in DC, they tried to find a false consensus. Sad is the only word coming to my mind when talking about President Obama 1st term.
manu chao
Apr 27, 08:40 AM
Funny comment from Engadget:
Q: Why is my iphone tracking me?
A: It's not. It's tracking networks and cell towers near wherever you go.
Q: What is the difference between tracking me, and tracking the towers wherever I happen to go? Isn't that the same thing?
A: No. Because it's crowd-sourced. Total crowd size = 1.
Q: Umm. Ok? Soo. Why have you been keeping logs for the past year?
A: That was a bug.
Q: Then why was it unencrypted?
A: That was a bug.
Q: Right. Then why when I opted out did it ignore my choice?
A: That was a bug.
I think is quite conceivable that keeping those logs forever, not encrypting them, maintaining them despite an opt out, and not removing the timestamps was done in the spirit of: "Let's keep the data, maybe they will be useful at some point, and why bother do encrypt them, that is just some extra lines of code to write."
And it is this spirit which is somehow worrying.
Q: Why is my iphone tracking me?
A: It's not. It's tracking networks and cell towers near wherever you go.
Q: What is the difference between tracking me, and tracking the towers wherever I happen to go? Isn't that the same thing?
A: No. Because it's crowd-sourced. Total crowd size = 1.
Q: Umm. Ok? Soo. Why have you been keeping logs for the past year?
A: That was a bug.
Q: Then why was it unencrypted?
A: That was a bug.
Q: Right. Then why when I opted out did it ignore my choice?
A: That was a bug.
I think is quite conceivable that keeping those logs forever, not encrypting them, maintaining them despite an opt out, and not removing the timestamps was done in the spirit of: "Let's keep the data, maybe they will be useful at some point, and why bother do encrypt them, that is just some extra lines of code to write."
And it is this spirit which is somehow worrying.
Macaroony
Mar 1, 05:06 PM
CaoCao, where do you think civilization came from? A religious tribe in the desert? Most political and social structures come from the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. All the Catholic Church contributed to society was bigotry and discrimination. Now tell me who's retrograde. :confused:
Now about your argument about a gay man being able to marry a woman -well of course he can do so but he'd much rather prefer to marry a man, which in many states and countries is still illegal, hence he'd want to get the right to do so.
Seriously, do I have to spell it out for you?
Marriage is a contract and has nothing to do with the blessed love between two people. It's a legally binding agreement between two people and the state that allow for merging assets and facilitation of taxes, insurance, etc. Back in the day, marriage was only used to merge two families for financial, social and stately gain. Most of the time, the marriage was arranged and the two people involved hardly knew or even loved each other through most of their marriage.
We can get all legal about the laws of marriage, but then again it is simply a law and - if most countries support the separation of church and state - not to be bound to religious doctrine.
This is where civil rights come in, a topic that seems to fly by your head due to your clinging to said religious doctrine. If it weren't for civil rights, women wouldn't be able to vote, if it weren't for civil rights, black people would still be slaves, and if it weren't for civil rights, gays would be killed without anyone batting an eye.
This is is what equality is all about.
Now about your argument about a gay man being able to marry a woman -well of course he can do so but he'd much rather prefer to marry a man, which in many states and countries is still illegal, hence he'd want to get the right to do so.
Seriously, do I have to spell it out for you?
Marriage is a contract and has nothing to do with the blessed love between two people. It's a legally binding agreement between two people and the state that allow for merging assets and facilitation of taxes, insurance, etc. Back in the day, marriage was only used to merge two families for financial, social and stately gain. Most of the time, the marriage was arranged and the two people involved hardly knew or even loved each other through most of their marriage.
We can get all legal about the laws of marriage, but then again it is simply a law and - if most countries support the separation of church and state - not to be bound to religious doctrine.
This is where civil rights come in, a topic that seems to fly by your head due to your clinging to said religious doctrine. If it weren't for civil rights, women wouldn't be able to vote, if it weren't for civil rights, black people would still be slaves, and if it weren't for civil rights, gays would be killed without anyone batting an eye.
This is is what equality is all about.
-aggie-
Jun 11, 08:32 AM
With the Shack getting the iPhone, the iPhone may have finally jumped the shark.
layte
Mar 31, 03:30 PM
Except Google have made it very clear with Honeycomb that they're not willing to release the source code for the foreseeable future so 'a bit' could be a lot longer than you'd think. More to the point that does manufacturers very little good. If, f'instance, Google decide to only release a version of Android as open source when they release the next version any manufacturer wanting to use it is going to have to grab the open version, make whatever tweaks they want, get it on a device, get it built in bulk and launch it into the relevant sales channel(s). By the time they do that Google is likely to have released another version of Android and they'll be hopelessly out of date.
Make no mistake about this, Google tightening up on the Android T&C's like this makes it almost impossible for anyone outside of Google's control to launch a device that really competes with the manufacturers who are on the inside track, at least from an OS point of view.
I was just pointing out that the code is still open, even if some have to wait longer than has been the case. I'm not saying everything is golden and Google are a paragon of virtue, this is certainly a bit of a sly move on their part.
I cannot help shake the feeling that some of the vitriol from certain people is the fear that a more coherent and unified Android ecosystem is an even bigger threat to the iOS platform.
Make no mistake about this, Google tightening up on the Android T&C's like this makes it almost impossible for anyone outside of Google's control to launch a device that really competes with the manufacturers who are on the inside track, at least from an OS point of view.
I was just pointing out that the code is still open, even if some have to wait longer than has been the case. I'm not saying everything is golden and Google are a paragon of virtue, this is certainly a bit of a sly move on their part.
I cannot help shake the feeling that some of the vitriol from certain people is the fear that a more coherent and unified Android ecosystem is an even bigger threat to the iOS platform.
MacinDoc
Aug 26, 11:40 PM
I just called Apple support, I was on hold for over 20 minutes, then I was disconnected. No wonder people are unhappy :mad: :( :confused:
I mentioned this on the battery recall forum, so ignore this post if you've already read it, but I think it may help explain why this sort of thing is happening.
I know it's frustrating to wait to speak to a customer services rep when there's a potential problem with your Mac, but before complaining that Apple has a problem with customer service, let's look at things objectively.
Let's say that Apple sells approximately 12,000 computers per day (a realistic estimate, based on their most recent financial statement). If 1 in 10 customers needs to speak with a customer services rep (this estimate is high, I think, but sometimes more than one consulation is required, so I will be generous with this number), and if a rep can deal with 10 problems per day (a very conservative estimate), then Apple could theoretically provide for all of its computer-related customer service needs with a total of 120 computer-oriented customer support staff (I am excluding iPod customer support staff from this discussion). Now, that number sounds really low, so let's multiply it by 10, for a total of 1200 customer support staff (this would mean that each would normally only have to deal with one customer per day). I understand that 1.8 million batteries were recalled, and this would mean that each customer support rep would have to deal with 1500 recalled batteries. Does anyone think that this can be done, along with all the other usual customer service needs, in a day, a week, or even a month? Apple is going to have to divert staff from other areas to deal with this problem. Remember, the number of batteries recalled is greater than the number of computers Apple ships in a quarter!
I mentioned this on the battery recall forum, so ignore this post if you've already read it, but I think it may help explain why this sort of thing is happening.
I know it's frustrating to wait to speak to a customer services rep when there's a potential problem with your Mac, but before complaining that Apple has a problem with customer service, let's look at things objectively.
Let's say that Apple sells approximately 12,000 computers per day (a realistic estimate, based on their most recent financial statement). If 1 in 10 customers needs to speak with a customer services rep (this estimate is high, I think, but sometimes more than one consulation is required, so I will be generous with this number), and if a rep can deal with 10 problems per day (a very conservative estimate), then Apple could theoretically provide for all of its computer-related customer service needs with a total of 120 computer-oriented customer support staff (I am excluding iPod customer support staff from this discussion). Now, that number sounds really low, so let's multiply it by 10, for a total of 1200 customer support staff (this would mean that each would normally only have to deal with one customer per day). I understand that 1.8 million batteries were recalled, and this would mean that each customer support rep would have to deal with 1500 recalled batteries. Does anyone think that this can be done, along with all the other usual customer service needs, in a day, a week, or even a month? Apple is going to have to divert staff from other areas to deal with this problem. Remember, the number of batteries recalled is greater than the number of computers Apple ships in a quarter!