10.2.8 - second time around. Do you trust it?

[karavite]

RacerX, as they say, please don't get your BVDs in a bunch. I am not hostile to you and I am a huge Apple fan, but I think they could use some feedback now and then. I never said Apple needs to be God, just being a little more open and informative (eg push not pull) on technical issues, errors and problems. It would further seperate them from the crowd of "oh, it's not our fault, it must be some other software you are using..." type of repsonse that is all too common out there.

Apple, not me, markets their products as super easy to use and as a great alternative for home and small business users. I just think they could do a little more to follow up on their main brand identity issue.

You seem to make some of your living consutlting home users - that's great. I on the other hand have little time to help friends and family with computer problems (I only help the Mac users and am very often successful), but when one of them buys a Mac on my recommendation and upgrading to iMovie 3 (an upgrade promoting new features) causes problems Apple support - paid support - can't solve, and others on this very forum have the same problem, well it seems unfair and an embarrassment. Speaking as a consumer, not an Apple worshipper, paid consultant... why can't someone demand a reliable $2000+ computer that lets them print or make movies just like on the ads? As a consumer with plenty of choices, logical arguments aren't really the issue - consumers can take their money wherever they want no matter what their opinions are based on. I don't want Apple to lose switchers! My Apple switcher friend (who can't use iMovie when she bought a Mac for iMovie and paid Apple $300 in support fees) is livid. Apple had her in their pocket, she absolutely loved her Mac, but now is furious and dissappointed. If you are near Detroit, I would have her call you, but knowledgeable people like you are not easy to find! Even if they are, paying someone $80+ an hour to clean up ones "super easy to use Mac" is not something that leaves a warm fuzzy feeling in people's heart.

P.S. Epson 740i - a little old, but has been supported by OS X since day one. I tried different USB cables and ports, tested it on a PC, another Mac... and yet it would not print from the G4 DP (oh, ran the hardware check disk too, repaired permissions...) with both a perfectly clean 10.2.6 install on one drive and another drive with a "messy" third party app infested 10.2.6 upgrade. I upgraded to 10.2.8 (second one) and the messy thrid party app infested drive now prints like a charm. Same with the clean drive. I have seen plenty of "can't print" posts associated with various OS X updates on this site. Sure it is a little thing in the grand scheme of things - God knows what little line of code from Apple and/or Epson is responsible, but call me crazy, I just naturally expect a $2500 computer and/or perfectly relaible printer to handle something like printing hassle free - in 2003 especially.

[edX]

my epson 740 has worked like a charm since 10.0.4. the only problems i've ever had were cured by giving it a little time turned off and then rebooting. so i doubt that the apple/epson drivers were really at fault in your case.

i think you'll find that apple is pretty d@mn good at admitting when it's their fault and knowing when it's not. the recent 10.2.8 release was a great example of apple quickly taking responsibility.

karavite - perhaps you should advise your friends to join our site and get the advantage of our members' expertise. lots of problems around here get solved after apple support has failed. i can't say that i can give apple tech support the highest rating.

[lilbandit]

anybody trying to solve another member's problem in here is obviously an enthuasiast, be it mac/windows/linux whatever. The poor individuals who have to work in those tech support call centres are often not interested in your problems and it is just a job. Dell are the same, when I was in college I took a summer job doing tech support for a bank. I wouldn't wish that kind of job on anyone. You are given a laminated list of appropriate answers for customers and you operate within a chain of command that records your calls. It's no wonder IT support is among worst of any sector.

[edX]

yea, i've also learned that the only way to get decent tech support is usually to ask for a supervisor as soon as the first person can't help you. with sbc yahoo i just immediately ask to be bumped to tier 2 support. even those guys don't always know what they're doing, but at least they don't keep asking you the same questions off their sheet over and over.

[edX]

karavite - why does the idea of maintaining and repairing a mac before things get too far out of hand seem so alien to you? if you bought a mercedes instead of a ford, would you think there was some reason you shouldn't wash & wax it, or change the oil? i would think you would be more devoted to maintaining it given the added investment it represents.

[karavite]

Okay edX, you are getting out of hand here. What makes you assume I don't take care of my Mac? What little hat did you pull that out of? I have plenty of third party utilties in my arsenal that I use regularly in a preventative way - including Drive 10, Disk Warrior, Plus Optimizer and I regularly repair my permissions. I'm sure I have a better car than you do too. Take a hint from lilbandit and contribute something productive.

[karavite]

Originally posted by edX
my epson 740 has worked like a charm since 10.0.4. the only problems i've ever had were cured by giving it a little time turned off and then rebooting. so i doubt that the apple/epson drivers were really at fault in your case.

Can you READ? After everything I did to trouble shoot this - two hard drives, three computers, switching cords and ports... Are you in some kind of mental fog? Of course I turned off the printer. Go find something else to drum up a little better than "Gee, mine worked fine, so you must be at fault." Next you'll ask me if I spun in my chair three times and said, "please print, please print, please print"

I thought you would learn some manners after 6700 posts.

[hulkaros]

This is getting out of hand! Back to the original question:

10.2.8 - second time around. Do you trust it?

HECK YES!