Tag Archives: Apple

No Restocking Fee

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It didn’t take long to make a decision regarding my purchase of a 15″ MacBook Pro. As I noted in the last post, I upgraded the display and was having problems with the smaller font which caused some eye strain, a problem I didn’t have with my current/older MacBook Pro. To put this in a little perspective. The base display resolution is 1440 x 900, which is the same resolution on my old MacBook Pro. The upgraded high-resolution display has a resolution of 1680 x 1050. The higher resolution fits everything that’s on a the lower resolution display into a smaller space, thus creating extra screen space on the same 15″ display. However, by fitting more information into a smaller splace, that information also gets smaller, resulting in small fonts that can be difficult to read. Ok, that may not make a whole lot of sense, but it does to me. I attempted to adjust the screen resolution down to 1440 x 900, but all that did was make the screen seem less crisp, a concept I read about online at a few forums. So, rather than deal with a computer that would require me to constantly adjust the screen resolution, I decided to return the computer on Sunday to the local Apple Store in Santa Monica, California. Originally, I was thinking of giving it a try for the full 14 days allowed by Apple prior to returning it, but realized it was going to be an ongoing problem the second I used the computer on Sunday morning.

The process to return the computer was surprisingly easy. I received an email from the Apple Store with the receipt noting the cost of the computer was returned to my credit card. And, the best part, there was no restocking fee! I was actually surprised by the lack of a restocking fee. This could have caused a big dilemma if the fee was high. Afterwards I went over to The Best Buy website and it too had no references to a restocking fee. Apparently cell phone service companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint are one of the last industries that still sport restocking fees.

Shortly after returning the computer I ordered a new one using the Apple Store app on my iPhone. Again, it was surprisingly easy to complete the transaction. It’s now Tuesday and I have not received a delivery notification, so I’m going to venture a guess that it will not be delivered as quickly as my last purchase. Either way, I’ll be happy when it arrives and I get to have a pretty sweet computer for the forseeable future.

Macbook Pro 15″ First Impression

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It’s been almost a full day since I opened up the box with my brand spanking new 15″ Macbook Pro. So far I’m having mixed emotions about one topic in particular, which has me thinking about my options for returning the computer. It should be noted that most of my comparisons and opinions are based off my last Macbook Pro, which also sported a 15″ screen, but was almost 6 years old.

So what is it that has me thinking about returning the computer? It’s the monitor/screen or, as Apple calls it, the display. I upgraded the display to a hi-resoluation anti-glare display. This apparently had implications that I didn’t realize. My first observations, before I even turned on the computer, was the silver border around the display. This isn’t what I was expecting based on the pictures on the Apple website, the computers I played with at the Apple store, and my brothers 13″ Macbook Pro. Turns out the Apple website does indicate there is a silver border on the anti-glare displays. This is something that I can easily get over. What I’m having difficulty with is the smaller font. With the higher resolution and increased screen space comes a much smaller font. I find myself increasing the font size when reading the news on various websites. Considering my eye-sight is just about 20-20 now following LASIK eye surgery, that should give you a good idea of how small the font is and how it would be difficult for someone with slightly less perfect eye sight to get anything done with this screen.

That’s not to say the computer didn’t leave a few positive impressions. First of all, the same display I’m concerned about with regards to font is spectacular with pictures and video. It is very clear and crisp. The battery life is also great. I’ve been using the computer on and off for about 5 hours now and still have a good hour left according to the battery monitor. The keyboard is also solid and easy to type on, a stark contrast to the problems I was having with the older computer, but still better than the older computer when it was at its best. The trackpad takes a little getting used to, specifically the fact that the full trackpad can be clicked, but the numerous swipe options make it worth the time and effort to learn.

So there you have it. According to the Apple website I have 14 days from the date of receipt to initiate a return either through Apple.com or at an Apple Store. I was also surprised at the lack of any language regarding a restocking fee. I may have to contact Apple to ensure there is no restocking fee, which might have an affect on my final decision. Anyway, I haven’t made a final decision, but am mulling my options at this point.

Pants on Fire

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I lied. It wasn’t on purpose and, at the time, it was was I thought to be the truth. A few weeks ago I posted about doing some comparisons between various Apple computers, including the Mac Mini, 13″ Macbook Pro, 15″ Macbook Pro, and various Windows based computers. The results of the compaisons would then be posted to the blog in order to help with my decision on what computer to buy. This is something I did back in 2006 prior to buying my current 15″ Macbook Pro. Well, the comparisons never happened and, if you happen to follow my Twitter account, you know I decided to purchase a new computer yesterday.

To be honest, buying a Windows computer never crossed my mind. The experience I’ve had with my current 15″ Macbook Pro, which I bought almost 6 years ago, has been spectacular. Add the fact that I continue to run Windows using Boot Camp, so why not have the option to use either operating system. During the past 6 years I increased the RAM, operating system (twice), and hard drive. However, I wasn’t able to updrade to the latest version of OS X – Lion – due to the computer being too old.  In all, things just worked and I appreciate that fact. Recently, though, the buttons have started to ware down. There may be a way to fix this problem, I’m not sure, but after almost 6 years I’m ready for a new computer, one with specs that are current.

CNET.com does a good job reviewing various computers in the wild and recommending their top choices. Even their top choices get put into various categories (i.e., budget, mid-size, desktop replacement, netbooks, and ultra-portable). In the overall laptop category, the Macbook Pro is right at the top of the list. In comparison, the Samsung Series 7 (15″) comes closest to the Macbook Pro in specs at about $500 less cost.  Here’s what CNET.com has to say:

Samsung’s Series 7 Chronos 700Z5A-S03 is the closest Windows equivalent to a MacBook Pro in terms of specs, power, and design and even nearly matches on battery life, but it’s $500 less expensive than an entry-level Apple 15-incher.

There you have it. Why do a comparison when others are willing to do it for you?!

Just because I didn’t post any comparisons to the blog doesn’t mean there wasn’t a slew of thoughts going through my head. It was about a week ago I decided to go with the lower level 15″ Macbook Pro, while upgrading the RAM (8 GB), hard drive (750 GB @ 7200 RPM), and screen (high resolution anti-glare). The biggest differece betweent the lower level and upper level include a slightly faster processor, a better graphics card (1 GB vs. 512 MB), and about $300 in total cost. The total cost for the computer, including tax, turned out to be just over $2,500. A hefty price to pay, but not so bad when you consider how much I use computers and how inegral they are to my life.

Something else that occurred to me yesterday was the ease of purchasing the new computer using the Apple Store app on my iPhone. It really couldn’t have been any easier as I was sitting at Tony P’s having lunch. All I had to do was pick the computer, upgrade specifications, log in using my iTunes password, and input the 4 digit American Express security code. In all it took only a few minutes.

I’m now in a waiting period. The computer is set to ship in 1-3 days and deliver sometime between February 21 – 23. However, I’m hoping it will arrive on Friday so I can play with it after returning from Reno, NV. I’m exicted. Can’t wait!

Apples vs. Apples

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I can’t believe it’s been almost 6 years since I last went through the process of buying a computer. It was actually a little over 6 years ago when the thought of buying an Apple computer first crossed my mind. At the time this blog was just in its infancy and I documented my analysis in a few posts using the term “Apples vs. Oranges” one, two, and three. In this case, Apples was a reference to an Apple computer and Oranges was a reference to Windows based computers. Well, the time has come for me to go through that analysis again. Although I’m 99% sure to buy another Apple computer, I still might to do an analysis of a couple of Windows computers, just to see what the difference is these days compared to 2006.

Prior to purchasing the Apple MacBook Pro I had owned a few Windows computers, each only lasting a few years before I was ready to throw it out the window with frustration. I would go on to deal with the aggravation for up to a year before finally buying a new one. Well, after almost 6 years I can’t say I’m extremely frustrated with the MacBook Pro, especially after upgrading the RAM and hard drive during the past couple of years. However, some buttons have been causing grief lately, specifically the space bar and mouse button. The space bar doesn’t always work, so I find myself going back to add spaces between what should have been separate words. I thought this might be due to something stuck underneath the space bar, but that turned out to be wrong after taking apart the computer and using compressed air to blow it all out. In addition, the left side of the mouse button doesn’t seem to work anymore, which is the part I tend to use the most.


I’ve been going through various thoughts about my next computer during the past couple of weeks. Do I stick to a 15” MacBook Pro, which will go for about $2,600? Or, do I go smaller with a 13”, which will go for about $1,700? Another option is the Mac Mini, which will go for about $1,250. The thought behind getting the Mini is that I’ve become quite accustomed to using the iPad for most tasks. The primary uses for the standard computer is a central repository for all of my music, photos, and general documents, using Windows/Boot Camp to update Quicken, and to accomplish tasks that are just easier with a standard computer. Manipulating photos (i.e., cropping), something I do before uploading photos to the blog, is something I’m able to do with the iPad, but it’s just easier and quicker with a standard computer. With Pages and Numbers installed on my iPad, I’m able to create and update documents and spreadsheets at my heart’s content. So, if I only need a standard computer for those limited reasons, do I really need one that is portable? Also, the thought has crossed my mind about buying a Bluetooth keyboard for the iPad, which will make it easier to write longer blog posts, making the standard computer less needed. I may actually do this sooner rather than later to test out how much I can reasonable use the iPad. And spreading out the expense between a new computer early in the year and a new iPad later in the year will definitely take pressure off the wallet.


Anyway, those are my thoughts right now and chances are, knowing how I can analyze the death out of this kind of thing, my thoughts will probably change many times before settling down to buy my next computer.

iPhone 4S Pre-Order Status Update #4

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This will be the final update on the iPhone 4S order as AT&T finally delivered on the order placed over 3 weeks ago. To make sure everyone understands my frustration with this whole process, I want to make a few things clear. I wasn’t frustrated at the simple fact that I was going to have to wait a long time to receive the phone. If I was told the wait would be 21-28 days from the order date, I probably wouldn’t have placed the order. But I did place the order because I was told it would take approximately 7 days. It wasn’t until after accepting the terms and conditions of the order that the delivery date was extended to 21-28 days. Then AT&T refused to let me cancel the order, which was somewhat of a slap in the face. Was I being unreasonably?

On Sunday night, shortly after posting the third status update, I submitted a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This is the second time I used the BBB due to what I felt was improper business practice. To my surprise Tuesday turned into a big day. Tuesday morning the AT&T website noted the order was fulfilled and the phones were being delivered the next day… from Texas of all places. This got me wondering as all previous Apple product orders started in China. Later Tuesday morning I received an email forwarded from my brother. It was an email from the AT&T Office of the President. He apologized for the inconvenience and noted the phones were being delivered. He also left us a voice-mail on the home phone.

At first I was wondering if this was just a coincidence, but then I remembered there’s no such thing as coincidences. Well, at least that’s what Gibbs has taught me on NCIS. :-) My brother and I went back and forth on whether to push things a little bit with AT&T. Specifically because it shouldn’t take a complaint with the BBB to have a company acknowledge a problem in their treatment of a customer, but we decided to just let this one go for now.

So my new iPhone is now patiently waiting for me at home. In the immortal words of Bart Scott… Can’t Wait!

iPhone 4S Pre-Order Status Update

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It’s been a little over a week now since the iPhone went on sale for pre-orders. This past Friday the iPhone was official made available to all those brave souls willing to wait no line at an Apple Store or other retail store lucky enough to be able to sell the iPhone 4S. Following the pre-order of the iPhone 4S on October 7 I wrote about the potential for it to be delivered on October 14th, as noted in the confirmation email my brother received. From what I understand, there are people out there playing with their new iPhone 4S’. I’m not one of them.

On Saturday, the day after the pre-order was confirmed, my brother received an email notification that our order through AT&T had been cancelled… for no apparent reason! A phone call to AT&T later we were able to re-pre-order (pretty sure that’s not a real word) the iPhone 4S. The AT&T representative noted we would still receive the iPhone as scheduled. Yeah, right! I remember thinking I’ll believe it when I see it, especially reading online how the wait went from receipt on October 14 to delivery in 1-2 weeks.

On Thursday, one day before the original delivery date, I received a voice mail from AT&T Fraud Department noting an order had been placed to replace my phone. My current phone was right next to me when I received the voice-mail, so I’m under the impression they never actually called, but left a voice-mail. This reeked at the time of a tool to extend the delivery date by AT&T, but have no proof other than the fact that I have yet to receive the phone. When I finally got a hold of AT&T on Friday they wouldn’t let me verify the order as I’m on a family plan and am not the account holder. My question is, why did they call me and not the account holder?!?! My brother made the phone call to ensure everything was straightened out, but not before I got pretty peeved at AT&T at their actions through this whole process. It’s now Sunday and we have yet to receive notice that the phone is being delivered. When I go online to check the status of the order the AT&T system doesn’t even recognize the order number. Instead I get this message:

OS001: We apologize for the inconvenience. We cannot complete your request at this time. Please wait at least 24 hrs from placing your order, before checking the status of your order online. If the problem persists, please call us at 1-888-333-6651 for further assistance. NOTE: An email may have been sent to your email address on file. Please check your email which may have additional information about your order.

This whole process is a joke and, as a result, so is AT&T. But that’s nothing unusual, they have the same hiccups (to say the least) every time the iPhone goes on sale. If I get back to California on Friday, October 22 and the phone has not yet been delivered my service will be changed to Verizon or Sprint. I’ll accept a limited data plan over the unlimited plan if I have to. To say the least, my brother, who is waiting (im)patiently for the phone to arrive, is even more aggravated at this process than I am. Even if it arrived already, I still wouldn’t be able to use it until I return to California.

iPhone 4S Pre-Order Confirmed

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It’s been over 3 years since I bought the iPhone 3G, which I’m still begrudgingly using today. For a gadget junky like me the current iPhone has outlived it’s usefulness. So there was no doubt I’d try to get my pre-order in as early as possible. My brother, who is in the same boat with his iPhone 3G, and being a night owl, attempted to get the order in just after midnight when the phone was made available. After an hour and a half of not being able to get through to the AT&T service, he decided to call it a day. Not knowing the outcome when I woke up at 5:30, I was left waiting until he woke up to find out. It wasn’t until 9:30 this morning that I finally got an email with the confirmation, which noted a delivery date of October 14th, with an * next to it. I’m thinking it will be another week or two after before I get the phone delivered.

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I decided to go with the 64 GB option for multiple reasons. First, the phone takes HD video, which will take a lot of space on the phone between syncs with my computer. And second, I’m hoping the 64 GB will not sell out as easily due to the price, which might result in an earlier than expected delivery.

One side note to add, it seems I’ll be able to keep the unlimited data plan, which is a nice bonus even though I don’t usually hit the 2 GB limit on the current available plan, but an extra $5 is worth it in the event I want to listen to Pandora for an extended period of time. Can’t wait!

Apples (Mac) vs. Oranges (PC) – 5 Years Later

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It amazes me to think it’s been almost 5 years since I wrote a 3 part series of Apples (Mac) vs. Oranges (PC). It was in July 2006 that I finally ended the debate and bought my current Macbook Pro with a 15″ screen.

Well, it pains me to say towards the end of March I started having trouble with the computer. That’s probably an understatement, it just didn’t work. It all started with an innocent iTunes update and resulted in a trip to the Genius Bar at the local Santa Monica Apple Store. That’s where I was told the hard drive had broken down and it needed to be replaced. At that point I had a few options:

  1. Replace the hard drive at the Apple Store for approximately $150, which would have increases the hard drive to 150 GB.
  2. Replace the hard drive at MacMall for approximately $240, which would have increases the hard drive to 500 GB.
  3. Buy a new MacBook Pro!

You can probably imagine I preferred the third option, but at over $2,000, I couldn’t yet rationalize a new computer. So instead, I chose option #4, replace the hard drive myself at a cost of approximately $120, increasing the size of the hard drive to 500 GB.

This turned out to be easier than I would have expected. I bought a Seagate Momentus 500 GB 7200 RPM hard drive at Best Buy. Then, I bought a mini tool set at Radio Shack. And, with a little help from ifixit.com – a great source for step-by-step technology repair manuals – I was able to install the new hard drive. A fresh install of Mac OS/X Snow Leopard, a Time Machine restore, and things were good to go. There were a few hiccups along the way when restoring from backup, but overall they were minor.  And now my Macbook Pro is running like new. Who would have thought I would not only own a computer for 5 years without replacing it, but not even need to as it’s running as smooth as can be. Something I can’t say for previous Windows based computers I’ve owned. And with the iPad acting as a great secondary computer, I wonder how long it will be before I decide to actually buy a new computer.

Review: Apple iPad

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There are always reviews online after a new product comes out, but rarely do I read reviews from people that have used a product for a long time, to the point it makes its way into their daily life. That’s where this review comes in. It’s been about 9 months since I bought the Apple iPad, figured it might be time to write a quick review on what I think of the gadget. To start, I bought the 32 GB iPad with WiFi and 3G.

The primary reason for buying the iPad, outside of my love of gadgets, was to bring it with me when traveling. I spent a good amount time during the the past couple of years traveling for business, with a bulk of the travel coming during the spring. On top of that, my business travel tends to be for 2 weeks at a time. During previous business travels I would bring my personal computer with me, an Apple MacBook Pro (15″). This allowed me to take care of personal tasks on the MacBook after work and during the weekends, while leaving the work computer as strictly that, a work computer. However, this got to be heavy, literally. Having to carry 2 computers with me at all times isn’t fun when walking around the airport.

This takes me to my first comment regarding the iPad. Whether your going to the couch, office, local coffee shot, or another city, it travels light and easy. It doesn’t take up too much space in a computer bag and doesn’t add too much weight. Most of the time they don’t even ask you to take it out of your carry-on when going through security. The one location I wouldn’t recommend bringing it to is the beach or pool… or anywhere the sun is shining. First, the screen is practically unviewable if you’re wearing sunglasses. And if you’re not wearing sunglasses, the sun will cause a glare on the screen making it unviewable. Google has made this one of their primary marketing tools for the Kindle in attacking the Apple iPad. This doesn’t seem to make sense since the Kindle is sort of a one trick pony and, well, the iPad isn’t. But hey, if it works for Google, I can’t blame them. They’re not lying in the ad whatsoever.

Hand in hand with the iPad being a good travel companion is the great battery life. When traveling, most computers don’t come with the kind of battery life to last from the time you leave the house to when you arrive at your next destination. Even worse, sometime I would use the iPhone to listen to music, read the news at the airport, and play games on the plane only to realize the battery was done by the time I arrived. If I was meeting someone at the airport I was gong to be in a bind. Bringing an iPad when traveling gets rid of all those worries. Even better, it’s easier to read the news (or a book) than the iPhone, plays the same music that I have on the iPhone, allows me to play games on the plane, and I can watch movies on it. On top of all that, even on the longest of travel days, the battery hasn’t come close to running out.

On the downside, if you’re buying the iPad expecting it to act as your primary computer, you’ll be greatly disappointed. I see it as a great compliment to a primary computer. Just like the iPhone, the iPad works in conjunction with iTunes to sync music, movies, apps, contact lists, calendars, etc. Although I haven’t tried, I’m sure you can make use of the iPad without syncing with a primary computer, but that just doesn’t seem to make sense for many reasons I don’t think it’s worth getting into. Outside of that, it does just about everything you want from a second computer. There are apps for just about everything you would want to do, whether it’s playing games or taking care of business. The one app I wish existed for the iPad is similar to one I wish existed (at least better) for the Mac OS, and that’s Quicken. I know, Quicken has an application for Mac, but it’s not up to par with what I need… and that’s a review for another day.

One of the many complaints people had a long time ago when the first iPhone went on sale and then when the iPad went on sale, is typing on a screen. It seems most people have gotten over this complaint. Actually, I recently got a Blackberry for work and found the keyboard to be annoying. I still type faster on the iPhone than I do on the Blackberry. However, I still prefer the full keyboard of a computer. I’d put typing on the iPad somewhere between that of the iPhone and a computer. I’m still not comfortable writing longer emails or blog posts on the iPad. Actually, I’m writing this review on my computer, not the iPad. This might have something to do with patience or wasted time. If I can write this review in an hour on a computer, it would probably take twice that on an iPad. I don’t want to even think about how long it would take on an iPhone. I mean, this post is coming up on 900 words right now, that’s a lot to ask for on a smaller keyboard.

So is the iPad for everyone? Probably not. Am I glad I bought it? Yes! For reasons noted above, instead of having a hot computer on my lap when surfing on the coach, I have the iPad. I travel with it pretty much everywhere except the bar. Writing mid-size emails and blog posts is relatively easy. And the battery life is great. So there you have it. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments or ask me questions that I may not have brought up in the review. Enjoy!

Restraint and Rationalization

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If you know my love of gadgets, you know I have little restraint when it comes to new gadgets and can rationalize bying one with the best of them. Well, today I went to the Apple Store to take a test drive (read: play) with the new iPad. Oh boy, I didn’t realize how much I’d like it. It’s smooth, fast, easy to read, and I can only imagine how nice it would be to watch a movie on it while travelling on a plane. Using Safari poulios.com looked great (check it out here and type in my web address, typing wasn’t bad either, like many people thought it would be. My theory, if you need to write a long email, use a computer. The iPhone works with short emails, the iPad is somewhere in the middle. There’s only one thing I think it’s missing, a webcam/camera, but that won’t hinder me from buying one. I don’t use the camera on my laptop very often and don’t plan to take the iPad with me on excursions just to take pictures. Either way, I’d guess about this time next year they’ll come out with version 2 with a camera. In the end – or is it just the first chapter – I showed restraint… for now, but am quickly rationalizing buying one every minute.