Messages In This Digest (21 Messages)
- 1a.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Randy B. Singer
- 1b.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Ken
- 1c.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Otto Nikolaus
- 1d.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Ken
- 1e.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Randy B. Singer
- 1f.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: John Ennis
- 1g.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Michael P. Stupinski
- 1h.
- Re: cassette audio to USB ??? From: Michael P. Stupinski
- 2.1.
- Re: camera-card file-retrieval app From: Otto Nikolaus
- 3.
- Lantronix XPrintServer for iOS From: Denver Dan
- 4a.
- Re: screen res From: Arjun Singhal
- 4b.
- Re: screen res From: Tod Hopkins
- 5a.
- Re: MacBook Pro with 2880x1800 resolution? From: Nick Andriash
- 6a.
- Re: Macros From: Josephine Bacon
- 6b.
- Re: Macros From: Randy B. Singer
- 6c.
- Re: Macros From: Josephine Bacon
- 6d.
- Re: Macros From: Randy B. Singer
- 7a.
- Re: Good news, Apple Delivered! From: N.A. Nada
- 7b.
- Re: Good news, Apple Delivered! From: Arjun Singhal
- 7c.
- Re: Good news, Apple Delivered! From: Arjun Singhal
- 8.1.
- Re: Larger screen monitors for MacBookPro From: Tod Hopkins
Messages
- 1a.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Randy B. Singer" randy@macattorney.com randybrucesinger
Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:45 pm (PST)
On Dec 15, 2011, at 9:44 AM, Oneal Neumann wrote:
> A local electronics store is selling a device that can transfer
> cassette-tape audio to a computer using a USB input.
Here are some very helpful tutorials for transferring audio cassette
tapes to your Macintosh:
http://www.wap.org/journal/ digitizingcasset tes/default. html
http://lowendmac.com/lab/03/ 0724.html
http://lowendmac.com/lab/03/ 0814.html
http://www.macworld.com/2005/ 01/features/ tapetocd/ index.php
The iMic is a good tool for this job:
http://www.griffintechnology. com/products/ imic
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts. html
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
- 1b.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Ken" avlisk@cox.net avliska
Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:52 pm (PST)
Do you know if an iMic purchased in 2004, and never opened, will work with a new MacBook Air running Lion? I see a DVD in the package and don't have a DVD drive any more. (I don't want to open it if it won't work.) I've finally bought an electric guitar and want to record a tune in Garage Band. Thanks.
Ken Silva
> The iMic is a good tool for this job:
> http://www.griffintechnology. com/products/ imic
>
> _____________________ _________ _________ ____
> Randy B. Singer
> Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
- 1c.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Otto Nikolaus" otto.nikolaus@googlemail.com nikyzf
Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:58 pm (PST)
Webcams need drivers. Did you see if one is available?
Otto
On 15 December 2011 21:38, Michael P. Stupinski <mpstupinski@snet.net >wrote:
> FWIW, I got a cheap webcam as a "prize" for visiting a local car
> dealer. It's USB 2.0, but plugging it in to my G5 Mac produces no
> results. Not recognized in System Profiler, either.
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
- 1d.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Ken" avlisk@cox.net avliska
Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:03 pm (PST)
Amazing customer support from Griffin. I got an answer from a live person in about a minute. The answer to iMic is yes, it will work with Lion; no, no DVD or downloaded drivers are needed. It will simply work. Thanks, Griffin.
Ken S.
--- In macsupportcentral@yahoogroups. , "Ken" <avlisk@...> wrote:com
>
> Do you know if an iMic purchased in 2004, and never opened, will work with a new MacBook Air running Lion? I see a DVD in the package and don't have a DVD drive any more. (I don't want to open it if it won't work.) I've finally bought an electric guitar and want to record a tune in Garage Band. Thanks.
> Ken Silva
>
> > The iMic is a good tool for this job:
> > http://www.griffintechnology. com/products/ imic
> >
> > _____________________ _________ _________ ____
> > Randy B. Singer
> > Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
>
- 1e.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Randy B. Singer" randy@macattorney.com randybrucesinger
Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:09 pm (PST)
On Dec 15, 2011, at 2:58 PM, Otto Nikolaus wrote:
> Webcams need drivers. Did you see if one is available?
And there are lots of third party webcam drivers available, some for
free:
Macam (free)
driver for USB webcams on Mac OS X. It allows hundreds of USB webcams
to be used
http://webcam-osx.sourceforge. net/
IOXperts Webcam Driver for Mac OS X ($20)
http://www.ioxperts.com/products/ webcamx.html
CamCamX ($10)
http://b-l-a-c-k-o-p.com/ CamCamX.html
makes non-Apple webcams iSight compatible
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts. html
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
- 1f.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "John Ennis" john@john-ennis.com ennisart
Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:26 pm (PST)
I used Garage Band.
John
- 1g.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Michael P. Stupinski" mpstupinski@snet.net mstupinski
Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:23 pm (PST)
No driver was included, of course, nor any paper info either, just a
plastic camera. I found a free PC driver at what I considered a
suspicious-looking site (it suggested that before downloading the
driver you: "Run a Free scan to check your PC for hidden errors.").
You can see the camera on eBay here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium- Video-Chat- Camera-USB- 2-0-Sits- Desk-Clips- Laptop-Monitor- /280754185364
I'm using an iSight camera anyway, so I have no use for it.
............Mike
On Dec 15, 2011, at 5:58 PM, Otto Nikolaus wrote:
> Webcams need drivers. Did you see if one is available?
>
> Otto
>
> On 15 December 2011 21:38, Michael P. Stupinski
> <mpstupinski@snet.net >wrote:
>
>> FWIW, I got a cheap webcam as a "prize" for visiting a local car
>> dealer. It's USB 2.0, but plugging it in to my G5 Mac produces no
>> results. Not recognized in System Profiler, either.
>>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> --------------------- --------- ------
>
> Group FAQ:
> <http://www.macsupportcentral. >com/policies/
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
- 1h.
-
Re: cassette audio to USB ???
Posted by: "Michael P. Stupinski" mpstupinski@snet.net mstupinski
Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:34 pm (PST)
Interesting. I tried the free one (Macam) but it reported "no camera
found." Camera's not worth buying a driver for though. :-)
............Mike
On Dec 15, 2011, at 6:09 PM, Randy B. Singer wrote:
>
> On Dec 15, 2011, at 2:58 PM, Otto Nikolaus wrote:
>
>> Webcams need drivers. Did you see if one is available?
>
> And there are lots of third party webcam drivers available, some for
> free:
>
> Macam (free)
> driver for USB webcams on Mac OS X. It allows hundreds of USB webcams
> to be used
> http://webcam-osx.sourceforge. net/
>
> IOXperts Webcam Driver for Mac OS X ($20)
> http://www.ioxperts.com/products/ webcamx.html
>
> CamCamX ($10)
> http://b-l-a-c-k-o-p.com/ CamCamX.html
> makes non-Apple webcams iSight compatible
>
> _____________________ _________ _________ ____
> Randy B. Singer
> Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
>
> Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
> http://www.macattorney.com/ts. html
> _____________________ _________ _________ ____
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------- --------- ------
>
> Group FAQ:
> <http://www.macsupportcentral. >com/policies/
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
- 2.1.
-
Re: camera-card file-retrieval app
Posted by: "Otto Nikolaus" otto.nikolaus@googlemail.com nikyzf
Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:54 pm (PST)
On 15 December 2011 21:22, Oneal Neumann <wardell.h.s@gmail.com > wrote:
>
> You be a smart dude, Jim. Thanx. Oneal
>
Yep, braces (although I didn't know that Americans called them that too) or
"curly brackets". Want some more?
From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ >, where angle brackets/chevronsBrackets
are different to less/greater than symbols.
----
List of types
- ( ) — *round brackets*, *open brackets*, *brackets* (UK), or *
parentheses <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ >*Brackets# Parentheses_ .28_.29
- [ ] — *square brackets*, *closed brackets*, or *brackets* (US)
- { } — *curly brackets*, *definite brackets*, *swirly brackets*, *curly
braces*, *birdie brackets*, *Scottish brackets*, *squirrelly brackets*, *
braces*,*gullwings*, *fancy brackets*, or *squiggly brackets*
- ⟨ ⟩ — *angle brackets*, *triangular brackets*, *diamond brackets*, *
tuples*, or *chevrons*
- < > — *inequality signs*, or *brackets*. Sometimes referred to as *angle
brackets*, in such cases as HTML <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ > markup.HTML
Occasionally known as *broken brackets* or
*brokets*.[3]<http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ >Brackets# cite_note- 2
- ‹ ›; « » — *angular quote brackets*, or
*guillemets<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ >Guillemet
*
- ⸤ ⸥; ｢ ｣ — *corner brackets*
*----*
*
*
*Otto*
*
*
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
- 3.
-
Lantronix XPrintServer for iOS
Posted by: "Denver Dan" denver.dan@verizon.net denverdan22180
Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:44 pm (PST)
Howdy.
This is a quick review of the Lantronix XprintServer for printing from
iOS devices to nearly any printer.
<http://www.tuaw.com/2011/ >12/13/lantronix- xprintserver- makes-almost- any-printer- ios-compatible/
Has anyone used this? Opinions?
Denver Dan
- 4a.
-
Re: screen res
Posted by: "Arjun Singhal" arjunsinghal@yahoo.com arjunsinghal
Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:33 pm (PST)
The difference in technology is not noticeable in terms of quality of picture. Both the new-age iMacs and Cinema display are using LED backlit TFT technology, which is pretty much the same you'd get on a modern day laptop.
The only difference is the size and the resolution. You're right about the pixel density on screens. However, the clarity of a screen is closely associated with the dot pitch of the screen. That's basically a measure of the size of the pixel. Most often, what happens is that as screen sizes increase, the dot pitch also increases. Back in older days when desktops were 13, 14, 15 inches, and 29inches for a room TV was considered large, it was assumed that large screen TVs would be viewed at a longer distance, say in a large room.
And that was because TV signals broadcast at 320x200 resolution (i maybe off a few numbers here) until the era of HD came around, and we had LDs and DVDs which gave us access to digital content at higher resolutions. Monitors became larger for the common man after the TFT happened.
But in older days, when they increased the size of a TV screen, what a manufacturer would do is increase the dot pitch. What this would result in is a grainy image if it was viewed from up close. If you have your cable connected to a modern day LCD with the RF connector at the back, you'd know what I'm saying. What apple did with the retina display is turn things around, one step further than what TFTs initially did. They have taken the same screen size, and reduced the dot pitch to such an extent that its impossible to resolve two adjacent pixels on the screen with the naked eye. See the following link for a demo to understand this.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/ features/ retina-display. html
This means, you don't get any extra real estate on a screen, but the same information appears sharper and clearer and becomes easier on the eyes.
One of the points most people are missing here is that if Apple introduces a retina display on the Macs, what it would just mean is more sharper resolution for people doing the same tasks. Window sizes on the 15in Macbook Pro would essentially still be the same. I would for example, not like my text on websites or documents to be any smaller than what I like to read. I would just appreciate it to be clearer and give less strain on the eyes.
On 15-Dec-2011, at 11:01 PM, Oneal Neumann wrote:
>
> The recent thread about monitors has got me thinking about 'resolution'.
>
> I understand that there are (at least, perhaps) two ways of looking at the issue of 'resolution'. My conception of resolution is linked to pixels per unit area, which for screens probably means pixels / centimeter squared.
>
> It is my understanding that the resolution of a 24" desktop monitor is the same as the resolution of a 27" desktop monitor. In other words, the # of pixels / area unit is identical for both.
>
> The bigger monitor is only larger; it does not produce a better picture.
>
> QUESTION: Do desktop monitors produce better images than laptop screens? I don�t have a working desktop monitor currently, so I can�t make a comparison check.
>
> The technologies are different. Is there a point, from an 'optimal' (whatever that means) viewing perspective, where cramming more pixels per area unit becomes counterproductive?
>
> More further, Otto said (on 14 Dec.) that "[despite] halv[ing] each dimension [in terms of pixels], [he�d] expect the sharpness ... to be retained".
>
> Is image acuity not a function of linear pixelation? In other words, the more pixels along each axis, the better (up to a point). Wouldn�t reducing the # of pixels in each direction also be counterproductive, even if the aspect ratio were maintained.
>
> Thanx. Oneal
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> --------------------- --------- ------
>
> Group FAQ:
> <http://www.macsupportcentral. >com/policies/
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
- 4b.
-
Re: screen res
Posted by: "Tod Hopkins" hoplist@hillmanncarr.com todhop
Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:55 am (PST)
On Dec 15, 2011, at 12:31 PM, Oneal Neumann wrote:
> The recent thread about monitors has got me thinking about 'resolution'.
Thinking... thinking is good. It is important in complicated technical discussions not to get lost in the weeds.
There is a HUGE difference between pixel resolution - the number of pixels displayed by the device - and "optical" resolution - the actual complexity of we see. I mentioned earlier that a larger display, with the same pixel resolution, can have a higher perceived resolution. This is simply because it is larger. Think of this crude example. Two 1920x1080 monitors 10 feet away. One is 20" and the other is 60". On which will see more detail? Resolution is dependent on viewing distance.
And there are many other important factors in resolution: contrast, brightness, color depth, pixel "sharpness", motion blur, etc...
And there is also "temporal" resolution, which is data rate over time, as opposed to "spatial" resolution. This is where the new 120hz monitors come in. Same pixel density but higher temporal resolution, resulting in higher perceived resolution, especially in motion images.
In resolution, what you see is what you get.
Cheers,
tod
Tod Hopkins
Hillmann & Carr Inc.
todhopkins@hillmanncarr.com
- 5a.
-
Re: MacBook Pro with 2880x1800 resolution?
Posted by: "Nick Andriash" medic65@telus.net andriash2005
Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:05 pm (PST)
On 2011-12-15, at 7:10 AM, Bill B. wrote:
> I run my 17" MBP at 1980x1200 = 2,376,000 pixels
> The new screen would be 2880x1800 = 5,184,000 pixels
> Dividing gives 2.18 times, still impressive.
Bill, how are you able to run...and read it properly... at such a high resolution? My 2011 17"MBP has a maximum 1920 x 1200, which itself is too small for my tired eyes.
--
Nick Andriash
andriash@telus.net
17" MacBook Pro, 2.3GHz Intel Core i7, Memory 8 GB, OS X 10.7.2
iPad2 WiFi & 3G, 64GB
iPhone4S 32GB
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
- 6a.
-
Re: Macros
Posted by: "Josephine Bacon" bacon@langservice.com baconandeggs_2001
Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:44 pm (PST)
I just want to know one thing, I recently posted a request here which
no one answered? Do the Word macros created for the PC all work on the
Mac? Do some of them? Any of them? And if so, for which version of
Word do they work?
Josephine Bacon
- 6b.
-
Re: Macros
Posted by: "Randy B. Singer" randy@macattorney.com randybrucesinger
Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:36 am (PST)
On Dec 15, 2011, at 11:44 PM, Josephine Bacon wrote:
> I just want to know one thing, I recently posted a request here which
> no one answered? Do the Word macros created for the PC all work on the
> Mac? Do some of them? Any of them? And if so, for which version of
> Word do they work?
Word's macro language, Visual Basic (VBA), is almost identical for
both platforms, but they aren't 100% identical.
So most macros will work cross-platform, which is why Word macro
viruses are a cross-platform concern. However, not all features of
Word itself are exactly the same on each platform, so not all Word
macros will be perfectly cross-platform.
Word/Office 2008 didn't include Visual Basic, so it can't run Visual
Basic macros at all. (Though it can still run AppleScript macros,
but since the Windows versions of Word/Office don't include
AppleScript those macros aren't cross platform.) All other versions
of Word/Office for the Mac, past and future, include Visual Basic.
Visual Basic returned to the Mac version of Word/Office with Office
2011.
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts. html
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
- 6c.
-
Re: Macros
Posted by: "Josephine Bacon" bacon@langservice.com baconandeggs_2001
Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:54 am (PST)
Thank very much Randy for the explanation. The only macro of any
interest to me is a macro for removing frames from documents that have
been converted to Word from pdf.
If this is done "manually" from within Word under Styles, it makes the
text jump to a different position, but I believe that running a
suitable macro would fix the problem.
I was sent one created for Word for the PC but it doesn't seem to
work, do you know where I could get hold of one for the Mac.
It is very frustrating that Jack Lyons' Editiorium does not support
any Mac software, he seems to have an unreasonable prejudice against
Macs, he would do a lot better to bring in a Mac expert to convert his
stuff. Years ago, I met a PC expert who had just written a book and
was looking for someone to produce a Mac version of it. I happened to
introduce him to the person who could write him the Mac version. The
Mac version sold really well and made both of them lots of money.
Josephine Bacon
Tamr Translations
197 Kings Cross Road
London WC1X 9DB
Tel: 020 7 278 9490
- 6d.
-
Re: Macros
Posted by: "Randy B. Singer" randy@macattorney.com randybrucesinger
Fri Dec 16, 2011 1:47 am (PST)
On Dec 16, 2011, at 12:54 AM, Josephine Bacon wrote:
> I was sent one created for Word for the PC but it doesn't seem to
> work, do you know where I could get hold of one for the Mac.
There are several such macros on the Web, e.g.:
<http://www.computing.net/answers/ office/batch- delete-frames- in-a-
word-2007-doc/11515.html>
but none mention anything about being tested on a Macintosh. What I
recommend is that you join a discussion list for Word/Mac e.g.:
http://www.vbaexpress.com/forum/ forumdisplay. php?
s=5b4745edad400b6a224ed4d99f88e5f5& f=20
and ask someone familiar with working with Mac/Word macros to tweek
an existing macro so that it works perfectly. I wouldn't expect this
to be particularly hard.
If that doesn't work, you might contact:
Bill Coan
http://www.wordsite.com/aboutus/ contactus. htm
and ask him what he would charge to do this for you. He's a wizard
with VBA.
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts. html
_____________________ _________ _________ ____
- 7a.
-
Re: Good news, Apple Delivered!
Posted by: "N.A. Nada" whodo678@comcast.net
Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:36 am (PST)
Arjun,
I'm just communicating my view on your position.
1. I'm not arguing that you had a problem that others have had. And I am glad you finally got a replacement.
I'm arguing that you are blaming everything on Apple. You are still confusing the local Apple authorized vendors with Apple.
The Apple authorized vendor you are using is giving you lousy service. Are you sure they are authorized? What is the name of this vendor so others can avoid them, also?
And you were not bothering to mention that your country's government has imposed limits on how Apple does business in your country. Nothing wrong with that, it is your country. I'm not saying that the limits are better or worse, just that they are different and restrictive. But it is like saying that the only winning hands in the game has to include an Ace, but only the dealer can have an Ace. At that point I don't sit out the hand, I walk away from the table. It looks like Apple was not offered a chair at the table, or they chose to walk away.
2. You have a choice, if you don't like Apple's business plan on how they control their hardware and software, get something else. Millions of other people use other computers and OSes. You have a choice, but apparently you think Apple's product is better. Life is tough, get over it. Besides, it is their business plan that has made the product so good.
3. Yeah, you took it in to what you believe to be is an Apple authorized vendor, not Apple. Have you checked with Apple to verify they are authorized or to complain about them? You keep confusing Apple and the vendors. Apple is either restricted by local regulations from having an official presence in India, or they chose not to. How come you won't address these regulations on how foreign companies do business in your country?
You even say that Apple told you that they can not provide you service in India. See issue #1. Lousy logistics, again you seem to be confusing the authorized vendor with Apple.
You had the same unit in 17 times, not to Apple, but to a vendor, and you are just now complaining? With your persistence on this thread, I'm surprised you didn't demand a replacement laptop after about 4 or 5 trips. Sounds like you have a valid issue with the authorized vendor you chose, since they could not resolve it in 17 trips. Again, what is the vendor's name?
But Apple did help you when you complied with their request to send it to an official Apple repair center, not to a third party vendor. Maybe you should be posting that to get satisfaction, to send it to the regional official Apple repair center in Singapore, rather than to the vendor you chose, or ones in India.
How is the postal service or package delivery services in India? Are they secure? Could you ship it to the vendor for service rather than taking it there? I still think you need to find another vendor that will give you better service.
I don't know whether it was an Apple vendor or Apple, again two different things, who said, "Indian policies do not allow us to ship products in India.", nor the origination of the shipment. But apparently Apple can ship products back from Singapore after they repair or replace it. There are customs restrictions about shipping certain electronics internationally, so the statement could be true and not be racist. Or again, it could be Indian regulations on imports. I don't know.
We have a similar situation in the state of Florida. Local regulations do not allow extended warranties to be sold or honored in the state, so AppleCare warranties can not be purchased there. So no extended warranty service is available to Apple owners there. You don't hear much about it, because most people realize the problem is not with Apple or its authorized vendors, but with the local regulations.
Brent
On Dec 14, 2011, at 9:27 PM, Arjun Singhal wrote:
> Dear Mr. Nada
>
> Your note is a little disturbing but I will put down three points to explain myself.
>
> 1. I believe if there is some truth in a matter, it must be communicated, not over-rated. I communicated my issues to the group to highlight good and bad practices.
>
> 2. I would count myself in the protagonist category, and also the part that OS X is addictive. If you are running OS X and iOS, you're pretty much cornered - that's the way Apple builds its products. You really don't have much choice to go anywhere else.
>
> 3. And I did take the unit in. They might be having their policies, but at what cost to the consumer. I was running around without any hope for a long time since May this year. The closest Apple service provider was a few hundred kilometers away from where I have my office. When Apple started to say that they couldn't provide me service in India, and I would have to ship the unit to them in Singapore, I actually felt that they are lousy in their logistics, and that they are trying piggyback on my infrastructure and cost. I took the unit about 11 times for just diagnosis. The unit was also repaired six times. That means 17 times the unit was deposited with Apple Care, and for me, that's 34 trips. In essence, it's actually more than the cost of two Macbook Pros. But the customer often doesn't realize that things won't be right, and you continue to incur such costs over a period of time. The Authorized Service Providers were caught up in political issues it seems because they would acknowledge in my presence the screen flicker, but communicate to Apple that the problem couldn't be replicated. For days they would keep my machine and the hardware tests would pass. This was very bugging, because I even captured it on camera and sent the flics to customer relations. Customer relations acknowledged there was a problem, but insisted on physical verification which the authorised service provider was not communicating properly. It landed me in a soup, and required physical verification three times, meaning six trips to and fro from the service provider. And if someone were to estimate the implied loss of work, because every time I had to spend time extracting data and putting it back, because they would be very confident after fixing it with replaced components that would've solved the problem, there was a cost involved here as well.
>
> In my multiple trips to the authorised service provider and the stores, I met customers who even claimed that apple had replaced their four year old laptops as well for critical problems such as battery explodes where it hits their prestige of not looking into the quality of designing. And it was clear in my case, that they had framed a policy on singling me out, or my country out. They even said at a particular point, "Indian policies do not allow us to ship products in India", which was such a loose remark, because they are supplying goods and services openly in India at large stores, and I really felt it was a racist remark.
>
> We happen to be a small firm that uses a number of apple products, and I guess they listened and provided service after a very persistent effort, but in case it had been someone who was not well aware of policies, he or she would have been taken for a ride. And that's a serious concern here. I guess this is the primary reason I shared my experience with the group.
>
> Regards,
> Arjun
>
>
>
> On 15-Dec-2011, at 7:30 AM, N.A. Nada wrote:
>
>>
>> On Dec 14, 2011, at 12:02 AM, Arjun Singhal wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All
>>>
>>> As someone who advises people and organizations on blogging and internet behavior, I often mention that more people log onto the web when they are faced with trouble while using a device or product, as opposed to the number of people who would spend time evangelizing something.
>>
>> Yes, the complainers are the speedy. The protagonists hopefully are consistent and enduring, since they tend to be less vocal.
>>
>>>
>>> I wrote a few notes to these groups mentioning about my bad experience with the flickering screen of the MacBook Pro that was under Apple Care Protection. I had been battling with Apple and their service providers in India to get the unit repaired, and almost every part in the machine had been replaced by them, but the screen flicker was not going. When I asked them for a replacement, Apple wanted to tell me that they didn't replace products, and a series of not-so-nice conversations happened, which just gave me a hard time in dealing with them.
>>>
>>> In between, I did purchase another notebook - the Late 2011 Macbook Pro 15" to ensure I could continue with my work while this ordeal of getting the notebook fixed was taking long.
>>
>> So you believe it is still a good product, even though you wrote and complained to 3 Mac __user__ groups. You weren't asking for help or advice, just detailing your issues.
>>
>> Of the two types of people you mention above, which does that put you in?
>>
>>>
>>> But finally, this morning, Apple has delivered to me a replacement notebook in exchange for the one that I had to ship to them, and since this unit has been delivered to be in a brand-new sealed package, it feels great that somewhere inside the company, they do want to ensure customer satisfaction and are committed to it.
>>
>> So you finally did what they requested you to do... to allow them to re-evaluate it, before they replace it.
>>
>> Apparently, the local Authorized Service Providers were not up to the task of properly diagnosing it or repairing it.
>>
>> Apple does not do advanced replacements on computers, they want to evaluate the computer first, especially on 3 year old products.
>>
>>>
>>> In the end, I'd like to thank the readers of the forums for providing support and the kind words of advice I received from a lot many of you - some of the ones who sent me personal notes on how I should deal with them, and I greatly appreciate all the help I received. Also, I would like to thank those, who are on this group and probably work inside of Apple to know what's going on, and I must say all you guys must continue to provide service, and not deny service to a particular individual just because they come from a different country. It does leave a sour taste, especially when the concerns are genuine. Although, I am really glad the process was completed, I really wish it would have happened faster, which would have saved me the extra investment in another machine.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Arjun
>>> CEO, blowtrumpet.com
>>
>> Interesting, after you started this thread, the New York Times published an article about the Indian government not allowing foreign retailers into India.
>>
>> "India Suspends Plan to Let in Foreign Retailers"
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/ 12/08/business/ global/india- suspends- plan-to-let- in-foreign- retailers. html?_r=1
>>
>> Your government's policies and laws prevented Apple from having an official Apple presences in India and providing more convenient service. I have no idea how India's law differ from the US on warranty issues.
>>
>> You complained that the local Apple Authorized Retailers and Apple Authorized Service Providers would not replace the laptop. You would think that they would have some discretionary decision ability in that area. And if you did enough business with them they might have done it whether or not they might be reimbursed by Apple to keep you happy and your business. You contacted Apple in Ireland and they told you to send it to your regional Apple (Corp.) Repair Center in Singapore, since the local authorized vendor would not replace it. You claimed poverty in that you could not take it to, or ship it to or had a friend who do take it to Singapore, but you purchased a replacement before shipping it off to Singapore. You said nothing about wanting an advanced replacement, but basically that is what you wanted, as your actions have shown. Again, Apple does not do advanced replacements.
>>
>> You're the Founder and CEO of your company, so, sorry, but you will get no sympathy from me.
>>
>> I seriously doubt that your posting to this list or others, effected the decision to replace your laptop. Apple tends to take care of their customers. They take pride in their products, brand and reputation. Something maybe your current vendor could learn from.
>>
>> Yes, I am an Apple enthusiast, and I have been on the phone to a senior Apple engineer a couple of time trying to fix a persistent problem. And I live in the US.
>>
>> I hope all your Apple products work well for you and you get great satisfaction from them.
>>
>> Brent
>>
>>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> --------------------- --------- ------
>
> Group FAQ:
> <http://www.macsupportcentral. >com/policies/
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
- 7b.
-
Re: Good news, Apple Delivered!
Posted by: "Arjun Singhal" arjunsinghal@yahoo.com arjunsinghal
Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:24 am (PST)
Mr. Nada
If Apple could give me in writing that Indian policies do not allow them to ship in India, I would seriously have taken the matter up with the government as to what allows a company as small and as meagre in thought, that they can appoint "authorized vendors" and "authorized premium resellers" in India, and ask them not to provide service to "Indians". If my present mail sounds offensive, I am sorry to say, but the tone of your message is stirring a patriotic feeling inside me. We in India are free citizens of the world, as in any other democracy.
I have been using computers since 25 years now, and I also owned Apple computers purchased abroad, brought to India after paying duties and taxes, during the eightees. Since there were other makes of computers available in India, we used those for education and work, and If you are hinting that I am uneducated and uninformed, then I have traveled across the globe, and also awarded full scholarship at American universities where I did not choose to study because I have been born an Indian and if nothing more, the soil of my country has fed me with food and provided me shelter, for which I am completely indebted. I am not one of those Indians who have fled their land to work as a mathematical genius and earn the accords of being an achiever. It was in 1988 that I started to submit my assignments using computers, at a time when there were enough people In India who hadn't even seen a computer. In 1997, I won a national prize in robotics, and computers remained a hobby for me, while I pursued interests in business, economics and worked professional in management consulting.
I do not know much about your background, but I have learnt one thing among many others in life - do not snitch on anyone when its not their fault. The service provider is an Apple Authorized Premium Reseller, who is listed on the Apple website. Their employees have been trained under Apple Certification Programs, and they are doing business turnover of over 10 million dollars for Apple alone every month. They are vendors for other companies in India as well, and that's how a lot of companies do business in India - by building on partnerships. When it comes to service, there are enough customers who are not fools to be providing this vendor with that quantum of business, if they would've had a doubt on the quality they would be receiving.
More so, India is a land where people believe in relationships. They work on their relationships. It is not rare that you step into any store at random, and find out that the cousin of one of the people who works there is married to a cousin of yours. And people respect these relationships to the core, where marriage happens once in a lifetime. In a land which has perhaps the highest population growth rate, highest industrial growth rate and perhaps the second or third largest population in the world. And the reason why many companies choose to have such partners is because people have relationships, and these relationships are promissory notes into commercial success. Someone I know has a Honda dealership. And believe it or not, there is not a single person we know who would not have atleast one Honda car in their garage, or would think about buying a car without considering Honda. That relationship thing is supreme here. Facebook has happened today in America, but social networks of India are unbeatable in terms of how business is done here.
If you are talking about a country that has restrictive policies, tell me the name of one Indian president of America. The land which speaks about openness has never had a non-American born president. But India is one country in the world, where we are 80% Hindu, more muslims live here in peace than the entire populations of many Islamic countries of the world. The leader of our single largest political party is an Italian and our prime minister is a Sikh who belongs from a minority community. And we have transparent policies filtering down to the grassroot, with Right To Information (RTI) being given as a fundamental right to every citizen of the country, where he or she can question any authority or law for the very basis, and challenge it in the interest of the community and people at large - not only people in India but worldwide.
As Indians, we are a country that has a heritage of richess, and we were known by the name of Hindustan more than 10,000 years ago, and our name has live on as Hindustan despite many a hundred rulers who tried to conquer the land failed in their attempts. Even the name India originates from the word Indus, the river that flows at the north of India, and is known to be the oldest civilization and the most developed civilization in history of mankind.
Although, you might find me being very assertive in my language, I am again not hinting that I have anything personal with any one particular person, and I would've readily accepted if the policies were being fair, but I was literally stunned when someone at Customer Relations used "India" and "Indians" in a racist tone, which is when I shared with the group. I had the privilege to work with a very senior rocket scientist, who has shared office in space research with our former president in atomic and nuclear research, and he taught me during my MBA, that society at large is ethical. And if you encounter a small group of people who are being wrong and unjust, then refer it to larger society, and that was my interest in joining the group, and not to single out one person in customer relations or apple vendors in India, or any of the readers of this forum.
I believe we are part of a community in every facet of our lives, be it apple users or not, and whatever we do in our life, must be done in a manner that it serves people.
I'll end this note with a thought - We feel that we will pass on nature and its gifts to our children, hence we shouldn't pollute the earth. In reality, we have borrowed their future to live our present. If we do not use it wisely and make our payments on borrowings on time, nature will itself consume us. We cannot steal the future from our children.
Again, I apologize for any personal remarks or for hurting anyone in particular within this group. I did not mean to make anything personal when I shared my experience with the group. My only motive was to make public all facts in a transparent manner, and if any misunderstandings are happening, I am sorry for my part in sharing.
And if any company today is looking at India as a market, it is because India is a land of promise. I do not want to speak more here, but if you have an interest, please do feel to read a few thoughts of mine about India at www.speakleadership.com, which stirred in my mind when I was working with one of the renowned political critics India has. India is the home of knowledge in the world. And it is not far from today that the world will witness the rise of India, not as a country that rose by competing but as a country that won through collaboration.
Regards,
Arjun
On 16-Dec-2011, at 2:06 PM, N.A. Nada wrote:
> Arjun,
>
> I'm just communicating my view on your position.
>
> 1. I'm not arguing that you had a problem that others have had. And I am glad you finally got a replacement.
>
> I'm arguing that you are blaming everything on Apple. You are still confusing the local Apple authorized vendors with Apple.
>
> The Apple authorized vendor you are using is giving you lousy service. Are you sure they are authorized? What is the name of this vendor so others can avoid them, also?
>
> And you were not bothering to mention that your country's government has imposed limits on how Apple does business in your country. Nothing wrong with that, it is your country. I'm not saying that the limits are better or worse, just that they are different and restrictive. But it is like saying that the only winning hands in the game has to include an Ace, but only the dealer can have an Ace. At that point I don't sit out the hand, I walk away from the table. It looks like Apple was not offered a chair at the table, or they chose to walk away.
>
> 2. You have a choice, if you don't like Apple's business plan on how they control their hardware and software, get something else. Millions of other people use other computers and OSes. You have a choice, but apparently you think Apple's product is better. Life is tough, get over it. Besides, it is their business plan that has made the product so good.
>
> 3. Yeah, you took it in to what you believe to be is an Apple authorized vendor, not Apple. Have you checked with Apple to verify they are authorized or to complain about them? You keep confusing Apple and the vendors. Apple is either restricted by local regulations from having an official presence in India, or they chose not to. How come you won't address these regulations on how foreign companies do business in your country?
>
> You even say that Apple told you that they can not provide you service in India. See issue #1. Lousy logistics, again you seem to be confusing the authorized vendor with Apple.
>
> You had the same unit in 17 times, not to Apple, but to a vendor, and you are just now complaining? With your persistence on this thread, I'm surprised you didn't demand a replacement laptop after about 4 or 5 trips. Sounds like you have a valid issue with the authorized vendor you chose, since they could not resolve it in 17 trips. Again, what is the vendor's name?
>
> But Apple did help you when you complied with their request to send it to an official Apple repair center, not to a third party vendor. Maybe you should be posting that to get satisfaction, to send it to the regional official Apple repair center in Singapore, rather than to the vendor you chose, or ones in India.
>
> How is the postal service or package delivery services in India? Are they secure? Could you ship it to the vendor for service rather than taking it there? I still think you need to find another vendor that will give you better service.
>
> I don't know whether it was an Apple vendor or Apple, again two different things, who said, "Indian policies do not allow us to ship products in India.", nor the origination of the shipment. But apparently Apple can ship products back from Singapore after they repair or replace it. There are customs restrictions about shipping certain electronics internationally, so the statement could be true and not be racist. Or again, it could be Indian regulations on imports. I don't know.
>
> We have a similar situation in the state of Florida. Local regulations do not allow extended warranties to be sold or honored in the state, so AppleCare warranties can not be purchased there. So no extended warranty service is available to Apple owners there. You don't hear much about it, because most people realize the problem is not with Apple or its authorized vendors, but with the local regulations.
>
> Brent
>
> On Dec 14, 2011, at 9:27 PM, Arjun Singhal wrote:
>
> > Dear Mr. Nada
> >
> > Your note is a little disturbing but I will put down three points to explain myself.
> >
> > 1. I believe if there is some truth in a matter, it must be communicated, not over-rated. I communicated my issues to the group to highlight good and bad practices.
> >
> > 2. I would count myself in the protagonist category, and also the part that OS X is addictive. If you are running OS X and iOS, you're pretty much cornered - that's the way Apple builds its products. You really don't have much choice to go anywhere else.
> >
> > 3. And I did take the unit in. They might be having their policies, but at what cost to the consumer. I was running around without any hope for a long time since May this year. The closest Apple service provider was a few hundred kilometers away from where I have my office. When Apple started to say that they couldn't provide me service in India, and I would have to ship the unit to them in Singapore, I actually felt that they are lousy in their logistics, and that they are trying piggyback on my infrastructure and cost. I took the unit about 11 times for just diagnosis. The unit was also repaired six times. That means 17 times the unit was deposited with Apple Care, and for me, that's 34 trips. In essence, it's actually more than the cost of two Macbook Pros. But the customer often doesn't realize that things won't be right, and you continue to incur such costs over a period of time. The Authorized Service Providers were caught up in political issues it seems because they would acknowledge in my presence the screen flicker, but communicate to Apple that the problem couldn't be replicated. For days they would keep my machine and the hardware tests would pass. This was very bugging, because I even captured it on camera and sent the flics to customer relations. Customer relations acknowledged there was a problem, but insisted on physical verification which the authorised service provider was not communicating properly. It landed me in a soup, and required physical verification three times, meaning six trips to and fro from the service provider. And if someone were to estimate the implied loss of work, because every time I had to spend time extracting data and putting it back, because they would be very confident after fixing it with replaced components that would've solved the problem, there was a cost involved here as well.
> >
> > In my multiple trips to the authorised service provider and the stores, I met customers who even claimed that apple had replaced their four year old laptops as well for critical problems such as battery explodes where it hits their prestige of not looking into the quality of designing. And it was clear in my case, that they had framed a policy on singling me out, or my country out. They even said at a particular point, "Indian policies do not allow us to ship products in India", which was such a loose remark, because they are supplying goods and services openly in India at large stores, and I really felt it was a racist remark.
> >
> > We happen to be a small firm that uses a number of apple products, and I guess they listened and provided service after a very persistent effort, but in case it had been someone who was not well aware of policies, he or she would have been taken for a ride. And that's a serious concern here. I guess this is the primary reason I shared my experience with the group.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Arjun
> >
> >
> >
> > On 15-Dec-2011, at 7:30 AM, N.A. Nada wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> On Dec 14, 2011, at 12:02 AM, Arjun Singhal wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi All
> >>>
> >>> As someone who advises people and organizations on blogging and internet behavior, I often mention that more people log onto the web when they are faced with trouble while using a device or product, as opposed to the number of people who would spend time evangelizing something.
> >>
> >> Yes, the complainers are the speedy. The protagonists hopefully are consistent and enduring, since they tend to be less vocal.
> >>
> >>>
> >>> I wrote a few notes to these groups mentioning about my bad experience with the flickering screen of the MacBook Pro that was under Apple Care Protection. I had been battling with Apple and their service providers in India to get the unit repaired, and almost every part in the machine had been replaced by them, but the screen flicker was not going. When I asked them for a replacement, Apple wanted to tell me that they didn't replace products, and a series of not-so-nice conversations happened, which just gave me a hard time in dealing with them.
> >>>
> >>> In between, I did purchase another notebook - the Late 2011 Macbook Pro 15" to ensure I could continue with my work while this ordeal of getting the notebook fixed was taking long.
> >>
> >> So you believe it is still a good product, even though you wrote and complained to 3 Mac __user__ groups. You weren't asking for help or advice, just detailing your issues.
> >>
> >> Of the two types of people you mention above, which does that put you in?
> >>
> >>>
> >>> But finally, this morning, Apple has delivered to me a replacement notebook in exchange for the one that I had to ship to them, and since this unit has been delivered to be in a brand-new sealed package, it feels great that somewhere inside the company, they do want to ensure customer satisfaction and are committed to it.
> >>
> >> So you finally did what they requested you to do... to allow them to re-evaluate it, before they replace it.
> >>
> >> Apparently, the local Authorized Service Providers were not up to the task of properly diagnosing it or repairing it.
> >>
> >> Apple does not do advanced replacements on computers, they want to evaluate the computer first, especially on 3 year old products.
> >>
> >>>
> >>> In the end, I'd like to thank the readers of the forums for providing support and the kind words of advice I received from a lot many of you - some of the ones who sent me personal notes on how I should deal with them, and I greatly appreciate all the help I received. Also, I would like to thank those, who are on this group and probably work inside of Apple to know what's going on, and I must say all you guys must continue to provide service, and not deny service to a particular individual just because they come from a different country. It does leave a sour taste, especially when the concerns are genuine. Although, I am really glad the process was completed, I really wish it would have happened faster, which would have saved me the extra investment in another machine.
> >>>
> >>> Regards,
> >>> Arjun
> >>> CEO, blowtrumpet.com
> >>
> >> Interesting, after you started this thread, the New York Times published an article about the Indian government not allowing foreign retailers into India.
> >>
> >> "India Suspends Plan to Let in Foreign Retailers"
> >> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/ 12/08/business/ global/india- suspends- plan-to-let- in-foreign- retailers. html?_r=1
> >>
> >> Your government's policies and laws prevented Apple from having an official Apple presences in India and providing more convenient service. I have no idea how India's law differ from the US on warranty issues.
> >>
> >> You complained that the local Apple Authorized Retailers and Apple Authorized Service Providers would not replace the laptop. You would think that they would have some discretionary decision ability in that area. And if you did enough business with them they might have done it whether or not they might be reimbursed by Apple to keep you happy and your business. You contacted Apple in Ireland and they told you to send it to your regional Apple (Corp.) Repair Center in Singapore, since the local authorized vendor would not replace it. You claimed poverty in that you could not take it to, or ship it to or had a friend who do take it to Singapore, but you purchased a replacement before shipping it off to Singapore. You said nothing about wanting an advanced replacement, but basically that is what you wanted, as your actions have shown. Again, Apple does not do advanced replacements.
> >>
> >> You're the Founder and CEO of your company, so, sorry, but you will get no sympathy from me.
> >>
> >> I seriously doubt that your posting to this list or others, effected the decision to replace your laptop. Apple tends to take care of their customers. They take pride in their products, brand and reputation. Something maybe your current vendor could learn from.
> >>
> >> Yes, I am an Apple enthusiast, and I have been on the phone to a senior Apple engineer a couple of time trying to fix a persistent problem. And I live in the US.
> >>
> >> I hope all your Apple products work well for you and you get great satisfaction from them.
> >>
> >> Brent
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------- --------- ------
> >
> > Group FAQ:
> > <http://www.macsupportcentral. >com/policies/
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
- 7c.
-
Re: Good news, Apple Delivered!
Posted by: "Arjun Singhal" arjunsinghal@yahoo.com arjunsinghal
Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:38 am (PST)
And I'll repeat here. Like you mentioned, the state of Florida has restrictions - those restrictions are genuinely in place and in written Apple is not selling their Apple Care packs in that state.
I will state again, "There are no restrictions that prevent trade or prevent a company from providing proper service after they have sold a product in India". In fact, there are consumer laws that protect the interest of consumers and that's the way it should be. It can be that trade is taxed with duties that makes products expensive, but warranties are not subject to taxation, unless there is suspicion of illicit trade under the label of providing warranty - which in common man's language is called smuggling. I am sure Apple is not smuggling in products under the veil of warranty, but I asked Apple to provide me with written proof or document and they could not find any or direct me to one.
Then they came around with a new company policy, and they lost the argument because on Nov 17th they had recognized that they would need to replace the unit, and that they would be arranging logistics. And their new company policy was framed effective November 26th - which is where it became evident they were trying to single me out and I lost my patience at that.
And I have a high regard for Indian knowledge and Indian systems, and I do not remember mentioning that India has bad logistics although you are pointing to that in your note. For your reference, I'd urge you to read about Mumbai Dabbawalas, which is based on a logistics model that operates at accuracy levels greater than 25 sigma - or zero error, and efficient enough to deliver a freshly cooked serving of hot food at your office desk, every day, complete to detailed customization, every day on time, be it summer, winter, or the rainy season, throughout the city of Mumbai. And they leverage on public transport, color codes and work with logistic agent who have never been to school or read the alphabet. They do not use computers, they do not use fancy kitchens. But an entire tiffin case of hot, delicious, sumptous and wholesome food is delivered every day to the desks of many million people who work in the business capital of Bombay in India, not since today, but since almost ever. And this flawless system is being closely studied for its logistic genius not only be people in India, but by Harvard Business students and many other universities of similar stature the world over.
I have a lot of pride in my country, sir. It is a land where people have done wonders. If I sit and count, the list would be endless. I beg apologies once again, but if Apple is having trouble - it is their logistics that are not working. India is not to blame for that.
Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Regards
On 16-Dec-2011, at 2:06 PM, N.A. Nada wrote:
> Arjun,
>
> I'm just communicating my view on your position.
>
> 1. I'm not arguing that you had a problem that others have had. And I am glad you finally got a replacement.
>
> I'm arguing that you are blaming everything on Apple. You are still confusing the local Apple authorized vendors with Apple.
>
> The Apple authorized vendor you are using is giving you lousy service. Are you sure they are authorized? What is the name of this vendor so others can avoid them, also?
>
> And you were not bothering to mention that your country's government has imposed limits on how Apple does business in your country. Nothing wrong with that, it is your country. I'm not saying that the limits are better or worse, just that they are different and restrictive. But it is like saying that the only winning hands in the game has to include an Ace, but only the dealer can have an Ace. At that point I don't sit out the hand, I walk away from the table. It looks like Apple was not offered a chair at the table, or they chose to walk away.
>
> 2. You have a choice, if you don't like Apple's business plan on how they control their hardware and software, get something else. Millions of other people use other computers and OSes. You have a choice, but apparently you think Apple's product is better. Life is tough, get over it. Besides, it is their business plan that has made the product so good.
>
> 3. Yeah, you took it in to what you believe to be is an Apple authorized vendor, not Apple. Have you checked with Apple to verify they are authorized or to complain about them? You keep confusing Apple and the vendors. Apple is either restricted by local regulations from having an official presence in India, or they chose not to. How come you won't address these regulations on how foreign companies do business in your country?
>
> You even say that Apple told you that they can not provide you service in India. See issue #1. Lousy logistics, again you seem to be confusing the authorized vendor with Apple.
>
> You had the same unit in 17 times, not to Apple, but to a vendor, and you are just now complaining? With your persistence on this thread, I'm surprised you didn't demand a replacement laptop after about 4 or 5 trips. Sounds like you have a valid issue with the authorized vendor you chose, since they could not resolve it in 17 trips. Again, what is the vendor's name?
>
> But Apple did help you when you complied with their request to send it to an official Apple repair center, not to a third party vendor. Maybe you should be posting that to get satisfaction, to send it to the regional official Apple repair center in Singapore, rather than to the vendor you chose, or ones in India.
>
> How is the postal service or package delivery services in India? Are they secure? Could you ship it to the vendor for service rather than taking it there? I still think you need to find another vendor that will give you better service.
>
> I don't know whether it was an Apple vendor or Apple, again two different things, who said, "Indian policies do not allow us to ship products in India.", nor the origination of the shipment. But apparently Apple can ship products back from Singapore after they repair or replace it. There are customs restrictions about shipping certain electronics internationally, so the statement could be true and not be racist. Or again, it could be Indian regulations on imports. I don't know.
>
> We have a similar situation in the state of Florida. Local regulations do not allow extended warranties to be sold or honored in the state, so AppleCare warranties can not be purchased there. So no extended warranty service is available to Apple owners there. You don't hear much about it, because most people realize the problem is not with Apple or its authorized vendors, but with the local regulations.
>
> Brent
>
> On Dec 14, 2011, at 9:27 PM, Arjun Singhal wrote:
>
> > Dear Mr. Nada
> >
> > Your note is a little disturbing but I will put down three points to explain myself.
> >
> > 1. I believe if there is some truth in a matter, it must be communicated, not over-rated. I communicated my issues to the group to highlight good and bad practices.
> >
> > 2. I would count myself in the protagonist category, and also the part that OS X is addictive. If you are running OS X and iOS, you're pretty much cornered - that's the way Apple builds its products. You really don't have much choice to go anywhere else.
> >
> > 3. And I did take the unit in. They might be having their policies, but at what cost to the consumer. I was running around without any hope for a long time since May this year. The closest Apple service provider was a few hundred kilometers away from where I have my office. When Apple started to say that they couldn't provide me service in India, and I would have to ship the unit to them in Singapore, I actually felt that they are lousy in their logistics, and that they are trying piggyback on my infrastructure and cost. I took the unit about 11 times for just diagnosis. The unit was also repaired six times. That means 17 times the unit was deposited with Apple Care, and for me, that's 34 trips. In essence, it's actually more than the cost of two Macbook Pros. But the customer often doesn't realize that things won't be right, and you continue to incur such costs over a period of time. The Authorized Service Providers were caught up in political issues it seems because they would acknowledge in my presence the screen flicker, but communicate to Apple that the problem couldn't be replicated. For days they would keep my machine and the hardware tests would pass. This was very bugging, because I even captured it on camera and sent the flics to customer relations. Customer relations acknowledged there was a problem, but insisted on physical verification which the authorised service provider was not communicating properly. It landed me in a soup, and required physical verification three times, meaning six trips to and fro from the service provider. And if someone were to estimate the implied loss of work, because every time I had to spend time extracting data and putting it back, because they would be very confident after fixing it with replaced components that would've solved the problem, there was a cost involved here as well.
> >
> > In my multiple trips to the authorised service provider and the stores, I met customers who even claimed that apple had replaced their four year old laptops as well for critical problems such as battery explodes where it hits their prestige of not looking into the quality of designing. And it was clear in my case, that they had framed a policy on singling me out, or my country out. They even said at a particular point, "Indian policies do not allow us to ship products in India", which was such a loose remark, because they are supplying goods and services openly in India at large stores, and I really felt it was a racist remark.
> >
> > We happen to be a small firm that uses a number of apple products, and I guess they listened and provided service after a very persistent effort, but in case it had been someone who was not well aware of policies, he or she would have been taken for a ride. And that's a serious concern here. I guess this is the primary reason I shared my experience with the group.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Arjun
> >
> >
> >
> > On 15-Dec-2011, at 7:30 AM, N.A. Nada wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> On Dec 14, 2011, at 12:02 AM, Arjun Singhal wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi All
> >>>
> >>> As someone who advises people and organizations on blogging and internet behavior, I often mention that more people log onto the web when they are faced with trouble while using a device or product, as opposed to the number of people who would spend time evangelizing something.
> >>
> >> Yes, the complainers are the speedy. The protagonists hopefully are consistent and enduring, since they tend to be less vocal.
> >>
> >>>
> >>> I wrote a few notes to these groups mentioning about my bad experience with the flickering screen of the MacBook Pro that was under Apple Care Protection. I had been battling with Apple and their service providers in India to get the unit repaired, and almost every part in the machine had been replaced by them, but the screen flicker was not going. When I asked them for a replacement, Apple wanted to tell me that they didn't replace products, and a series of not-so-nice conversations happened, which just gave me a hard time in dealing with them.
> >>>
> >>> In between, I did purchase another notebook - the Late 2011 Macbook Pro 15" to ensure I could continue with my work while this ordeal of getting the notebook fixed was taking long.
> >>
> >> So you believe it is still a good product, even though you wrote and complained to 3 Mac __user__ groups. You weren't asking for help or advice, just detailing your issues.
> >>
> >> Of the two types of people you mention above, which does that put you in?
> >>
> >>>
> >>> But finally, this morning, Apple has delivered to me a replacement notebook in exchange for the one that I had to ship to them, and since this unit has been delivered to be in a brand-new sealed package, it feels great that somewhere inside the company, they do want to ensure customer satisfaction and are committed to it.
> >>
> >> So you finally did what they requested you to do... to allow them to re-evaluate it, before they replace it.
> >>
> >> Apparently, the local Authorized Service Providers were not up to the task of properly diagnosing it or repairing it.
> >>
> >> Apple does not do advanced replacements on computers, they want to evaluate the computer first, especially on 3 year old products.
> >>
> >>>
> >>> In the end, I'd like to thank the readers of the forums for providing support and the kind words of advice I received from a lot many of you - some of the ones who sent me personal notes on how I should deal with them, and I greatly appreciate all the help I received. Also, I would like to thank those, who are on this group and probably work inside of Apple to know what's going on, and I must say all you guys must continue to provide service, and not deny service to a particular individual just because they come from a different country. It does leave a sour taste, especially when the concerns are genuine. Although, I am really glad the process was completed, I really wish it would have happened faster, which would have saved me the extra investment in another machine.
> >>>
> >>> Regards,
> >>> Arjun
> >>> CEO, blowtrumpet.com
> >>
> >> Interesting, after you started this thread, the New York Times published an article about the Indian government not allowing foreign retailers into India.
> >>
> >> "India Suspends Plan to Let in Foreign Retailers"
> >> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/ 12/08/business/ global/india- suspends- plan-to-let- in-foreign- retailers. html?_r=1
> >>
> >> Your government's policies and laws prevented Apple from having an official Apple presences in India and providing more convenient service. I have no idea how India's law differ from the US on warranty issues.
> >>
> >> You complained that the local Apple Authorized Retailers and Apple Authorized Service Providers would not replace the laptop. You would think that they would have some discretionary decision ability in that area. And if you did enough business with them they might have done it whether or not they might be reimbursed by Apple to keep you happy and your business. You contacted Apple in Ireland and they told you to send it to your regional Apple (Corp.) Repair Center in Singapore, since the local authorized vendor would not replace it. You claimed poverty in that you could not take it to, or ship it to or had a friend who do take it to Singapore, but you purchased a replacement before shipping it off to Singapore. You said nothing about wanting an advanced replacement, but basically that is what you wanted, as your actions have shown. Again, Apple does not do advanced replacements.
> >>
> >> You're the Founder and CEO of your company, so, sorry, but you will get no sympathy from me.
> >>
> >> I seriously doubt that your posting to this list or others, effected the decision to replace your laptop. Apple tends to take care of their customers. They take pride in their products, brand and reputation. Something maybe your current vendor could learn from.
> >>
> >> Yes, I am an Apple enthusiast, and I have been on the phone to a senior Apple engineer a couple of time trying to fix a persistent problem. And I live in the US.
> >>
> >> I hope all your Apple products work well for you and you get great satisfaction from them.
> >>
> >> Brent
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------- --------- ------
> >
> > Group FAQ:
> > <http://www.macsupportcentral. >com/policies/
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
- 8.1.
-
Re: Larger screen monitors for MacBookPro
Posted by: "Tod Hopkins" hoplist@hillmanncarr.com todhop
Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:42 am (PST)
> I have an iMac, which shows the largest number of pixels it will display
> at 1680x 1050.
> Is that the highest resolution, IE, the native resolution for my monitor?
>
Probably for the iMac because apple would likely control this in the design (I don't know this), but not necessarily for other system-monitor combinations. The "native" resolution refers to actual pixel structure in the screen which you can find in the specs. For instance every "1080p" television has a native resolution of 1920x1080, which is why this has become so common in PC monitors. However, most monitors have scalers built in that will take the resolution sent and "remap" this across the native pixels (all modern TVs must do this to show standard definition signals).
I should point out that there are exceptions in monitor design. Some monitors actually look subjectively better when displaying a different resolution than the "native" resolution, and this is usually by design. (This could be true of iMacs) In the past, but not so much anymore, the "optimum" resolution claimed by the manufacturer was higher than the "native" resolution. Too deep for this forum.
Some monitors will actually "complain" if you send the wrong resolution, displaying a message like "for optimum picture, you graphics card should be set to 1600x1400" or something. The other way to tell is to simply mess around. You will likely find one setting that is crisper than all the others. This does not mean that others are not acceptable. They may be and you may want to use them for whatever reason.
Cheers,
tod
On Dec 15, 2011, at 3:05 PM, Keith Whaley wrote:
Tod Hopkins
Hillmann & Carr Inc.
todhopkins@hillmanncarr.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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