I have been an Apple Macintosh consultant/reseller/technician from around 1988~1997, and a user since around 1985. A fellow Macintosh enthusiast from college and I decided to start a Macintosh computer business, “The Graphic Edge” (later incorporating) upon graduating from college at UNC-Asheville rather than using our college degrees.
Our enthusiasm for the Macintosh platform and willingness to dig into the variety of electronic publishing software at that time gained us much notoriety as “Macintosh gurus” by the local ad design & printing companies, and shortly thereafter became an official Apple VAR. We also ran a local Mac user group during those years and frequented every east coast MacWorld Expo to learn as much as we could about new developments in the industry.
Long story short, my history with all things Macintosh goes nearly all the way back to the beginning. We might have continued in this decade long business longer, but various life changes along with what we felt were very bad decisions in Apple during the mid-late 90’s caused us to go on to other things.
I share this with you so that you know a bit about my long history with and advocacy of Macintosh computers.
I’ve been running a MacBook Pro (17 inch, early 2011). Apple decided to drop its 17” screen MacBook Pro laptops after 2011, ignoring the needs of many professionals who need both portability and a decent sized screen. Therefore, since I won’t tolerate Windows, I have no other option than to fix this MacBook Pro whenever it fails.
Recently, it failed for the second time in its history and for the same reason — a poorly designed logic board & cooling system which Apple refused to remedy. I didn’t know this until I spoke with a tech at Powerbook Medic in Alabama who explained the matter to me.
Back in 2016 I had the same problem. Apple “repaired” the logic board at that point. However, when I had the same troubles again this year, I contacted an Apple tech to simply ask how it is possible to know whether or not the real problem was actually permanently fixed back in 2016 — what part was reworked to remedy the problem, or was there a new serial number on the logic boards which were reworked? How was it possible to know by looking at my logic board whether or not the repair team used the newly corrected board? No Apple tech could give me a direct answer — ever.
As I soon discovered there was a law suit against Apple for this overheating problem which affected apparently thousands upon thousands of MacBook Pros. Rather than actually “fixing” the poor design issues which cause this overheating problem, Apple was allowed through a law suit agreement to just replace the logic boards — logic boards with the same problematic issues!
The fact that Apple both ceased to manufacture 17” MacBook Pros coupled with the fact that Apple elected to screw over its loyal customers through deceit — in my case, of 30+ years — claiming the problem had been “fixed” is completely despicable. This is NOT the kind of customer service Apple built over the decades. I’ve continued to hear other stories from Apple customers who have been plagued with various problems even with some of the newer laptop models, as well as criticism over the extremely overpriced and underpowered MacPro.
Further, I now understand that Apple has led the recent swell for censorship of those with whom it and other computing, online sales, and social media companies find philosophical or political disagreement.
Could it be that in all the schooling various CEO’s such as yourself certainly experience, many of you never came across the book Fahrenheit 451? Ironically, Amazon sells the book but perhaps its CEO never understood its message, while also aligning itself with these proponents of censorship. Rather than referring such actions as internet censorship, you apparently refer to it as internet “curating”. You may be able to fool the masses, but you are not fooling independent thinkers.
Also ironic in regards to Apple’s new found love for censorship, Steve Jobs' Apple once successfully used the creative marketing slogan “Think Different”. Tim Cook’s Apple ought to now consider a new slogan to reflect these actions: “Think Not For Yourself”.
Apple would do well to dispense with engaging in political tyranny, and rather focus more upon that in which it used to excel: making quality computers and standing by its products… before the “rest of us” loyal customers of decades are forced to ditch the Apple brand on principle if not out of necessity.
8-)
bernard baruch carman
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- truth seeker/seeder • SeedsOfTruth• ∞Liberty
- infinityGAMES• SmokinGames• audio/Mac specialist
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