Today I got up very early so I could take my computer to the Apple store because I had some concerns about it. Usually if I have reason to go to the Apple store, I go to the one in the Galleria. But since they’ve opened a store more accessible and closer to The Compound, I decided to go there. I’ve shopped at that store, but this was my first time to use the Genius Bar, and I was able to turn something that should have been easy into a morning fraught with drama.
First, because I didn’t have an appointment, I arrived well before opening time, thinking, FIRST! The doors were already open (Good grief; what retailer does such a crazy thing? I never did.), so I went inside, lugging my computer in its box. The store was already rocking. I needed an appointment and there wasn’t an available slot until one, but since Tim needed the car in the afternoon, I didn’t want to push my luck on the time. So I lugged the computer back to the car with the intention of calling the Galleria to find out if the Mac could be seen sooner there. Only you can’t actually get through to the store; you have to make an appointment online. I went back inside the first store to see if I could just leave the computer, thinking maybe Tim could drop me off later for the 1 p.m. appointment, and the woman who’d talked to me before said, “You came back! We had a cancellation! They can see you at 10:30!”
YAY, right? I went back to the car to get the Mac so I could wait inside for thirty minutes. Except…I’d locked my keys in the car with the computer. I NEVER DO THIS. I called Tom in a panic; his workplace is almost a straight shot from where I was, and traffic was abnormally kind, so he arrived with a key to unlock my car before my appointment time.
I then proceeded to sit there for nearly three hours as my Genius did all kinds of tests and cleaned some stuff off the Mac, but she never found any problem connected to what I was worried about. It was kind of cool as my computer was running scans to watch her help other people and to share computer stories with them in which we, the users, are generally about ninety-five percent of the problem with our computers.
So that’s where I stood today–at the Apple store. As an aside, I’ve read a few bad reviews about both the Galleria and Highland Village stores. I’ve always had great customer service at those stores, both when purchasing something and when needing computer support. Thanks, Erika–you made those three hours fly by.
Prompt from FMS Photo A Day.
Alas, my old Mac is two jungle cats behind the currant standard and running slow and sluggish. I’ve been planning on buying a new one for the past year and a half, but dreading the hassle of transferring files to the new one. Also trying to figure out all my passwords.
Poor old Mac. Tom has managed to set up a network so I can snag old files from my PC or my laptop if I need them for my Mac. The amount of documentation and photos we accumulate is daunting.
Maybe, I should just save the old Mac for photo and file storage?