Apple OS X Mountain Lion: I Just Upgraded

On Friday afternoon, I decided to upgrade my MacBook Pro to the new Mountain Lion OS.  I had planned to wait, but after reading about one dozen highly positive reviews I became too curious about the new OS to wait.  

Buying Mountain Lion was easy.  It was $20 at the Mac App Store.  The download, however, took over two hours.  I'm not sure what the hold-up was.  My office network is usually quite fast, thus I assumed Apple's servers were a little overloaded from a rush of Friday afternoon downloads.  Once downloaded, though, everything installed smoothly.

Overall, I like Mountain Lion.  My MacBook seems to be much faster now that it's installed.  I haven't experienced any unusual problems with applications I regularly use.  Among these are:

• Word 2011
• Outlook 2011
• OneNote (through a Windows Virtual Machine)
• Omnifocus
• Evernote (Mac desktop client)
• Picasa
• Chrome
• Filemaker 12
• Pages 

My copy of Mindjet warned me that it may have trouble with Mountain Lion (and thus to save work frequently), although I have yet to encounter any problems.  

I'm very happy with the new Pages interface with iCloud.  It's now quite easy to leave a document in the iCloud folder and have it easily accessed by Pages on my iPad.  I'm also looking forward to syncing Notes through iCloud. As for the rest of iCloud, I haven't made much use of it.  I can see the utility in the keeping the Calendar and Address book on it; however, all of my contacts and calendar items are already synced through an Exchange server.   I don't use Mail, but rather Outlook 2011 as a mail client.  Because I don't use the built in Apple productivity apps, Mountain Lion's new marquee "Notification" center is pretty useless to me.  

Mountain Lion's built in productivity apps look nice, but since I also use a PC and most of my company uses PCs we have found that the Exchange server works best for us.  Also, this means that I'm not bound to any proprietary system for syncing phones, tables, and computers as Exchange works with Apple devices and Windows PCs as well as Android and Windows based mobile devices.  Generally, most of my files are stored in formats which would work on a Windows platform (the main exception being those in Pages and those on programs from the Omni Group).  

The above being said, I still prefer to work in the Mac OS environment and plan to do so as long as it's practical.   I've been quite pleased with Mountain Lion on the MacBook.   While I haven't used most of the touted bells and whistles (i.e., the 200+ new features) I have found already that it is providing a fundamentally faster and better platform for the applications I use frequently.  And, I'm very pleased at the ease with which I can work on Pages documents between my Mac and my iPad.  

More to come as I keep working using the MacBook...

Lightning + MacBook= Trouble

A few weeks ago, I was out with some friends when a powerful thunderstorm rolled through downtown Austin.  I remembered that my MacBook Pro was on in it's BookArc cradle, but I wasn't concerned about a surge because the power cord was plugged into a surge protector.

This was a huge mistake.

I had completely forgotten that the MacBook was plugged into an ethernet cable which was plugged into a U-Verse router.  When I came home, the gf informed me that there had been several lightning strikes around the building and that the office room had lost power.  I checked on the MacBook.  It seemed ok.   And it was ok, until the next afternoon.

Over the next day, the MacBook began to have trouble accepting a charge.  The immediate effect was that I could no longer use the large monitor (it can only run off a MacBook which is plugged in).  Very quickly, however, the MacBook stopped charging if the lid was open.

I took the MacBook in to the Apple Store, wherein the problem was quickly diagnosed.  The ethernet port was fried, and it had damaged the charging port in the process.   The solution: a new logic board.  The Apple Store offered to send the MacBook to their repair depot (where the logic board would be replaced for a flat fee), but they didn't offer to back-up data.  Instead, they recommended a Time Machine backup.

Backing up to Time Machine took a while with an ailing computer.  During this time, I decided to contact a third party Apple support solution.  I called Compuzone on West 5th.  For a slightly higher price than the Apple Store, they offered to send my MacBook to the same Apple repair depot (with the same flat fee) as well as back-up my data on their server.  Not only did they offer this, but they also gave me an estimate for a faster repair time.

I dropped the MacBook off last Wednesday, and it was in Compuzone this morning.  It appears to be working just like it did before the lightning storm.  Furthermore, Compuzone is much less crowded than the Apple Store.  Overall, it was about as decent of an experience as you can have with computer repair.

Moral of the story: be careful with your MacBook in the event of a storm with intense lightning, and don't forget to run your ethernet cable through a surge protector.  Also, keep an old computer around for a spare.  I would have been in a lot of trouble without my MacBook had I not kept my old Dell Latitude up to date and connected at my office.

If you are interested in stopping by Compuzone, they have a store located conveniently at 5th and Lamar (in the Homeaway building).  

Software: Aperture 3, A Good Deal From The Mac App Store

At the Home Office

Now that I'm back in business with my new MacBook Pro, I've been reinstalling and adding software to the system.  One Mac specific app I've been wanting to try is Aperture 3.  

Since I've started biking, I haven't been as active with photography.  Thus, it will probably be after SXSW and my quickie trip to Florida (I have some night photography planned) before I do much photo importing and editing to the MacBook.  At that point I'll be able to comment on using Aperture (which, from what I have read, is a photo management and light editing system similar to Picasa or Adobe's Lightroom).

In the mean time, I decided to toss up this post to mention that while the full version of Aperture is $199 at a retail establishment, it is only $79 as a download from the Mac App Store.   Not a bad deal, thus I went ahead and downloaded it. 

This is by far the most compelling deal I've seen at the Mac App Store.

Another Bite at Apple

2011 MacBook Pro

Apple's "Magic Mouse"

My extreme displeasure with Apple's online store was followed by a further deepening of annoyance this morning.  Apparently, despite telling me that a new MacBook would be shipped to me upon my deliverance of the defective MacBook to FedEx, I was informed this morning that not only had my replacement MacBook not shipped... but it had yet to be configured and assembled.   This was the situation described by the online store, despite the fact that the store reps assured me during the set-up of the return that I'd have a replacement MacBook in time for SXSW Interactive and a business trip scheduled for the weekend.  [note: the Dell Lattitude E5400 pictured with the new MacBook cannot travel, as it's power inverter for the screen is blown and thus the display doesn't function; this part broke right after the 1 year warranty had expired]

I expressed my irritation to the folks at the online Apple store.  They decided to refund the purchase so that I could go and buy a new MacBook at the Barton Creek retail store (and, we'll see how easy getting the refund turns out to be).  This actually turns out to be a bonus for me, considering that Apple introduced it's 2011 line of MacBooks just two days after I received my defective unit (it had the i5 processor and a 320GB hard drive) Thus detached from my connection to the online store, I drove over to the Apple retail store in Barton Creek mall.  Unfortunately, the retail store does not stock a 15" MacBook Pro with the glossy, high res screen.  However, the new model of MacBook comes with an Intel i7 quad core processor standard, along with a 500GB hard drive and a fairly cool graphics chip.  I ended up paying less for the new MacBook than I had for the defective one.   While I kind of miss the high res screen, the screen on the new unit is still very nice.

I've had the new MacBook for an afternoon and I can already tell that it's a better machine than the one it replaced.   It is charging without any problems.  The WiFi is working well.  Also, the Apple "Magic Mouse" is working well and I'm taking as a sign that the Bluetooth is functioning better on this machine than the defective one.  On the defective MacBook, it was so slow that it was basically unusable (and this was unfortunately, as I couldn't find another mouse which connected directly into a laptop via Bluetooth, without the need for some kind of USB receiver).   It turns out that a functioning Magic Mouse is actually kind of cool, thus I'm glad its working with the new system.   

So, at a minimum I can say that a new 2011 MacBook Pro is better than a defective 2010 model.  It remains to be seen whether I take to Mac OS or default back to Windows 7 (which, having been a Windows user for about 16 years, I find fairly easy to operate). 

Sometimes, There Is a Bad Apple...

MacBook Pro, Ready to be Shipped Back to Apple.

I've been a little surprised by my recent experience with Apple.  In an episode I would have expected following the purchase of a Dell product (I've had some ridiculous things go wrong with my last two Dell laptops), the 15" MacBook Pro I purchased in mid-February has already been shipped back to Apple owing to a hardware problem (with the power system, although I suspect that there is something wrong with its WiFi hardware as well).

I discovered the problem with the power system first because the charging cable LED would only light up if the charging plug was attached in a certain direction, and second because shortly thereafter I noticed "not charging" message fairly often after plugging the computer into the power cable.  As for the WiFi, it worked at home and in my office.  Last Friday, it worked at The Tavern.  However, I took the MacBook to Epoch on Monday night and it wouldn't connect (despite the fact that about 10 other patrons in my general area appeared to be happily using the internet on Apple products).  A return trip to The Tavern also produced some frustrating results.   This is certainly not what I was expecting from a computer with a hefty price tag and from a line of products which generally gets rave reviews from friends.

I took my MacBook over to the Barton Creek Apple Store yesterday.  The guys at the Genius Bar were quite helpful, and I didn't have to wait long for an appointment.  They were pretty eager to swap the defective laptop on the spot... until they realized that I had purchased it online.  That is when things got annoying, as I had to leave the accessible and eager to help folks at the retail store in order to call Apple directly to sort things out over the phone.   I had to work through Apple's automated system, and then go up through three levels of live humans on the phone line before the problem could be resolved (and no, the transfer of information about my computer's issue did not travel instantly from the Barton Creek store to Apple's central system).  I was transferred to a fourth person to facilitate the product return.  At this time, I asked if I could go ahead and pay to upgrade a couple of things (which I thought was a reasonable request, considering that this whole return thing was a hassle for me, interruption for my business, and a new computer was going to be shipped anyway).  The answer was: no, the only way to change configuration was to return my replacement MacBook once I received it and then to reorder.  My response: no thanks, I'll have Pivot Networks drop in a new hard drive and more RAM.

So, the take-away I'm hoping to impart here is: if possible, buy an Apple computer from the Apple Store.  Dealing with the folks at Barton Creek was easy and pleasant.  Moreover, had I purchased my computer from a retail store, I would already have a replacement.  And, since I was required to remove all of my data and applications myself and drop off the bum MacBook at FedEx before Apple would send me a new one, it's a good thing that I have other functioning computers on hand to house my files and to use while the replacement is in transit. 

I'm not upset with Apple per se for sending me a bum computer.  Shit happens, and even the best companies build some lemons.  What is important in these situations is how they remedy the problem.  Thus, I am a little annoyed with Apple because of the process of getting a replacement from the online store. Some companies, like REI will handle at retail locations product returns and replacements from online purchases.  In turn, I'm quite comforatble buying something expensive from REI because I know that dealing with potential problems will be easy.   You would think that Apple would use its retail presence to its advantage over vendors like Dell in terms of product return and replacement, but apparently not.   Furthermore, it seems kind of petty to force me to ship a defective computer back to Apple before they will send me a new unit.  The defective computer was still usable, and it would have been nice to have had it over the weekend in order to work on some video editing (my office Dell doesn't have video editing software).  I could have then done a file transfer upon receipt of the new unit and promptly shipped the defective until back.   You would think that someone willing to drop $1899 on a computer (whose home and business addresses you know, and whose American Express account information you possess) could be trusted to ship back a laptop in a timely manner... esp. when it was technically your fault for selling a defective good.

Don't get my wrong... I generally like Apple and Apple products.  It's just that my recent experience with the product return reminded me more of the John Hodgman PC character than the purported cool Mac character from the PC v Mac ad campaign.