Apple Genius Bar Didn't Recognize MacBook Pro 3G Prototype, Apple Now Wants it Back

[Anonymous Freak]

it is unlikely that Apple wouldn't pulverize a prototype being discarded before it goes into the trash.

And a fairly strict-with-prototypes hardware company I used to work for has a policy of putting prototypes into electronics recycling containers, too. Yet I (and most former co-workers) have multiple pieces of prototype hardware at home.

And they end up on eBay/Craigslist on a fairly regular basis. (Not mine, not those of anybody I know - we always return them to the company's recycle bins when done with them.) And when they do, the company files requests to have the listings removed, and quietly contacts the seller to get them back. If the seller doesn't comply, they get the police involved. This happens every month. (I know someone in the "reclaim" department. I've seen one co-worker in the same department as me get fired for it.)

But because it's not Apple, it doesn't make the news.

 

[JAT]

Are you sure that there is a victim in this case? How did the laptop leave the Apple campus, or lab, or vault or Fort Knox, or wherever it was being kept? Maybe Apple gave it to the engineer? How does anyone know?

See, if all your commentary was like the above, you'd get different responses. Just like some of the earlier stories I linked to, you're correct, it could be a slightly different situation than "Stolen".

But then you say stuff like this:

I'd tell them I panicked and threw it in the river. Do you think they'd still give him the chair if he did that?

 

[kdarling]

And a fairly strict-with-prototypes hardware company I used to work for has a policy of putting prototypes into electronics recycling containers, too. Yet I (and most former co-workers) have multiple pieces of prototype hardware at home.

From custom orders over the past ten+ years, I have a bunch of prototype touchscreen devices in my drawer here, including one CDMA model made just for me from a company that was usually all GSM. My nine year old daugher and her friends play "spies" with them.

When I was younger, we used to go by the IBM labs near us and rummage through their garbage bins on the weekend. We got a lot of imperfect but quite usable memory chips and hard drives that way for our local computer club

As for prototypes, is Hal-Ted electronic surplus still in business in San Jose? I used to love hanging out there and listening to engineers as they wandered around, saying things like "Oh my gosh! There's that prototype we spent millions on, but never sold! And now it's $40. Hahaha!"

 

[jjk212]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Heres another question: has Apple proven that this is actually a prototype device that they have engineered? Just because it has an apple logo on the lid doesn't mean that they engineered it.

Although slim there is the possibility that a 3rd party attempted modification of an apple device. I know it's far fetched but how has apple made claim that this was actually their property to begin with. I hope it wasnt just based on their word and the face that it has a picture of an apple on it.

Thoughts?

 

[AppleScruff1]

See, if all your commentary was like the above, you'd get different responses. Just like some of the earlier stories I linked to, you're correct, it could be a slightly different situation than "Stolen".

But then you say stuff like this:

But read what I replied to with that response. I thought the sarcasm was evident. There are many posts in this thread that people are making statments like they are facts when in actuality they have no idea what they are talking about. I highly doubt the police are going to send a SWAT team to get the laptop back.

 

[evilroot]

Asking for it back is a bit different than demanding it. And as far as I have read, Apple has not stated that the laptop was stolen. Naturally they want it back.

This is exactly what happened. While they never said that it was "stolen" they did state it was their property and they wanted me to return it immediately. I did so yesterday morning to a private investigator representing Apple, in person. So I guess its all over, heh.

 

[AppleScruff1]

This is exactly what happened. While they never said that it was "stolen" they did state it was their property and they wanted me to return it immediately. I did so yesterday morning to a private investigator representing Apple, in person. So I guess its all over, heh.

I'm sorry you lost out on the big sale, but you did the right thing. It's a shame since you didn't do anything wrong. I believe in karma, and you'll have good coming your way for being honest in this situation. Best of luck to you and I hope you'll still hang around here and post.