Apple Standard and ProCare Packages

[billyboy]

Appleinsider reports on upcoming incentives for purchase at Apple Stores.

'ProCare' ($99) for Rapid Repair services, "advanced Genius Bar reservations', possible discounts and more.

I dont see why people are arguing about paying for advice at the Genius bar. Whether you do or you dont right now, the point of the ProCare, as it reads to me, is that you will be entitled to get to the front of the queue to speak to a Genius at your convenience. What happens as regards additional billing for the consultation I have no idea. I have never seen an Apple Store

 

[jsw]

setup assistance? is this program creativly aimed for switchers? i doubt mac veterans need a lot of setup assistance.

I'm sure it is, as were previous things, like the apparently soon-to-be-phased-out Pro card, or at least its free service that let you bring your G5 to the Store and let Apple employees install any (Store-purchased) new software for you.

Surely, this was aimed at PC people to convince them their hands would be held. Anyone who has carried a G5 anywhere (or something similar, like a bank vault, Sherman tank, or miniature black hole) and who has also installed Mac software (insert disk, click a button or two, sit back, begin using app in a minute) would never use that service!

 

[Parikh1234]

you sound like a very angry man.

did it occurr to you that geniuses arent salespersons? have you seen the kind of traffic the genius bars get? so the guy screwed up and sold an item you wanted...there's TONS of reasons a misunderstanding like that can happen. honestly, calm down. they do the best job they can under the scrutiny of fanatics like you. and for your own protection, dont "finish conversations" with people after stores close...it's a good way to land in jail and get a human booster shot.

No offense to anyone who may be an apple "genius" but those guys are morons. They're almost as bad as the dell reps. I brought my ipod remote in to 3 different store cause there was no audio coming through. The guy plugged it into an ipod and he said it was working fine. I put the earphones on my head and it was the worst sounding audio i ever heard. then we plugged the ipod into speakers and it sounded fine. the guy was like ok i didnt know how to tell the audio was bad. I usually just try and fix the problem myself and if that doesnt work then i just tell them to send it to apple, but they always try and fix it themselves.

 

[jsw]

No offense to anyone who may be an apple "genius" but those guys are morons. They're almost as bad as the dell reps. I brought my ipod remote in to 3 different store cause there was no audio coming through. The guy plugged it into an ipod and he said it was working fine. I put the earphones on my head and it was the worst sounding audio i ever heard. then we plugged the ipod into speakers and it sounded fine. the guy was like ok i didnt know how to tell the audio was bad. I usually just try and fix the problem myself and if that doesnt work then i just tell them to send it to apple, but they always try and fix it themselves.

I'm sorry about that, but around here (Salem, NH; all the MA stores) they know what they're talking about.

 

[nagromme]

Note that these free services are not necessarily a matter of lugging your Mac into the store: they are for people buying a NEW Mac. They get set up and customized before they go home with it.

Of course, you could bring your OLD PC in if you can't get your data onto a CD.

 

[iHack]

Am I reading this the wrong way?

Appleinsider reports on upcoming incentives for purchase at Apple Stores.

The new 'Standard' and 'ProCare' packages reportedly replace the previous 'Mac Pac' service.

'Standard' (Free) packages simply include setup services for all CPU purchases, while 'ProCare' ($99) for Rapid Repair services, "advanced Genius Bar reservations', possible discounts and more.

The new packages will start on April 1st.

Am I not reading this correctly or are almost all the other posters? To me, it doesn't say you'll have to pay for a Genius if you just show up and ask a question, but for "advanced Genius bar RESERVATIONS". Judging by the posts complaining about the line at the Genius bar, a system for reservations seems useful. The Rapid Repair services seem to offer similar benefits.
Being a consultant using Macs professionally, avoiding standing in line once to speak to a Genius easily pays for a year of ProCare coverage. And Rapid Repair services could be even more important. All time lost 'sitting on my hands' while my Mac is down, is money lost...
When I'm not at work though, my time is free, so at those times I would value such a package differently. Maybe that's why it's called ProCare?

M.

And yes, my company is too small to justify hiring a support guy. I'm using a Mac, I hardly need any support at all. And if $99 a year gets my problems solved fast...

 

[Some_Big_Spoon]

Rant Ahead - Flamebait

ProUser, RegUser, ChocolateCakeUser, Bunny Breeding, Car Waxing, Tax Preparing, Wife Finding...

It's nice to know Apple is creating so many useful (pay) services to prop up their bottom line, instead of, you know, making new computers...

I'll be getting AppleStore employees to install new hardwood flooring in my condo while my Rev. A 12" PB's fans blow like a jet engine in the corner..


-End Rant-

 

[tsk]

ProUser, RegUser, ChocolateCakeUser, Bunny Breeding, Car Waxing, Tax Preparing, Wife Finding...

It's nice to know Apple is creating so many useful (pay) services to prop up their bottom line, instead of, you know, making new computers...

I'll be getting AppleStore employees to install new hardwood flooring in my condo while my Rev. A 12" PB's fans blow like a jet engine in the corner..


-End Rant-

LOL

 

[mhouse]

Get Past It

No offense to anyone who may be an apple "genius" but those guys are morons. They're almost as bad as the dell reps. I brought my ipod remote in to 3 different store cause there was no audio coming through. The guy plugged it into an ipod and he said it was working fine. I put the earphones on my head and it was the worst sounding audio i ever heard. then we plugged the ipod into speakers and it sounded fine. the guy was like ok i didnt know how to tell the audio was bad. I usually just try and fix the problem myself and if that doesnt work then i just tell them to send it to apple, but they always try and fix it themselves.

The Apple "Geniuses" are actually just tech guys who happen to like Macs. This, apparently, will come as a shock to some of you. They are trained to repair Macintosh computers. They are not, contrary to what several of you seem to believe, trained to diagnose and repair every product Apple Computer produces and/or every piece of software for same.

I would have thought that was fairly obvious.

I'm just curious...what exactly did you think a guy at an Apple Store was going to do to fix your remote? Other than simply replacing it, what could he, or anyone outside of the factory where the thing is made, have done?

And why on earth, if you just wanted "to send it to Apple" did you not just get on the phone with Apple Care and send it to them? Its a very simple process. Why go to three different stores?

 

[Parikh1234]

I'm sorry about that, but around here (Salem, NH; all the MA stores) they know what they're talking about.

Im sure there are smart people working at some perhaps even most of the apple stores. But it pissed me off that they have a genius bar at EVERY store. They should maybe only keep genius bars where they have qualified staff.

 

[jsw]

Am I not reading this correctly or are almost all the other posters? To me, it doesn't say you'll have to pay for a Genius if you just show up and ask a question, but for "advanced Genius bar RESERVATIONS". Judging by the posts complaining about the line at the Genius bar, a system for reservations seems useful. The Rapid Repair services seem to offer similar benefits.
Being a consultant using Macs professionally, avoiding standing in line once to speak to a Genius easily pays for a year of ProCare coverage. And Rapid Repair services could be even more important. All time lost 'sitting on my hands' while my Mac is down, is money lost...
When I'm not at work though, my time is free, so at those times I would value such a package differently. Maybe that's why it's called ProCare?

M.

And yes, my company is too small to justify hiring a support guy. I'm using a Mac, I hardly need any support at all. And if $99 a year gets my problems solved fast...

Agreed.

 

[jsw]

Note that these free services are not necessarily a matter of lugging your Mac into the store: they are for people buying a NEW Mac. They get set up and customized before they go home with it.

Of course, you could bring your OLD PC in if you can't get your data onto a CD.

Yeah, I was just mentioning the lug-your-G5-in option available with the Pro Card as something I find to be funny and practically unusable.

As far as the new services are concerned, I think they're a nice touch. Sure, most people don't need them, and most people don't have a lot of customization, but it's still a nice hand-holding option.

 

[Some_Big_Spoon]

GeniusBar guys are like any tech folks: they know alot, but they don't know everything.. Even (especially) Steve doesn't know everything. Like any retail/help people, the nicer you are initially, the better things will go.

I've gone in to get something done twice: Once to check on a DVD-RW that turned out to be bad, and the other to get new rubber feet for my 12"PB. Both times I was nice, and just talked to them on their level. Checked the disc, was bad, & the feet (and glue!) were free, and they were chill guys.

Genius Bars (silly name) are integral to Apple's strategy: getting the unwashed masses into cooler puters, and the GB folks are there to do everything for them until (hopefully) they can do it them selves eventually.

Im sure there are smart people working at some perhaps even most of the apple stores. But it pissed me off that they have a genius bar at EVERY store. They should maybe only keep genius bars where they have qualified staff.

 

[Parikh1234]

GeniusBar guys are like any tech folks: they know alot, but they don't know everything.. Even (especially) Steve doesn't know everything. Like any retail/help people, the nicer you are initially, the better things will go.

I've gone in to get something done twice: Once to check on a DVD-RW that turned out to be bad, and the other to get new rubber feet for my 12"PB. Both times I was nice, and just talked to them on their level. Checked the disc, was bad, & the feet (and glue!) were free, and they were chill guys.

Genius Bars (silly name) are integral to Apple's strategy: getting the unwashed masses into cooler puters, and the GB folks are there to do everything for them until (hopefully) they can do it them selves eventually.

I took my brothers 12 inch powerbook to the genius bar cause it wobbled. How did you get them to replace it? They said if 3 business cards cant fit under the short leg its an "acceptable manufacturing defect". I was so pissed off. Also, im not an illtempered person. I always treat the people with respect no matter how moronic i think they are. I dont tell them that or anything and ive always gone in there with a smile.

 

[Some_Big_Spoon]

Well, they didn't replace the entire PB, they gave me 3 new rubber feet for the bottom. They fell off because the PB gets so hot that it undoes the glue used to fasten the feet to the PB. The Genius Bar guys solution was Krazy Glue, which seems logical. Why they didn't use this in the first place (or make a better machine) is beyond me.

Rubber feet cost them nothing, it's the "labor" that was free in both cases. Replacing an entire PB is another story. FYI, the "wobble" is caused by the machine getting so hot that it warps the case and components; a design flaw, not a manufacturing or user flaw.

The "solution" that Apple has come up with is the lovely "feature" of the 12" PB's fan running at warp speed 24/7 starting with 10.3.2.

TMI, but you know..

I took my brothers 12 inch powerbook to the genious bar cause it wobbled. How did you get them to replace it? They said if 3 business cards cant fit under the short leg its an "acceptable manufacturing defect". I was so pissed off. Also, im not an illtempered person. I always treat the people with respect no matter how moronic i think they are. I dont tell them that or anything and ive always gone in there with a smile.

 

[Parikh1234]

Well, they didn't replace the entire PB, they gave me 3 new rubber feet for the bottom. They fell off because the PB gets so hot that it undoes the glue used to fasten the feet to the PB. The Genius Bar guys solution was Krazy Glue, which seems logical. Why they didn't use this in the first place (or make a better machine) is beyond me.

Rubber feet cost them nothing, it's the "labor" that was free in both cases. Replacing an entire PB is another story. FYI, the "wobble" is caused by the machine getting so hot that it warps the case and components; a design flaw, not a manufacturing or user flaw.

The "solution" that Apple has come up with is the lovely "feature" of the 12" PB's fan running at warp speed 24/7 starting with 10.3.2.

TMI, but you know..

lol i didnt expect them to replace the whole powerbook. I just wanted new feet. He said he couldnt order them. He was probably just being a douche. Im gonna try another store.

 

[Some_Big_Spoon]

My guy was like "oh yeah, no problem". Went right under the table (i.e. Genius Bar) and pulled out, get this, a BAG full of the feet. So, I guess I'm not all the special. Apple ships them a damn bag of them. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal. He took my PB, and glued them on while I shopped in the store, then handed it back to me, and we talked for a bit.. just regular talk.. was a slow time at the Bellevue, WA store.

lol i didnt expect them to replace the whole powerbook. I just wanted new feet. He said he couldnt order them. He was probably just being a douche. Im gonna try another store.

 

[vollspacken]

screw packages, damned!!! give us updates!!!

vSpacken

 

[kingtj]

Conversion of ProCards

Ah! In my opinion, this would be a GOOD thing. I've generally felt like my Apple ProCard was a gimmick and a waste of time since it was issued. (Up until Apple's "Night of the Panther" release party, when I bought my G5 system, I was hoping the ProCard would really be a nice "plus". Discounts on any/all the software I wanted, as long as I bought it on the day of the week I selected as "my discount day", preferential treatment if I needed service or had questions, etc. etc.) When I made the purchase, though, I immediately felt differently. They didn't even give me my ProCard with the purchase, first of all. I had to point it out to the salesperson that I was supposed to receive one. Then, they basically just shoved a form in my face to fill out and give back to them, and handed me the card, and that was it. I don't even recall getting to select the day I preferred for my discount. (Then, I started hearing about all these limitations - like it was only good for *one* discounted software purchase....)

Now, we've got all these issues with G5 glitches (mine included!) and calls to Apple don't seem to really be getting us any answers. Granted, they just may not really know the cause of the odd, random problems that only *some* of us seem to have (such as random freezes where the mouse still moves, but you can't click anything - and background tasks like file/print sharing still seem to be running, or systems that go to sleep mode, only to get stuck at a blank screen with all the fans roaring at top speed). But I know *I* haven't been made to feel like Apple really cares at all about my problem. The phone reps all seem to claim that "I've never heard of this before.", no matter how many people call in reporting the same issue. Requests I made for a replacement video card so I could try eliminating it as a potential problem are denied. "I'm sorry sir. We can't send you anything until anb authorized service center has looked over your G5 and tells us they need a new part for it."

I should have read more. From the AppleInsider article:

------------

ProCard to ProCare Conversions
Customers currently holding an Apple 'ProCard' will be eligible to have their membership converted to ProCare, free of charge. In April, Apple will send out an e-mail to all ProCard holders encouraging them to visit an Apple store within 90 days to convert their membership. ProCare service for former ProCard holders will be activated on the day of conversion and will reportedly be good for one year from that date. Apple's ProCard is no longer advertised on Apple's retail site and will likely be phased out in favor of the new ProCare package.

 

[nagromme]

It's nice to know Apple is creating so many useful (pay) services to prop up their bottom line, instead of, you know, making new computers...

I don't think people are understanding this news. Apple is not STARTING to charge for Genius services, they are STOPPING charging. (Not that they often charged even when they could.) This is not propping anything up.

And the Mac card thing is becoming ProCare. It all makes good sense to me.

 

[clonenode]

You're on a rumor site...
Infact, you're a member of a rumor site...

AppleMatt

ahhh, the irony.

 

[jsw]

Now, we've got all these issues with G5 glitches (mine included!) ... [like] systems that go to sleep mode, only to get stuck at a blank screen with all the fans roaring at top speed).

This may have nothing to do with your system, but I had something very similar with my G5. Turns out it was the 20" Cinema display I had hooked up. When I disabled the display's power switch via the pref panel, the problem just vanished. They since fixed the display.

Perhaps this helps. Probably not...

 

[Macmaniac]

What Apple should do is offer free home setup with each Mac purchase. People can be very confused when it comes with setting up a computer for the first time. I know many first time users are not always sure what certain programs do, and shortcuts around things. I think that would be a great service to the Mac community because a person who knows how to use their computer is much better then a person who blames the computer for not being able to do things. Having a technician there to guide a person through OS X would be a great help.

 

[Some_Big_Spoon]

See, I feel like if you're too fat, slow or incompetent to be able to fill in your name and address, then play around with the pretty icons, then maybe you're not ready for computer ownership.

There was a great article on Slashdot (gasp! real techies!) about how owning a computer should be like owning a car. You'd need a basic understanding of how to get around the hardware, software, and especially the internet (as it's newbies that spread nasty virii and answer penis enlargment spam).

But yeah, if you need someone to help you plug a plug into an outlet, and wipe your nose, I guess it couldn't hurt to have someone do that, but man, have you met the average person? They're somewhere between headcheese and toaster ovens on the evolutionary scale. Those poor Apple guys would be at Bertha's house all day. That would cost Apple a fortune.

What Apple should do is offer free home setup with each Mac purchase. People can be very confused when it comes with setting up a computer for the first time. I know many first time users are not always sure what certain programs do, and shortcuts around things. I think that would be a great service to the Mac community because a person who knows how to use their computer is much better then a person who blames the computer for not being able to do things. Having a technician there to guide a person through OS X would be a great help.

 

[lind0834]

Requests I made for a replacement video card so I could try eliminating it as a potential problem are denied. "I'm sorry sir. We can't send you anything until anb authorized service center has looked over your G5 and tells us they need a new part for it."

Did anybody else read this and immediatly fall on the floor laughing? There is no corporation on the face of the earth that will send an individual another user replacable part because the user thinks it's broken. Hmm.. Hello? Apple? I just bought this new G5 and the SuperDrive is all broken, can you send me another one so I can sell it on eBay.