I'm not sure that that is fair on Apple. I see the company as a multi-headed creature. It seems worldwide that our approaches to support staff at Apple concerning this bug are met with rather useless responses. Basically Apple support people mostly just don't get it, don't listen or think what the customer is showing them or trying to say. The response seems to be a polite brush off and platitudes often laced with bull, even rotten lies. An infuriating experience, but in part we may be at fault for expecting anything more. You paid the price of a small car for this computer, but seemingly get less respect or response than you would from any local garage. But it is unclear to me that Apple actually promised competent support operations. I expected it, but the mismatch between my expectations/assumptions and the reality must in part be of my making.
Go into an Apple store to seek 09MP audio bug support and join the queue behind the hoards of kids with iPod nanos. The same staff deal with everything. And they come with training and a culture which is highly regulated (especially in defending the Apple brand image). The issues involved in this bug are way over their heads.
But I'm sure there are other parts of Apple that are able, informed, competent, reasonable, and would like to both fix this bug and be straight with customers. Unfortunately the company seems to be structured so these people never communicate with us, only the care staff (geniuses etc) are allowed customer contact.
We've been hammering at Apple's door in every way we can think of for a long time now. I'm sure other people have been here before us. It must be a standard stand-off. Us shouting for Apple to listen, Apple silent and unresponsive. This is just the way the company is structured. And to give them credit, the formula seems to work (as far as their bank account is concerned).
Our best option seems to be to pool our intelligence, try to draw atoms of information together. Check our facts. And by conducting ourselves openly and honestly, hope to draw in more support and win over friends who are more competent to explain, even fix, this bug. Whether inside or outside Apple.
I'm just arguing for a separation of any frustration at Apple versus the bug technical issues. It may seem bizarre but if you discount what Apple support people make up, it is not obvious that Apple has done much lying in any of this - they just don't communicate at all. The feeling is that they must be mad not to realize how exasperating and un-constructive this silence is, but it could be that just this communications strategy has made them so rich.
I think of it like having a car wreck. My inclination is to apologize for any part I had in it and try to help other people. But a lawyer would advise me to admit no liability, formally report it and walk away like a callous zombie. Lawyers get rich, people like me don't.
I'm recalibrating my expectations and assumptions about Apple. By thinking less of the company, I find I can appreciate the technology better.
Sorry to go on ... just trying to fit square pegs into circular holes.
