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That's what I thought...I'm so confused.

Also a bunch of frat brothers in the house and the problem wasn't dealt with sooner.

Likely the evidence is gone, and the case will resolve into nothing until the machine falls from the sky and lands on a detective's head.

Right now it is just a bunch of finger pointing, and even quite a few public attorneys can get those cases tossed.
 
Also a bunch of frat brothers in the house and the problem wasn't dealt with sooner.

Likely the evidence is gone, and the case will resolve into nothing until the machine falls from the sky and lands on a detective's head.

Right now it is just a bunch of finger pointing, and even quite a few public attorneys can get those cases tossed.
That's what I was thinking. Forget the comments about beating people up and other violent acts.

In all seriousness, I don't know why this wasn't resolve sooner. Either this was way more complicated than I imagined or we're not hearing the entire story, or both?
 
Mmm... without doubts, this is a rare case, because if the victime knew who was the thief, plus, some of his friends are friends of the thief too, it's very strange that the PB original owner never had took any real-actions to got his computer back. I mean, if he knew who did it, where he live, what does everyday and a very important thing, he has let pass too much time to take any action, I feel something are wrong, or we don't know the entire story, or the story aren't like how he told us, but something is going bad.
At this point, everything sounds so strange, specially when the victime have bought a completely new MBP... maybe there's a possiblity that everything is a planified action to justify the new computer and to keep the old PB too?
 
Mmm... without doubts, this is a rare case, because if the victime knew who was the thief, plus, some of his friends are friends of the thief too, it's very strange that the PB original owner never had took any real-actions to got his computer back. I mean, if he knew who did it, where he live, what does everyday and a very important thing, he has let pass too much time to take any action, I feel something are wrong, or we don't know the entire story, or the story aren't like how he told us, but something is going bad.
At this point, everything sounds so strange, specially when the victime have bought a completely new MBP... maybe there's a possiblity that everything is a planified action to justify the new computer and to keep the old PB too?

i've thought about this. really...it is a bit weird that it's taking a long time, BUT i came up with this:
1. the guy doesn't want to get violent about it.
2. he's building a case and working with the detective
3. the OP is in school. anyone who is still in university or who went to university (cough...12 years ago...cough), knows that alot of time to chase something just isn't there. you can argue whether or not you'd spend your time chasing, but the OP sounds like a level headed guy and if he's sure he's got a good case, then so be it.

but the incredibly impatient side of me wants this resolved just to see the thief caught.

Cheers,
Keebler
 
cauz it's software based, just wipe the hd and it's gone, so is your machine so is your money :D

Nope... in the software website, FAQ's, there is a question about that, and they recommends to lock the firmware (where, I understood, is installed the OS) with a password to avoid any action to change the OS by any strange people who can use or stole the computer. Also they explain how to do that in the same answer.
 
Nope... in the software website, FAQ's, there is a question about that, and they recommends to lock the firmware (where, I understood, is installed the OS) with a password to avoid any action to change the OS by any strange people who can use or stole the computer. Also they explain how to do that in the same answer.

chile is right and from what i read, the isight will take random pics and send to a website or via email so obviously, anyone in front of the computer would be revealed :)

ba-boom.

i'd buy this software in a heartbeat if i owned a macbook or pro etc..
 
i've thought about this. really...it is a bit weird that it's taking a long time, BUT i came up with this:
1. the guy doesn't want to get violent about it.
2. he's building a case and working with the detective
3. the OP is in school. anyone who is still in university or who went to university (cough...12 years ago...cough), knows that alot of time to chase something just isn't there. you can argue whether or not you'd spend your time chasing, but the OP sounds like a level headed guy and if he's sure he's got a good case, then so be it.

but the incredibly impatient side of me wants this resolved just to see the thief caught.

Cheers,
Keebler

Though I agree with your main argument, this case appears so weird by this reasons:

1. I understand that he dont want to take any kind of violent actions and it's very reasonable, but when the robbed item it's a 1.500 (or so) dollars item, the things changes (though you can think the violence isn't a valid or good road to get a problem solution; in fact, generally I think in the same way). For the most people, a 1.500 dollars item is an important item, and in mainly cases, the affected people will take the most effective actions to chase and punish the people who makes the robbery in the less time possible. Is a logic action that in this case, never happen yet.

2. Yep, he's now building a case and work on it with a detective, but since so many time has passed, the success possibilities are reduced drastically than if this case had been opened time ago. It's, again, a logic conclusion that, again, in this case isn't happen when it must to happen.
 
I'm amazed at the overestimation of the police efforts in this thread.

While not the same thing at all, I was forced to go to the police a while back as well. I had a box delivered to my NYC apartment. It was left in front of the door on the 4th floor indoor landing (of a walk-up building) where it sat for about 9 hours, only to disappear at some point in the evening before I got home.

I went to the police and explained that it was VERY likely that the box was taken by someone in the building. My hope was that they'd agree, and at the very least send an officer over to "knock on a few doors", and perhaps startle someone into claiming that they were just keeping it safe.

No dice. They filed a report and that was it. They claimed that without further evidence like a video of the event or a witness, they weren't willing to put time into it.

The kicker was that the box weighed 90 pounds, so it wasn't going far. And it only contained half of the end product too, so it was useless to whoever took it.
 
Yeah, something doesn't make sense..Like I said earlier, the OP already has a replacement notebook (a BRAND NEW MBP).....

Maybe things here in Canada are different, but if I had my laptop stolen, and I knew who took it, my insurance company wouldn't be paying for a new one right away (I don't remember if the OP bought the new MBP himself or if it's covered under insurance), but still.

Imagine this call:

Me: Hello, insurance company? My laptop was stolen.
Insurance Company: Did you file a police report?
Me: Well, only about a week after it was stolen. I know who stole it and I was collecting evidence. It's a friend of a friend.
IC: So have you tried to get it back from the friend of your friend?
Me: No, I am collecting evidence and I have filed a police report and made a website.
IC: Well, I see that you have theft insurance on your laptop, but we only cover that if you don't know where your laptop is. Have you tried going with the police to that person's home to get it back?
Me: No, I was busy buying a new laptop and making a website.
IC: Click.
 
Yeah, this is ridiculous. He did all this crap, but hasn't gone up to the guy and just asked him about it. And it's his roommate. Weird society we live in.
 
ummmmm... unless you aren't telling the whole story, i really don't see your logic or dilemma. stealing is stealing, roomies ain't gonna make anything different.

it's either:

a.) you be up front and get the PB back

b.) file a police report and have them get the guy

i don't see why forking out $2k+ to get a MBP would be an option. even if you had the dough (and it seems like you DON'T), it's a matter of principle. but then maybe it's just me.

p.s. you are in college yet unable to come up with a solution on your own?? good luck with the rest of your college career.

I am a college student and my powerbook was stolen this past monday, the theif took just the notebook. The story is long and drawn out but the theif is a friend of my roommates and I am working to get it back without involving the authorities (because I am afraid he will trash it somewhere on me). According to his friends he has wiped it clean with a borrowed copy of OS X and bought a power brick for it. I am going to the police this week if we cannot resolve this internally. If I need to contact Apple that it was stolen how can I do that? Is there a specific way to go about doing that?

So that brings me to my current position... I have a 2 week old backup I can use to restore it and I thank god I actually made one when I did. I am probably going to take out a loan or use a credit card later this coming week to buy a macbook pro since I need one.

I know now that I am going to set a firmware password on the motherboard at least on the new one, I also have been considering a password in the hard drives firmware itself should it support it. Then comes my next round of questions...

Should I get it back, can I do a surface scan like on a PC (forensic scan to some) and recover data not zero'd out? What kind of software assists with that?
 
Imagine this call:

Me: Hello, insurance company? My laptop was stolen.
Insurance Company: Did you file a police report?
Me: Well, only about a week after it was stolen. I know who stole it and I was collecting evidence. It's a friend of a friend.
IC: So have you tried to get it back from the friend of your friend?
Me: No, I am collecting evidence and I have filed a police report and made a website.
IC: Well, I see that you have theft insurance on your laptop, but we only cover that if you don't know where your laptop is. Have you tried going with the police to that person's home to get it back?
Me: No, I was busy buying a new laptop and making a website.
IC: Click.

Haha, yeah, that's basically it.

He was too busy making a website to call the police. After this investigation......then what? The laptop is gone, friend. You're asking a police officer to do an investigation when you already know where the laptop is.

I don't know how good an investigator is, but it should probably take him 1 or 2 questions to find out where the laptop is. All he has to do is ask your roommate: "Excuse me, do you know where the laptop is?"

Your roommate: "Yes."
Investigator: "What?"
Your roommate: "Yes I do."
 
I feel like sharing this info with you because my iPod was stolen a year ago. I didn't know who it was until long after he had pawned it sold it whatever. The police raided his house, questioned him, but couldn't find anything. The guy was a year below me in college. I see him every f**king day. I've filed complaints with everyone in college to get him kicked out but they're still waiting for "closure from the police" which in Panama can take more than a year. I can't do anything physical to him beacuse in this country the law just seems to protect thieves and murderers.

For some reason, I agree with a lot of people in this thread about you not sharing the whole story. Maybe you don't want the police involved because the guy has some **** on you? Just speculating here...

There's another solution I'm thinking about that doesn't involve you doing pretty much anything.

Tell your roommate (friend of the scumbag), to go to the scumbag's house and just take it. Either by just walking in and taking it or by getting him out of the house first and then getting the laptop. He can do it as a way of getting in better terms with all of you guys, so you don't kick his a** out of the house.

When you do solve this situation, I would seriously consider moving out of that house, or kicking the scumbag's friend out anyway. In the meantime, you guys should really establish some rules about guests.

Best of luck amigo
 
well, school's about over and it's been about a month.

just for the fun of it, i thought i'd bring this up again and ask...

any resolution yet?
 
I figured I'd update this now, I might not have but the replies at the end are just asking to be answered.

There was no insurance money, I worked for a month and a half borrowed some money on a credit card and bought a new laptop. I had not renewed my renters insurance because I hadn't had any problems living there the past two years. My laptop is paid off now, I miss my old one because while the MBP is faster.. I despise these maglocks... I already had the damn power adapter replaced for sparking when plugging it in and now this one is starting to do it as well!

You lovely folks mocking me for not having confronted my roommate about the theft don't know the entire situation. My roommate had friends over, one of them took it. As in I don't know who exactly, I only had my roommates word that he knew (whatever that was worth). I am sharing all this now because its a lost cause to go after him legally since he's an alcoholic deadbeat who spends all his money on alcohol and by doing so he can't even hold a job as a bouncer (he is now gainfully employeed as a pizza delivery boy since the owner is a family friend).

He told me he would get it back for me if I wouldn't call the cops, I didn't say it in this post incase he saw it but I had called the cops anyway. The police said they would call me back in 5 to 10 days, when in fact they did get in touch with me they told me that if I could gather any evidence they would be happy to assist me. I had it with the whole situation, I had no way of retrieving my property and I wasn't about to just go and break the law (grab a 9mm and hold it to his temple till he told me who had it isn't my style).

My fraternity brothers and a few other guys from a neighboring fraternity all told me they would volunteer as an army and go to his friends house to get my **** back. That also goes against my sense of right and wrong, I know dangerous when I see it and 30+ guys showing up to start something with someone who might be innocent is wrong.

So the moral of the story? My roommate wasn't on the lease, I told him to move out, that week he stopped coming to the house, and a few days later he stopped returning my calls with anything more meaningful than threats. Frustrated and stuck with a room full of his **** we looked up the laws on the situation. Since he was never on the lease and he abandoned his **** for much more than 30 days I can claim it and I can sell it and you better believe I will sell it. My roommate is named Nicolas Donovan, he is 23 years old and has two legal strikes against him in the state of Ohio, one for DUI and the other for Assault, if you know of him or his family please send them my regards.

I will recoup some of my losses and I learned a valuable lesson, never let alcoholic scumbags move in just to help pay the rent, its cheaper to pay the extra rent and its certainly less draining.

Now, go ahead, mock my sense of right and wrong, use those big internet balls everyone grows when conflict arises in a place and time when its not their fight and they weren't there for it.
 
Dude you are talking about that violence isn't your style..
You don't have to use Violence. Just get your Powerbook back, no need for violence. If you have proof that it is yours, you could just go get it.
You can 'kindly ask' your Alcoholic 'friend' to tell you were the guy lives.. Or promise him some Beer if he tells you ;)
Anyways, it's your decision if you want it back or not. :)
No offence or something, just my opinion.
 
I figured I'd update this now, I might not have but the replies at the end are just asking to be answered.

There was no insurance money, I worked for a month and a half borrowed some money on a credit card and bought a new laptop. I had not renewed my renters insurance because I hadn't had any problems living there the past two years. My laptop is paid off now, I miss my old one because while the MBP is faster.. I despise these maglocks... I already had the damn power adapter replaced for sparking when plugging it in and now this one is starting to do it as well!

You lovely folks mocking me for not having confronted my roommate about the theft don't know the entire situation. My roommate had friends over, one of them took it. As in I don't know who exactly, I only had my roommates word that he knew (whatever that was worth). I am sharing all this now because its a lost cause to go after him legally since he's an alcoholic deadbeat who spends all his money on alcohol and by doing so he can't even hold a job as a bouncer (he is now gainfully employeed as a pizza delivery boy since the owner is a family friend).

He told me he would get it back for me if I wouldn't call the cops, I didn't say it in this post incase he saw it but I had called the cops anyway. The police said they would call me back in 5 to 10 days, when in fact they did get in touch with me they told me that if I could gather any evidence they would be happy to assist me. I had it with the whole situation, I had no way of retrieving my property and I wasn't about to just go and break the law (grab a 9mm and hold it to his temple till he told me who had it isn't my style).

My fraternity brothers and a few other guys from a neighboring fraternity all told me they would volunteer as an army and go to his friends house to get my **** back. That also goes against my sense of right and wrong, I know dangerous when I see it and 30+ guys showing up to start something with someone who might be innocent is wrong.

So the moral of the story? My roommate wasn't on the lease, I told him to move out, that week he stopped coming to the house, and a few days later he stopped returning my calls with anything more meaningful than threats. Frustrated and stuck with a room full of his **** we looked up the laws on the situation. Since he was never on the lease and he abandoned his **** for much more than 30 days I can claim it and I can sell it and you better believe I will sell it. My roommate is named Nicolas Donovan, he is 23 years old and has two legal strikes against him in the state of Ohio, one for DUI and the other for Assault, if you know of him or his family please send them my regards.

I will recoup some of my losses and I learned a valuable lesson, never let alcoholic scumbags move in just to help pay the rent, its cheaper to pay the extra rent and its certainly less draining.

Now, go ahead, mock my sense of right and wrong, use those big internet balls everyone grows when conflict arises in a place and time when its not their fight and they weren't there for it.

i'm not going to mock you. i was just hoping that you got it back. unfortunately, it's a lesson learned and it looks like you can get some of your money back by selling his stuff.

cheers,
Keebler
 
frankly, that is VERY sh***y your roommate. if you even knew this kid, let alone was friends with him he should do everything to get it back. i would kick the crap out of my friend if he stole my roommates laptop.

i think you may have made the right decision. if its not really an option to steal it back, then buy a new MBP and move on. if i were in your shoes i would try to move out of that house too!
 
Hey man I would just get a few big guys over there at his house (if you didnt know which friend of the room mate just go door to door or you room mates friends) And trust me if he saw a few big guys coming if he had the power book he would give it back.
 
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