February 2007

After recalling my tale of MacBook battery woe last week, I decided to speak to the retail store where I purchase the machine to see what their policy was on the repair/replacement of such an item.

I never got a straight answer from the chap I spoke to though.  It might be a few weeks, but as it was just the battery and a “known fault on the Apple website” then it would probably be sent back to Apple.  Maybe.  They had a “technician” who checks the items brought back for repair though, which was something.
I decided to leave it and make an appointment with the Concierge at the Apple Store at the Bullring in Birmingham.  I made the appointment online and arrived within 2 hours at my due time of 1340.  My name was appearing on a plasma screen behind the “Genius Bar” as being next in line and I waited patiently whilst the “geniuses” sorted out issues with other peoples iPods, Wireless Routers and general stuff.

When it was my turn, a nice genius called Ewan took my battery, tested it, replaced it with a battery that they had under the counter and did indeed agree that mine was… fucked.

He started to enter my details into their system and I was getting ready for the “we will email you when a replacement comes in and you can come and collect it” response.  To my surprise he popped “out the back” and brought me a brand-spanking-new battery.  Fitted, tested and 55% charged already!

I am a happy man.  So, Ewan, from the Bullring Apple Store… you are my hero!

Just as I was pontificating on the powers of OS X to suspend, hibernate, sleep and then spring back to life I then discover that my Macbook has fallen foul of the dreaded “No Batteries Available” error.

Apparently, the battery charge is so low that it cannot be detected by the laptop which then refuses to charge it because it cannot see it.  One of those perfect Catch 22 scenarios like when AOL emailled me to tell me that they had suspended my email account.  Or when a customer once told me that there could’nt be anything wrong with his Excel spreadsheet (the fault he had logged with the helpdesk), because his whole PC would’nt even switch on!

See, Catch 22.  Gets you every time.

According to multiple searches on Google I have found that I am not the only one with this issue and all I need is a new battery.  I have also tried several different reset methods involving command-option-P+R and dead chickens in a pentangle - to no avail.  Good that my Macbook is only 8 months old as Apple will gladly replace my faulty battery.  I actually purchased the machine at a retail store, so will be persuing a replacement there.  It will be interesting to see what they say and how they handle it.

In the days I coveted PCs, my usual method of replacing faulty hardware was to steal another (newer) machine from work!

Only kidding Mr Ex-employer!

..is one anagram of my name!

Here are a few choice others:

• SNAKE SCOTCH
• CAT SOCK HENS
• SCAT NECKS HO
• CAN HECK TOSS
• STACK CHOSEN
• SACK CHEST ON

Find yours at the Internet Anagram Server

I have just finished my Rapidshare Blogsearch interface!

If you came here looking for Rapidshare Links, check it out

Click here

Powered by PHP, Simplepie and some late night blurry eyed coding by the seat of my pants, it searches and displays RSS feeds from blogs and sites that contain links to Rapidshare downloads. You can enter your own search criteria too and it will filter the feeds accordingly.

I still have a few ideas up my sleeve for this, so expect the design to change and a few extra bells and whistles added!

But for now, enjoy - and let me know what you think!

Now that Microsft Vista has been launched the usual Mac vs PC campaign has started up again.

Whilst Vista does seem to have some benefits such as better security and other UI improvements it s not a real leap ahead in terms of technology or programming.  Some would also so it borrows alot of its design and new features from OS X anyway!

My personal view is that, at the moment, I do not prefer either operating system.  OS X or XP/Vista!

Don't get me wrong, I love my MacBook and its stability and reliability!  I love the way I can open the lid and be on the internet in seconds or the way it "just works!".  I know that the "it just works" catchphrase is a real cliche, but it is true.  The first time I plugged in my USB scanner I thought it had not detected it, but really it had silently set it all up for me to use and was ready to rock.

I still get the feeling that I am using my MacBook with my hand tied behind my back at times.  Maybe thats just the reality of using a laptop rather than a desktop PC.  After all, I have been using and fixing windows PCs for over 10 years now and know each nook and cranny of the OS.

Its a nice feeling to know that my MacBook will work when I open the lid and not suffer from disk thrashing or spyware crap, but I would'nt say they are the be-all-and-end-all!

In conclusion, and in my opinion, there is no clear winner in the OS X versus Windows row.  Just alot of "my dads bigger than your dad".