Consumerist
planned obsolescence
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Mac
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planned obsolescence
A couple of weeks ago we wrote about the Windows Vista hearing, where Microsoft executives were shown to have complained internally about the misleading "Vista Capable" campaign. The judge has granted the case class action status. [Computerworld]
uh oh
QuickBooks' Latest Update Destroyed Mac Users' Desktops
Here's one reason to use an online service to store financial data: no buggy updates to deal with.* Intuit's December update for 2006 and 2007 versions of QuickBooks Pro on the Mac platform wiped the user's Desktop folder and anything stored there. The company released a patch, but it didn't work if you launched QuickBooks while connected to a wireless hotspot, oops. The latest patch, so far as we can tell, simply disables any further updates to the application—on January 3rd the company "began automatically feeding a patch to Mac QuickBooks users that permanently switches off the program's upgrade mechanism to prevent a repetition of a data disaster." In the meantime, since they can't offer a way to fix the deleted Desktop folders, they're offering rebates to users who buy a copy of the data recovery program Data Rescue II. More »
buy
Who Should And Shouldn't Buy A Mac
Walter Mossberg wrote a guide for buying a Mac and we like the parts that say who should and who shouldn't get one. Mac vs PC debates are highly personal, often end in bloodshed, and usually make no sense, so it's nice to see a rational discussion of each system's attributes. In the end, it really matters what kind of user you are, and what your price point is... More »
looking into the abyss
Does Comcast Hate Mac And Firefox?
You'd think the country's largest ISP would embrace customers who use Firefox and Safari. Or maybe you wouldn't. Tech.Blorge blogger David says they "hate" Mac and Firefox. Strong words! More »
personal finance
iBank is a friendly-looking budgeting software program for Mac with a diverse set of robust features.
More »
Balance Your Budget With iBank (Mac)
iBank is a friendly-looking budgeting software program for Mac with a diverse set of robust features.
More »
happy endings
Apple Denying Warranty Repairs? E-mail Steve Jobs.
By far the most common "Apple" complaint we get at Consumerist is about our readers being denied warranty repairs because of some sort of "damage". More »
complaints
Canon Treats Digital Rebel XT Owner Like Pawnshop Scavenger
Consumerist alum Joel Johnson has a beef with Canon and their decision to treat him, the proud purchaser of Canon Digital Rebel XT, like he found the camera in a dumpster. More »
quicken
Quicken Claims To Sync With Bank Of America. It Does, Unless You Have Quicken For Mac.
Despite holdings of almost $1.5 trillion, Bank of America, the largest bank in America, won't sync with users of Quicken for Mac. Reader Philip, who spent $65 on Quicken, writes to tell us how Intuit's website advertises such compatibility. More »
mac
Best of Both Worlds
ZDNet is reporting that MacMall is selling Macbooks that are pre-loaded with both Windows XP and MacOS. You can get your dual boot system in two flavors: Apple's free BootCamp 1.1 which allows you to boot either operating system, or Nova Development's Parallels Desktop ... which allows you to run both at the same time. More »
apple
Apple Fires Smug Fanboy
You knew it was coming. Apple has said goodbye to Justin Long A.K.A. "Mac", whom Seth Stevenson of Slate called: More »
customer service
Dubliner Threatens Apple With "Walk of Shame" Across Ireland, Gets New Mac 90 Min Later
Last week, a Dublin man grew so frustrated with Apple not sending him a replacement iMac that he threatened to walk across Ireland. He bet that he could strap his Mac to his back and reach Cork, the closest Apple repair center, faster than they could arrange pickup of his broken Apple. More »
xtivity
Tivity Software Bilks OSX Humping High School Teacher
High school teacher and Consumerist reader James J. assured by software salesman that OSX release imminent. Teacher plans year's curriculum around that software. Software goes vaporware; high school gets stuck holding the bill for eight useless licenses. Hey, your tax dollars at work! More »
advertising
The Postal Service #1 on iTunes Music Store
There's one good thing to come out of this Apple/The Postal Service flap: It looks like The Postal Service's Such Great Heights is dominating the iTunes Video store today. At $2 a download, hopefully they're getting a little money out of the whole deal. (Thanks, ifdu400!)
advertising
Apple's Lifted Video Provokes Band Response
We're a bit behind on this story, but we figured we'd get our finger on it before it got away from us. Apple straight-up ripped off the video for The Postal Service's song Such Great Heights to promote its use of Intel chips in its new Macs. (The Postal Service is a band, not our U.S. Mail.) Both videos were directed by the same two people, which makes it unquestionably clear that Apple and their ad agency, TBWA\Chiat Day, intended to clone the video shot-for-shot from the beginning. More »
praise
Genius Bar: Round on Both Ends
We've figured out the Apple Store Genius Bar: All the good service techs work in Ohio. That's the conclusion we've reached from Daniel H. Steinberg's heaps of praise over at O'Reilly's Mac Dev Center.My machine initially came up registered to another user. I didn't pick up on that until Lance referred to me as Hector for a second time. He calmly looked at what was wrong, thought about what the cause could have been, and fixed it. I left happy and the people next to me with their iPods noted that.Whatever, thief.
complaints
Consumers Speak: More Omni Technologies Hassles
Stephen L writes:Congratulations ... on exposing Omni Technologies, and for getting one of their famous obnoxious responses (I'm amazed they didn't send it to you in ALL CAPS!). Michael G certainly isn't alone I was perhaps the first to get this treatment from Omni back in 2003:More »
