Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!nmtsun!vogelei
From: vogelei@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Todd Vogelei)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Can we get what we pay for?
Message-ID: <2432@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Date: 25 Apr 89 05:27:43 GMT
References: <29440@apple.Apple.COM>
Reply-To: vogelei@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Todd Vogelei)
Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro NM
Lines: 61
Keywords:


As the only computer literate in my family my sister consulted me about
what mac she should buy when the apple student purchase plan came to her
college (Western Michigan U).  She is in interior design and wanted something
that would help her do fast floor plans, pictures etc., as well as 
help her plan building costs (spreadsheets).  Of the systems available for
purchase through the program, the macII 4M-40HD seemed to fit the bill.
I told her to buy one of those.

This was back in October or so.  It is not remembered if the not too 
computer literate secretaries taking orders for systems suggeste
(presumably because of the great RAM famine) that she buy a 1 meg model
and buy a 1M and a 2M upgrade kit (I saw the system description list and
there was not one hint that this would be an illegal combination) so as
to speed up delivery, that they wrote it down wrong themselves, or that
simply the right system was ordered but not shipped correctly for
memory shortage reasons mentioned above.

At any rate, the mac in question went poof (power supply and main board)
twenty nine days after its delivery in December and was fixed under warranty
by a qualified apple mechanic.  While the box was in the shop, the rest of the
memory arrived.  When sis went to pick it up she took the upgrades with her
to let the tech install them.  Said tech did install the 1M (4-256k SIMMS)
and thus informed sis that there were no more expansion slots for the
2-1M SIMMs and that the best he could do was 2M.  

The college secretaries were alerted and when they said no trade for
4-1M modules could be arranged, sis asked for a refund on all 3M of x-pander
chips which the secs agreed to over the phone.  (By this time cheaper memory
had again become available in abundance and the decision was made to return
3 and buy 4 thus giving 5-a legal combination)

Enter Apple representative in Chicago (who shall remain nameless until
I determine if something can be gained by releasing his name).  Said
rep did tell the secs (two women who got a little power and lost their
minds) that only the 2-1M simms would be accepted after a 15% restocking 
fee was deducted + $20 shipping although nothing would be accepted if it
had been installed (even by the registered apple mechanic mentioned 
above) ever "and we got ways of tellin" he said.

Sis became frantic since she paid for this system with her own savings,
passing up that flashy red convertible in the bargain.  I offered to
negotiate for her as she had to go to Italy to study art for a semester
and have come up against a brick wall.

Questions continue to plague me as I grapple with the big issues like:
Can these profit hungry student haters actually be the makers of the 
same apple // series of computers I owned and learned to hack on in my
youth?  Since when was it good business to take a UFO (you f***ing own it)
to people you want to upgrade to your next snazzy box in a year or so?
What should our next move be?  Only John Scully comes to mind.  How do I
reach him?

If any of you mac-netters out there have any suggestions on how my sister
can end up with the 4M machine she paid for 7 monts or so ago.  Drop me
some mail.  We are about ready to toss the whole thing through the front
windows at apple to make a point.

Sorry for ranting.
Todd
vogelei@nmtsun