Let me start out by first saying I love Apple and will continue to buy Apple computers!
Bear with me this might get kinda long!
For the first time in the 4 1/2 years or so that I have been using Apples I had a computer fail on me. I have been using my PowerBook G4 for nearly 4 years with no major issues. A couple nights ago after getting home from work I noticed the computer sounded a little louder then it usually does, I ignored it and figured it was just the fan. The next morning it was even louder and I started getting a little worried. I quickly backed everything up to my external hard drive just in case. Good thing I did, by the time I got home that night my computer would not do anything! I am not a trained computer expert by any means but I was pretty sure that my hard drive had failed. The noises that I had heard were likely the "last breaths" of a dying hard drive, lots if clicking and scratching noises.
My initial reaction was anger towards myself for not taking the noises more seriously and getting software installed on my backup drive sooner. I had all of my information backed up but did not have a bootable hard drive to start the computer from. My anger quickly turned to the thought of "oh crap what next". You see, I had been wanting a new MacBook Pro but I had deiced to wait until the new operating system (Leopard) is out this Fall. I had not really been planning finances for a new computer quite yet either. What else can I do though, buy a new computer or use an old computer for a few months until I bought a new one.
A trip to the Apple Store was needed! I decided that if I was able to go and see the new model of MacBook Pro I could convince myself that buying one now was a good idea (even though it would mean upgrade cost in the fall). I made a trip to the dreaded Mall of America to see the new models (just released on June 5, 2007) of course I fell in love! The MBP's have brighter screens, bigger hard drives, more memory and are a LOT faster then my dead computer. I wanted one right then and there. Thankfully they do not install hard drives in the store or else I would have bought one on the spot. I left the Apple Store empty handed but full walleted for the day at least.
After getting home and getting my Dell laptop out of the basement, reviving it for the first time in months. I started reading reviews of the MBP's and trying to decide on which hard drive to order with the computer (without boring you to death, the choices are bigger/slower vs smaller/faster). While reading about what are people had order I stumble across a story about replacing hard drives in PowerBook G4s. Hmmm that was not 1 of the 2 options I had come up with before. Could I possibly do that and does it make sense financially to do to a computer I plan on only using for another few months? More reading was needed. Turns out people claim replacing a laptop hard drive is not that hard. OK, but how much does the new drive cost? The answer actually shocked me, about $150. Well, $150 vs $2500ish for a new computer the choice seemed obvious.
The replacement hard drives are easily found online but I did not want to wait for shipping. After all I was without my computer and for a self proclaimed geek that is not fun! I had a new mission, find a replacement hard drive locally. Easy right, just run to Best Buy and get one? Nope. Best Buy carries new hard drives for desktop computers but not for laptops (2.5" vs 3.5") It was now Saturday night at about 9:00pm, where else could I look? Nowhere everything is closed (except the internet, but I had no plans to wait for shipping). I had plans to go to the Twins game on Sunday with my dad for Fathers day, the game was a 1:10. Micro Center in St. Louis Park is open until 6:00 on Sundays surely I could get there after the game and they would certainly stock the right size. I had a plan I could live with. Everything was going great, Twins won with a walk off home run at about 4:00pm. Walked out of the dome to get on the LRT back to my car . . . for only the third time since LRT went live the train was dead. That is a story for another time but I will simplify it by saying I did not get to my car by 6:00 so Micro Center was out of the question! Argh! Now what?!?! Circuit City? Best Buy did not have them but maybe Circuit City. Worth a look right? To my complete shock not only did they stock them but they had choices, well only 2 but still! I opted for a Seagate 120GB drive for $109.99 (even less then online, this might not be so bad after all). I still need the right type of screw driver though to open the bottom of my computer. It requires a T8 Torx Screwdriver, Circuit City does not carry them. It is now almost 8:00pm on Sunday, the guy at Circuit City suggests I try Best Buy or Home Depot for the screwdriver, alright but they both close at 8:00. I make a mad dash from France/494 to Home Depot at Lyndale/494 and pull into the Home Depot lot at 7:58! Thankfully - being a guy - I know exactly where the screwdrivers are in the store and I am out of Home Depot by 8:02. At that point I think I took my first breath in about an hour! I now had everything I needed to fix my computer.
I got home, had dinner then it was time to see if I could take my computer apart, take out the old hard drive, put the new one in, put the computer back together and then get it working. Turns out all those people online were right, it is not that hard. In fact that hardest part was getting a little rubber washer back into place next to the new drive. I meant to take pictures of this process but forgot until I was putting the last screw back into the computer, sorry. I was almost done, just need to hook up the computer to the external hard drive transfer info over and I am done. Turns out that was the hardest part of this entire ordeal. It turns out that when I installed all of the software on the backup drive some of it did not get installed before the hard drive completely died. I fought with installing software until about 7:00am on Monday before I got it working. After getting up Monday afternoon I finished transferring all off my files back, and set everything up again (e-mail, web, MS Office, Adobe software).
It is now time to defend Apple Computer. It is not just hard drives in Apples that fail, in fact this hard drive was made by Toshiba, the same kind of drive that is in Dell's and other Windows computers. In the end I was without my computer for only 2 days. The big down side though, now I have seen the new MBP and now I REALLY want one. I guess waiting until this Fall will not be that bad, will it?
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5 comments:
Way to go Jeff! I'm glad the MPB Happy Meal or McMac or whatever it is called is working again! Way to go Mr. Computer Handyman!
You do know that I live all of .8 miles or something away from you and have an extensive tool collection, of which includes an entire series of Torx drivers that I would have been more that willing to loan a friend in need!
Bill
Thanks Bill.
I had never needed a torx driver before, I did not know they were even that common. I should have known you might have one though. Oh well, I am now also the proud owner of a multi size set of torx drivers! I think I need to find aother project to use them on now though to justify the $6.
"Thankfully - being a guy - I know exactly where the screwdrivers are in the store"
Well... Thankfully - being a guy - I OWN a set of torx drivers. I also own a set of SECURITY torx drivers (Bill didn't say he owned THOSE did he??)
I too would be more than willing to help a friend, but at 21 miles vs. .8 of a mile - Bill would have been the better choice anyway.
Next question... Why wouldn't Apple Store tell you about replacing the hard drive? If some hackers know how to do it (and it's posted on the web) surly the Apple Store folks know about it too.. Perhaps they are out to make a buck by selling you $2,500.00 worth of Apple rather than supporting a customer and referring you to a $109.00 alternative.
I know I give you lots of guff about Apple Computers, but I have always felt that they were "Above it all" and all about their customers vs. making money...
So much for the "happy-happy-joy-joy" "feel-good" company... I guess they are out to get their hands on the almighty dollar as much as the next guy. Just another step down for Apple.
But, Apple vs. PC aside... Congrats on getting it up and running! Nothing feels better than saving yourself a boatload of cash, while resurrecting something (or perhaps someone) from the dead!
P.S. Was that the Twins game that the one dude made a field goal while he was "tricking his hat" (or whatever they call that three point shot)?
In defense of Apple, I was not at the Apple store discussing fixing my computer, I was merely there to procure a new machine. I am sure the Apple Genius would have suggested replaccing the hard drive.
"P.S. Was that the Twins game that the one dude made a field goal while he was "tricking his hat" (or whatever they call that three point shot)?" --- Yes it was how did you know? Were you there too?
HOORAY JEFF! I am very proud of you. Good thing you didn't need to call for service because they would probably want to charge you a ton of money just to TELL you what is wrong with it. HA! On a side note, I want to know which Twins games you are going to, they sound a lot more fun than the ones I am going to.
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