My feelings about the Geniuses at the Genius Bar are mixed.
Sometimes they're awesome, able to correct your Mac's problems in a single huffy Genius jag. Other times they're completely clueless and just say "Is it backed up? We're gonna have to send it out."
Or worse, they show you the shiny new model and convince you that the latest iPod/iPhone/Super-duper brushed silver Mac is what will fix you're ailing Mac heart.
It's like life and death those moments. I'm not a damsel in distress, but I can play that role if I think it will swing things in my favor when it comes to getting a new battery, cord, logic board, what-have-you that I want fixed in-house rather than in Memphis.
I got the rare opportunity to meet a former Genius in the wild a few months ago. I was on a clinical tour of the hospital when this guy kept whipping out his iPhone and touch scrolling through his messages.
Show off, I thought.
"Oh, you got some important stuff you have to read right now on your fancy iPhone?" I asked him.
He laughed, as I knew he would (we are one Apple soul, you know), and then proceeded to rub salt in my iPhone-less wound by telling me he "actually got it for free."
"Don't even tell me you worked at the Apple store," I said.
Yes, he did work at the Apple store.
"Oh my god, did you used to work at the Genius Bar?" I wanted to know.
Indeed, he did.
As we toured the various departments in the hospital my new Genius friend would point out the Windows pieces of crap he'd repaired. We talked about how grateful we are that our departments (though different) allow us to work on Mac's since that's our preference. Then we shared agonizing tales of having to "remote in" to PCs.
Obviously we were bonding, even after I told him my mixed feelings about the Geniuses.
"There are a bunch of us here now," he said. "I'm the fourth Genius to come to Children's from the Apple store."
So last week I had to go to the lair where the geniuses are. (My computer wasn't broken of course, I just needed VPN access.) And there they all were, minus the black t-shirts.
We stood around chatting about the MacBook Air, iPhones and why they like working at Children's better than the Apple store. Now if something goes down with my MacBook Pro, I don't have to make a "reservation," I just call my Mac crew.
I totally love those nerds now.
2 comments:
Maybe I should've taken my iPOD to your boyz when it crapped out.
Or you could do what I did with my iPod...After taking it to the genius bar and having them tell me the hard drive was shot, I brought it home and slammed it against my desk a few times (it was less violent than it sounds).
It's been working fine ever since, and that was two years ago. Suck it, Genius Bar!
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