This past weekend was pretty stressful, from a computing standpoint. During my visit to see the relatives down in North Carolina, my precious MacBook Pro decided to take a nosedive. I put it to sleep one evening but when I went to check my email the next morning, the screen never came back on. Reboot…nothing, reboot again…nothing. After some scrambling on the Internet for a little help, I came across a suggestion to reset the PRAM (otherwise known as parameter RAM). This is done by invoking a simple four-finger key press during start-up. Nothing a Photoshop keyboard shortcut junkie couldn’t handle. Sure enough, my screen came back on and all seemed right with the world. Well, to make the long story short (oops, too late for that), after shutting down and then driving back to Virginia on Saturday, I found myself staring at the same black screen. This time no amount of finger Olympics could bring it back to life.
Enter the Genius Bar
I took a chance at visiting my local Apple Store to see if the good folks at the Genius Bar could lend a hand. It’s best to have an appointment before going but I got lucky and snagged the last spot after someone cancelled. My handy technician greeted me with a smile and got right to work. I had to smile at his shirt, which said “If I were a reindeer, I would be Fixin”. So here is the crazy part, he actually recognized my name from the blog and so we chatted about photowalking while he went on to diagnose my failed NVIDIA graphics card. Then he gave me the really great news, the NVIDIA graphics problem was covered and it isn’t going to cost me a dime to get it fixed. How’s that for an early Christmas present.
I’m not what you would call an Apple fanboy but I am a fan. I love my MacBook and I take it just about everywhere I go. The computer is one reason, but the service that you get from Apple is head and shoulders above anything else I have ever experienced. If I had a Sony or a Toshiba, I doubt I would be able to find a local place to diagnose my problem, much less fix it for me. Let’s face it, no company is going to be without their flaws and Apple is no exception. I do believe though that they “get” their customers better than any other computer company out there. But don’t take my word for it, just ask anyone that has ever spoken to a Genius.
By the way, I am a huge believer in backing up with the Time Machine – now more than ever!
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James Walker 
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Glad you got it fixed. I’ve had my Macbook for over 2 years now and didn’t have any problems with it. Trouble is, you get used to not having problems and I guess, when one comes along it makes it even more scary!!
James