According to reports (here is one), Apple is sneakily installing MobileMe software when users set up iTunes 7.7. I came home tonight and double checked my desktop, and true enough, the dreaded MobileMe setting is in my Control Panel. No where during my iTunes 7.7 installation was I prompted about MobileMe.

Just yesterday I had to deal with a similar annoyance. Along with a Java update from Sun Microsystems came an option to install Google Toolbar for browsers. I was clicking so fast on the ‘Next’ buttons during installation that I accidentally allowed it to go through.

I guess it’s okay for media darlings such as Apple and Google to try this stunt. If Microsoft was to try this, I am sure it would have been sued to the last penny. And I am guessing the European Union would be the most raucous.

Don’t you hate it when this happens?

I tried to move a large file (larger than 4.7GB) from Mac OS to Vista. It was so painful that I just gave up.

Attempt: Burn file to a dual-layer DVD.
Problem: My MacBook only has a single-layer DVD burner.

Attempt: Mount a NTFS-formatted USB drive to Mac and copy the file directly.
Problem: Mac OS cannot write to NTFS.

Attempt: Format the USB drive to FAT32.
Problem: FAT32 does not support files larger than 4GB.

Attempt: Format the USB drive to HFS+.
Problem: Vista does not read HFS+. MacDrive trial failed to install, throwing “MacDrive 7 Setup could not be completed because an error occurred.”

Attempt: Copy the file over network file sharing.
Problem: Slow. Would have taken 6+ hours over WiFi.

Idea: Break the big file into smaller pieces, using a cross-platform protocol like RAR.
Problem: Laziness.

I know there are other solutions that might work, for example 1) use an external DL DVD burner, 2) connect the computers using wired networking, or 3) toss the MacBook into the dumpster. Sadly I am missing either the required computer peripherals or the guts to throw away $1000.

My wife updated her MacBook OS tonight using the built-in Software Updater. These updates were installed:

1. Security Update 2007-009 (Universal), version 1.1
2. Java For Mac OS X 10.4 Release 6, version 1.0
3. Mac OS X Update (Intel), version 10.4.11
4. iDVD Update, version 6.0.4

Afterwards her decent Mac user experience went down the toilet:

• DiskImageMounter.app wouldn’t run. This means I can’t install programs since most Mac installers come in DMG format.
• Disk Utility.app wouldn’t run.
• Security preferences pane wouldn’t open, either crashes or hangs.
• Unable to create a new user account.

While searching for answers and solutions, I get the impression that these OS updates are not exactly robust, contrary to popular impressions from all those Mac propaganda. I did run some tests and “corrected” some file permission problems using the original Apple OS install CD (probably not a good idea to fix supposedly updated permissions using older tools), but other than slightly different crash/hang behaviors, nothing really got fixed.

Apple is just giving me reason after reason to hate it. I am tempted to just restore the OS, sell the MacBook, and buy another Wintel notebook.

[Continue Reading]

My sad iPhone story continues without an end to this day, so much so that I am tired of writing essays on it. Instead I will list out my dealings with AT&T in chronological order.

10/17/2007

• Called 611 and filed credit adjust request, received request number.
• Told that it would take 3-5 business days for adjustment.

10/26/2007

• Called 611 to follow up on credit adjustment.
• Now told that it would take 10-14 business days for adjustment.
• Furthermore, my AT&T account will be suspended on 11/14 if I don’t pay the $650+ and that I have to follow up with Receivable Management (1800-947-5096) to prevent it from happening.
• Told to call again by end of first week of November.

10/30/2007

• Received an automated phone call from ATT about unpaid balance.
• AT&T support person put a note to avoid account suspension, taking effect till Nov 6.
• Told to call on 11/05 to follow up on the credit request.

11/05/2007

• Called again.
• Told that application is being processed.
• Advised to call back on 11/9.

11/08/2007

• Called back because of AT&T email about unpaid balance.
• This time asked to call back on 11/17.
• Now the credit is supposedly to take 1-2 billing cycles.

11/14/2007

• Received AT&T email regarding unpaid balance.
• Called the normal 611 number and was told that credit adjustment was denied.
• Called customer service at 1800-331-0500 and filed customer support case.  Why wasn’t this done earlier I had no freaking idea.
• Told that someone will get back to me within 24-48 hours.
• Meanwhile account shouldn’t be suspended because there is a note for Receivable Management department in my account regarding my case.

11/15/2007

• Account was suspended.
• Called back customer service at 1800-331-0500 to temporarily reactivate my account pending case resolution.

11/16/2007

• Someone from AT&T called back at noon, from here onwards this person will be my single point of contact regarding my case.
• Turns out my iPhone/AT&T problem is not a lone one.

To be continued…

I haven’t done a pure link post for a while, but given the ordeal I am having with AT&T right now, I just can’t help but to link to this article "10 Reasons To Hate Cellphone Carriers".

Maybe in the future wireless LAN will be so prevalent that we can just use VoIP phones instead? How I wish so…

(This is a follow up to my other post titled "Extra iPhone charge".)

I still do not see the credit in my account, so I called up AT&T support and was told that they would still need to speak with the store manager who helped me with this matter. Why again? The last time I called things were okay. Even the call center manager approved the credit. Redundancy is a virtue in enterprise software, just not so in customer service.

It has been almost three weeks since this matter started. Now I have to wait until Monday to even get the chance to settle this once and for all. I, the customer, must call in again if anything is to be done. Then I must make sure they don’t charge me the late fees because I had put off my payment in the hopes of settling the matter in time. Man was I naive.

Sadly, I am not that surprised at the lack of progress over the past few days even though I was specifically told that the credit request had been approved and submitted. Heck, I even have the submission ticket number. What a big help that was.

I am still hoping that the credit request would go through before Monday. A guy can still believe in miracles, no?

<rant>

At work we have a mailing list about cellphones, and there would be frequent stories of overcharge by wireless carriers. From my colleagues’ and my own encounters, it is as if billing errors are a norm rather than exceptions.

If you want to minimize billing errors, just stick with the very basic voice plans. Add extras like data plan and you are asking for the inevitable.

It’s tough being a gadget geek.

</rant>

[Update @ 2007-10-22T11:12-8:00] I got a different answer from today’s call into AT&T’s support center. Supposedly I just need to wait…and wait.

[Update @ 2007-10-29T00:01-8:00] Called AT&T up again last Friday. Now the waiting time is supposed to be 10-14 business days from the day of request submission, up from the previous 3-5 and 5-7.

For the past 2 weeks I had been ticked off at my iPhone. Well, not directly at the device but for the trouble it had caused me.

See, I bought the iPhone from a guy off Craigslist. Turned out the guy had purchased it using a stolen credit card, so when the credit card charge was disputed, AT&T charged me for the full amount of ~$650, just because I activated that particular iPhone and thus I am the last source of that money. Over the past 2 weeks I had been visiting and calling AT&T people in the hope of resolving the charge. This afternoon AT&T finally agreed to rid the charge from my account after diligent research.

Charge first, then let the customer drive to resolution. I see a pattern here.

Now I know neither AT&T nor Apple are at fault here, but I am displeased about my whole iPhone experience. First the $200 price plunge then this? Apple products are cool and all, but I am starting to get a bad vibe here. Maybe Apple and I just don’t gel together like we used to many many moons ago.

Despite my whining, I still have to acknowledge the help I have received from the local AT&T store managers in resolving the matter. They were nice and sympathetic, which made the whole process a bit less painful.