Growing Pains for Apple?

After years of near stability for many Mac users, did Apple grow too rapidly for them?

Sometimes the universe conspires and the timing is unbelievable... or is it? Here's what I mean.

I just received a call from a friend who is a staunch PC user. Her girlfriend, however has been a longtime Mac user like me. This is her recent story.

A year ago, she purchased a new laptop and with it, she got Pro Care. Well, since a year was up, they offered to do an annual check up on it and she took them up on it. (Hmm, all Pro Care customers get an annual check up? No WONDER they're overworked in the tech department there.) She took it in and when she got it back a few days later, she was told everything was fine. However, when she checked it, ALL HER DATA WERE GONE.

Back in goes the computer. And everyday she calls, and every day they're unable to recover her data. Three days later, she gets the computer back sans data. So she hauls her old laptop there, to sync with the new one and at least recover data up to a year ago. Again she leaves the computer.

Two hours later, she comes back to get them when she realizes (thankfully she double-checked) one of the folders hadn't been transferred. Tired of the Apple store by now, she takes both the computers home.

At home, she goes through the computer, and she realizes that her missing data had, in fact, been recovered; they just had missing names. Somehow during the three days of data recovery, the techs had missed the fact that they were successful.

She goes back to the store and asks for a year of Pro Care for free. At first, the guys behind the Genius Bar said no, but the manager agreed immediately. I guess he realized that yes, even though it is the customer's responsibility to back data up, there is NO reason why her data should've been lost in the FIRST place.

As my friend said, the automotive equivalent is taking your car in for a tune-up and get it back missing the engine.

Apple, I truly love you as a company, but I cannot defend you. What separated you from the PCs for me was the fact that you cared about me as a customer; that you didn't bring out shoddy workmanship as a standard; that exception was the standard.

Apple, you are being exceptional right now, but I wouldn't call it a positive thing. So cut it out! Don't make me a liar, damn it.