I needed a DVI cord for a new 2nd monitor (the one on sale at Fry's assumed it was to be plugged it into a PC, so of course it didn't include one), so I zipped down the hill to the Mac store at University Village. I brought along my Macbook, as I had a couple of questions to ask someone with greater knowledge than me.
The greeter at the door asked what I was looking for. "Well, I have this problem with my laptop I was hoping someone could tell me about. When I close the lid and reopen it, it loses the wireless connection, and I have to reconnect manually."
"That's not how Macs work. It reconnects automatically."
"Exactly. I was hoping someone could help me."
"You don't understand, It doesn't do that. A Mac will reconnect automatically to a wireless connection."
I clenched my teeth. "That's why I'm here! I want to know what I can do about it, if there's some setting..."
"There must be something really wrong with your computer. Macs don't do that..."
I like my Macs. I really do. They're the best computers I've ever owned. But this faith-based, reality-challenged thing with the Mac crowd is really getting to me. I looked for my cord. They had none. "Well, the monitors we sell come with a DVI cable, so there's really no need to carry them."
hey doug,
i had the same issue w/ my notebook. this apple document solved it: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304482
hope it helps.
Posted by: lsbernardeau | August 20, 2007 at 10:18 PM
Don't buy cables from an Apple store. Find them online for 1/8th of the price.
I just bought an DVI to hdmi cord for 6 dollars that apple wanted 54 for...
Posted by: christian | August 21, 2007 at 08:30 AM
Thank you, you fixed my notebook! This is a problem that only happened at home, on my WEP secured network.
After the debacle at the U Village store (who told me to go to Radio Shack, who told me to go to Office Depot), I went to the Mac store on 45th, which had the cable I needed, for $28. This store, in contrast to the corporate showcase place in U Village, is fantastic, with people who are helpful and not necessarily cult members. Cody particularly is wonderful there.
Posted by: Doug Plummer | August 21, 2007 at 08:39 AM
I'm glad you found the solution. I dearly love my Mac, but everything isn't always perfect. I suffer the same frustration with always having to re-mount my networked drives.
It isn't perfect, but it's far better than the Linux and Windows I'd been using previously. Pretending it's perfect doesn't help anyone.
Posted by: Erik | August 21, 2007 at 07:45 PM
Ah. Well, I certainly agree that this 'faith-based, reality challenged' behavior is frustrating. The 'Mac Cult' is certainly a problem.
My response when confronted with this (not just in the Mac context) is to suggest that if they're so damn sure, perhaps they'd care to make a little wager - and because they're so certain, they won't mind giving me favorable odds (say, 10 to 1 against them). And then I sort of size them up, and offer a bet: I'll bet you $5000 against your $50K that this happens. If you agree, and you're right, it's the easiest 5 grand you've ever made. Of course, if you're wrong, it's the biggest mistake you've ever made. Let's go try it, right now, and see who wins."
And then when they decline the bet, I tell them, "So, now that you're not so damn sure, can we get back to fixing my problem?"
Posted by: Paul Butzi | August 22, 2007 at 08:55 AM