From: hal@budapest.math.macalstr.edu (Harold Byron Bouma)
Subject: Re: The Apple II Now and Forever
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 23:01:10 GMT

Philip Stephens writes
> Harold Byron Bouma writes:
> 
> >People now take their GS's in to their dealer for repairs and the technician
> >ask them how to open the GS. Is this quality service one should expect from
> >Apple after buying $3000 worth of equipment from them?
> 
>   Certainly not.  But considering that Apple is planning to drop the GS from
> their product list in the near future, it's no surprise that they are
> disinclined to put the money and resources into maintaining trained
> technicians that can repair GS's.  No computer company can be expected to
> support superceded models forever, even though Apple has been quicker than
> most to drop their support.

	IBM supported the PC jr for years after it discontinued it. They even  
had people who would come out to your place to fix it. Hey, IBM may not make  
good machines, but their service kicks butt. If it breaks, they can fix it.
Meanwhile, while Apple's "advanced" strategy of replacing whole parts is better  
on paper, it seems to be missing the point. The process should make it easier.  
You find out which part is broken with the diagnostic software and send that  
back to apple. No major trainning required there, I mean, it should only take  
what a day or two to discuss repair techniques for the GS for a technician. But  
as shown above, even that is too much to ask for. 

	Also, I do not see any benifits to the consumer for these "cheaper"  
pratcies. A motherboard swap for a broken ensonic or IWM should not cost $300 +  
labor. You're paying for more hardware than you need!!! Its stupid! Apple  
should fix the costs to the replacement part, i.e. diagnostic software says IWM  
is bad, charge $50 + labor, not the part they use to replace it with!

>   Having said that, Apple could, if they wanted to, provide a centralised
> service and support centre that would handle the repairs of the installed
> base of GS computers.  It could stay in operation for as long as there were
> GS's been sent in for repair.  But at this stage, I wouldn't expect Apple
> to do anything like that.


>   Well, that's not true of course.  Apple can choose to follow whatever
> philosophy it wants.  It's a shame, but what can we do about it?  Apple is
> no longer the computer company to buy from if you want a hacker's machine
> that will be supported by them and third party developers...our only hope
> now is that the Avatar becomes a reality.

	Apple as any other company should follow what the CONSUMER wants.  
Otherwise, they lose touch and people go elsewhere. And like you asked above,  
"what can we do about it?" well, we go to another platform, and Apple goes  
bankrupt. that alone should be a good reason to listen to its customer.

| Hal Bouma                            | Send mail to: HBouma@Macalstr.edu    |
| Macalester College, St. Paul, MN.    | and           HBouma@Macalstr.Bitnet |
 \  Things that make you go Hmmm:  System 6, GNO, DreamGrafix, SoundMeister  /
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