Apple Computers Suck!!!

You have every right to be pissed but are you also trying to find a solution or just gripe?

At this point, mostly to gripe and vent and let other people know that they should think twice before giving these knuckleheads the better part of $2K. 

But before I got to "griping" I have spent hours and hours on the phone and tried a LOT fixes and repairs, and had it repaired....all with zero success.  At some point, I got to wondering why I was spending a TON of my time repairing a brand new high end product???  Isn't fixing my new thing their job??? Why would I load old software onto my new machine after I deliberately waited for the new software before purchasing???

The whole customer satisfaction relationship just seems upside down to me.  If my new Tacoma quit working, Toyota would fix it. They wouldn't tell me how to fix it incorrectly over the phone and expect me to be thrilled. Infact, they fixed my old Toyota for free after I had it for 6 years.  Not surprising...I bought another Toyota.  I won't being buying Apple anything ever again.

What will you replace it with in order to make the movies that you want? 

I have no idea.  I haven't tried a PC program yet that worked well.  I probably will just skip the movies, which is a bummer as they are totally fun to make. Currently I am kinda sour on movie making.

I probably will just skip the movies, which is a bummer as they are totally fun to make.

Yes it is a bummer because I, for one, enjoyed your kick a$$ movies.  They were totally fun to watch.  I am going to go out on a limb and say that I'm not the only one that shares that sentiment.

Michael

apple stock dropped from 200$ to 139$ today, maybe they read this thread. Way to go leah!

Yes it is a bummer because I, for one, enjoyed your kick a$$ movies. 

Thanks.  Hopefully I can find some PC based program that works ok.  I briefly toyed with the idea of giving the old iMac one more try and my wife promptly reminded me that just a few days ago I was crying in my beer about being out $1800 bucks AND not making being movies...so I hastily boxed up that POS and got it ready for Fed Ex.   

Really sorry to hear that man. You have my word that the old iMovie will work.

All PC based video editing tools really suck compared to iMovie, there are some great highend ones like Adobe Premier, but iMovie fits that great easy to use but still high quality range.

Use the old iMovie, then Apple will get around to fixing the new one and you would be all set. I know you are frustrated with the idiot bar etc but I am begging you to reconsider. I am going to be on major lockdown most of this year and your videos are required to to keep me alive.

Seriously, unbox install old iMovie, make great videos.

 At this point, the best thing he can do (For his sanity,other than a "stomp" dance on it) is to package it up and send it back with a note that says something to the effect "Don't return it till it's fixed 100%"
  I feel for you!  I've spent as long as 5 hr's one time on phone to my C/S peeps for my desktop, but they were helpful, and we got the problem resolved.  (Wasn't apple!)


Troy

I think the man's last drop of patience was squeezed out by one too many trips to the idiot bar. Given his frustration level, he should have drop-kicked his $1800 paper weight months ago. Repeated trips? That's beyond the call for a product sold on its superior reliability. Good luck Sean, and good riddance aggravation. How do you put a price on that?

WhyamIreadingTHESEpages?.....cuz I feel sorry for you Sean.
i just recently purchased my first-ever DVD/VCR-combo and I'm happy as a TURD in a punchbowl with these *new HI-TECH-Thingies!    
...you got to wait for it to become OUT DATED before it will KICK-IN-GEAR.
 

After dealing with Apple, on the phone with support and back and forth to the shop, I would return this lemon also.  I've owned both mac and pc and they both have their strengths and weakness.  A cooling off period is a good idea and then figure out what the next move is.

Hi Sean:

          
           Try to off load Hardward and Software problems to you Son.
          All of my Computers came from "Sonoma State" Dumpster. My Son would rebuild and give away PC's' to Students who couldn't afford a Computer.
         I hope your computer problems don't overlap into your Kayaking
                                  Computers are NOT our Friends!
                                   Ernie
                                                            
          
                                                                  

I don't want to get too nerdy here but I am pretty sure Sean does not have a bad machine. He has a piece of software (iMovie '08) that does not work with his video camera. I bet it would work fine with my camera, I bet his camera would crash my mac as well. There are several other people reporting the same exact problem with the same exact camera. More than likely this particular camera has a slight bug with the way it transfers video. This bug is handled in iMovie '07 but causes iMovie '08 to barf. Now we are in the classic finger pointing zone.

Apple probably wrote the transfer code expecting everything to follow the spec to the letter, Sony probably thought they wrote it to the letter but made a mistake or are passing additional data etc. iMovie '08 is totally brand new software, it is not an update to the old iMovie as the name would imply. So I would expect Apple to figure this out and update the code in the next patch. In the meantime the old iMovie will work just as it did before. Plus I will be happy to send you a copy of Final Cut Express that will also work.

I think the man's last drop of patience was squeezed out by one too many trips to the idiot bar.

Yep.

A cooling off period is a good idea and then figure out what the next move is.

Yep again.  I was a seething maniac at the Apple store yesterday and less than 5 seconds from punching a "genius" in the mouth.  Something that was supposed to be fun is affecting my mood and behavior...its got to go...at least for now.

So I would expect Apple to figure this out and update the code in the next patch. In the meantime the old iMovie will work just as it did before. Plus I will be happy to send you a copy of Final Cut Express that will also work.

Hopefully they will figure it out, until then I will film away and process later.  FYI-I have the full version of Final Cut from from a friend at the UCLA film school and Apple said it won't solve my Sony.  I do appreciate your offer though Bill, and I promise to keep you entertained.

I do want to get this resolved before summer.  I am driving to the Cape in June, essentially spending the month of June fishing baja...something good is gonna die and I want it on film!

Apple probably wrote the transfer code expecting everything to follow the spec to the letter, Sony probably thought they wrote it to the letter but made a mistake or are passing additional data etc.

In reality, they both probably implemented "their interpretation" of the spec.  Both may be wrong, both may be right, or one may be wrong and the other is right.  It's pretty typical with the digital video transport specs.

I spent years in the digital video industry and no matter how right we thought we were, there was always some platform that was incompatible.  Usually these are easy to fix once you identify the problem.  IF this is the case, I'm sure these issues will be fixed ...

-Allen

A suggestion for that cooling-off period: Tim Dorsey's new book, "Atomic Lobster", hit the stores Tuesday, and, like his nine previous novels, features Serge (and Coleman) in fine form. It's great escapist reading, guaranteed to make you laugh, and if all else fails, will teach you new and imaginative ways to vent that I guarantee you wouldn't have come up with in a lifetime of arguing with Zits, Buttcrack, and Clouds down at the local computer shop. If you haven't experienced Tim Dorsey's work yet, it's only vaguely like Carl Hiaasen's. Carl's in the back of the classroom laughing and scratching, while Tim's back there lighting farts and managing to kill only deserving evildoers in the process. Just speaking figuratively, of course, although I'm still reading it and can't be sure he won't get to that one. Yep, totally off-topic, but do yourself a favor and read this one. You'll feel better. Then you can unpack that Mac and download iMovie06 HD and get on with enjoying life.

I just finished my last read...so I WILL take this bit of advice.  Thanks.