Supporting Mac Computers - On a Budget

[altrenda]

Where's that facepalm when we need it?

There are at least 4 Apple stores within 20 miles of here. Yet there are several independent shops that service Apple computers that are doing fine, even though Apple is making it harder for them.

We are a mobile company, and about 60% of our business is Macs and Mac users. And I have a Mini as a bench machine and it works quite well.

We do get some interesting calls from clients who, trying to save money, took their machine to someone not well versed in OS X. The hardware isn't that difficult, anyone can read iFixit, but the interaction between the hardware and software is where we earn our money.

I personally wouldn't take my Dell to someone who didn't use Windows, but that's me.

 

[compnet]

Where's that facepalm when we need it?

There are at least 4 Apple stores within 20 miles of here. Yet there are several independent shops that service Apple computers that are doing fine, even though Apple is making it harder for them.

We are a mobile company, and about 60% of our business is Macs and Mac users. And I have a Mini as a bench machine and it works quite well.

We do get some interesting calls from clients who, trying to save money, took their machine to someone not well versed in OS X. The hardware isn't that difficult, anyone can read iFixit, but the interaction between the hardware and software is where we earn our money.

I personally wouldn't take my Dell to someone who didn't use Windows, but that's me.

lol you've even said you live in LA and all the wannabe recording artists and producers use macs..

Within 20 miles of los angeles, what is that, 10, 15 million people?? A whole "several" shops?? I take back everything I said.

Here's a roll eyes until we get that facepalm...

 

[trevm999]

especially because most people opt for longer apple care, since they spent so much money on a laptop.

I'm in a city that does not have an Apple Store yet, we used to be the only Authorize Repair Centre in the city, yet probably about 70% of the repairs I do are out of warranty. Quite a few people do get AppleCare, but most of the repairs I do are liquid damage and hard drive failures. If someone calls apple support, they get guided through a reinstall of the OS with no Hard drive test. So their computer ends up limping along until they are out of warranty and they need a new hard drive. People also get pretty attached to their macs and repair costs are reasonable compared to the cose of a new mac, so they are more willing to go ahead with repairs.

But I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to deal with apple computers, you tend to have to deal with certain types of customers...

 

[gunslinger]

I think a big reason for all the Mac customers I get is the fact I live about 10 mins from a huge university who by their own numbers are 71% Macs. Most students there either have a Macbook Pro, Macbook Air or an iPad. We are talking about over 13,000 students. This may very well skew the numbers here a bit. My point is that its a growing market and well worth getting into. Its not the huge investment some make it out to be. You do need a real Mac running OS X though.


As for the certain types of customers comment: Yeah, like customers who have money are are willing to spend it on something nice. Not the $300 Walmart PC crowed that wants everything for free. Give me a Mac customer any day.

 

[trevm999]

What gets me is that people some people buy a macbook, but then they are upset of the cost of buying a new adapter if theirs breaks, and the funny part is that the adapters aren't more expensive than the PC ones. I see that with a lot of students who buy macbooks. But there are those customers who are willing to pay anything as long as when they get it it just works again.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

The only catch is now Apple has that OS download install tied to your app store ID. I found this out after I rebuilt a MacPro server. When I got to the OS X Server install I did not have the EU's account so I just used my (I know they had already paid for the s/w) account. When their IT people called me up about some other stuff they mentioned that updates was giving them a different account error even when they had their account enabled. I told them to call Enterprise Support since I was busy all day and they got that taken care of.

The only way the OS install is tied to the Apple ID is if you are installing from the recovery slice, or from Time machine, or doing internet recovery. This is also because the installer grabs all the updates and pulls those down as well. If you grab the ESD file and properly create the bootable USB install, the Apple ID isn't needed. Even after you create the user account or migrate an existing user account in and try to run software update through the app store, there is still no Apple Id needed. I usually always use my own installer as it takes much less time and doesn't require an internet connection. After that since its a base 10.8 system I just run software update after creating or migrating in a user.

Anyway, to be back on topic. Mac Minis work great as bench machines. I've never found a need for even a low end Mac Pro for bench work. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice, but not needed.

 

[Markverhyden]

The only way the OS install is tied to the Apple ID is if you are installing from the recovery slice, or from Time machine, or doing internet recovery. This is also because the installer grabs all the updates and pulls those down as well. If you grab the ESD file and properly create the bootable USB install, the Apple ID isn't needed. Even after you create the user account or migrate an existing user account in and try to run software update through the app store, there is still no Apple Id needed. I usually always use my own installer as it takes much less time and doesn't require an internet connection. After that since its a base 10.8 system I just run software update after creating or migrating in a user.

Anyway, to be back on topic. Mac Minis work great as bench machines. I've never found a need for even a low end Mac Pro for bench work. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice, but not needed.

Ok, I was not specific enough. The issue was not actually with the base 10.8 OS upgrade. It was with the 10.8 OS X server download as an upgrade. I decided to upgrade my production server this weekend. No problem downloading and updating to the base OS. The problem was when I tried to update the server app. I purchased the 10.8 OS X Server update last year to update my lab server. On my production server I was logged in with the same app store account. When I tried to update the server app is when I got the message that I needed to log into the xxxx@xxxxx.com app store account ( the customer I was at ) to update the server app. Some how, when Apple fixed the same issue with the customer, Apple tied my purchase to their account.

Also, internet restores, as well as TM and recovery partitions, are not tied to any app store account. All one has to have is a updated Apple machine with command R setup. I have never had to enter in a app store account for the base OS.

 

[trevm999]

Ok, I was not specific enough. The issue was not actually with the base 10.8 OS upgrade. It was with the 10.8 OS X server download as an upgrade. I decided to upgrade my production server this weekend. No problem downloading and updating to the base OS. The problem was when I tried to update the server app. I purchased the 10.8 OS X Server update last year to update my lab server. On my production server I was logged in with the same app store account. When I tried to update the server app is when I got the message that I needed to log into the xxxx@xxxxx.com app store account ( the customer I was at ) to update the server app. Some how, when Apple fixed the same issue with the customer, Apple tied my purchase to their account.

I'm confused. Did you try signing in with your Apple ID to update the server app anyway?

Also, internet restores, as well as TM and recovery partitions, are not tied to any app store account. All one has to have is a updated Apple machine with command R setup. I have never had to enter in a app store account for the base OS.

If the computer originally came with 10.7 or 10.8, then it won't ask for the apple id, but if the person had to upgrade for the OS, then it should ask.

 

[Markverhyden]

I'm confused. Did you try signing in with your Apple ID to update the server app anyway?

.

I was already signed in under my app store account. Signed out and in again. No difference. Still wants me to use the customers account. But it gets even weirder. For grins I decided to see what happens if I installed server on my MBP Air. Granted it was not an upgrade but a install. No problem.

If the computer originally came with 10.7 or 10.8, then it won't ask for the apple id, but if the person had to upgrade for the OS, then it should ask.

My Lab server originally came with Snow Leopard and has never asked for a App store account for a Internet Recovery for Lion or Mountain Lion. In fact when I run Internet recovery is automatically puts Mountain Lion on it. If I want Lion I have to use my thumb drive to install it.

One thing I have noticed is that you no longer can just download the OS X Server app and then install at you leisure. It automatically installs which is a new development in the last month or two. So I need to figure out how to get just the image to carry around on a stick.

I think the system image utility might help out.

Edit: I decided to brick my Lab server, the newer of the two MacMini's, and make it my Production server and it did ask me for an Apple ID for Internet recovery. So I guess I need a memory upgrade.