Thanks, CompUSA!

if they can't fix it, have them buy you a new macbook pro

EDIT: How in the heck do you make an evil smiley face?

Good call on checking it before you left the shop.

Now you know just one of the many reasons why, for years now, I've been calling them CompUSELESS.

I have had a lot of problems with them. Including the time I sent in my iBook thru them, and they shipped it off to some place in Florida, then when trying to get it back, they went competely over us, and shipped it to Minnesota. Talk about a bunch of airheads. I never trust getting ANYTHING repaired by them

Yea, alot of these places have no idea what they are doing. It's mostly a bunch of video game kids in highschool working in the back. Also, often they are not actually certified in anything, may be different for working on macs though. My friend sent her computer into bestbuy (extended warranty-bad) and they lost about 90% of the screws, broke the ide ribbon cable, and scratched the case to hell.

"CompUSA... only the best incompetence money can buy."

Is use of an iPod as a boot drive advisable practice? Are 1.8" drives robust enough to be used in this way? In the same circumstances, I'd probably do the same thing (using an old iPod) but I'd have reservations about doing it for long.

It worked fine for me, and it was almost as fast as the old internal drive. The iPod got a little hot, so I just put junk under it so it could have some airflow. I don't think it would work very well as a permanent external HDD, but you can get much more for much less if that's what you need.

The Powerbook is fine, by the way. The memory module had somehow worked its way loose and the tech said it works fine now. I'm picking it up tomorrow.

Haha, I was really expecting a real "Thanks Comp USA" note
I should have known better !!
Everytime I visit I have to educate the morons.
A waste of time everytime!

Many times when I'm shopping "tech" stores I get asked about stuff as if I work there. Maybe it's because I carry an air of "I know what I'm doing" when I go to one... Of course the techs at Surplus Exchange generally like it if someone who's knowledgable help other customers. It keeps their cranky levels down.

Yeah, we got those kids too, except they don't work. Here, you can hear managers screaming across the store at them to keep working. Also, the ones here give you the idea that they know what they are doing, like when asking what type of a connector a USB Cable has, and they say "I don't know what speed you need, but I think this one would be the best for you", then they proceed to pull out a cable that has nothing to do with what I need (like a firewire cable) and say, "here, this should work."
In rare cases, I will ask if they have something in stock, and they just say "No" and don't even check. Then they shuffle off to another part of their store (preferrably in the back for them) and try to remain out of site.

I just would write the whole store off as a place that nothing but losers work at. They never seem to be helpful.
On another note, a lot of people shop at the one that is near me, and they have 1 (one) cashier open, and then the cashier would go on break in the middle of it, and leave about 10-15 people backed up, and she doesn't call anyone to take her place. As soon as I see that, I just throw the package on the ground and walk out in disgust, and then look for another store (which around here, they are more expensive BECAUSE they know how helpful compusa is )

Ahhh another shopper like me!

The one portable that even gives experienced techs headaches. I'm cringing at the thought of what must have been going through the inexperienced CompUSA's tech's mind when he started. This is why it is important to support your local Apple reseller or service shop (if they have a portable certified tech on hand). Having worked for a couple of them and cleaning up the messes that the techs at CompUSA left behind has certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. There was a time when someone decided to have the CompUSA techs install ram and a hard drive in their clamshell iBook (this was back in summer 2000). The ribbon cable for the trackpad was decimated, countless screws were missing, as was the ribbon cable for the hard drive.

Fortunately, as a grizzled seasoned tech, I just buy what I need and do it myself. I know that isn't an option for many (the thought of cracking open a 12" PowerBook isn't something I really want to do), but I'm almost shocked that you'd trust them with your PowerBook. Geek Squad is another example of a place I'll never deal with. Their people know nothing and have exorbitant charges for their service (the cost of backing up data in particular is pretty darn awful). This is why it is important to seek out those local independant shops. Without our business they will go away and our only options will be Apple store ("the only way to upgrade your laptop's drive is with an external unit that I'll be glad to sell you"), CompUSA ("We really don't know what we're doing, but we'll try to make it work"), and Geek Squad ("Did you expect geeks that are actually knowledgeable? They cost more than the $8 an hour we pay.").

Though, I'm not entirely sure what your options were, they may no longer be an active apple reseller in your community. Having salespeople at CompUSA and Best Buy argue with me over what computer to but has been a consistent and extremely frustrating process. I don't go there because I expect to be treated with respect and receive a level of service that shows some level of competence.

Your description sounds a lot like the TigerDirect outlet store here in Raleigh, NC.

Sales people on the floor generally are helpful if you can find one, but the cashiers are another story. I have gone in there several times, picked something up to buy and been on the way to checkout and there will be a long line and only 1 cashier. There are other people behind the counter, but they are doing something else.

The last time this happened I had an ink cartridge for my printer in hand and the line was about 15 people long with one person operating a register. Although they had the cheapest price, it wasn't worth it that day so I put the item back and left. I found it at Best Buy for $4 more, but their checkout section was manned much better.

It seems to be a crapshoot with them. Yesterday I picked up a USB-PS2 adapter to use with my Blue & White G3 and there was no line and sever people at the registers. Go figure.

One word: newegg.com

Newegg does not have local pick up

I've dealt with this CompUSA before, and they generally have knowledgeable staff. They only have one Apple technician, who has been there for years and is an agreeable person, and that's all he does and he's certified with Apple. I definitely know better than to go to Best Buy, and I probably wouldn't go to any other CompUSA.