OS X launch: reader experiences
updated 04:40 pm EST, Sat March 24, 2001
While most have been generally positive, several readers provided first-hand negative experiences about the launch of OS X:
[Bill Davis] I'm writing to alert readers of my poor experience purchasing Mac OS X this morning at CompUSA in Alexandria, VA (Store # 477). When I arrived at 10:15 AM, the new software was nowhere to be found and the Apple store-within-a-store was looking pretty bleak. When I asked the information desk about OS Ten's whereabouts, the sales associate first told me that it wasn't out yet, then informed me that the proper pronunciation was Mac OS "Ex." After asking him to look into it a little further, he saw that it was in stock but still sitting in the warehouse. He went to look for it and vanished. After 20 minutes of standing around with several others waiting for Mac OS X, I noticed that CompUSA was only handing out INDIVIDUAL COPIES of the software from behind the counter for those people who actually knew to ask for it.[anonymous] I run an apple only dealership, I read that if I were to preorder copies of OS X from either of Apple's distributers, Ingram Micro or TechData, I would have copies by the time of it's release. Today is Saturday March 24 and I'm yet to see a single copy, not even a demo copy, to show customers how it works. With all the recent news of Apple's plans to build retail stores, I allready feel like I'm going to be driven out of bussiness, but then they can't even send me a copy of there most important opperating system in seventeen years. I makes me want to shut my doors, and buy a PC.
Joined:
CompUSA sucks
I can relate to the other experience for a CompUSA in VA. I have recently returned from a CompUSA in Edina MN and was told a number of far fetched reasons for them not having OS X demos or information available. One sales person stated that the manager would not allow an install to be performed on a demo machine even if I provided my OS X discs for the job. I was prohibited from carrying a copy with me while browsing, had to specifically ask for a copy from a hostile sales force, and listened to the same sales force state to a customer that once OS X was installed there was no way to revert to OS 9.
What a load of s***. I won't be recommending them to anyone again. It's interesting because there was quite a little gathering of Mac folks in the Store within a Store and all expressed feelings of being treated like second class citizens.
Otherwise I couldn't be happier with my OS X experience so far. It's nice to have a fast (despite what was posted previous) stable modern OS. It's something that has been long overdue and is an impressive first step in a new direction.
-Jon