Thursday, February 27, 2014

Apple: Fine Purveyor of First World Problems…

On Tuesday, I was happily sitting at my computer working on editing some photos and listening to The Cuckoo’s Calling on my iPod when I glanced at the clock.  It was time for me to go downstairs to start dinner.  So I shut down my computer and went to turn off my iPod.  The computer shut down, but my iPod stubbornly refused to do so.  “Eek!” I thought, “What’s wrong with this thing??”  Panic set in.  In normal circumstances, I would just try to fix it, but we are going to be getting on a plane on Sunday to go to St. John, USVI, with good friends and I can’t imagine myself on a plane these days without the distraction my iPod gives me.

After quite a few minutes searching on the interweb for clues and fixes, I had to just give up.  My iPod was irrevocably broken, the on/off toggle was caput and there was nothing I could do about it.  Then the panic really did set in.  What was I going to do on a plane for four hours without the comfort of Bach’s cello concertos streaming into my skull?


Greg, who is much calmer about such things, said that we should go out to eat that night and we would go to Best Buy on Wednesday and pick up a new iPod.  And that’s what we did, even though I wasn’t too happy about it.

Well, my first two iPods were green so I decided that if I went with a blue one this time, maybe my luck would change.  I got the new blue one home, sat down at my computer to put my stuff on it and my computer wouldn’t recognize it.  I picked it up and looked at it.  The screen was stuck on the Apple logo screen and wouldn’t budge.  “I can’t frickin’ believe this,” I thought.  “What is it with me and Apple??”

Just about then, our son Evan got home from work and informed us that his iPhone wasn’t charging.  So we repeated the steps of looking to the interweb for clues and fixes.  Long story short, his iPhone seemed to be irrevocably broken.  Now, I could actually live without my iPod if I had to, but Evan really does need his phone.  So he decided the best thing to do was to let the Geniuses take a look at it.

So off we went.  I retraced the 20 miles back to the Best Buy and Evan went off to the nearest Apple Store 40 miles in the opposite direction.

The nice young Geek at Best Buy thought it would be an easy fix, but after about twenty minutes, he admitted defeat and called someone over to get me a new iPod.  I stuck with the blue.  Geek said, with a sly grin on his face, that maybe now I should consider getting the extended warranty.  I told him that the other iPods lasted me four and three years respectively.  Again with the grin, he said, “Yeah, but this one only lasted you two hours.”  Well, I didn’t bite, but maybe I should have.  My times with my iPods keep getting narrower and narrower.

Evan got home a couple of hours later with the bad news that there was no way to resuscitate his iPhone.  The Geniuses were stumped.  Will wonders never cease?  He does have a “spare” with a broken screen that actually works so he may be able to limp along until we can figure out how to get him one that won’t break the bank.

Well, by then, it was pretty late, so we went out to dinner yet again and I had a little whine with mine.


It’s funny these days that we have become so dependent on these little electronic devices.  Heck, as much as I complained about my last iPod – it was too small, too hard to control, etc.—I took good care of it because I didn’t want to be without it.  I used it often.  I love the fact that I can listen to my books and to music anywhere and everywhere.  It’s a good thing….really.  But, you know, when I decided to write this today, I wanted to take some pictures of the three devices together, green iPod 1, green iPod 2, and blue iPod No. 2 in two hours, which I’m hoping will be my last for many years.  But, after an exhaustive search, green iPod2 had taken a powder and I can’t find it.  It’s on the lam.  So, it was a bad Apple after all.


11 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

tee hee. well, i hope the new-and-improved ipod will serve you well.

Lynn said...

I've only had one ipod and for 7 years now but 2 ipads,and 3 lumix cameras I'm rough on my things though it is not my intention, with my ipod I am very lucky and I hate those extended warranties...and think there should be a law about producing things that are meant to go kaput in a certain amount of time. a bit of a 'whine' with your meal is good and a trip with friends what fun.

Willow said...

Oh I am a walking glitch when it comes to anything techno .lol

MadSnapper said...

I am trying so hard not to laugh because i know this is stressful but ha ha ho ho he he anyway... fine job telling this story and at least you did not LOSE your sense of humor... i don't have the ipod or I anything but i do have my Kindle reader and if i leave the house it goes with me, i said to bob,i have 17 book on this thing just in case i finish 15 of them waiting in the doctor office I don't want to run out of books to read. it occured to me that if the same thing that happened to your ipod happened to my kindle i would not know which books i had not read. i have all the books in the CLOUD on Amazon, but how on earth would i know.... i took the camera and snapped a shot of the list that is on the kindle just in case... we are all helpless with out our techie stuff....maybe we should have 2 of each, one for back up

Pamela Gordon said...

OH dear. That is so disappointing and frustrating. I hope your new iPod lasts a lot longer. Hubby has one that he got over 3 years ago and so far so good. Enjoy your vacation! Sounds like a nice getaway to some nice weather and away from winter. Have fun.

Nicki said...

Can you believe I still have a first generation iPod - granted, I haven't used it in a long time and would have to settle for what ever music was on it rather than try to sync up - but the ole gal still works. We have several other generations around the house and I even use an older iPhone for music in my office upstairs so I guess we've been pretty lucky in this department. Good luck with your rowdy Apples. (I really like your color choices.)

Rose said...

Oh, this is funny but believe me I know the stress...almost gets me stressed reading this. When I have had things go wrong with my computer, I am so upset till I get them settled. Hope your your new one last a long, long, long time.

Nancy said...

I have no Apple products. Do know that they came out with a couple of patches this week -- perhaps you were missed? Good luck!

Gail Dixon said...

I love Apple and have had great success with all of them since 2007 (computer, ipod, ipad, iphone). Sounds like there's some Apple hex over your household. So weird that they all decided to stop working the same day! The way you wrote about it made me chuckle. Hope you have a good working ipod now for your trip. Enjoy!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Barbara, it is distressing when things fail, but a couple and on the same day is really upsetting. We both have older iPads and iPods, which thankfully are still working fine. And, we recently upgraded our cell phones to iPhones. Hope we don't get any rotten apples.

Kerri Farley said...

My ipad died recently...... and I'm so sad without it!!! Hope your new one lasts a LONG time!!!