Apple strikes again...

Mac users...  is there anything they won't misunderstand?

A few years ago - when Apple's monitors looked suspiciously like the original iMac but with insect legs - we were upgrading all of the Mac users on campus to flat panels.  I can't tell you how many times I had this exact same conversation:

"Wow, a flat panel!  I love it!  It looks like something from Star Trek!"

"Ok, are you ready for your new monitor?"

"Sure, but, how are you going to get my files transfered over?  Have you got a jump drive or a hard drive or some kind of cable?"

"We're not replacing the computer, just the monitor."

"Oh, ok, sure.  But how will you get the files out?"

"We're not replacing the computer, just the monitor."

"Ah, I see ok, sure.  So they'll just automatically transfer or something?  Man, Apple really is user friendly."

"No, we're not replacing the computer, just the monitor."

"Ummm..."

"When you replace the windshield in your car, you don't have to worry that the stuff in your trunk will disappear with the old windshield, right?  Same thing here."

"Oh!  Oh, ok, I got it.  Sure.  They'll still be in the same place after you've moved them."

/sigh/

"Yes, I'll make sure to do it so it's just like you left it.  You know how easy Apple makes it."

This was repeated time and time again...  it really was a grind.  And the kicker came a week after we were done.  The dean called me and the other technician one afternoon and had some harsh words for us.  Here's the subsequent email:

Tech Staff,

  During the recent apple upgrade, it has come to my attention that little care was given to the preservation of existing faculty work.  Specifically, more than 1 faculty has contacted me and informed me that they would be late submitting their annual reports because the files which they had been working during the last 2 semesters were not properly transfered during the equipment swap out.  To this end, I am including a list of users who will need to have these files recovered from their previous equipment and sent to them ASAP.  If this cannot be done in a timely manner, we will have to review our technology personnel and data policies so that we can ensure this does not happen again in the future.

Dean Eye-Dee-Ten-Tee

(submitted by bbasttt)