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Tag: Apple

[Geekdom] Apple IIC, IIE and IIGS represent…

Well, I can tell you where I was when I found out Steve Jobs news went out.
Driving home from a quick jam session to hash out details of student film I’m helping to write, both of us with Apple products at the table at Panera.
I was introduced to Apple in Junior High School with an Apple IIE and IIC and graduated to High School with an Apple IIGS. Appleworks being my bread and butter for a long time, so many bad self insertion novels so little time.
And even managed to make it to a Applefest where I saw Richard Garriott aka Lord British.
Say what you will about the prices of Apple’s products, the man and his vision will be missed.

The iPad 2 Gauntlet…

The last time I stood in line was for Rolling Stones tickets…
When you join a cult like Apple the pamplet does not explain to you that standing in line for something you could easily purchase on-line and wait to arrive in the mail is an experience.
This is the fourth time, I’ve stood in line at the Apple Store at Providence Place Mall for something: First, when the store opened. Second, iPhone 3, Third, iPad 1 and now the iPad 2. I pre-ordered the iPhone 4 and got it a day early. Since the store opened the line security has gotten better and after surviving Hall H at last years San Diego Comic Con, the line for iPad 2 at Providence Place Mall was not that bad.
Hey, they gave us free water and snacks, we were happy lill’ cult members.

Snowpocalypse 2010 and rice…

So, the day after Christmas while the Patriots pasted the Bills, we watched Snowpocalypse 2010 march into New England.
By the time I got out of work at 430, everything was closed including the Grocery Stores since they were out of bread. Subway on Post had closed but the one on Airport was still open. The sandwich shop was empty one moment and busy the next but they were open and everything else was closed.
Monday morning, I went out to shovel and after taking a picture of some pictures of the snow laden tree branches I put my phone back into my coat pocket, dragged the snow thrower out of the garage and cleared the driveway. Hour later, I opened the pocket and hit the home button and nothing happened. So, it’s cold outside, maybe the battery drained. Finished clearing up the driveway and plug the phone back into AC to charge: Nothing. Plugged into iMac: Nothing.
Brought up: How to dry out iPhone 4 and the fact I plugged or press anything was not the bestest thing in the whole wide world so I opened two packets of instant rice and in went the phone. Opened up the Apple Store App on my iPad and made a reservation for New Years Eve since the instructions said it would take 2-3 days to dry out if the phone was “damp.”
Today, I went looking for Silica gel crystals aka Flower Drying Crystals at Sears and Walmart. No luck. Rolled into Panera for lunch, checked emails, FB, Twitter since iPhone was dead and decided to open the Apple Store App to see if I could reschedule. 440 appointment was avail and after one click it was rescheduled. The traffic on RTE 2 had thinned a bit so onto 95N I went.
Journeyed up to the Providence Place Mall, the length of lines outside the Mall Garage did not surprise me. I managed to find a parking space right next to the door on the top floor. Ventured down 3 escalators, walked in early, got served, found out two apple store employees participated in NaNoWrimo and poof iPhone fixed. Turns out sometimes the Apps can crash and looks like a black screen so the water may have had nothing to do with it. On a side note, I haven’t seen that many red shirts in one place except a Star Trek convention.
Got a new iPhone case and swiped out of the store at 438pm.
Waited at the elevators. And, waited. And, waited. It came down to 1, half of it filled up, a group of Seniors asked how to get down to Level A. After directions we filled up with baby strollers. The babies had a lovely time talking and pawing each other. We traveled up three levels refilling the car as we went. Got back to the car around 450pm and managed to get halfway down a level and the line started. Okay, holiday traffic to be expected. Glad I didn’t pay early.
530 we still hadn’t moved. I had burned through several chapters of the Orphanage by Robert Buettner and made out my Last Will in case they found us like the Donner Party.
The car horns beeped, children went back into the mall and came back out every time we budged five feet. Several people tried to go down the lane marked Do Not Enter.
By the time we left at 645, the gates have been raised and we got out of the mall for free.
I’m glad I rescheduled the appointment, more than happy the app allowed for it and happy the phone worked. Hopefully Apple will open another store in Rhode Island like maybe Chapel View in Cranston would be nice.