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It is antitrust if I cannot set up a business upgrading Apple hardware and charging a lower fee than they charge without them punishing my customers by voiding the warranty or pursuing me for advertising "Apple Upgrade Services"

I guess that we should tell the folks at http://www.tekserve.com/ or various other Apple certified repair/upgrade places to close up shop then. You can most certainly set up such a buisness, there is even a certification process so that you can do Apple warranty service. It is not Apple's failing nor is it anti-trust for them to insist that you meet thier standards for such certification.

I agree whole-heartedly about TekServe - loved em! Is there anyone else that good anywhere else in the country? I don't know. I sure can't find one near Detroit.

I was previously the CTO of a small marketing agency in NYC. We were an all-Mac shop. When we had serious trouble, calling Apple was not helpful. We came to rely on local companies like TekServe for business-critical support (though it's not cheap). Consider this free advertising for them: they were great.

If you use Macs in business, I strongly advise you to find a local shop of Mac experts and rely on them.

Slashdot is a really bad filter to try and descern how Apple products are perceived, just look at the iPod when it came out. You can almost delcare Slashdot a comically bad judge of Apple products to the extent the direction of groupthink here is probably always the opposite of what the general market thinks.

I think you can go further: Slashdot is a horribly bad predictor of the success of technology meant for the average computer user, because no one who posts here is an average computer user, me included. When I think of average computer users I think of my brother, who asked me if I would help him fix his Powerbook. He had dropped the thing from a good height more than once and had so bent the case that he couldn't plug in the power cord. His idea of 'fixing' the thing was to take to computer completely apart, take a hammer and bang the case back into shape. I tried to explain to him that taking apart a laptop is not a small thing and that banging the case back into shape was no easy thing. I told him to take the thing to Tekserve and have them do it, because I wasn't going to take on the responsibility of possibly ruining someone else's computer.

The difference, I think, is that the average computer user thinks of the machine as a monolithic thing: it's a magic electronic box. When something goes wrong with the machine, it's universal. It's not that the USB has fried, or that a software update has choked, but that the whole magic box is now sick. This explains a couple of things. It is why people throw out perfectly good computers after two or three years rather than upgrade; if you think of the computer like a microwave (the principle of which most people don't understand) then there's no way you'd ever think of upgrading one. It explains why Slashdot was dead wrong on the success of the iPod; Apple created the mp3 player as magic electronic box, something your average user could relate to. Attach to computer, manage in iTunes, music appears on iPod. It's monolithic and, for someone who thinks of technology that way, simple.

And it explains the success of Apple's ads, and the displeasure they cause here. Apple is selling the computer as magic monolithic box and saying, essentially, our magic box is easier to use than someone else's. Most on Slashdot know that computers aren't magic boxes. Many here take great pride in how deep that knowledge runs, and take great joy in delving deep into the guts of their machines and OSes. But your average computer user doesn't want to, and doesn't care. That is the target audience for these ads, and for devices like the iPod. Beyond that, your average computer user wants a magic electronic box, something which functions more as an information appliance than anything else.

Most Slashdot readers don't want a magic box. But Slashdot users are the minority.

Even if you're bent on servicing your computers on your own, it's worth noting that there's bound to be at least a few Apple-authorized repair shops closer to you than the Apple store. If you're not aware of any, it's because you've never had to know before. Trust me, they're out there.

And as an added bonus, (warning--gross generalization ahead!) Mac repair shops are cooler than PC shops. Take Tekserve in Chelsea, for instance. What other repair shop plays picture art on a giant screen while you wait, and sells ten-cent Cokes in glass bottles? Where else can you hobnob with Haruki Murakami and Susan Sontag's son as you wait for the next technician?

(OK, I just made that bit up.)

Since there are so many posts about how horrible 3rd party Apple dealers are, I just thought I'd mention that I had a really good experience with Tekserve, an Apple shop in New York City. I bought their last lcloseout TiBook last January, and they were very savy and easy to deal with.

... but you may wish to consider a city with a lower sales tax: NYC is at 8.75%, which could make it worth your while to find a different city with lower taxes... Maybe somewhere in Virginia? The weather at this time of year is much nicer, the taxes are lower, and DC is a pretty decent tourist destination...

Oh, and absolutely do NOT go anywhere else besides J&R in NYC, except Tekserve, and only if you need a Mac. Pretty much every other place in NYC is a ripoff joint or a ripoff chain store.

It depends on the reseller. I had some pretty amazing experiences with the folks over at Tekserve. I purchased my TiBook from them and have had it serviced by both them, and the Apple Store, and can safely say that they both provided me with the same degree of service. If your located near NYC I would definitely recommend them to anyone. And if your a mac fan and in the area, I suggest just stopping by and having a look around. I always thought of them as The Apple Store before apple ever had one. From the second you walk in the front door and see the couch made out of old mac classics, to the random collection of obscure Apple related hardware, you know that your repair is in good hands.

Guide to Mac CPUsThis is Apple's own site for detailed specs on all their machines ever. I'm starting you off on the page for older machines to remind you that a well-configured 1996 Mac w/ a USB/Firewire card can run OSX just fine, thank you very much.

Mac of All TradesGetcher used macs here! Pretty visuals, delicious prices, detailed info. Selection could be better and there's no old stuff at all but I can deal with that. Have I bought from them yet? Nope. Am I likely to in the future? Yep.

MacResqThe best place I've found overall to pick up gear. Even the guys in that article figured that out.

Focus of Mac Hardware good workaday resource for doing mods. No cool toys. Considerable good data.

Missoula Mac User Group, Yeah, I know that you haven't heard of them; neither has anybody else outside of Montana AFAIK. Best place for overall newbie resources.

Powermax Cheesy setup, improving selection, good prices.

ResExcellence In the old days I would have suggested MacFixit, but these guys have taken their place. If you've been in the Mac world for a while you'll recognize them as the old-time source extraordinaire of ResEdit hacks.

Small Dog Shrinking selection, great quality, excellent service, annoying interface. Bottom line, these are the guys to turn to for premium service, support, and savvy. Been around quite a while and, hey, they enclose coupons for Ben and Jerry's.

applefritter. They've built Macs into everything from 1930's radios to LEGO people to ziplock bags. You can't buy anything there, but still much fun.

Think Secret Nice little rumor site. Some cool moments.

Of course, for those of us in the New York City area, there's always TekServe, an Apple and media gear mecca. You want to know what Lou Reed, Jam Master Jay, or Oliver Pratt are using? Ask them. You want toys? They got 'em. Ten cent cokes, vintage radios, serious testing gear, and a massive knowledge base. Hell, I once even applied for a job there when it would have meant giving up a far-better paying sysadmin gig. If they're good enough for Steve J., then they're worth a look.


Oh, by the way, the last time that I posted this list I included Shreve. What did I say?
ShreveExpensive, distracting, but the best place to get weird low-end stuff like Mac Plus manuals and Daystar cards.
There. You all feeling better now?
Rustin