RMA situation (AIRING MY FRUSTRATI

I emailed Creative Support last Aug 6 beacuse my zen micro
is not functioning right. Creative replied 2 days later asking about the problem, told them that the unit is hot and light is stuck (usually it glows. but mine doesn't fade it's just STUCK). They diagnosed the unit as defecti've and/or faulty. I sent it to OK-RMA center for repair and their test result is "COSMETIC DEFECT".
Speaking of which, my boss just bought 5 cameras from canon, one of the camera has a problem in focusing. I contacted them and ask to repair the camera. I sent the camera and they contacted me saying there's also a problem in the flash. They fix everything and return it in just 0 days.
See the difference in customer care?
NOTE TO CREATIVE: If you don't want to fix or replace my zen micro just send it back to me.

Maybe cosmetic defect covers this. If this is the case then presumably you will get a refurbished player by return. I don't see how this differs from Canon, seeing as the player hasn't even been returned yet.

Similar Messages

  • RMA Problem: "Invalid Serial Number&qu

    Hi, I have a problem with my Creative Vision M 60 GB mp3 player and I've alredy successfully contacted support.
    I've been told to make an RMA so i can send my player away for repairs.
    However, when i enter my serial number and date of purchase at http://rma-online.europe.creative.com i get the following error message:
    "The serial number you have indicated is invalid or service request has already been created for this product. Please use the Contact Us option."
    I'm 00% sure that I've entered a right and valid serial-number, so I guess it's because I've already had my player for repairs before.
    Last time I got the RMA number: 890200264
    However, when I try to "log in" with this I only get information on my last service request.
    What should I do to get a new RMA number and finally be able to send my mp3-player away?
    The reason I'm posting this question here is because I've already contacted the person I've been e-mailing, but I've experienced a reply takes at least 2 days, so I'm hoping for a faster reply here.
    I wish it wasn't so hard to get in contact with people at support. I am aware that i can call the support-number in Ireland, but it's both expensi've (I li've in nNorway) and the opening hours make it hard for me to call from home.
    Please, please help me so I can finish my RMA
    Sincerely
    Mats Fl ten

    Thanks for the tip, I know how slow and frustrating the system is, I'm thankfully done with the worst part, last time it went smooth from the RMA.
    Now it frustrates me that I have to use several days to communicate with support that i got a problem with the RMA process. I've told them that I've had my player for repairs before, and if the system is only made for being used once, they should have knewn I would have problems this time! I hope to god I will get a helping solution in the next reply...
    I love my creative products, but next time I'm buying it'll probably be from a different producer... It's just not worth all the time and energy to go through Creative's support system...

  • My Zen Micro RMA Experie

    Well, I just got my Zen Micro RMA back yesterday after sending it in for the faulty headphone jack problem. I got a refurbished unit that had been upgraded to the .02.05 firmware version.
    I'm not exactly thrilled with it. First off, the rear door you slide to remove the battery is loose and keeps opening up with a slight touch. My original player did not have this problem.
    Secondly, when transferring a lot of information, the player locks up or I get a transfer error. My old player never had this problem. I first started to reload the songs using Creative MediaSource (about 4GB of songs) and I kept getting transfer errors. I had to load the songs in chunks for it to transfer properly and it took quite a while.
    Also, when I create a long playlist (say 200 songs) the player and software locks up. Again, my old player never had this problem.
    What gives? I really don't want to have to spend more money to ship it back for another RMA. I'm frustrated and was wondering if anyone had any advice.

    Not easily. I backed up all the songs from my original ZM to my computer's hard dri've. I figured I would transfer everything to my RMA ZM no problem but wasn't so fortunate. I'll try on another pc though and see how it goes. I guess I can reformat the thing but then I'd have to transfer all the songs again. Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.

  • About (not) getting help for Design Premium CS4 [very long post]

    If what i've heard on numerous occasions is true, and I really hope it is, Adobe spends a lot time, energy, emotion and effort on their Customer support system. In an effort to provide a bit of insight "from the trenches" I've spent the last hour sifting through Adobe's website trying to find an email where I could send a bit of critique regarding the quality of Adobe's Tech Support and I've come to the conclusion that these forums are a paying customer's only outlet. As part of my job training, I take a lot of notes whenever anything gets done over the phone. This then is a full transcript of the arduous process I had to go through in order to try and fix the infamous "licence has expired" issue. I'm not necessarily looking for feedback, I just want somebody at Adobe to see this and realise how much money is being wasted on a very dysfunctional "Support Service".
    Adobe tech support notes:
    How can the ball be dropped to this extent?
    Friday, April 2nd
    10:00   Installed the suite on the office's new design computer after using the trial editions until they expired. None of the programs in the suite will run because the licence is "expired".
    11:30   Not knowing if it might somehow be related to there being leftover files from the trial editions (which I didn't uninstall) I uninstall everything and install again.
    13:10   I receive the same error message. Tech support principally led to a waste of a day due to the way that Adobe's databases seem to catalogue customers. According to Jay Lopez, our suite wasn't registered to my boss (Doc) it was registered to Ken Schoepp, who hasn't worked here in about 8 years, since he was one of the earlier names connected to this address. It took about 2 hours and 2 transfers to figure this out.
    15:30   I finally get transferred to tech support.
    15:51   TS answers.
                It takes 2 hours to assess what the problem is and suggest that I should do a full uninstall and reinstall of the suite, regardless of the fact that I did that before calling TS. 2nd installation fails to solve the problem whereby the suite won't load up (as expected).  I'm given some instructions as to what files to remove that may contain registration information and could possibly prevent the program from running. Tech support hangs up as their shift is soon over but they assure me that this thrid installation of the day should fix the problem. To speed up the installation I copy the files onto the HDD.
    17:15   For some unknown reason, Setup.exe crashes crashes at about 65% of initialisation. That's right, the installer can't even run!
    Tuesday, April 6th
    8:37     Calling TS
    8:45     Don answers
    8:51     Get informed that I was somehow routed to CS instead of TS. The case id I provided requires solutions that he can't provide,           Don will transfer the call to TS.
    8:53     Jitesh gives me a new case id before putting me on hold as he reads the case file.
    9:05     Informs me that since my call deals with an installation issue I need to be transferred to another department. In response to           my comment that I've already been misrouted twice today Jitesh says he will contact the department personally in order to           transfer me more quickly as I'm already in their service.
    9:13     Just before hanging up Jitesh mentions that there are only 12 calls ahead of me in the queue.
    9:19     Rohan Subba answers.  After reading the file he asks if I would accept sharing my desktop in order for him to look at the root             of the issue using Acrobat Pro Meeting.
    9:26     With files installed, logging in to "adobesupport.na5.acrobat.com" as guest.
                As things are not working as expected, Rohan places me on hold as he goes to look up solutions.
    9:31     Back from checking resources, try them out, still don't have access to some files due to lack of permissions.
    9:36     Comes back with instructions on how to setup the Windows7 super admin account which should give me full access to the             locked out files.
    9:42     Logged in as admin. More hair pulling as we try to configure the permissions properly.
    10:02   File sharing finally works and he downloads the installation log files. As we attempt to change permissions to access other            files I ask why it is has taken 13 hours of TS and 4 techs before someone suggests using Adobe Connect Pro Meeting since it            seems like a great way to gain access to files. Rohan's answer: Due to the solution chain, TS had to try other options           before going for the ACPM.
    Over the next hour we try various things to get rid of the files that are blocking the re-installation of Premium Suite. I'm instructed to download the "Windows Installer Cleanup Utility" and "adobeCS3cleanscript" even though I'm running CS4. The trial versions I was using were also CS4. I'm assured that the CS3script works just fine for CS4 removal. It gets run with option 1, once, and twice with option 2, rebooting between each pass.
    11:01      Realisation sets in.  "I'm sorry, I cannot resolve this issue and I will escalate your call to Tier 2 TS". Initially he asks           if Thursday is good for the follow-up call but I inform that I will not be there on that day and that I am the only one at the office           who can handle these types of technical calls.
    11:05     Comes back on the line and informs me that T2 TS will contact me on Friday.
    Spent the remainder of the day reading online, chasing possible solutions.  Found out about a hidden option 3 for Cleanscript, run it twice, still no improvement. Having been shown the location of the installation log I sift through it and research 1) where each of the offending registry key is, 2)  how to change permissions to the offending keys so I can delete them. Thanks to google and other people who've had the same issues I'm having and followed by blogging about it.
    In total, 22 registry keys blocked the installation. Because each key would cause the installer to lock up and quit It took 6 hours to run the installer 22 times until it crashed in order to find and eliminate each one. When they were all taken care of, only 4 Premium suite modules wouldn't install: Flash, Flash Player, Acrobat and Air.
    Progress at last.
    Thursday, April 8th
    Mesum, a resolution specialist, calls work asking to speak to Doc about our case. According to him there is no mention of a contact person (me) or a date for a call back. When asked probing questions about these discrepencies Mesum says that seeing as how Adobe TS are trained to exacting standards and that note taking is a very important part of the job there is no way that this break down happened on their end. If the information my boss is referring to is "not in the file" then it MUST be false. The obvious answer, according to Mesum, is that whoever made the appointment with Adobe didn't take down good notes. As a T2 specialist he "...makes it a point to always return the call at the arranged time".  I don't have the notes regarding everything that was said that day but from talking to Doc on the following day I gather that Mesum made other comments to bring into doubt the quality of Aararat's (the company I work for) training, their note taking skills and the quality of their employees. Not once did he take any hint of responsibility for the communication screw-up. Mesum will be calling me back on the Friday (as was originally written down in our file) and provides a new case id before hanging up.
    Friday, April 9th
    12:01     Mesum call and wastes no time in trying to resolve the issue. I inform of the progress I made yesterday (independently).
    12:08     Error :2 shows up again.  Instructs me to clear the temp folder, the cache and to verify that the print spooler           service is enabled. It is.
    12:21      While the system is rebooting, Mesum mentions that the "very detailed conversation" he had the previous day and asks if           I have been briefed about it. I explain that I have been briefed (neglecting to mention that I am the one who made the              appointment and took copious notes about all my TS conversations, including this one) and that I hoping to get this issue           resolved once and for all.  Mesum makes a grandstanding comment about how "he makes it a point to always return the call at           the arranged time as these calls are very important and it is crucial that they get resolved". He then goes on about the           lenghts Adobe has gone to in order to create a support chain to make sure that if an issue is unresolved on either end of the           chain, that this lack of resolution can be tracked down.
    Error:2 indicates that we are still having registry blockage issues. In response to my question whether there might be a full list of the registry keys that Adobe Premium suite injects during an installation Mesum responds that techs have been given very strict and specific instructions about tampering with the   windows registry (which is odd considering 3 days prior a tech dove right into     registry editing) he proposes that I instead uninstall Flash, Flash player and Adobe Air.
    13:07   Since the uninstaller won't run for just the 3 modules, Mesum asks that I   uninstall everything once again. I am then to only           start by installing Acrobat first, and only Acrobat, before installing the rest of the suite. Because this process will take a long           time and Mesum has other calls to make he leaves me to this numberless installation being fairly certain that this will solve the           issue. He adds that such problems are very frequent with Acrobat. Should his proposed course of action not solve the issue I           can type up a follow-up response by going to www.adobe.com/go/supportportal. I am to expect a follow-up call on Monday.
    13:22   Because I was really not looking forward to going through another round of uninstalling and reinstalling, I attempt to run flash             one last time prior to starting the cycle. Run into error:5
                reboot
    13:29   Error:5 again.  Time to uninstall once more.
    13:35   Error while uninstalling. Nothing to do but click continue and see how it goes.
    13:53   Uninstall finished with problems, running it again. Adobe Sing is still showing as   an installed component.
    13:55   Uninstall with errors. Flash Plug-in will not uninstall. Running Uninstaller again.
    13:59   Uninstaller fails again.  Decide to go and manually delete files and folders inspecting each one by one.
    Spent the rest of the afternoon going through the install logs like I did on April 6th, unlocking ownership and deleting corrupted keys one at a time.
    18:08   The whole Suite finally installs except for Flash and Indesign.
    18:47   After hunting down more keys, the installer completes with errors but at least all the programs are installed.  Acrobat, Air, Flash plug-in are still not installed properly.
    Monday, April 12th
    8:20     Call tech support
    While on hold I try to find my ticket on the support portal using the case id's I've been given. None of them show up on the system. Basically, I'm stuck to using phone support.
    9:23     TS answers. Sanjay
    9:28     After Sanjay has verified the case id, I provide him with an update to the file regarding what I've done since I hung up on Friday, describing the new issues.
    9:34     Placed on hold
    9:42     Comes back and explains that this issue will require more consultation with his seniors. To make sure that he looks up the            right issue I repeat the exact problem I would like him to research. Three times he repeats the information back to me just a           little differently. Finally on the 4th repetition of the problem I'd like addressed he "gets it" and thanks me for "providing that           pertinent information". 
    What I don't understand is that I repeated the same information that he repeated back to me 4 times before he seemed to understand what his notes told him he should be researching. From the heaviness of his accent I suspect that their was a bit of language barrier here.
    9:48     Places me on hold
    9:59     Comes back with a possible solution.
    10:08   As his solution requires me to delete files I don't have access to due to lack of permissions, his solution can't be applied. He places me on hold.
    10:11   Comes back, with another possible solution.
    10:17   Still not working. I ask how I can change administrator settings for specific files    and he needs to go check articles again.           Shouldn't this type of knowledge just come off the top of his head if he's in TS? Sanjay just walks away at this point,           not asking to put me on hold nor placing the call on hold. I can hear conversations in the background the whole time.
    10:24   Comes back, thanking for staying on hold (even though I wasn't). This time he asks me to look for specific adobe folders. I           can't delete them because I'm supposedly not an administrator, even though I'm logged in using the enabled super-admin           account. He tells me I need to type a very specific command at the command prompt to reset the admin account. I thought           that's what he was going to research the last time he left so I ask what I have to type at the command line to do this. Sanjay           doesn't and asks if he can put me on hold again. I politely and calmly answer that no, I don't want to be put on hold. Every time           I've asked him a question he's had to go in order to talk to his seniors (as he calls them). If possible, why not escalate my call           and put me in touch with one of these seniors or a manager in order to minimise the amount of time I will be placed on hold. He           puts me on hold.
    10:34   Ashima comes on the line. Unlike Sanjay, she sounds confident and authorative.
    10:44   After discussing what I'm trying to do she informs that not being able to delete files and folders is a Windows issue, not an           Adobe issue. Even after I mention that a previous tech had helped me solve a similar problem in the previous week and try to           reason that since it's Adobe uninstaller that caused this issue she sticks to her claim that it's a Windows issue and that she           cannot help me resolve the issue. I am to contact Microsoft tech support in order to get help with this issue.
    12:17   Call Microsoft technical support
    12:23   Jacqueline answers. I describe the problem I'm having with managing permissions in Windows 7 and that I've been told that I           resetting the admin account should solve this problem. She seems to agree and asks for my Windows serial number before we           can start working on the issue. Upon finding out that I have an OEM version of Windows, Jacqueline informs me that I have 2           options: look online or pay 59$ per call on credit card for support as free support is not provided to OEM licences since they are           typically only installed by resellers and   assumed to be serviced by them. Sadly, this is not my case.
    12:31   Having repeated my options back to Jacqueline to make sure I understood her correctly I inform her that I will terminate the           call since I will not be paying for paying and therefore will go online for help. She sounds surprised at how quickly I made           my decision, wishes me good luck and the call is ended.
    13:30     Started researching a solution. I find what I need to know and apply it, managing to reclaim ownership of the files and           folders. Run the installer again and everything installs now except for the Acrobat, Air and Flash plug-in.
    Tuesday, April 13
    15:30   Since I haven't received a call back from Mesum I try to find our case information on the Adobe Support Portal. I figure that           Mesum probably needed me to contact him prior to today in order to confirm whether the solution worked or not. Logging in           with the email address we used to register our software and log our support calls is unsuccessful. Either the password is wrong           or the email is not active. Seeing as we have 2 other office emails with which Adobe products have been registered over the           years I log on with them to see if we have pending cases on either of them. negative. Just to test something out I attempt           logging in to the original email from another computer.  While I can't log in I no longer get the message that the email isn't           related to an active customer account, just that the password is wrong. Resetting password. Still can't login.
    16:06   Starting LiveChat with Adobe to see if they can help. On hold.
    16:12   Connected. explain the situation.
    16:19   Says the password is reset from their side. Try it and doesn't work.
    16:22   I tell Live Chat the reset didn't work, and wait for response.
    16:29   He assures me it's been reset and that I should try again.
    16:30   Try it to connect via two other computers. Fail. Inform him again. Wait.
    16:36   Informs me I will need to call Phone Support. I ask if he can connect me.
    16:38   No, he cannot connect me. There is no Live Chat Tech Support. Due to the amount of lag between responses I ask if how many           chat sessions he works on at the same time.
    16:41   Answer: three at a time.
    16:45   Finish typing comment and suggestion about possibly reducing that number because the amount of lag time for simple           requests is just too much.
    16:46   Final response and goodbye.
    16:47   Call Phone Support
    16:50   Jerry in the Philippines.  I explain the issues I've been having with our account and the failure to reset the password. Jerry puts a note in the file and that he'll look into it.
    16:58   Puts me on hold as he goes to explore.
    17:01   Comes back, can't see any issues. Asks me for permission to logon to the client account by using our email and password. I           accept. He logs on and sees that there are in fact no pending cases that show up in our client account, even though we have           multiple concurrent case id's showing on his side. He says he'll look into it.
    17:07   Client login issue is unresolved but at least I'm getting transferred to TS.
    17:23   Panpaj answers. I explain the situation and provide case id.
    17:38   He provides a new case id. I have to describe the whole case history.
    17:46   On hold.
    17:52   Turns out I was transferred to the Acrobat specific TS. Seeing as how my installation problems aren't dealing specifically           with Acrobat he can't help me. He will   transfer me to general TS.
    18:16   Animesh answers. explain the situation and provide case id.
    18:20   Puts me on hold as he reads the file.
    18:22   Repeats the problem as described according to the file.
    18:30   Puts me on hold as he goes to find articles.
    18:36   Asks me to share the desktop. Connecting to connectteam.acrobat.com
    18:44   Upload of log file complete, reading over it.
    18:48   Sharing screen caps of installation error messages.  I've been thoroughly documenting each and every single one. Instructs me           to download and AdobeCS4cleanscript. When I explain that I've already used the CS3 version I'm informed that the CS3 version           should never be used to try and clean up a CS4 installation since it won't work.
    18:56   I'm informed that TS closes at 19:00 and that he won't be able to finish this call.   However, if I read article kb 401401 I should           find some steps that will solve the issues that I'm experiencing.
    19:01   While looking for the article I inform him that I can't access my TS updates on the           Support Portal and that in a previous call Phone Support was not able to explain          why. Might he have any idea why? He says he'll check it out.
    19:05   "That's odd.  I'll add this complaint to the file."
                Animesh adds that If this knowledge base article does not resolve the issue, I should make sure to call back. He's added a note in the file to automatically escalate my call to Tier3 TS.
                "What? There's a T3?" I ask. "Why has it taken 2 weeks to get this call escalated to tier 3?"
                He apologizes if this taken so long to be escalated but there are definite checks and procedures that need to be followed before a call can be escalated to Tier 3.
    April 15th
    11:10   Starting new uninstall of CS4
    11:20   Uninstaller error with InDesign.
    11:31   Running CS4cleanscript, all options.
    11:49   Completed running CS4cleanscript followed by a manual clean-up of remaining   folders.  Starting a new install.
    12:04   Install error with Flash 10 ActiveX.
    12:06   Install error with Flash 10 plug-in.
    12:37   Installer finished, with errors.
    12:53   Test launched every application in the Suite and they seem to be working in spite of the errors. So be it, I'm never calling Adobe TS again.
    Questions and suggestions to Adobe
    In spite of not having my issue corrected I must say that the politeness of every representative was exemplary.
    While I realise software piracy is a big issue, why is it that pirates don't struggle with your DRM system yet legal users do? Either scrap your current DRM and replace it with something that will not cripple a system if an installation goes wrong or change your installers.
    Software suites are convenient yes but there are now so many modules that come bundled with the suite that seem utterly pointless because the documentation for them is sorely lacking an "at a glance" explanation of features, benefits and purpose. Adobe Air, Sing, Version Cue and Bridge come to mind. Don't you think cutting down on module bloat would make interoperability an easier thing to manage and maintain?
    As a user who has multiple hard drives in his system (one each for the OS, applications and project data) I don't like installers that place files all over my system without my consent. If an installer asks for a destination folder, ALL programs should go into that folder. Files and programs that are shared across the suite for added functionality or registration purposes should ask for a user-specified shared folder (in case there is one) rather than just go into the (assumed) default.
    Why is the Support DB's search function so useless? I've tried (and tried, and tried, and tried...) to find useful solution articles but something is just plain wrong with your search algorithms. I've tested this. Pick an article at random, then do a search for it's title. Too often the search engine won't even find it. The only time searches work is if one has the precise number of the article, such as KB 401401.
    The amount of checks and procedures required for service escalation needs to be streamlined in order to speed up the process. It took too long to get to the right Tier. By the time I was finally escalated to Tier 3 your support services had eroded all of their credibility.
    Practices and procedures (P&P) need to be more uniform. I have one tech telling me to use one version of clean script and claiming it's fine whereas another claims that only the CS4 script would work to resolve my issue. Why is this? What does this reveal about levels of training? There is also large gaps in the knowledge of individual representatives. As should be expected, some representatives knew exactly what to do and how to do it without having to resort to articles every 3 minutes.  Others, such as Sanjay, either need to be retrained or let go. His lack of knowledge was thoroughly exasperating.
    The case id system needs to be reworded. Over these 2 weeks I was given 4 case id's, none of which ended up showing up in the support portal for follow-up.  Furthermore, note taking seems to be a problem because there was a lot of information that just never seemed to make it "in the file".
    Why do calls get transferred to the wrong department so often?
    In Closing
    Due to having more pressing matters to attend to at work and seeing as how I could not afford to spend any more time fixing the harm that was brought on by carrying out the suggested "solutions" I have not called back since April 15th. The suite runs "with quirks" and will stay that way until I rebuild the system because it seems that the only solution that remains regarding the installation woes is to wipe the drive and start from scratch.
    Thank you for reading this whole transcript. I hope it helps you improve your customer service experience.
    Marc-Andre Renaud

    Thank you for the sympathy and the information about the Adobe.com forum Michael.
    I posted here because, to be honest, for a company that's acknowledged their installers and updaters and support needs some work, they seem very determined to obfuscate the means by which users can provide direct feedback to the company. Much like you, I've also noticed a trend in CS5 installations that mirrors the issues that were present in CS4. it's a sad state of affairs.
    As for my installation, you are also quite right to say that a clean install would have been a lot faster than what I went through with TS and it was actually my first idea. Before calling TS I'd actually read through the forums and noticed that a large number of users who were faced with my situation had no other choice but to reformat. I was just giving Adobe the benefit of the doubt and wasted 2 and a half weeks through that course of action...
    What makes this situation even more frustrating is that the installer failed on a fresh system. It was a custom-built design machine, assembled and configured by myself. The only software that had been installed on it prior to Design Premium was Firefox, an FTP client and the start of my problems, trial versions of various CS4 programs. I used trials just long enough to retire the previous design computer so that I wouldn't contravene the EULA's stipulation of not running more than one instance of software at the same time on different machines.  Turns out being honest once again penalised a legal customer.
    If there is just thing users should learn from my far from unique tale of failed tech support it's that if you ever run into a problem with the installation, don't bother calling TS, just reformat and start from scratch.  It might seem like it'll take longer to get going again, but in actuality, it's the opposite. Reformatting means you'll be up and running in about 1 or 2 days rather than 2 weeks.
    Marc

  • Ordered 15" Macbook Pro Retina from AAFES/backordered from vendor

    Just wanted to kow if anyone has had this or similar issue ordering from the AAFES (Army Air Force Exchange Service) online store. Follows is my situation and the frustration I am currently experiencing. If anyone can give my some feedback or insight, I would appreciate it because I am getting nowhere with AAFES and I am at my wit's end. Who exactly is the "vendor" for AAFES and why would a Macbook Pro be on backorder for over a month?
    I ordered the 15" MBP w/Retina display, Intel Core i7, 2.6GHz, 512GB on 26 October and was given an estimated ship date of 2 November. I also ordered an external drive and Apple Care. The first issue was that the external drive I ordered was no longer available from Apple and I never received any word from AAFES until I contacted them when the "estimated" ship date had come and gone. Then, after extensive email traffic to and from service reps with AAFES, I finally was informed that the MBP was backordered until 26 November. Long story short, after the "estimated" ship date has changed three times, I am now being told that the MBP is backordered until 3 December. I am a deployed US Soldier in Afghanistan and in addition to the inconvenience of not having a working computer to commuicate back home and the fact that the shipment of anything with lithium batteries has been banned, I have had to do business with AAFES knowing that they are notorious for horrendous customer service, but they are the only company that can get me a computer that is close to what I want here to an APO address. To date, AAFES has had my 2700+ dollars for over a month and I can get no clear answer to when I will receive my MBP or if the backorder date will continue to move further into December. Does ANYONE know who their "vendor" is and a way to know why this item is backordered?  

    Hey there Ian.S,
    It sounds like you would like to know now to transfer your data from one MacBook to another. You can indeed use a Time Machine backup to transfer the data, and there are a couple of other options as well when using the Migration Assistant. This article will help you determine the best option for you, and walk you through the process:
    OS X: How to migrate data from another Mac using Mavericks
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5872
    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
    Take care,
    Sterling

  • Cannot connect to App Store since 10.8.1

    Hi there,
    Brand new retina MBP, running 10.8.1 (updated via the app store).
    Tried accessing the App Store after the update and I'm consistently rewarded with the frustrating error message 'Cannot connect to the App Store. An internet connection is required'. My internet connection is working and I'm posting on the computer in question (The only perculiar thing is that Diablo isn't letting me sign in either - it was working earlier, I don't know if thats related)
    I've been searching online for a solution for a few hours now and I've read almost every thread in this forum on the topic, to no avail.
    I've turned my firewall off
    I don't have an anti-virus
    My 'Allow Applications' is set to Mac App Store and identified developers
    I've deleted cache's and plists
    I've reset my machine multiple times
    I've reset my router
    I've reset safari and its caches
    Changed MTU size
    I've changed the class 3 certificates to always trust
    I've changed the class 3 certificates to system defaults
    I've enabled debug mode and reset the App store
    This whole situation is super frustrating for a brand new computer, I'm hoping someone can help me out.

    Hi,
    I've done everything except erase and clean install. I've sent a note to Apple so we'll see what happens there. Here's a list of what I e done already:
    steps:
    Connected to App Store (via MacBook Air) running 10.6.8.
    Upgraded to 10.8.2 via App Store.
    I went to look for updates and I get the "can't connect,etc"
    So I restored back to 10.6.8 time machine backup...and verified I could connect.
    Tried to upgrade again: same result.
    All other wifi connections appear normal and App Store browsing is fine except in updates area.
    Steps I took to resolve:
    Through terminal...activated the debug menu--reset app, cleared cache
    Restarted --  no change
    Created admin test user account
    Verified that issue persists across users
    Accessed App Store updates loads normally using a different MacBook Air (connected to same network) running 10.8.2
    Repaired permissions on problem volume
    Verified that no firewall or parental controls are blocking anything
    Added alternate DNS entries -- no change
    Restarted
    I'm trying to avoid doing a clean install to obvious reasons. But sometimes that's what it takes.
    Thanks

  • N5800 bad phone - Have you had these problems?

    I'm a very happy owner of the world's worst mobile - Nokia 5800 - a smart phone with absolutely no reliability.
    So far it has helped me so much that, if I had my pockets full of pencils, I could eventually substitute them for the Nokia.
    Here are some simple everyday situations where the frustration of having a nokia kicks in really fast:
    Few days ago:
    Situation: Must go from A to B by train.
    Problem: Don't know when train comes.
    Solution: Nokia 5800 web browser, train time table site.
    Obstacle: "Memory Full. Please go and jump out of your window"
    Solution II: Not using Nokia.
    Two days ago:
    Situation: Three electricity counter readings must be submitted.
    Problem: No paper and no pen in pockets, only Nokia.
    Solution: Take a photo, simple as that.
    Obstacle: Tried to view the photo, but the media button randomly didn't work. Restarted and it works again. Now why would a media button randomly stop working??
    Obstacle II: Phone is restarting for ages.
    Solution II: Not using Nokia. Use -- paper!!, simple as that.
    Some time ago:
    Situation: Need to know what time is it.
    Problem: No watch on my hand, only Nokia in pocket.
    Solution: Unlock the keypad and see what time is it.
    Obstacle: On sliding the touch lock the screen goes black and the phone starts to vibrate and does not stop, making me embarrassed to the people standing by, because now I have vibrating **bleep** in my hands!!!!
    Solution II: Take out the battery, consider putting the phone in the trashbin, not using Nokia.
    Ask what time is to the old lady while Nokia restarts as the old lady crosses the WHOLE COUNTRY!!
    Not so long ago:
    Situation: Must make an important phone call.
    Problem: People don't make phone calls by brainwaves, now do they?
    Obstacle:Made the phonecall, said "Hello" and <zappp>, no more phonecall, the phone randomly restarts. Now it never had been so bold before this.!! I thought it has a phone call protection against rebooting during a phonecall, but NOOOOO, it of course doesn't wooork.
    Solution II:Not use Nokia.
    Yesterday:
    Situation: Insurance company must have sent me an invoice.
    Problem: Out of curiosity can't resist checking email while mobile.
    Solution: Open e-mail account, press the Connect button.
    Obstacle: The Connect button does not respond.
    Solution II: Press it harder, TWICE!!!!
    Obstacle: The screen fades out and the phone restarts.
    Solution III: Not use Nokia.
    Before a week:
    Situation: Must find an address I don't know, and reach it.
    Problem: Don't know where it is.
    Solution: Use Nokia Maps, oh excuse me, OVI maps.
    Obstacle: The search returns no results. Now, how can you not find this??? Blahblah street 143 - what's there not to find??
    Solution II: Not use Nokia, use Google Maps (definitely not on Nokia). Found it.!!
    Long time ago, and guess why long... :
    Situation: Let's enjoy some great music on this not-nokia-sony-ericsson Bluetooth headset by using the ultra-fabulous NokiaTrashPress XMusicPerience, it's supposed to be great, isn't it?
    Solution: Pair Headset to Nokia 5800, and turn on the music player.
    Success!! - it works ow wowowowowowowwowow i'm so freakin' excited.
    Obstacle: The second track made no sound.
    Solution II: Check what's wrong.
    Obstacle II: The media player has shut down by itself.
    Solution III: Not use Nokia!!!!!
    And I could write many more of these..
    Now, I have performed countless hard resets, trying to optimize every little bit. SOO little applications installed!!
    Symbian platform brings a great idea within itself. But it just doesn't work on Nokia phones..
    Didn't Nokia invent this Symbian? Then why doesn't it work???
    And this has been so far my experience with any Nokia Symbian phone regardless of the price, regardless of the market segment, regardless of the phase of the moon.
    And I am very suspicious that the same is going to be with Symbian^3 5 7 9  whatever...
    I just don't care anymore...
    My next cellphone budget goes to either Apple or Windows mobile, Android, HTC or anything else that's not Symbian and not even close to a NOKIA, because Nokia it's just a parody of a cell phone, no wonder why the USA and Japanese market doesn't love Nokia, not just because most of them are very ugly, just because they don't work....

    @Sentiment - not sure if your first language is English but that came out as insulting, but a valid question nonetheless.
    @mj - I never had all those problems and my 5800 works great, and quite perfectly as advertised. Could you tell us on what firmware your phone is (see by dialling *#0000#), and get back at us. Also, what is the phone's product code (seen at a sticker underneath the battery compartment.
    If you find my post helpful please click the green star on the left under the avatar. Thanks.

  • Macbook 5,2 to TV problems

    I have a Macbook 5,2 (model A1181) with Intel core 2 Duo, Nvidia Geforce 9400M. I purchased an Apple mini-DVI (D-Shape) to video adapter. I also purchased an S-Video cable to connect to my CRT TV.
    Although the mac flashes (blue ?) for a moment as if it's detecting something, it doesn't seem to start up a second display, there is only the LCD icon in the menu bar.
    I returned the S-Video cable and bought an RCA cable instead, the apple adapter has both. The same thing happens.
    When i look at the system profile for the video card, it shows that Mirror is off and the status = no display connected.
    How can i make this work ? Is there software that will turn on mirroring ? Does this model support TV-Out ?

    Thanks for the help. I have to come to the conclusion that it doesn't work. It's a mystery to me why they have a single port type that on some notebooks outputs analog and on others, outputs digital. Or at least i think that's the situation. So frustrating. And a bad design, very inconsistent. I would go so far as saying it's false advertising on Apple's part.
    Now i have to take my adapter back to the store

  • My iMovie will not open

    I have been using my iMovie 09 successfully for quite some time. Now all of a sudden it will not open. "quit unexpectedly" is what I get. I have restarted my computer making sure that there are no other programs running.. and still. No good. Anybody have any ideas?

    wow...fortunately (and I use that term VERY loosely), I bought apple-care which cost me a pretty penny. Anyway, there's no way to get a hold of anyone. The phone center in Asia is not open and it's outside business hours in the US. So, to summarize: I should have taken the money it cost me to buy this thing and gotten two PCs, an amazing anti-virus program AND a program for video editing. The whole point in buying a MAC was to avoid this very situation.
    VERY FRUSTRATING!!
    sorry, just had to rant a little.

  • Intunes won't start - no error message

    I have two problems:
    a. my iPod has been frozen for about three weeks now.
    b. iTunes 7 will not start
    more information:
    a. The iPod began freezing for a few seconds at a time, unfreezing itself randomly if I kept spinning my finger around the buttons. The frozen time kept getting longer and longer, until it reached its permanent state of unresponsiveness. It seems that it may think it's stuck on "hold" for some reason. Anyway, this is not the iPod forum, so to make a long story short, I've tried every possible solution I could find to unfreeze my iPod, except the "restore" option, which I need iTunes 7 to ultilize.
    b. After trying to update to iTunes 7, I double click on the icon, and I get an hourglass for a few seconds, then nothing. If I press ctrlaltdel and watch it in the "processes" tab, it disappears after about two seconds from the processes list after double clicking. I get no error messages.
    Quicktime 7 works fine.
    iTunes 6 still works on my commputer, but I have tried every way of installing iTunes 7 I could think of or find, without success, including:
    1. uninstalling every iTunes/Quicktime component I could find on my hard drive. I've followed the directions here http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93976 as well as searching my hard drives for any files that might might be associated with iTunes or quicktime. also tried following directions here http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302386
    2. I read in one discussion forum that a virus protection program may be the culprit. I have McAfee Internet Security Center 2006. I tried disabling that before I installed, and when that didn't work, I tried uninstalling the anti-virus software, restarting, then installing iTunes, which didn't work either.
    I've spent about 14 hours so far trying every possible way I could think of to install iTunes differently, or change any settings that might be conflicting, to no avail.
    I really hate Apple right now.
      Windows XP Pro  

    Hi alphaleonis,
    Your situation is very frustrating. I hope I can help. Here are 2 other thing to try.
    1) Install from a new XP user as a permissions or user issue test
    2) If you had not specifically done so, per the article, Trouble installing iTunes or QuickTime software in Windows, reference to "see 'Using MSCONFIG to troubleshoot conflicts in Windows' for assistance disabling conflicting processes.", follow KB 302538 after complete uninstall of the Apple Software Update, iTunes, Quicktime and any iPod Updater software you still have installed.
    Then attempt install of iTunes from itunessetup.exe saved locally to your desktop. Do not use the RUN option, use save.
    Hope this helps,
    Generik
    PowerMac G4/Dell Precision WS 370, XP Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

  • IPod mounting issues with iTunes 7.0.2

    My computer is having trouble mounting my iPod. Initially, I thought the problem lied with the iPod since files appeared corrupted. But the files returned and iPod diagnostics gave it a healthy status. Today, my external firewire drive did not mount; yet the attached iPod appeared in Windows Explorer. In other words, the iPod attached to the external drive appeared while the drive was MIA. Weird!
    After dis/reconnect the firewire cable, the external drive appeared, but the iPod faltered. Then I dis/reconnect the iPod and it appeared.
    My music is on the external hard drive, which creates a problem for iTunes when the drive disappears. Basically, the iPod and the external drive need to be visible and accessible; or iTunes eats into CPU usage and resources. It’s even causing random blue screen of deaths, which do not occur with a disconnected iPod and external drive. These scenarios were apparent after upgrading to iTunes version 7.
    Update: I have deleted all temp files; stopped the iPod service; uninstalled iTunes 7.0.2; deleted the iTunes folders; ran defrag and chkdsk several times; reinstall iTunes 7.0.2; and tried multiple cables and firewire/USB ports.
    With iTunes removed, Windows XP instantly recognizes the iPod and external drive with no problem. After the iTunes 7.0.2 installation, the iPod goes on the brink. The situation has me frustrated beyond belief. Right now, I cannot recommend upgrading to iTunes 7.0.2 on Windows XP.
    Please advice on these scenarios before I roll back to iTunes version 6.

    I finally gave up on iTunes 7. After uninstalling iTunes 7 and reinstalling iTunes 6, my iPod became more reliable and Windows XP would consistently mount it. Even though iTunes 7 is well conceived, I founded considerably slower than version 6. The slowdown becomes apparent when iTunes automatically starts with connecting an iPod. Syncing the iPod with a large music database will cause a slowdown; even a crash.
    I do not believe that iTunes is multi-threading well on Windows XP. My other syncing applications do not put a strain on my computer’s resources. My computer handles Photoshop 10 megapixel processing and a 2 gigs bi-directional sync over my network without a hiccup. iTune grinds my computer to a halt with just a 2 gigs syncing to the iPod. In addition, all startup items were disabled in the troubleshooting process.
    Even though features like the Summary tabs and view by album art appeal to me, I will hold off on the iTunes 7 upgrade in place of speed and reliability. I have a couple recommendations as well. These suggestions are for people with large music databases and a large number of hard drive and firewire devices.
    TURN ON – Automatically update selected playlist only
    TURN OFF – Open iTunes when this iPod is attached
    If you restore you iPod, leave your computer alone for several hours while iTunes fills up a large capacity iPod. It took me all weekend to reload my iPod.

  • Another W530 Review

    Lenovo Thinkpad W530 Review
    by Djembe
    One of the longest and most enduring brands in computers is Thinkpad.  Originally developed by IBM in the USA, Thinkpad notebook computers are now manufactured by the Chinese company Lenovo.  The W series debuted in 2009 as the highest-end Thinkpads offered.  They came with the same patented Thinkpad technologies, such as an internal rollcage and shock-mounted hard drives.  However, they also offered competitive workstation-class graphics cards with drivers optimized for professional graphics work. 
    The W530 is the latest in that line, and it looks almost identical to its predecessor, the W520, with three differences.  Two of these differences are ports: thefull-size DisplayPort of the W520 was replaced with a mini DisplayPort in the W530 and eSATA was eliminated.  The third change is the most noticeable and it has caused some consternation among Thinkpad traditionalists: the traditional Thinkpad keyboard has been replaced by a chiclet-style keyboard with one fewer row.  Does the new keyboard live up to its predecessor?  And is the notebook as a whole a worthwhile addition to the Thinkpad lineup?  Read on to find out. 
    Specs
    My W530 came with the following specifications:
     Intel Core i7-3720QM processor
    Nvidia K2000M graphics
    15.6” 1920x1080 screen
    500GB 7200RPM hard drive
    4GB memory
    Bluetooth 4.0
    Intel Ultimate 6300 wireless card
    DVD burner
    9-cell battery
    Since Lenovo (like virtually every other configurable computer company) vastly overcharges for memory upgrades, I upgraded the memory and storage myself.  Lenovo provides an excellent installation guide for how to do this, which includes instructions for how to replace even the most difficult of items.  Upgrading to a system-maximum 32GB RAM and a 256GB Samsung 830 series SSD was a simple operation. 
    Design and Build Quality
    Lenovo advertises that Thinkpads are designed to withstand use by the military.  While they are not marketed as rugged notebooks, Thinkpads are expected to be well-built, high quality systems.  In general, the W530 does not disappoint in this.  The chassis is very rigid and does a very good job of protecting the internal components.   I was only able to make the screen image distort when pushing very hard on the back of the lid, and even then, I could only make the image distort when I pressed close to the upper corners.  The hinges are solid and easily hold the notebook lid open at any angle.  Vigorous shaking will cause the screen angle to shift, but it never appears to be the slightest bit wobbly or unsteady.  There is minimal flex anywhere in the chassis.  The W530 is a very well built machine.  The only potential detraction from perfection is that there does seem to be a small amount of wiggle room around the 9-cell battery (which protrudes approximately an inch out the back of the system), but I had no difficulty at all in holding the system up only by the battery and rocking it back and forth.  No disconnections occurred and nothing gave any hint of coming apart or breaking.  As a result, I can confidently say that the small amount of wiggle around the battery does nothing to mar the stellar build quality of the W530. 
    As to design, Thinkpads have looked basically the same for the last 10 years or longer, so you know what to expect.  At 1.4 inches think, the system is almost twice as thick as many Ultrabooks, but still thinner than some gaming systems with similar performance.  You won’t find aluminum highlights or lighted logos on the W530, but the matte black W530 has an understated look that is appropriate in most environments. 
    Screen
    The screen on a notebook is an important aspect, since it’s what you’ll be looking at for the majority of the time you’re using the system (except when you’ve got it attached to an external display).  Lenovo offers three screen options for the W530, and I chose the high-resolution 1920x1080 matte display option.  The higher-end screen also has increased brightness over Lenovo’s other screen options, up to 270 nits.  The screen is model number B156HW01 v4 from AU Optronics, which was also used in the last two generations of W-series Thinkpads: the W510 and W520.  So why did they use the same screen?  As the saying goes, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.  The screen is bright enough that I only use it on full brightness if I’m using it outside.  For the record, it is sunlight-readable at maximum brightness, although it has a tendency to look a little washed out in bright sunlight.  In all other circumstances, the screen looks very good.  It also has good viewing angles, maintaining color integrity (no color inversion) even at extreme horizontal angles.  Vertical angles are not as forgiving, but the screen definitely has a much larger “sweet spot” than most, it is evenly lit (less than 10% difference between brightest spot and dimmest spot, according to Notebook Check), and its 95% Adobe RGB color gamut means colors are rich and vibrant. 
    Keyboard, Touchpad, and Trackpoint
    The keyboard is new for this year’s Thinkpads, and even though it loses a row of function keys, it retains the comfort and ease of typing found on previous Thinkpad keyboards.  The keys have adequate travel and typing is an effortless experience.  I find myself making significantly less typing mistakes due to accidental keypresses or overlaps while using the W530 than with most other computers that I’ve used.  And it comes with an additional bonus: the new keyboard, unlike the previous one, is backlit.  The backlighting is customizable in three steps: low backlight, high backlight, and Thinklight, a small light built into the lid that shines down on the keyboard area.  Personally, I find the Thinklight somewhat distracting, since it highlights my hands much more effectively than it highlights the keys underneath them.  However, the keyboard backlighting is done very well and allows for easy key identification in any lighting conditions. 
    The touchpad is textured, and easily accommodates multitouch gestures.  However, I prefer smooth touchpads and the one on the W530 does not seem as responsive as some of the Asus touchpads I’ve used.  For most gaming or other situations where precise control is needed, I would elect for an external mouse.  However, in its favor, the W530 has dedicated touchpad buttons – two sets, no less!  Another of my personal preferences is that I abhore clickpads.  As an example, I find using Macbook Pros to be annoying due to the fact that you need to press down on the whole clickpad in order to register an action.  The twin sets of left and right click buttons on the W530 are easy to press and responsive. 
    Additionally, since this is a Thinkpad, it contains a little round nub between the G and H keys that allows for alternate cursor control.  It’s called a trackpoint, and is one of the IBM-patented features that is found in a number of business notebooks today.  I very rarely use this while websurfing or working with productivity applications, but I found it to be significantly more useful than the touchpad while playing Portal 2 and I ended up using the trackpoint throughout the game. 
    Connections
    The W530 has a full selection of ports.  On the right side of the notebook, you can find the DVD tray, Ethernet, the combined headphone/microphone port, a card reader, and an ExpressCard slot.  The left side holds 3 USB ports, two of which are the latest USB 3.0 spec.  Also on the left side are VGA, mini DisplayPort, IEEE 1394 (Firewire), a hardware wireless switch, and the exhaust vent.  The vent makes a very effective hand warmer, if you are doing anything resource-intensive.  On the back, in addition to the battery, there is the power plug and a yellow USB 2.0 port that can remain powered even when the system is turned off in order to easily charge cell phones, tablets, or other USB-powered peripherals. 
    Performance
    Three years ago, the first time I tested a system with a quad-core processor, I was disappointed because there was no noticeable performance increase.   Intel has done some improvements with their quads since then and the i7-3720 performs admirably.  Its default clock speed is 2.6 Ghz, however it happily will use Turbo Boost to overclock up to 3.6 Ghz as the cooling allows.  Under maximum load with all cores via Prime 95, the CPU still maintains an overclock to 3 Ghz.  I must mention, though, that this is all when the system is plugged in.  In order to preserve battery life, Lenovo has limited the CPU to slightly under half its default clock speed while on battery power.  This means that even with a high CPU load, the processor will not go faster than 1.2 Ghz while on battery.  To benchmark the processor, I used Geekbench, an OS-agnostic CPU performance benchmark tool.  The i7-3720QM scored 10870 plugged in and only 4100 when unplugged, so the difference in CPU capacity is clear.  But even with this difference, I have found that this limitation actually has comparatively little effect on my usage while on battery.  Games, for instance, run perfectly well on battery power.  For those who need more processing power unplugged, you can remove this limitation with a program called Throttle Stop.  Of course, it goes without saying that running heavy CPU-intensive programs will drastically reduce the battery life. 
    The W530 comes with an Nvidia Quadro K2000M and uses Nvidia’s Optimus graphics switching to go between the dedicated graphics and the integrated Intel 4000 graphics, according to program need.  In my experience, Optimus seems to switch graphics adapters in a logical manner according to program need, but in the case that it chooses the wrong graphics adapter for the program you need, you can set up program-specific preferences to use either integrated or dedicated graphics as desired.  The K2000M is based on Nvidia’s Kepler architecture and 28nm process technology.  As a professional GPU, it is aimed more at content creation than content consumption.  Still, the K2000M is a capable midrange graphics card, able to play all the latest games at medium-high settings.  The K2000M has comparable performance to the Fermi-based 560M and is a little bit less powerful than the Kepler-based 650M.  Portal 2 can be played at fluid framerates at native resolution and maximum settings.  Starcraft 2 is playable on native resolution at maximum settings, but some more demanding sections are not fluid (30+ FPS), so I lowered to high settings and everything runs smoothly.  Civilization 5 runs smoothly at medium-high settings, and Dragon Age: Origins works well at near maximum settings, all on native resolution.  The system scores right around 2000 points in 3DMark 11, varying from 1970 to 2053. 
    The Samsung 830 SSD contributes a lot toward making the system feel fast.  The system boots in approximately 32 seconds from pressing the power button to everything loaded in the Windows desktop and shuts down in 14 seconds.  On battery power, these numbers rise slightly with 45 seconds to start and 17 seconds to shut down.  The SSD also allows for higher scores in PCMark 7.  And speaking of PCMark 7, I experienced a curious thing when running the benchmark multiple times on two different W530 units.  The first W530 provided a very respectable top score of 4910 in the benchmark, which is roughly the same as scores by the new Retina Macbook Pro.  However, the second W530 on which I ran the benchmark netted a score of 6765, which is, as of the date of this review,  the highest score among systems with the Intel Core i7 3720QM processor. 
    Audio
    The W530 comes with Dolby Home Theater v4, which allows music and video to sound quite good.  There are three presets as well as a graphic equalizer that comes with the software.  While bass is lacking compared to any dedicated speakers, this is a common situation in notebooks and bass in the W530 is better than most.  Overall, the W530 has very acceptable audio at reasonable volume. 
    Heat and Noise
    The fan on the W530 is always on by default, and its 2700RPM minimum rotation speed is loud enough to be noticeable in a quiet room.  Under maximum load, the fan can ramp up to 4200RPM, which makes it louder but never really unpleasant.  Still, in order to reduce the fan noise when the system did not need it, I installed Thinkpad Fan Control, which allowed me to set my own temperature points and fan speed levels.  As a result, the notebook is completely quiet as long as the processor is under 55 degrees Celsius.  Further, the fan is very effective and able to quickly cool the processor and video card without significantly heating up the rest of the chassis.  Under maximum load (Prime 95 + Furmark), the keyboard only felt slightly warm, and the only really hot area on the notebook was immediately above the exhaust vent.  Under normal use, the notebook remains cool and as comfortable to use on my lap as it is on a table. 
    Battery Life
    My W530 came with a 9-cell battery rated for 94 Watt-hours.  While playing games such as Starcraft 2, the battery lasts approximately 2 hours.  Playing DVDs at full brightness with the K2000M resulted in approximately 4 hours of battery life.  Web surfing at half brightness results in 7-8 hours battery life, depending on surfing habits.  And very light web surfing, note taking, and word processing at half brightness results in 9 hours of battery life.  That number can be extended all the way up to 11 hours at minimum brightness.  Basically, the W530 can last an entire business day unplugged as long as it was not needed for anything very resource-intensive. 
    Customer Service, Support, Repair and Replacement
    Typically, a review would not include a section on support.  However, something happened to my initial W530 unit and I can provide a perspective on Lenovo’s support experience.  The problem that developed was a failure of the Intel 4000 integrated graphics.  All other systems and components, including the quad-core processing cores on the i7-3720QM, worked fine.  However, running only on the Nvidia graphics caused the battery life to be affected (6 hours maximum, compared to 11 hours maximum running on Intel graphics), and so I called Lenovo.  The service tech to whom I spoke remoted into my computer and looked at the recent Windows updates I had downloaded.  He suggested that I restore to an earlier point prior to the Windows updates, and if that did not work, to call back and Lenovo would fix it.  Needless to say, it did not work and I called back.  The service rep sent a box for the computer to be sent to the EasyServ repair depot. 
    I sent the box out the following day with my computer, and did not see my system again for over a month.  The online status listings for my system changed from “being repaired” to “waiting for customer information” at least 4 times during that period.  Since I was frequently checking the status in hope that my computer would be repaired and sent back to me quickly, I called Lenovo whenever I saw that the status was “waiting for customer information.”  As a result, I was able to follow along with the story of how my computer’s repair was progressing.  It went something like this:  First, the techs re-imaged my hard drive (I sent the machine back with all the original parts, keeping my upgrades until I got it back).  That did not fix the issue (which I could have told them, since I tried using different drives myself before calling Lenovo) and led to the first “hold for customer information.”  At no point during any of these holds did they actually need any information from me, but it seems to be the universal code they chose to use for “waiting for [whatever].”  First, they were waiting to escalate it to a higher level tech.  Then, I was told I needed a new motherboard and they were waiting on the new board.  Then, I was told that the new motherboard did not work and they were referring the system to a design team.  Then, the design team discovered that they shipped and installed the wrong new motherboard and it needed a different one.  Then, I was told that the different new motherboard was backordered and it would take longer to arrive. 
    During the first four weeks that they had my system, I called Lenovo maybe six or seven times, and they did not call me once.  The situation was rather frustrating.  However, after approximately four weeks, one of the service reps gave me the phone number of a specific employee, who informed me that since my repair had taken so long, Lenovo was going to replace my computer.  He said a member of Lenovo’s Executive Replacement Team would call me to set up the replacement.  A week later, I was able to talk to the Executive Replacement Team member, who confirmed the specifications of my unit and said the replacement computer would arrive in 2-3 weeks.  Two days later, I got my original computer back from the depot.  Thankfully, I was then able to use the original system until the new one arrived.  Now, I am typing this review on the new system and everything works well. 
    Lenovo’s customer service staff were unexceptionally friendly and helpful.  I spoke to a number of them, and each and every one was courteous and willing to help.  Lenovo’s replacement staff were also easy to talk to, responsive, and effective.  The EZServ repair techs, however, appear to leave something to be desired.  I bought a 3 year warranty , including Thinkpad Protection and on-site service.  If anything goes wrong again with my Thinkpad, I am going to insist on the on-site service option. 
    Value & Recommendation
    The Lenovo Thinkpad W530 is a well-built notebook with very good performance, thermal design, and battery life.  Very few computers manage all of these together, and the down side of the W530 is price: it is more expensive than other systems with similar performance.  Still, I believe the extra price is justified by what the computer delivers: a solid system with no compromises. 
    You should buy one too if:
    You want a system that will last a number of years
    You need a combination of excellent performance and excellent battery life
    Consider something else if:
    You’re on a strict budget and want the most performance for the money
    You want a computer with a style that will turn heads
    Thinkpad W530, i7-3720QM, 1920x1080 screen, 32GB RAM, dual SSDs (Samsung 830, Crucial M4 mSATA), Quadro K2000M, 9-cell battery, DVD burner, backlit keyboard, Bluetooth, Intel 6300 wireless card

    I used 1600Mhz Corsair Vengeance RAM. You can either get it in matched sets or in single modules.
    The default system RAM is made by Samsung and also runs at 1600Mhz.
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    access-list no_nat extended permit ip 10.1.24.0 255.255.254.0 10.1.250.0 255.255.255.0
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    access-list dmz_in extended permit tcp 10.1.35.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.20.0 255.255.254.0
    access-list dmz_in extended permit tcp 10.1.35.0 255.255.255.0 any eq ftp
    access-list dmz_in extended permit tcp 10.1.35.0 255.255.255.0 any eq 990
    access-list dmz_in extended permit tcp 10.1.35.0 255.255.255.0 any range 53000 53010
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    pager lines 24
    logging enable
    logging timestamp
    logging buffered warnings
    logging asdm warnings
    logging facility 22
    mtu outside 1500
    mtu inside 1500
    mtu dmz 1500
    icmp permit any inside            
    asdm image disk0:/asdm-509.bin
    asdm history enable
    arp timeout 14400
    global (outside) 1 interface
    nat (inside) 0 access-list no_nat
    nat (inside) 1 10.1.20.0 255.255.254.0
    nat (inside) 1 10.1.24.0 255.255.254.0
    nat (dmz) 0 access-list no_nat
    nat (dmz) 1 10.1.35.0 255.255.255.0
    static (inside,outside) 2.2.2.10 10.1.20.1 netmask 255.255.255.255
    static (inside,outside) 2.2.2.11 10.1.20.13 netmask 255.255.255.255
    static (dmz,outside) 2.2.2.14 10.1.35.5 netmask 255.255.255.255
    static (inside,dmz) 10.1.20.0 10.1.20.0 netmask 255.255.254.0
    static (dmz,inside) 10.1.35.0 10.1.35.0 netmask 255.255.255.0
    access-group outside_acl in interface outside
    access-group inside_acl in interface inside
    access-group dmz_in in interface dmz
    route outside 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 2.2.2.1 1
    route inside 10.1.24.0 255.255.254.0 10.1.20.1 1
    timeout xlate 3:00:00
    timeout conn 1:00:00 half-closed 0:10:00 udp 0:02:00 icmp 0:00:02
    timeout sunrpc 0:10:00 h323 0:05:00 h225 1:00:00 mgcp 0:05:00
    timeout mgcp-pat 0:05:00 sip 0:30:00 sip_media 0:02:00
    timeout uauth 0:05:00 absolute            
    username admin password blahblahblah encrypted privilege 15
    http server enable
    http 10.1.4.0 255.255.255.0 outside
    http 10.1.5.0 255.255.255.0 outside
    http 172.16.31.0 255.255.255.0 outside
    http 100.100.100.0 255.255.255.0 outside
    http 10.1.24.0 255.255.254.0 inside
    http 10.1.20.0 255.255.254.0 inside
    http 10.1.5.0 255.255.255.0 inside
    no snmp-server location
    no snmp-server contact
    snmp-server enable traps snmp authentication linkup linkdown coldstart
    crypto ipsec transform-set ESP-3DES-SHA esp-3des esp-sha-hmac
    crypto map outside 100 match address ltl_irvine_to_va
    crypto map outside 100 set peer Virginia
    crypto map outside 100 set transform-set ESP-3DES-SHA
    crypto map outside interface outside
    isakmp enable outside
    isakmp policy 30 authentication pre-share
    isakmp policy 30 encryption 3des
    isakmp policy 30 hash sha          
    isakmp policy 30 group 2
    isakmp policy 30 lifetime 86400
    isakmp policy 65535 authentication pre-share
    isakmp policy 65535 encryption 3des
    isakmp policy 65535 hash sha
    isakmp policy 65535 group 2
    isakmp policy 65535 lifetime 86400
    tunnel-group Virginia type ipsec-l2l
    tunnel-group Virginia ipsec-attributes
    pre-shared-key *
    telnet 10.1.24.93 255.255.255.255 inside
    telnet timeout 5
    ssh 100.100.100.0 255.255.255.0 outside
    ssh timeout 60
    console timeout 0
    class-map inspection_default
    match default-inspection-traffic
    policy-map global_policy      
    class inspection_default
      inspect dns maximum-length 512
      inspect ftp
      inspect h323 h225
      inspect h323 ras
      inspect netbios
      inspect rsh
      inspect rtsp
      inspect skinny
      inspect esmtp
      inspect sqlnet
      inspect sunrpc
      inspect tftp
      inspect sip
      inspect xdmcp
    service-policy global_policy global
    Cryptochecksum:c6546262ff82a0b8748f0cbbb189194f
    : end

    Please add this ACL entry on the "outside_acl"
    access-list outside_acl extended permit ip any host 2.2.2.14
    let me know, if this helps.
    thanks

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