Why I have lost faith in Apple.

Question

Hello,
My name is Matthew, and I'm an apple service technician working in Australia. I just wanted to post a topic expressing my utter frustration with Apple inc. As a Apple Technician I am obviously exposed to thousands of Mac's and apple products with issues each month, and as an apple certified technician i was proud to be representing a company that I thought stood for innovation and more importantly a company which was in touch with its end user. I would always defend apple in any context, wether that be it's support for open source standards to its superior OS.
All of this changed when I recently bought an Apple TV. First time I plugged it in was in a friends enhanced def widescreen CRT, it wouldn't stay synced. Even worse The apple TV magnetized the CRT's panel, distorting the color to one side. I was left a little red faced, trying to explain the concept of magnetic shielding to my friend and assuring him that this must be a odd lemon. I contacted apple and put the apple TV in for repair.
I was eagerly awaiting my replacement, and it arrived today. I brought it home, and plugged it in. The Apple TV, like the first one would not connect to my wifi network. It won't connect to it using WEP, WPA or even an open network. Where as my macbook and my partners macbook pro both show full network signal. I had a spare (Dlink wireless g) router on hand, so i thought i would shelf my current (linksys wireless g) router and give the Dlink a shot. Same issue. Will not connect.
So I contaced Apple support. They put me through to an "apple TV specialist". Who basically treated me like I was an idiot. He told me that Apple "does not guarantee that the apple tv will be able to connect to a wireless network" I told him that as a service technician - if a client brings in a macbook that won't connect to multiple wifi networks (using different routers) then we either diagnose the machine to have a faulty airport card or a corrupt system. And NEWS - the apple TV is just a mac. It uses the same hardware as a mac, it uses the SAME airport cards as a mac. There is NO REASON why it should not connect to a wireless network.
His solution - "I'm sorry, i can't help you unless you buy an apple router".
I was left upset. Because, i felt like apple had just spat in my face. I didn't buy an apple tv (and pay over $400) only to be slugged with a bill for a router. My router works just fine. It works with every single device known to me except my apple TV. Why should I have to buy an apple router to make their product work? It makes no sense. Same hardware, different router brans, and second apple tv with same result.
I will not buy one more single apple product, and i'm resigning from my position.
I thought apple stood for more.... For someone who has spent the last 3 years of their life living apple only to be treated like this. It's just not right.

Answer 1

Former_fanboy,
Focus on your network setups and interference oth hardware and software contributed. don't dwell on what I said and find flaws with what I said. Mine is a very complicated network. I had to work hard for three days to get it ironed out but I did. It was interference and software setup.
I'm not saying that the CRT problem is going to go away but I do say that it was most likely a top priority to check. How many people would buy an Apple TV and connect it to a CRT, a type of TV which in the USA is going to go away very soon.
I have no issues with Take 2: I use a TC as my main router and wireless N 5 GHZ with two Extreme N bridged and set up for wireless N+B/G at 2.4 GHZ. One Express connects to one of the bridged routers with an xbox360 wireless to that Express. A HP laserjet USB to one of the bridged. Vonage to one of the bridged. A Lacie USB external hard drive to the TC. 5 Macs connecting wired and wireless and one windblows notebook.
I'm getting 15M/sec ethernet to TC. 11.15 M/sec wireless to Apple TV. A Powerbook G4 streaming to the Apple TV through one of the bridged routers.
I did not need an Apple technician to set this network up but I did have problems and they are corrected. I might add that darn near all of the problems were user induced. Where to place the hardware(interference) and how to configure the software(interference). That's not Apple's responsibility; its the users. That's why there are people like you, an Apple tech to assist others would need the assistance. This technology is complicated and I don't long for the days gone past because that was complicated also.
Now keep the faith and do your job.