Product Anti-recommendation

Readers may remember that I have twice had to send in my MacBook for repair of a squirrelly hardware issue involving the sleep system. Said issue has now recurred for a third round of trouble. It's going back in for more repairs on the "loop" or "white glove" repair track.

Based on my experience, and on my conversations with the product specialists over at AppleCare, I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone purchase a first generation -- i.e. "Core Duo" (not to be confused with "Core 2 Duo") -- Macbook in any condition. This issue has happened to more computers than just mine, and if it happens to your machine, it cannot be reasonably coped with unless the unit is still under full AppleCare coverage. And even with "free" repair service, the cost in time, effort, and aggravation is substantial. Purchasing one of these MacBooks used would be hardware roulette, and should only be attempted if you're being offered a really good deal. As in, good enough that you'll have got your money's worth within a few months.

EDIT: But I should point out that the people I've dealt with at AppleCare have been pretty cool. I generally loathe dealing with tech support, but the AC folk are mostly not clueless.

WOW

Everyone's family has something of a Greatest Hits collection -- stories that get repeated over and over again, sometimes gaining layers of-- aw, fuckit, you know, all that This American Life intro-sequence bull. Whatever! My point is, there's this great Fagerlunds/Delongs crossover episode from somewhere around 1990 involving a possum living inside a double-paned window in our garage, which I have gotten plenty mileage out of. We just discovered that we have it on video.

I have GOT to find some way to get this sucker uploaded. Watch this space... for frightened men and confused possums in garbage cans.