Inner Tech Genius VS Book Smarts

Dear Apple,

I really understand times are hard and your "Genius" wanted to rape my wallet, but I fended for myself. And succeeded.

My father oddly had an extra hard drive, the exact same model I wanted to replace my MacShit's factory installed drive.

The MacBook came with a Fujistu, 160GB 5200rpm.

Basically, not the best of brands, decent size but could always be bigger (ha) and there are faster speeds available.

I wanted a Western Digital Black Scorpion 320GB 7200 rpm.

He had one.

In a nutshell, WD is more reliable, way more shock absorbent (laptops are meant to be portal and thus increase risk of potential falling). Faster speed, way more space to store stuff and overall, a more reliable piece of equipment.

I learned this through some simple research.

Thankfully, ifixit.com has great tutorials and taking the laptop apart and going through all the twists and turns of formatting/reinstalling OS X was easier than I ever thought.

Took about 2 hours, 1.5 hours of it was software doing its thing while I watched TV.

I decided against cloning the drive contents. I saved pertinent files to USB and loaded the new WD with a clean slate of OS X. I'll have to get an external enclosure for the old hard drive to finish getting my data off it. No big deal, just a USB plug!

My MacBook is working so awesome. The hard drive is reading clear, no known issues, diagnostics coming up clear, running faster. I'm not even bothered by the humming/increased vibration of the 7200rpm like some people on the internet claimed to be. I definitely sense it but it's totally liveable and not a big deal.

The optical drive.. that is yet to be conquered. I need to find one. I'm still trying to figure out if there is a better brand I can get thats more reliable. TBD.

To boot from the OS X CD, I just used an external optical drive, again USB is amazing!

I did follow ifixit.com instructions to remove the optical drive. Talk about a shitload of tiny ass screws! I got the drive out, got the CD out safely, reinstalled the drive, booted the computer back up... no more computer anxiously trying to read a CD with a malfunctioning drive.

The "Genius" told me the CD could not be removed. When he went back into Genius Land (back of store, behind closed doors) he probably just fiddled with his phone/ipod becausec taking that damn thing apart is not a 5 minute task, like it supposedly took him. It took me 20 minutes and I have tiny hands with manual dexterity. I'm convinced he didn't even try.

So when Apple sent me an evaluation, I stated what I was able to do, what I was told couldn't be done and I was able to safely, easily accomplish, and that I did it for 1/1000th of the quoted costs!

So my easily amused, book smart only, common sense lacking self managed to replace my own hard drive, reinstall a fresh copy of OS X, not loose any of my files and upgraded the hardware.

Accomplishment, I think so!

So Inner Tech Genius... meet your evil twin, Book Smarts.

Here is the funny story I promised.

A few months ago boyfriend and I were watching a movie on Cox's free movie thing.

Now, I am typically book smart only. And I also can't follow a plot for shit. I have the attention span of a gold fish on speed, sometimes, and so I easily loose track of the plot.

So, thankfully, most TV shows/movies on digital I can hit the info button and figure out where the plot is kind of going.

Or annoy the shit out of everyone in the room "wait! what happened?!" "I don't get it!"

So........

I pressed the info button.

Screen returns to select a movie.

BF: Why did you touch the remote?

BookSmarts: I've never seen this movie before, I wanted to know what it was about so I could follow it easier...

BF: If you would WATCH the movie, you would KNOW what it is ABOUT.

BF *angrily restarts movie*

He let me catch up on some of the beginning parts.

We finally get back to the point where I decided to hit the info button.

WAAAAAAAAIT FOR IT...

15-20 minutes go by.

I'm lost again.

What do I do?

INFO BUTTON!

Screen goes back to select a movie!

BF: I told you NOT to touch the damn remote! Now we have to start all over again!

BookSmarts: Sorry! I get lost and don't understand the movie!

BF: *hides remote* *restarts movie* *fast forwards*

BookSmarts: *cowards down and fiddles with Blackberry*

So I can replace a hard drive, reinstall software, not lose any files, understand how to dissemble/reassemble MacBook to replace optical drive....BUT I cannot work a remote control and follow a movie for the life of me.