So yesterday, I lugged my recalcitrant powerbook down to iShop at Orchard Cineleisure for a repair job. It was over all quite painless, except that this being my second time dealing with them, I have come to conclude that they might have loads of people coming in with no clue when their stuff malfunctions.
Applecare guy: So what seems to be the problem here?
Me: Well.. there is something wrong with my firewire port. Everytime I plug in a harddisk with an external power source, the casing gets fried. It charges my ipod but the disk does not mount. Same goes for external harddisks which feeds off the FW port. Light turns on, but the disk is not detected.
Applecare guy looks thoughtful for a while. I proffer my iPod and cable to him to demonstrate the point. He plugs it in, battery starts charging.
Applecare guy: Look its charging! Hmmm no disk mounted. Let's wait for a while.
Me: Ok.. (duh) that's what I said right?
iTunes does not start.
Applecare guy looks puzzled. Then he switches the cable, using the one at the shop.
Applecare guy: I don't understand.. if the device is charging, that means the FW port is 'working' why does the disk not mount?
I repeat myself all over again, and end with an invitation for him to plug in one of the shops external hardisks to see if it will fry. He declines the offer.
He repeats himself about not understanding.
Me: Ok.. I'm not the world's firewire expert, but could it be, that of all the pins in the port, the ones supplying power is still active and the one's that deal with the data bit is dead?
Applecare guy takes it in and tells me that they will do a diagnostic test to find out what is wrong and fix it.
This brings me back to the time my hardisk died. I found out about it because Chico and I were using the disk utility application to check my disk. Big red letters in hi caps appeared in the dialogue box. I can't remember what was on it exactly, but it was the gist was, your hard disk is gasping one of its last breaths. You better make sure you back up your data while you can and send it in for repairs pronto.
I took it in to iShop and had one roundabout conversation with another applecare guy.
Applecare guy: So what's wrong?
Me: My hard disk is failing, can i get it changed.
Applecare guy: How do you know?
Me: I used disk utility to check the disk and this is what it said.
Applecare guy: Ok. Can I start it up to check?
Me: Please don't . It hangs when you do that and is terribly slow. Trust me. I have a harddisk failure on my hands.
Applecare guy: Ok . We will do a diagnostic test to find out what is wrong and fix it.
In both cases, I get a phone call from the good people at the shop to tell me that they have run the magical disgnostic tests and tadah! They have found out what the problem is. My firewire port is dead/ my harddisk has failed. They found out leh! Waaah! Thank goodness for those diagnostic tests or I would have no clue at all!
Actually, apart from the fact that they don't believe what I say at face value, I do find service at iShop to be very good. I get a phone call informing me what's going to happen and when I can reasonably expect my powerbook to be back with me.
So in the last three months, I have had a brand new hard disk, and now they are going to change the logic board of my 'book. All free cos I shelled out $618 for an extended warranty. LG says the warranty has already paid for itself and some more too. Yay! Money saved!
Lots of good things happened yesterday too!
LG and I found a neat little tea cafe (Ok.. so i didn't really find it lah. Knew about it via Umami and decided to check it out. I went to shop thinking that I could get what I wanted, but alas my pocket is not so deep as to splash $120 - on a tea cup and saucer! the next best thing was to hang out at the cafe).
Yesterday was Lg and my shopping day. Unfortunately, he didn't get what he was looking for, and I did, after combing five shops from Orchard Road to Raffles Hotel to Raffles City. Eventually found what I wanted, at of all places, OG! We also snooped around the posh food place at Raffles hotel and LG left with some rather expensive jams. We also did the "auntie thing" at People's Park market and bought discounted toiletries!!!! hehehehe.
The
tea cafe was a welcome respite from our afternoon of walking. It was nicely done up, quiet and cool with lovely jazz music. It is great for chilling out. The teas are also very well done and the presentation is very nice. I also ate their famous tea egg, reviewed by umami
here. It is the best tea egg in Singapore. No more pasar malam eggs from now on! Incidentally, I also snacked on a tea egg at the Tangs basement market, so the comparision is is drawn from experience mere hours apart.
I had their lemon grass green tea and LG went for the exotic sounding pineapple tea. Both came with a little side of snacks and in their own serving tray.
And we also ordered stuff like pineapple tarts and tea wings. It was quite an indulgent tea! Service was really good as well. Upon seating, we would be presented with refreshing napkins and a tiny glass of hot water flavoured with lemon. And in such a pretty cup too! Too bad we were only allowed an hour as they had to close for a function later in the evening. but I'll be back again!
