Great machine (ALMOST), Utterly ABYSMAL support

This is not a review slamming my Macbook Pro, but rather to make the consumer aware of a few facts regarding the treatment an Apple customer can expect should you purchase one of their products at the Apple store:

I have had this machine for a full year now. Apple computers have been in my family for quite some time, so I am a bit biased. Regardless of my current feelings towards this cold, hard monolithic corporate entity that draws you in with the "warm, fuzzy" commercials, I will probably never own anything but Mac.

My MacBook Pro is almost 1 year old. Some of the quirks it has are the following- the keyboard squeaks, the deck where my left hand sits as I'm typing is coming loose from the case, I have a flicker in the screen and speaking of the screen, a strange brownish blobular stain that is barely visible, yet still noticeable.

When I purchased this machine, I signed up for the Applecare plan. (additional $350)

The problem with Apple's "repair chain" is that you have to send in your computer for anywhere from 5-10 business days (that's 2 weeks in real-time). I have not had the occasion to send it off until today (Fri. Feb. 9, 2007).

As Murphy's law will strike at any given opportunity, it did and as I was loading up my car this past Wednesday, my bag slipped from my arm and hit the ground. I immediately pulled out the machine and noticed a very slight ding in the upper right corner of the unit. No real damage, just a very slight ripple, barely noticable. This however, was enough to void ALL waranties through Apple computer corporation. So now, I am here with a machine that, until about 4 hours ago, I had the faith that if something went wrong with it (as in logic board frying) I was covered. No more is that a fact.

IF You are planning to buy an Apple product, I would suggest VERY STRONGLY against purchasing it at the "Apple Store". The service is horrendous, and even though they maintain a reservation system, you'll still wait long past your appointment time to be seen. Yes, it's like the Doctor's office. Rather, go to a reseller that has a more "human-friendly" in-house warranty such as Fry's or CompUSA and get it there. The pain I felt (and made known to the staff) was akin to being stabbed in the back (kind of a dull throb and then you are in shock) and coupled with the apathetic attitude that I've felt from Apple employees during my now-defunct realtionship with their storefronts have caused me to devote my entire day warning off the masses from doing ANY business with the "Warm, fuzzy" Apple store. Seriously, don't even buy an iPod from them. Get it somewhere where exchanges are not coupled with a cavalier attitude and them attemptingto convince you that the blame is on you, the consumer.

Furthermore, if you are going to get one of these machines, I recommend that you carry it around as if it were an infant child. For the entire life of the machine I had carried it in a padded Swiss-Army brand leather bag. This will NOT ensure it's safety. Rather, I recommend a Pelican 1490 briefcase which is essentially a hyperbaric chamber with a handle.

Anyhow, I hope this helps just ONE person from feeling the pain that I have felt today, and learning the hard way a very expensive lesson.