McCarron's Piece O' Mind

Since iTunes 5.0 (and 5.0.1.4) has come out, I keep getting this strange redraw bug at work. My work computer runs Windows 2000 Workstation, but I haven't used my iTunes at home on XP enough to see the problem exists there. Whenever the I return to iTunes window, all the song display info is overlaid over and over again since the last time I saw the window. It doesn't get redrawn properly until the next song is played or I resize the window.


Click here for an example.

This happens if the window is completely hidden behind another window and the song changes, either manually or triggered from the system tray or widget. If a small corner of the window is visible from behind other open windows, then it doesn't happen. It also wont happen when minimized to the task bar or system tray.

I hope Apple can get this fixed by the next version. I haven't heard of anyone else with this problem, and couldn't find similar reports on the Apple Support site for. And it is the type of bug that could frustrate the average user. It doesn't appear to effect all users either, a coworker could not duplicate it on his machine.

Sadly I didn't make it to the Serenity Screening on Monday, I had no
one to go along with me, so the costs of going down to the city for
one person was going to be more than going to see it for $8 in the
burbs this weekend with my friends. So my review of the movie will
have to wait.

Today I got invited to a press screening of the movie Serenity before it comes out. I am actually very excited about this movie, being a huge Sci-Fi buff. It's a sequel to the events of the short-lived TV series Firefly. Now, I never saw Firefly, but I always heard good things but missed it whenever it was on. Depending on how the movie is, I may have to go get all the old episodes on DVD to catch up on the whole story.

Below I attached the film's synopsis so you can read more about the movie. Also be sure to visit the Serenity Website to watch the trailer.

Joss Whedon, the Oscar - and Emmy - nominated writer/director responsible for the worldwide television phenomena of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE, ANGEL and FIREFLY, now applies his trademark compassion and wit to a small band of galactic outcasts 500 years in the future in his feature film directorial debut, Serenity. The film centers around Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family –squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal.

You can expect a review from me next week after I see the movie on Monday. Until then I'm going to see if I can dig up the show on DVD.

So I went into the local Sprint Store today in Schaumburg, IL (Barrington Road) to get my 3rd replacement Treo 600 replaced yet AGAIN because of a dead pixel problem that has grown from 10-15 pixels yesterday to a big web of 100+ orange pixels today.  

I went at my lunch break today and once I got to the store I was told immediately to go home and come back tomorrow since the tech was not in the store today, and that my problem would have to wait til then.  He acted like I was wasting his time by coming into the store, like he would have rather been somewhere else instead of helping me.  I was being really nice too, I never got mean with anyone at the store.  Then I asked to speak to the manager to see if I could get it swapped today because a tech isn't needed to simply swap service on a Treo phone.  And the problem is pretty plain as day, and common from what I've seen/heard around here.  He kept going to the manager and coming back, telling me what the manager said.  I said I wanted to talk to him directly, and was told I'd have to wait "20-30 minutes" to speak to a manager.  

The manager refused to replace it for me, saying it was a known bug and they don't service "buggy phones", especially phones they no longer carry (yet had in the display case?).  He even backed it up by saying that he has never seen a buggy phone replaced in the four years he's been with the company.  He instead told me to take it up with the manufacturer, to get it replaced.  Yet I had a phone replaced at that store twice, but he claimed those were not "known bugs" yet defects.

He also said that I could try to use my Lockline insurance and claim for a replacement, even though my phone was replaced less than 60 days ago due to a Network Search bug on my second replacement unit so my warranty is definitely still good according to their system.

When I asked why they didn't sell Treo 600s anymore and had the phone in the display case.  He said those were "previously used refurbished models" that they had in stock, yet didn't say that on the label.  But were different from what they normally serviced phones with, so they again couldn't help me with a replacement using any of those.

Anyone have any other Chicagoland area Sprint Stores that I should try where you've had better luck at getting good service from? Because I'm at my wits end with Sprint after dealing with this store today.  If I can't get this resolved I'm looking to have my contract with Sprint terminated early (it ends in November) and move to another company who is willing to help out a customer who dropped $400 for the best phone they sold and who gave them over $65 a month for the past two years.

I found this article on digg today and I had to blog it. I haven't been updating the blog because I'm working on redoing the whole page and making the blog the new main content of PatrickMcCarron.com.

But this had to be brought to people's attentions. I have had quite a few problems with Best Buy that I'll maybe detail at a later point more than likely, involving deception, false advertising and just plain poor customer service. Not only does the store fail, but corporate fails to even apologize for the store's actions saying I'm at fault.

This article linked below details the sales practices of Best Buy in trying to sell you a service plan. I've had good and bad experiences with a service plan. So I know heavily research them and read all the fine print. And don't always jump at them, find a way to play this article's contents back against them. Maybe get yourself a better price on the unit if you accept their service plan by saying you found it cheaper elsewhere. I did this with success at Circuit City with my big screen TV. But of course they value their customers more than Best Buy does.

I recieved this in an email from a friend that currently works at Best Buy. He made a copy up at the logistics counter of his store and emailed it to me verbatim. Being a past employee myself, I would have to say that this is right along the lines of Best Buy's 'tactics'.

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