Mac RX to the rescue
The good folks at Parallels provided me a demo copy of its new product Parallels Switch to Mac Edition. While I'm very thankful and intend to try it out (look for a future post on this product), I didn't think my current MacBook Pro was properly configured for optimal performance.
The MacBook Pro's memory configuration was within the minimums required to run the product. That being said, I've tried out products in environments that just met the minimums required by a specific product and found that stated minimums usually offer performance that is good enough to get by without too much discredit. This level of performance really isn't good enough for me. Alright, call me a performance snob. So, I ordered enough memory to max out the MacBook Pro.
When the box arrived, I thanked the UPS guy, walked the box into my office and opened the box. I read the instructions (yes, I can read) and even played the cute videos on Apple's website showing how to install memory. That clearly wasn't enough for Mr. Fumblefingers. I succeeded in breaking one of the little brackets that holds in the memory cards. The system worked just fine, but I was more than a little concerned.
Knowing what's good for me, I knew that it would be very wise to get those brackets fixed. If they weren't fixed, I just knew that I'd have a spectacular system failure at the worst possible time. As an aside, is there ever a good time for a failure?
I went through the telephone book and started smiling and dialing. I called five different local repair centers and left four messages. The fifth call was to Mac RX. I was fortunate enough to actually catch Christopher Rively, the company president and all around good guy.
I hopped on my Harley and rode over to Mac RX's offices and dropped off the machine. It's back and appears really happy. I'll load Parallels software and let you know about my experiences later.
Why am I telling you this boring story? It is really refreshing to run across a local company that provides friendly, helpful service at a reasonable price. Christopher did what he promised to do and kept me informed via Email all during the process.
Oh, by the way, the others either didn't return my call at all or called a day later.