A new iphone, or it seemed like a good idea at the time...

It's a lot easier to blog when your iphone works, especially if you take all your blog photos with your phone. That would be me, not you.

I got a new G4 for Christmas. Well, not really for Christmas, for on Christmas day FedEx called and said they had my phone (ordered some time before, predicted delivery 12-23) and I could come and get it. No delivery that day. Or the next. I don't know what your holiday was like, but I had better things to do on Christmas morning than drive 45 minutes to pick up something that I thought (still think) should have been delivered days ago. Should have known we were off to a bad start.

It finally arrived. On the 27th. Late. I started it up - it died. I started it up again - it died again. We went through this dance for a long time, for though not particularly tech savvy I am dogged.

Finally I called the Genius Bar for an appointment. I was told to make it on line - but as at the time I was:
1. Driving and
2. In possession of a dead phone incapable of making a simple phone call, much less anything internet, I convinced the very reluctant tech weenie to sign me up. Finally. By using Wally's phone.

The Genius (he must be, he was at the Genius Bar) was kindly patronizing - he restored my phone, told me to set it up as a new phone as my backup was clearly the problem, and sent me packing. I tried to call Wally to tell him I was on my way home - dead phone. I almost threw it out the window, but the cold air when I rolled down the window brought me to my senses and I drove home grinding my teeth and swearing.

Two phone-less days later (you try living without a phone for two days. No cheating. Then let's check your vocabulary) I finally got another Genius. He figured out my dead phone was indeed dead (genius, remember?) and gave me another. So far so good. And my blood pressure is coming down, thank you. And there is no longer steam coming out of my ears. I have made phone calls, checked e-mail, taken photographs, all without a crash.

So far so good. Do I love it? Not yet - I'm still pissed. You don't have to be a genius to figure out a phone is dead. And don't they have some fizzy little things on the back room that tells them what's been going on inside your phone? The first guy assumed I was the problem, never checked inside my phone. So I have learned - again - never assume. Ask the questions even if you think they will laugh at you. Let them laugh - it's less trouble than a second trip to the (ahem) Genius (?) Bar.  And test drive it before you take it home.