08-24-2010, 04:01 AM
This is an awkward question, but I'm trying to avoid other awkwardness with it.
I"ve got a Genius Bar appointment in a couple of days, to get help with a somewhat complicated migration of one user account from an old SuperDuper iBook clone volume to a new MBP. I think I've got the simple stuff covered, but I have a bunch of questions about app support files, settings, and iPod sync options.
I've always gotten great help from the Geniuses before, but often the conversation goes through some very simple explanations of Mac topics before we get to the stuff that really applies to my questions. I understand that they have to do that since they're never sure what the customer's technical background is, but it tends to get in the way of dealing with my more esoteric questions. Since I've got quite a few this time, I'd rather be able to deal with them directly if possible. What I'm wondering is whether it'd be useful or obnoxious to say something like this as we get started:
"You probably hear this a dozen times a day, but I've been a Mac user for a long time. I know I've still got a lot to learn about it, though, and that's why I'm here. So feel free to just jump straight to the nuts and bolts issues while we talk, and I'll let you know if I get lost. And please do set me straight if I'm off-base about anything."
I don't want to come off as a "Me use Mac since 84! You no talk down to me!" pompous idiot, but I also want to avoid coming up with 5 different ways to say politely "OK, I get that, but what I really want to know is ___". I'm also willing to find out that I'm going at something the wrong way and that I *do* need to be schooled on stuff I don't know. So if there are any suggestions for proper ways to jump-start a Genius appointment, or even that I'm already a pompous ass for considering this, bring them on. Thanks.
I"ve got a Genius Bar appointment in a couple of days, to get help with a somewhat complicated migration of one user account from an old SuperDuper iBook clone volume to a new MBP. I think I've got the simple stuff covered, but I have a bunch of questions about app support files, settings, and iPod sync options.
I've always gotten great help from the Geniuses before, but often the conversation goes through some very simple explanations of Mac topics before we get to the stuff that really applies to my questions. I understand that they have to do that since they're never sure what the customer's technical background is, but it tends to get in the way of dealing with my more esoteric questions. Since I've got quite a few this time, I'd rather be able to deal with them directly if possible. What I'm wondering is whether it'd be useful or obnoxious to say something like this as we get started:
"You probably hear this a dozen times a day, but I've been a Mac user for a long time. I know I've still got a lot to learn about it, though, and that's why I'm here. So feel free to just jump straight to the nuts and bolts issues while we talk, and I'll let you know if I get lost. And please do set me straight if I'm off-base about anything."
I don't want to come off as a "Me use Mac since 84! You no talk down to me!" pompous idiot, but I also want to avoid coming up with 5 different ways to say politely "OK, I get that, but what I really want to know is ___". I'm also willing to find out that I'm going at something the wrong way and that I *do* need to be schooled on stuff I don't know. So if there are any suggestions for proper ways to jump-start a Genius appointment, or even that I'm already a pompous ass for considering this, bring them on. Thanks.
