News flash: Apple computers can crash

by Mathew on November 1, 2007 · Comments

It’s a shame when stereotypes about religious differences lead to misunderstandings and resentment, isn’t it? No, I’m not talking about the Middle East, I’m talking about Apple and Microsoft. The conventional wisdom about the two is that Microsoft is the embodiment of evil — with products that are poorly designed, break often and are otherwise a giant pain in the ass — while Apple can do no wrong, with products that are virtually flawless in every way.

apple-aqua.jpgThe growing number of reports about problems with Leopard, the new Mac OS, show that there is a lot more to it than that. I just heard from a friend — a relatively recent convert to Apple PCs — who said that the upgrade didn’t just present him with a blue screen (something that until now had been associated exclusively with Windows machines), but actually wiped out most of his data and a substantial number of applications as well. I don’t know whether his problems were a result of using the third-party Application Enhancer software or not, as some have reported.

What I do know is that for my friend, losing that kind of data is no laughing matter — it is a serious, serious issue. Much of that data is crucial to his business, and while he does regular backups (as we all should), he doesn’t do them every minute of every day. Having a blue screen, or a buggy install, or having to jump through hoops is one thing. Losing data permanently through no fault of your own is a completely other thing.

I’m not some Microsoft fanboy who is gloating that Apple is having problems too (including reports of a Trojan in the wild and other reports of problems with wireless connections after installing Leopard). I’m just saying that Apple is not infallible. Upgrading operating systems is no trivial task, and things go wrong — even with Apples.

Update:

My friend Rob has put up a lengthy description of what happened — and is taking predictable fire from Apple fans in his comment section.

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Viewing 10 Comments

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    An OS upgrade whether Apple or MS is a major upgrade and I think it is always wise to perform a backup or a Disk Clone just in case especially when you have important data to lose. You never know what might happen. I'm sorry but I think this is a trivial complaint as your friend should have done the backup first instead of wanting to be using the latest and greatest in such a hurry.
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    You are probably right, Britonius. I guess being an early adopter has its pitfalls :-)
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    Any install of anything can go wrong...so I agree with Britonius that there is certain steps, such as backing up, that should always be followed. A lesson I'm sure you friend has learned, sorry it had to be the hard way.

    I upgraded 3 of my own Mac's to Leopard and haven't had any problems. That's not saying that I don't think Apple can do no wrong. It's all about common sense and degrees. There's much I would like to see Apple do differently but I find I'm happier now then when I was a Windows guy.
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    Matthew

    It seems pretty clear that Leopard is a buggy release. I've updated two machines of our five, and had problems with both installs.

    On the first, the problems were fairly minor - mainly lost preferences.

    On the second, Leopard effectively bricked my Powerbook, making it impossible to log in or use the command line to try and fix the problem. I've set up a trip to the Apple Store this evening - hopefully they can fix the issue.

    It seems like the bugginess of this update brings out the worst in Apple fans. Most of the feedback I've received is that the problem is my fault and I should have known better.
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    I hope you don't think I or the others were saying that the problems with the install were yours or any one else that had problems upgrading to Leopard. The issue mentioned in this blog is that he lost data because of the install problems, and that most definitely is his issue as he should have prepared before upgrading by backing up. The issues with the install is Apple's most definitely and I feel for you. I have bought Leopard myself, but I have not yet installed it as I want to make sure I backup up my system first and I also want to see how some of this transpires as well. Good luck and I hope the Genuises at the Bar can help. I'm sure they can.
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    2 machines, 2 installs, zero problems! Leopard is strong, stable and terrific.
    With over 2 million early adopters to OS X.5, there are always issues. I have upgraded from OS X.1, X.2, X.3 X.4 and now X.5. The only OS that was not up to snuff was OS X.1.
    Leopard is the most polished, best working operating system in the world-the rest will catch up in several years!
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    Three upgrades last Friday zero problems. As a 20 year Mac user I've been lulled into complacency when upgrading. I now manage two dozen systems and I can only recall having bricked two Macs during upgrades over the last 10 years. Obviously it CAN happen. I've lost much more data in 10 years from hard disk failures.

    Before doing an upgrade on mission critical systems I DO a full disk backup... yet, I admit to save time I have taken risks.

    However, I NEVER take risks in the first few days after a new OS release. Until one reads about the experiences of others they should WAIT! At least TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS to minimize—e.g. BACKUP.

    It is obvious from my readings that Leopard is more problematic than most previous OS X upgrades. Lesser skilled users would be wise to read more and slow down. My Dad used to say, if you don't have the time to do it right, then how are you going to find time to do it over? He never used computers, but his advice still fits.
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    I think the vast majority of Leopard updaters are having no problems. For heavens sake, over two million copies have been sold, and if everybody was having problems, you'd damn sure be hearing a LOT more about it. I've put it on two machines, a new iMac and an iBook G4, and both installs were successful, with no issues,
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    "I’m not some Microsoft fanboy who is gloating that Apple is having problems too (including reports of a Trojan in the wild and other reports of problems with wireless connections after installing Leopard)."

    A hilarious bit of parenthetical self-satire, there. You should write for The Office!
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    Intalled Leopard and it crashed my Macbook...
    When I start in Target Mode, through another computer I can see that all of the data still there. However, on my Macbook all I see is a desktop picture that comes with Leopard.
    I tried updating/replacing, the firmware (both 1.3 & 1.4) and nothing happened.
    I have tried Dik Utility from the install Disk, and again, nothing happened.
    But the worse was yet to come...I left the install disk in the Macbook, and it spinned so much that now the actual disk is damaged , with some grooves in the center of the DVD disc...
    So, so far Leopard has been nothing but a NIGHTMARE!!!

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