The Journal of Joe The Peacock. Yay.

7.11.2008:

Diablo II on Mac OSX = FAIL (or, Apple disenchantment, part 3)

10:29 PM

So, ever since the announcement of Diablo 3, I've had a hankerin' to play some Diablo 2. I finally succumbed to it today and ran out to Best Buy to grab a copy of the Diablo Battle Chest (my original D2 copy for PC was given away some time last year... Well, I say "given away", when I actually mean "loaned to a guy I no longer associate with and can't bother to ask for it back, due to the bullshit it'd bring along with it").

I got home and started installing as quick as I possibly could. It took a bit, but finally, I was ready to get to hackin' and slashin' with my Assassin. But, this would not happen for me, for as soon as I clicked "Play" from the installer dialog, I got a huge program crash.

So I tried again. Program crash.

I Googled. I read a bit of forum crap saying it needs the latest version - the discs are at version 1.03, and it needs 1.12. So I download the patcher. I patch. I run.

Program crash.

Grr.

So, I Google "Diablo II Crash Leopard" and ended up with a link to this guy's blog, writing about the exact same disappointment for the exact same reasons. He linked to this forum, which explains the problem (and for those who end up having the same, don't read from where I just linked - let me save you a TON of time and link you to a very quick fix):

Apple, for whatever reason, took out support for 256 color mode in the 10.5.2 update for the display driver for the Nvidia chipset in the Macbook Pro.

This boggles my mind.

WHY DO THAT? There is no good reason to reduce functionality that doesn't in any way burden or tax the system just by sitting there ununsed. There is, however, a GREAT reason for not taking it out for no good reason - IT BREAKS SHIT. Shit like Diablo 2.

And here's the really brilliant part - Diablo 2 doesn't even NEED the 256 mode to run, it just needs to know it's there to launch. You can run D2 under OpenGL with no problems whatsoever... As long as you can get the stupid thing to load.

So, I tried the long version of the fix, and got some graphical glitching (and for some reason, Finder kept launching and crashing over and over - very strange... Made clicking a desktop icon impossible). Then I ran the simple installer some guy made (linked above) and boom - I'm playing D2.

So yeah... Yet another really stupid reason Apple gave me to get angry. Everything that's happened from Apple to get me angry has been just plain stupid and avoidable.

I won't switch back, mind you. I still love my macs. I'm just really annoyed.

Labels: apple, technology, utter failure

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7.10.2008:

What the hell good is ProCare?

9:50 PM

Because the new iPhone is debuting tomorrow, the fine staff at the Apple store couldn't see me about my failed iPod. They had to take all appointments today, because they're taking none tomorrow.

I understand that.

What I DON'T understand is the fact that this also applied to ProCare members. For the uninitiated, ProCare is a $99.00 a year membership you can buy to automatically move you to the front of the line for support. It is supposed to absolutely guarantee that, even if every scheduled appointment is full, you WILL be seen for support that day. It's basically a hall pass for your problems.

And my problem - at 1:00 in the afternoon, mind you, not near closing - was with a two-week-old iPod classic 160gb that has a failed hard drive. It's clicking and whirring and generally not ever going to work ever ever. And when I explained this to the staff, all they could tell me was "Sorry, we can't help you, iPhone debuts tomorrow, yadda yadda." I whipped out my ProCare card and they simply shrugged. "We can ask a manager, but it won't help, tomrorow's iPhone launch blah blah go fuck yourself, you wasted your hundred bucks."

That's just plain absurd.

I'm really becoming disenchanted with Apple.

Labels: apple, gaming, technology, utter failure

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7.01.2008:

STUPID FUCKING APPLE

8:24 PM

I have iTunes on my desktop. I sync my iPod with that machine.

I have iTunes on my laptop. I play my desktop's library through it.

I am away from home, have my laptop, and my ipod with me. I plug the ipod into the laptop, because I need some tunes.

iTunes syncs the ipod with the laptop, thus deleting 120 gb of music off my ipod in one fell swoop.

WHY THE FUCK IS iTUNES SO FUCKING STUPID THAT IT CAN'T TELL THAT A FULLY STOCKED LIBRARY ON AN IPOD IS NOT TO BE DELETED BY SYNCING TO AN EMPTY LIBRARY???? WHY?????????

Labels: apple, technology, whiny bullshit

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5.30.2008:

It's back

1:50 PM

My laptop is back, and by the looks of things, it's probably fixed.

This is a relief.

Incidentally, check this out - macbook pro, mac pro, cintiq, etc all running in harmony:

Labels: apple, technology

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5.22.2008:

Downside/Upside, Vol. 2

4:10 PM

Starting point: Your macbook pro's keyboard and trackpad break.

Downside: You can't work without an external keyboard, which also fails during a short presentation which leaves you utterly without recourse.

Upside: It justifies to your wife the need for a backup system, so you can actually send the stupid laptop off for repair.

Downside: 2 hour drive to go buy a new Mac Pro, 2 hour drive home.

Upside: It's a fucking MAC PRO. 8 cores, 16gb ram, 2TB hard drive, additional 512mb memory card (Nvidia GeForce 8800GT) so you can run 2 monitors AND your new Cintiq tablet... It's a bad mamma-jamma.

Downside: The Nvidia badass super mega card? Yeah, they sold me one meant for the OLD mac pro, so it doesn't work in this NEWER mac pro.

Extra Downside: I even asked after seeing the sticker if "Legacy" meant "Will not work with the machine I'm actually buying right now," and the "genius" at the Apple Store Perimeter Center said "nope, it'll work."

Upside: Not much of one. They're going to send me the proper card, but I have to pay for it first, then they'll credit me when I return the one that was wrong for my system. But the small bit that is an upside is that they're working hard to get it out overnight TODAY so I'll have it tomorrow, so that's cool.

Overall, it's been a bit frustrating dealing with Apple stuff the past month or so. But still, NOTHING compares to the Dell saga.

Labels: apple, downside/upside, technology, utter failure