Why would you want to have a US keyboard?
I wish I was joking, but yes... this was asked more often than not at all. Apparently, as somebody who does not live in the United States, I am not allowed to get my hands on the US International layout if I want to type on an Apple keyboard.
I may seemed harsh on Macstore employees previously, so I'll start and elaborate on the last beef I had with the collective retail force of Apple. Maybe this may sound familar.
One of the few reasonable people in a black shirt was the one who ordered my MBP. At that point I already had expressed the preference for a US International keyboard layout. I had noticed that the store only displayed models with a modified Dutch layout that I had no desire for. This had caused all of the employees I spoke with to look at me like I had a tentacle growing where my mouth used to be, right before that oddball question I uttered.
People who wonder what an US International keyboard looks like, I present a promotional shot from the Apple Keyboard. For some minor alterations here and there, it's like any default keyboard you can get from any other computer vendor, even in the Netherlands.
However, Apple won't sell you one. Not without a pantomine of the trivia-challenged, at least.
So yes, the friendly Macstore guy did ask me why I even wanted a US layout on my laptop. I told him why, explained the difference (he didn't know there was any) and he looked up how much time that would take. Turns out it could be anywhere between two to five weeks. I had three (until my holidays in Finland), so I was somewhat taken aback by the rough estimate. He then did a pretty neat thing: he ordered my preferred model in both the Dutch and US layout. The Dutch version would arrive in mere days and could serve as a backup if the US wouldn't arrive in time. He suggested that at a small fee, they could replace the Dutch layout with a spare part US keyboard, making it possible to obtain the right layout -only the manual and box would be dutch, which quite frankly, I couln't care less about. That keyboard, as a spare part, would be arriving in a couple of days. He assured me he'd get rid of either model, or just ship it back. No trouble at all.
Humbled by the good-natured service, I asked what the markup would be for that keyboard swap. He then told me that tech support had shut down for the evening, so a precise estimate would be impossible. He hazarded they'd charge me for the part and 15 minutes of service, but encouraged me to call in the morning to get the right numbers.
The next morning, I called the store. I explained the scenario to the tech guy. He asked why I would want a US layout. I explained that I was used to the US International layout, to which he answered he never had any trouble with the Dutch layout. I told him I was happy he could get along with it, but I had no desire to do so.
He then needed to look up the price for this, which took seven minutes. He didn't have his computer turned on. Why this had to take five minutes was a mystery, but I'm not the one who installed the machines in a Macstore.
After some on-hold moments after the computer was booted up, he told me the part was €150. Okay, that's double the price of what Ebay sellers net for it, but I wanted this to stay in warranty, so I agreed and asked for a time estimate. "At least three weeks, I'm afraid".
I told him I would think about this. I could do this as an after-sales thing if the situation was dire, but I stuck to the hopes that the MBP with the US layout would arrive on time.
A week later a message arrived. The US version had arrived at the store. I was elated and called the store about picking it up. After a confused shuffle of orders I got the news: this was not, in fact, the US version. It was the Dutch version. Again, I got asked why I wanted a US International layout. I guess the tentacle was audible through the phone. After I explained my preference I was assured that the guy I was talking to had no problems with the Dutch version. He only failed to point out I was weird in so many words.
After the weekend I decided I'd just swallow my pride, get the Dutch version and try to get it amended later. At the store, there was minor confusion about the double order (the friendly guy apparently only worked evenings and weekends, so I was SOOL). It should come as no surprise that the guy processing my order had never heard of anybody wanting a US International layout, and he assured me he thought the Dutch layout was perfect. By this time I hoped that if these people ever got banished to Hell for any reason, that the Apple keyboards would all be Dvorak.
So I spent a lot of time using a Logitech UltraX keyboard for my typing duties, until the Apple Keyboard got a delicious, slim overhaul...
I may seemed harsh on Macstore employees previously, so I'll start and elaborate on the last beef I had with the collective retail force of Apple. Maybe this may sound familar.
One of the few reasonable people in a black shirt was the one who ordered my MBP. At that point I already had expressed the preference for a US International keyboard layout. I had noticed that the store only displayed models with a modified Dutch layout that I had no desire for. This had caused all of the employees I spoke with to look at me like I had a tentacle growing where my mouth used to be, right before that oddball question I uttered.
People who wonder what an US International keyboard looks like, I present a promotional shot from the Apple Keyboard. For some minor alterations here and there, it's like any default keyboard you can get from any other computer vendor, even in the Netherlands.
However, Apple won't sell you one. Not without a pantomine of the trivia-challenged, at least.
Buying the Macbook Pro
So yes, the friendly Macstore guy did ask me why I even wanted a US layout on my laptop. I told him why, explained the difference (he didn't know there was any) and he looked up how much time that would take. Turns out it could be anywhere between two to five weeks. I had three (until my holidays in Finland), so I was somewhat taken aback by the rough estimate. He then did a pretty neat thing: he ordered my preferred model in both the Dutch and US layout. The Dutch version would arrive in mere days and could serve as a backup if the US wouldn't arrive in time. He suggested that at a small fee, they could replace the Dutch layout with a spare part US keyboard, making it possible to obtain the right layout -only the manual and box would be dutch, which quite frankly, I couln't care less about. That keyboard, as a spare part, would be arriving in a couple of days. He assured me he'd get rid of either model, or just ship it back. No trouble at all.
Humbled by the good-natured service, I asked what the markup would be for that keyboard swap. He then told me that tech support had shut down for the evening, so a precise estimate would be impossible. He hazarded they'd charge me for the part and 15 minutes of service, but encouraged me to call in the morning to get the right numbers.
The next morning, I called the store. I explained the scenario to the tech guy. He asked why I would want a US layout. I explained that I was used to the US International layout, to which he answered he never had any trouble with the Dutch layout. I told him I was happy he could get along with it, but I had no desire to do so.
He then needed to look up the price for this, which took seven minutes. He didn't have his computer turned on. Why this had to take five minutes was a mystery, but I'm not the one who installed the machines in a Macstore.
After some on-hold moments after the computer was booted up, he told me the part was €150. Okay, that's double the price of what Ebay sellers net for it, but I wanted this to stay in warranty, so I agreed and asked for a time estimate. "At least three weeks, I'm afraid".
I told him I would think about this. I could do this as an after-sales thing if the situation was dire, but I stuck to the hopes that the MBP with the US layout would arrive on time.
A week later a message arrived. The US version had arrived at the store. I was elated and called the store about picking it up. After a confused shuffle of orders I got the news: this was not, in fact, the US version. It was the Dutch version. Again, I got asked why I wanted a US International layout. I guess the tentacle was audible through the phone. After I explained my preference I was assured that the guy I was talking to had no problems with the Dutch version. He only failed to point out I was weird in so many words.
After the weekend I decided I'd just swallow my pride, get the Dutch version and try to get it amended later. At the store, there was minor confusion about the double order (the friendly guy apparently only worked evenings and weekends, so I was SOOL). It should come as no surprise that the guy processing my order had never heard of anybody wanting a US International layout, and he assured me he thought the Dutch layout was perfect. By this time I hoped that if these people ever got banished to Hell for any reason, that the Apple keyboards would all be Dvorak.
So I spent a lot of time using a Logitech UltraX keyboard for my typing duties, until the Apple Keyboard got a delicious, slim overhaul...
posted by Hung Laxley at
10:27 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home