PigPog

This post is part of a series of posts about switching to a Mac – here are links to all the posts:

• Switching to Mac Part 1: The Decision
• Switching to Mac Part 2: The Retail Experience
• Switching to Mac Part 3: The Unboxing
• Switching to Mac Part 4: In Use
• Switching to Mac Part 5: Finding a Photo Editor

I recently bought a Mac after years of using Windows PCs.  If you want to know how I came to the decision, see part 1.  The act of buying a Mac from an Apple store is kind of unusual in itself.

Getting In

The Apple store in Exeter is welcoming.  Very welcoming.  Maybe a little too much so, with staff on both sides of the doorway waiting to pounce, and numerous staff around waiting to speak to you as you look around.  They’re not pushy, though, just chatty.  I felt a bit uneasy going in – I’m nowhere near hip enough to enter an Apple store, and wasn’t sure if I’d be allowed in without becoming much cooler somehow.  It turned out not to be a problem.  I suspect I got away with it because I had a Lowepro bag – there are probably special rules to let photographers in even if they’re a bit unhip.

On the second visit, I was there to buy.  I bypassed the door guards swiftly, and headed straight for the 24″ iMacs.  A friendly assistant called Hannah turned to ask if she could help, so I just said “Yeah, er, 24-inch iMac, wireless mouse, and a copy of Aperture”.

There was a short pause, and she said “Oh.  You want that?  That was easy!”

Choosing

She explained that upgrading to wireless keyboard as well as mouse was almost no difference in cost compared to buying the extra wireless mouse, so I went for that option.  She then explained a special offer they had on printers, that would give me a fairly decent HP inkjet for free through a cashback offer.  Since our only printer at that point was a Windows GDI printer, which wouldn’t work with a Mac, I took that too.  She offered me Apple Care, which I turned down, but may consider later anyway.

Ringing up the Sale

This part was the first real surprise.  There are no tills.  Hannah just opened a browser on the display machine we were looking at, and logged into Apple’s retail system from there.  The sale is rung up through a web browser on the display machines, and set for delivery to one of the two desks in the middle of the sales floor.  The browser then showed the progress of the order being picked and brought to us while we just chatted about cameras.  Sam wandered off to fondle the iPod Touch.

After a while, the stuff was all brought down the glass stairs.  Hannah pulled a card machine off a holster on her belt, and took the payment.  She took my email address, and the receipt was emailed to me there and then.  No paper needed.

…and Out

All done.  She made sure I had the details of their training courses and demos, and where to do the rebate for the printer.  The iMac box turned out to be surprisingly heavy, but I turned down the offer of help taking everything back to the car, and made away with my new toys.

Since all decent work opportunities seem to be in the big city rather than the little old ‘burb we now call home, I decided that after a year and a bit of resistance, it was time to look for work in Exeter.

I’m no stranger to commuting. Back when we lived up country we had no choice but to commute – driving a good 20 mile round trip to get to our respective places of work. Michael now, fortunately, has the job of his dreams and it’s right on our doorstep. I’m more of an awkward bugger and have had several attempts of obtaining the same but with no luck. So, off to the big city I go. My temp agency told me of a chance of a long term job coming up at County Hall so today I took a trip over to Exeter to see how I would handle commuting.

Michael dropped me off at Tiverton Parkway station, and picked up a ticket. Just under a fiver seemed very reasonable – I think it’s cheaper than the local bus service. I got rather pathetically excited at the thought of travelling on a train. I do it so rarely that it’s quite a treat. Whether I feel like that in two or three weeks remains to be seen, but for now, it’s definitely a case of “TRAINS! OMG! They’re SO cool!”

On arrival at Exeter St David’s, I became overwhelmed by the BIG CITY. The station seemed huge in comparison to little Tivvy Parkway, and at the peak of rush hour, the place was packed with busy people doing busy things and more students than I’ve seen in a long while. I had no idea how to get out of the station, never mind into the city centre, so I bought a map and wandered around like a wide-eyed tourist.

I found a bus and asked the driver if he was going to County Hall. Instead of giving me any information, he decided to entertain me with his impression of Latka Gravas. There you go folks, an exclusive. Andy Kaufman is indeed alive and well, and he’s driving buses around Devon.

Clutching my map, I decided to pick a direction and just go for it. I found a pedestrian route to the City Centre and followed it, stopping at various bus stops to see if any timetables could give me a clue as to my whereabouts. I have never felt like such a dim-witted grass-chewing yokel. The much talked about “different pace of life” really hits home when you try to navigate a big city after nearly two years in a cosy little Devonshire town.

Relying on nothing but guesswork, I arrived in the City Centre. That’s when I caved in and rang my agency – and as it turned out, I was mere metres away from the right bus stop. My urban groove was coming back and my internal GPS was working as well as ever.

I arrived at County Hall, had a look around and left feeling good. Commuting to Exeter is doable. And it’s fun. Good thing, really. I start my new job there tomorrow.

Update: The photos are up on Flickr – not very well sorted or commented, but there’re here:

• Race for Life 2008, Westpoint, Exeter

Sam took part in the Race For Life 2008, at Westpoint Arena in Exeter.

Here are the videos I took: