raider_red's Journal: Joining the Cult of Mac, Part 1: Ordering

Okay, I've been bitten by the Mac bug. It happened the second time I tried out an OS X machine. I'd always avoided Macs like the plague, but there was something about Mac OS 10.2 that grabbed me. Part of it was the cool graphics. Part of it was the sleek design of the machines. (I think this one was a G3 TiBook) Another thing that grabbed me was when I found the terminal program. I've used Unix workstations for my entire career, and here was one that my mother could use. Add to that a big fight with my computer over service pack installs and driver issues, and I decided it was time to Think Different about computers.

Today, I found out that MacConnection was running a special on 1.25 GHz powerbooks with Superdrive and Airport express. Basically, the rev of the 15" Powerbook before the current model. Other than a blip in processor speed, the same computer. I put in an order this evening before going to see a movie with a friend. I put it on my Visa because it has the best loss protection for dealing with online merchants. I've been saving for this for a couple of months, so the money is sitting in the bank, and I can pay off the balance on Tuesday. (After I take delivery.)

Got home from the movie, and found a 15 minute old email telling me my credit card was declined. (This has never happened to me before. I was pissed. I was angry. I was cleaning my guns. I called Bank One to yell at them for a few minutes. It turns out I tripped their fraud protection mechanism by doing something wildly out of profile. (I haven't made a purchase with their card in 9 months, and I've just gone and spent 2 grand.) After assuring them that I was actually using my card, and not someone else, they cleared the transaction. A quick call to Michael at Mac Connection (They're open at 12 EST?) got the problem resolved at their end. Now I just have to wait for the DHL guy.