Mainly Macintosh

Tip: Apple Remote not bringing up Front Row - here is what to do

My brand new Apple Remote was not working when I brought my iMac home this weekend and set it up.

Apple provides some troubleshooting tips for the Apple Remote.

I turns out, all I had to do was go out and buy an inexpensive new CR2032 battery, and follow Apple instructions for replacing Apple Remote battery.

Simple.

The troubleshooting tips Apple provided were very good, and really indicated that the battery was bad (assuming the unit was good).

On the other hand, if I pay over two grand for a brand new computer that was only manufactured a couple of months ago, is it too much to ask that the battery for the remote control be in working condition - instead of dead?

Good technical support - but bad quality assurance.

To be fair, all the other batteries Apple supplied - those for the wireless mouse and the keyboard, which technically they did not really have to throw in worked.

On the other hand, you really expect a top computer system to come with everything you need to start using it as soon as you take it to the box. Without making trips to the store. A trip to the store is exactly what it took to make my Apple Remote work.

Plus, since instead of simply leaving the battery out of the unit and saying buy one, I had to read a lot of information online hunting for a solution to make the thing work - and then go through the troubleshooting process.

Realistically, this probably took me over an hour. I would rather have spent that time doing other things.

posted by John Collins @ 10:04 AM