A lesson in interacting with non-Mac-savvy service professionals

MacFixIt reader Robert Ameeti recently attempted to purchase a PC 5220 adapter -- which allows unlimited data access at speeds up to 300 Kbps on Verizon's network for US$80 a month -- card for Verizon's wireless broadband service. HIs experience with the sales professional at a Verizon retail outlet is a valuable lesson in dealing with non-Mac-savvy company representatives.

In many cases, products that work perfectly well with Mac OS X are portrayed as incompatible by uninformed salespeople or supplied with incorrect (usually Windows-only) drivers. Make sure to contact the manufacturer directly (ask for a Macintosh-savvy representative) regarding Mac OS X compatibility or search the Web for other Mac users' experiences with the same product.

Rober Ameeti's case is as follows:

"A recommendation from Steve Wozniak moved me to give Verizon's cellular PC card a try and my experience was all the often the Mac user's way of life. Steve Wozniak said the "you insert the card and the port is recognized and the Internet Connect info is sucked from the card to make a Network Location." I

"On Steve's suggestion, I went to my local Verizon store and bought the PC 5220. The salesman gave me the MTN number and the ESN number that I was supposed to enter after installing the software from the CD. The salesperson warned me to make sure that I installed the software before inserting the PC card or else I would probably break the card as he had had to replace several cards for customers that had not properly installed the software. Still being in the store, I inserted the CD into my Mac and I immediately recognized that it was only PC programs and some PDFs. I put the CD back into the box. Asking the salesperson about this, he replied that he would find out about Mac compatibility and he disappeared behind the partition.

"Being the daredevil that I am, I brazenly inserted the PC card into my Mac. After a few seconds, up popped a dialog telling me that I had inserted a Verizon wireless card and that I must authorize the installation of software. My Mac then showed me the standard Admin password dialog where I typed in my password. About 10 seconds later, I noticed a Connect menu in the menu bar. What the heck. I selected Connect from the menu bar and in started flowing the 200 emails that were awaiting me. After about 10 minutes, the salesperson reappeared and said, Sorry, it wasn't going to be able to work on my Mac."

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