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His Dudeness · Jun 8, 2004, 02:00 PM

...and that pile of crap called a Jeep Liberty, in about a month I might end up paying CASH for a new 17" Powerbook.

See, I own a 2002 Liberty. It was in the shop more than it was in my driveway. Last year the engine blew up and so I decided to hire a laywer. Last week, I finally went to court. I was in court for 9 hours and the jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes and the verdict came back in my favor.

So now after the lawyer gets paid, my car's remaining balance gets paid and I get around $20,000 back from them. So we are putting down about $10,000 on a new 2004 Chevy Tahoe Z-71. Then I'm going to CompUSA for that 17" Powerbook.

So thank you Diamler Chrysler. I appreciate that.

nate_02 · Jun 8, 2004, 06:16 PM

The Chevy Tahoe is awesome. Did Diamler have to pay your lawyer fees?

His Dudeness · Jun 8, 2004, 08:38 PM

Oh yeah, to the tune of about $25,000.

Oneota · Jun 8, 2004, 10:58 PM

Yowza! Haven't had any problems at all with my 2000 300M. Hopefully it'll stay that way.

His Dudeness · Jun 9, 2004, 02:25 AM

Well, not unless you have a defective air bag system.

cloudaj · Jun 9, 2004, 02:29 AM

you might considering ordering online and upgrading the hard drive and video card. Just a suggestion, they are relatively cheap upgrades that should help extend the life of your system, and the faster HD will definitely speed some functions up.

and The Big Lebowski rocks.

jerseyfreeze · Jun 9, 2004, 09:17 AM

Why wouldn't you put more down on the Tahoe?

angelmb · Jun 9, 2004, 10:18 AM

I like to take a look at cars from the US, you can not see lot of them here in Europe, typical culture differences. Best US car selling here are Voyager and maybe Grand Cheroke, further more, you cand 'find' some 300M, Neon... actually they sell the Chrysler ones on Mercedes Benz dealers, I don�t know how good could be that because the huge difference between the brands, but well, an exclusive Chrysler dealer does not to seem a good idea over here. So, I check your upcoming car, congratulations, looks like you�ll have a car for years and years. I also found really nice the Chevy Equinox, I think that one could sell here in Europe, after all, the typical SUVs here are oriental cars, Toyota, Kia... I think Chevy can beat those oriental models.

Equinox�s WOW feature for me (I unknow the model and had not read any review), is the price. Is not really a good price for what you get?, or maybe there is something 'hidden' about that car/SUV ?

His Dudeness · Jun 9, 2004, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by cloudaj:
you might considering ordering online and upgrading the hard drive and video card. Just a suggestion, they are relatively cheap upgrades that should help extend the life of your system, and the faster HD will definitely speed some functions up.

and The Big Lebowski rocks.

I thought about doing that, but considering I'm still using a G3 Powerbook that is 7 years old, a new G4 Powerbook like this 17" I am considering buying is more than a thousand times the computer I have now. I don't know if I would even notice those differences.

And yes, The Dude rocks.

His Dudeness · Jun 9, 2004, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by jerseyfreeze:
Why wouldn't you put more down on the Tahoe?

Well, I might. I figure if I put 10k down on it, I could talk them down in price. The one we are looking at is 45k. 10k down could probably get it down to 38 or 39k.

His Dudeness · Jun 9, 2004, 11:15 AM

Originally posted by angelmb:
I like to take a look at cars from the US, you can not see lot of them here in Europe, typical culture differences. Best US car selling here are Voyager and maybe Grand Cheroke, further more, you cand 'find' some 300M, Neon... actually they sell the Chrysler ones on Mercedes Benz dealers, I don�t know how good could be that because the huge difference between the brands, but well, an exclusive Chrysler dealer does not to seem a good idea over here. So, I check your upcoming car, congratulations, looks like you�ll have a car for years and years. I also found really nice the Chevy Equinox, I think that one could sell here in Europe, after all, the typical SUVs here are oriental cars, Toyota, Kia... I think Chevy can beat those oriental models.

Equinox�s WOW feature for me (I unknow the model and had not read any review), is the price. Is not really a good price for what you get?, or maybe there is something 'hidden' about that car/SUV ?

I don't think the wife would want an Equinox. She loves the Tahoe, so you know how that is going to end up.

And I don't know if the Equinox is on the lots here yet. I didn't even see it.

And I know that the Tahoe is going to last. I see tons of them on the roads out here. I test drove it and it's SWEET.

iREZ · Jun 9, 2004, 11:44 AM

"Shut the f@*k up Donnie"-Walter Sobchak

milhous · Jun 9, 2004, 06:40 PM

Congratulations on the verdict, no reason at all to go through all that crap with a new car.

His Dudeness · Jun 10, 2004, 01:40 AM

Originally posted by milhous:
Congratulations on the verdict, no reason at all to go through all that crap with a new car.

Tell me about it. I've had four Jeeps and this is only one that gave me problems.

Macpilot · Jun 10, 2004, 08:17 AM

If you can, avoid that place. Next to BestBuy, they are full of complete idiots and morons, and I am not only referring to their Mac knowledge.

I once went in there and asked about a DVD burner to add to my old Power Mac G4, and the dude says to me "Macs can't burn DVDs that will play in your home DVD player". Pathetic.

Their Apple section is always in a state of disrepair and they never have the full line-up of models to look at. The last one I went to had these anti-theft metal cradles that the laptops sit in, that wind up scratching the heck out of the iBooks and Powerbooks. They don't sit correctly in the cradle, so the power cable plug gets bent and then the batteries go dead. It is sad how those machines just sit there and rot and nobody cares. Apple should do something about CompUSA but that is another thread.

If you can't get to an Apple Store (the absolute best-place to look at inquire about Macs), I would just order online. I have bought most of my Macs online. I have saved sales tax, gotten rebates, and ordered much cheaper RAM online.

And by the way, I upgraded my hard drive in my Powerbook (because the stock one went bad) to the 7200 rpm model and it is amazing. I am at a loss as to why Apple does not offer this option on their Store.

Macpilot · Jun 10, 2004, 08:26 AM

As far as Chrysler products....

Had a 1988 Jeep.....junk....but great powertrain and 4wd system.

A 1995 Dodge Ram.....about 5 recalls.....they were handled quickly....but overall a great truck.

Now a 2002 Ram....one recall.....awesome truck.

Just drove that Crossfire the other day. Awesome ride. But idiots at those dealerships don't know anything about the car.

I think every company has made a lemon or two. The American brands have made huge strides in quality in the last 20 years. And really, how American or German or Japanese is a car these days? I don't think the marriage (or takeover) of Chrysler by Daimler really affected the quality of either product. Their profits actually went down. But I think we will see some interesting designs from that team. Chrysler has had a pool of really great designers. And Mercedes has released some really attractive machines. It is just too bad that the quality side of things had to tarnish that.

jorgem4 · Jun 10, 2004, 09:26 AM

How long did it take you to go thru that legal mess?

...a good result...have fun with the PB 17

diskgolfking · Jun 10, 2004, 09:29 AM

Originally posted by Macpilot:
I think every company has made a lemon or two. The American brands have made huge strides in quality in the last 20 years. And really, how American or German or Japanese is a car these days? I don't think the marriage (or takeover) of Chrysler by Daimler really affected the quality of either product. Their profits actually went down. But I think we will see some interesting designs from that team. Chrysler has had a pool of really great designers. And Mercedes has released some really attractive machines. It is just too bad that the quality side of things had to tarnish that.

I'd disagree on a couple things. First, the marriage has improved the quality of Chrysler vehicles. It will probably be most apparent with the vehicles introduced within the last year (and in the future). The change in the level of pre-production (and post-production) testing is remarkable.

Second, unfortunately when Daimler came in many of the designers were let go or left the company. Daimler just thought all those forward-thinking designs and concept cars were a waste of money. A lot of the designers ended up at GM (although that shouldn't be a surprise considering the change in GMs look over the last few years).

mbryda · Jun 10, 2004, 10:20 AM

Congrats on getting out of the lemon.

Condolences on the Chevy. Where I work, we use GM (Chevy/GMC) as fleet vehicles and they are terrible POS's. Things just start falling apart after 20-50k. Heck, I was just in a 04 Malibu with 11k and there was this nasty rattle from the driver's side and everytime you went over a bump it sounded like the front wheel was about to fall off. Pretty sad stuff. You don't buy a GM for good quality and reliability.

As far as Mercedes/Chrysler - if you look at the quality/reliability ratings, Mercedes is nowhere as good as it used to be. IIRC they are not even in the top 5 anymore. That's pretty sad considering Mercedes used to be the car that was built like a tank and could go 500k on the same engine (Their Diesels) without a rebuild.

But, they have helped Chrysler improve it's quality, which is a good thing.

His Dudeness · Jun 10, 2004, 01:17 PM

Originally posted by jorgem4:
How long did it take you to go thru that legal mess?

...a good result...have fun with the PB 17

Well, what started the whole lawsuit was way back on Valentine's Day, 2003. I remember well because I bought my wife roses. I was on 664 in Portsmouth, Virginia, on my way home from the shipyards. The engine blows up. I have to have it towed all the way to Newport News where I bought it. A few days later, we had legal counsel. The trial date was supposed to be in March, but I couldn't make it because I was still on deployment. So we had it pushed back to June 3rd. It's been fun, especially when I heard the jury's verdict.

His Dudeness · Jun 10, 2004, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by Macpilot:
If you can, avoid that place. Next to BestBuy, they are full of complete idiots and morons, and I am not only referring to their Mac knowledge.

I once went in there and asked about a DVD burner to add to my old Power Mac G4, and the dude says to me "Macs can't burn DVDs that will play in your home DVD player". Pathetic.

Their Apple section is always in a state of disrepair and they never have the full line-up of models to look at. The last one I went to had these anti-theft metal cradles that the laptops sit in, that wind up scratching the heck out of the iBooks and Powerbooks. They don't sit correctly in the cradle, so the power cable plug gets bent and then the batteries go dead. It is sad how those machines just sit there and rot and nobody cares. Apple should do something about CompUSA but that is another thread.

If you can't get to an Apple Store (the absolute best-place to look at inquire about Macs), I would just order online. I have bought most of my Macs online. I have saved sales tax, gotten rebates, and ordered much cheaper RAM online.

And by the way, I upgraded my hard drive in my Powerbook (because the stock one went bad) to the 7200 rpm model and it is amazing. I am at a loss as to why Apple does not offer this option on their Store.

I'm pretty happy with the Apple section at the CompUSA. It's pretty small, unfortunately, but the Apple salesman, Anthony, keeps them looking good. All the display models are working perfectly. I hate those cradles that the laptops sit in, but all the laptops there are like that for some reason. I'm happy to give them my business there.

hldan · Jun 10, 2004, 02:48 PM

First off, congrats for you that your suit against your car dealer worked out (not sure why a jury was required) but I'm not understanding why that story needed to be told just to say that you are buying a Powerbook in the end but I never trash a Mac User so have fun with your new baby. It's truly a great machine.

His Dudeness · Jun 10, 2004, 03:38 PM

I hope to persuade people into NOT buying a Liberty. I love Jeeps, just not that one. If you a real Jeep, buy a 4.0L 6 Wrangler with a hard top and big fat mud tires.

And how heavy is your 17" Powerbook?

thetman · 10:06 PM

holy crap his dudeness, i live in yorktown VA as well thats amazing. pm me and i can hook you up with a book tomorrow
-oh im good friends with anthony and our mac section kicks ass, i can get a dual 1.8 revA for 1999 or a 1.6 for 1450. (but thats me or someone here who wants one hint hint)

His Dudeness · Jun 10, 2004, 11:24 PM

Cool! Small world here at Macnn!

Link · Jun 11, 2004, 12:00 AM

At least compusa's macs aren't screwed up. The last time I went to best buy I found a g5 which had it's fans running full blast because the plastic door was pulled out, an imac stuck at a login screen, and a set of powerbooks that were off.

hldan · Jun 11, 2004, 12:09 AM

6.9LBS. Feels like 5LBS.

His Dudeness · Jun 11, 2004, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by hldan:
6.9LBS. Feels like 5LBS.

I think that's lighter than my G3 Powerbook...

tekno_geek911 · Jun 11, 2004, 12:24 AM

Originally posted by Link:
At least compusa's macs aren't screwed up. The last time I went to best buy I found a g5 which had it's fans running full blast because the plastic door was pulled out, an imac stuck at a login screen, and a set of powerbooks that were off.

Macs at Best Buy especially PowerBooks are in bad shape,I saw a 15" PB with half its keys torn off and a 12" with a broken/cracked DVI port.

His Dudeness · Jun 11, 2004, 12:39 AM

Since when does Best Buy sell Powerbooks? There's one next to Compusa here in Newport News and they don't sell anything there.

tekno_geek911 · Jun 11, 2004, 03:53 AM

Most of the Best Buy's in Chicago sell them.

thetman · Jun 11, 2004, 02:56 PM

major city best buy's are selling apple products, but I think there are rumors that it is going to end.

-also, i sold a demo powerbook when they were updated in april. the guy that bought it looked over it first and was amazed at how immaculate it was. the reason that some may be in such bad shape is there is no one to take care of them. at the compusa where i work we have an ASC, or apple sales consultant or something who tkaes care of everything mac with the exception of repairs. it could be that besty buy and other compusa's dont have one currently employeed.

Toyin · Jun 11, 2004, 05:28 PM

I feel for you, you did get a lemon and I'm glad that you were adequately compensated. However 1 lemon does not make this a bad car. This is the same FUD and generalizations that places like CNET spread about Mac OS exploits or poor Apple quality...etc.

I've got a 2002 Liberty Limited and have had no problems at all. If I were a gambler I wouldn't bet on Chevy. In general cars are much better built than they used to, but Chevy has a ways to go as far as refinement and interior design. For the money I don't think there's a better SUV than the Honda Pilot. Not the prettiest of the bunch, but built on an Acura platform with tons o room. In fact if it was out when I bought our Jeep I would probably have gotten that. With the amount of cash you're going to spend on the Tahoe (and as a VW fan), I'd say look at the Toureg for sure.

Good luck with the 17"PB. The CompUSA near me seems to be fine, but I've never asked for help. I usually go there for a quick pick up after I've looked online for a specific item.

His Dudeness · Jun 11, 2004, 07:00 PM

I've talked to quite a few people who like their Jeep Liberty's. Ours was a huge lemon, but I admit not all Jeeps are. My 97 Wrangler that I no longer own had 110,000 miles on it, and was NEVER touched by a Mopar technician. It would not break down. As for that Chevy Tahoe, it was sweet, very refined. Much nicer than they have been lately. And it drove very smooth. Looking forward to it, and that new Powerbook.