Instead of taking a stroll from Dublin to an Apple Repair Center in Cork, 156 miles away, with a faulty iMac G5 strapped to his back, Karl Hayden got Apple’s attention and a new computer.
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
— come on now, lyrics from The Proclaimers had to be obligatory for this story (and yes I know they’re a Scottish band, but I thought U2’s Kite would be a bit much here)
Instead of waiting for Hayden to set out on his trek, with what would likely be some passing interest from the media, Ars Technica reported Apple Ireland took the preemptive step of contacting Hayden and getting him what he had been promised in the first place.
MacNN noted the “walk of shame” idea was prompted by the week’s delay in Apple picking up his defective machine and delivering a replacement. “I think there comes a time when the only thing that works with these companies is to show them up publicly and shame them into taking you seriously,” Hayden said at the time.
With no replacement iMac at hand, and having already replaced two logic boards, a power supply, and the back casing of his 10-month-old iMac to no avail, Hayden prepared to make like Jack Kerouac and go on the road.
But like a spouse who ignores some distasteful chore until reminded of it at a volume that could shatter a titanium bar, Apple responded after Hayden’s issue became a cause clbre. The head of corporate affairs for Apple telephoned with an apology. Ninety minutes later, a new replacement iMac arrived.
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David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
