wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

I was a PC user from the first IBM PC until 10 years ago, when I saw a great price on a Macbook Pro and bought it on a whim. The fact that it automatically pulled stuff out of my iphone (which I'd had for several years at that point), and could upgrade the OS without having to start completely from scratch, kept me working with it until I just preferred it to the PC, and switched to it full time for all but a couple of PC-only programs - mostly Quickbooks.

But the Macbook Pro, and the Mac Mini I bought a year later, are nearing end of life. I updated the Mini to Catalina recently and wish I hadn't, and the laptop is still on Mojave. I'll probably keep using them as long as they work, but can't see myself buying one of the new Apple computers. So I'm starting to explore how to get the same kind of interconnectedness (phone, tablet, computer, and files) outside the Apple system, WITHOUT handing over every photo, file and keystroke to Google or Microsoft. I feel like I'm too old to start learnng Linux, but may be driven to giving it a try.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Here we are : after a 140 mile r/t to the Apple store yesterday, Diagnostics found nothing wrong with the hardware, Left it for farther diagnosis and repair, Looks like the HD will have to be reformatted and OS reinstalled, hopefully I will know something later this morning. Not to worry all important files backed up X3, just the fun of reinstalling programs etc. .there may have been a glitch the first time I updated to B/S and then reinstalling just mage it worse. I am on Viasat due to not having any other way to get Internet in my location.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

The rest of the story: 11:00 am 2-27-2021 I called the Apple Store, talked to the robot was transferred to another robot finally after about 20 mins I got a real live person, but this person was not in the store but she would connect me to the store after four failed attempts I was connected to her supervisor who after 45 mins told me my computer was ready to pickup, I never did get to talk to anyone at the store !!!! made to trip to the store after all the Covid safety checks, wearing my mask I very nice young man ask what I needed, then told me to stand on the blue dot, and magically a young lady appeared with my computer, said sign here and turned to leave, I ask what they found wrong, she looked at her iPad and told me they reformat the HD and ran diagnostics and found everything was good to go. So I am assuming my original download of Big Sur was messed up,Like I said I am on Satellite with Viasat. This morning it only took me about 45 mins to restore all of my info and programs etc. Thank the lord for Time Machine!!! I'M Baaaaack !!!
The one thing I noticed at the store was the Techs and the rest of the staff had no business cards and you never get to talk to the same person twice.