Apple Certified Technician: Where are they?

Yeah, so I went down to the Apple Store today in Toronto just to dabble a bit more and I am pretty sure I will be canceling my V2s and picking up a MBP this week.

When I asked the sales rep if I could go and buy another hard drive (I want a 160 GB, 5k4) and get a technician at the store to put it in for me, he said that the only way I could do that was order it online. Now, this contradicts what I've heard, because I am pretty sure somebody in that store is certified to do things like that.

Also, he said Apple won't install 3rd party hard drives for me. He seemed suspect for sure. He didn't seem to know the answers to my questions, instead firing off with "We can't do that" when clearly I have heard everything to the contrary.

I am guessing the technicians are the Geniuses, but the Genius bar was packed solid and I was in a bit of a hurry. Now, is the guy I talked to a dolt, or am I mistaken?

 

This should be it: http://www.apple.com/training/certification/certpros/index.php

In the lower right box fill in your country and/or certification that you need and there'll be a list of Apple Certified Pros.

And you may also want to check the list of Apple Authorized Service Providers. I don't know if they can do upgrades for you, but its worth a try to ask.

http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service/

 

I talked to one of the guys who work there and he said HD's can be installed by the Geniuses, but even he recommended me to just buy one and do it myself. It's not a difficult task and is a much cheaper alternative.

I'm not too sure about whether or not you have to purchase a HD from Apple to have the Geniuses install it, but it doesn't really matter to me. The only problem is that it voids your warranty when a problem does arise I guess particularly with the HD. But then if something does occur, you can probably swap your old HD back in.

 

From all my dealings with Apple the answer is that no, they will not install 3rd party stuff. Like ever.

A MBP is a pretty easy unit to get in to and replace the hard drive. You can actually find good instructions online on how to disassemble your unit and change out the SATA hard drive. The first time I did it I spent maybe an hour total doing it as it was someone else's MBP and brand new at that.

Buying a drive from Apple means you'll pay for it. So the easier option and a great way to get familiar with your unit it to simply do it yourself. Just make sure you find the right instructions for your model or you may find yourself in a bind.

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