This story begins with me using ATItool last night and corrupting my driver so I was up till 3 AM working on fixing it thus resulting in me ultimately only getting 4 hours of sleep before my longest shift of the week, 6 hours, as an IT support person at a software company that will remain un-named for their protection (and mine).

Customer: Hi, my name is Mrs. Smith, I'm a teacher at a school in California, I am having a problem printing my students reports from your software.

Me: Ok, can I please get the district and school you are calling from.

Mrs. Smith: blahblahblahschoolenteredhereblahblahblah

 Me: Thank you one moment while I look up your schools information....Thank you
holding, I have pulled up the information about your school and it appears your class room is using Mac computers is this correct?

Mrs. Smith: Yes it is

Me: Mrs. Smith, you are having a problem printing your reports because our software can not print from a Mac.

Mrs. Smith: Well that seems silly considering our entire school runs off Mac's because we're literally right across the street from the Mac head quarters.

Me: Yes ma'am, we informed your department when they bought their license to this software that they would have to have at least one PC that you could use to print the reports. (this is when it gets really interesting)

Mrs. Smith: Well, why would we have a PC when Mac's are so much better then PC's. I worked for Mac for several years before I was ever a teacher and I can tell you first hand that Mac's are the wave of the future!

Me: Yes ma'am (half laughing to myself out of sheer pitty), well, unfortunately you have to have a PC to print from our program.

Mrs. Smith: Well that is really a pain in the #$% you know that, why is it so difficult for people to make something that works on both PC and Mac.

Me: Ma'am we are unable to make the program such that it will print properly from any browser other than Internet Explorer because part of the system that your reports are on is run by a Microsoft program. If it was something that I or anyone here could correct, believe me we would because we want to expand are market to Mac users, but unfortunately we do not have any plans to change from our current software until Fall of 2008 school year at which time other internet browsers will be supported.

Mrs. Smith: Ooooo, the evil empire strikes again! I figured Microsoft was behind this somehow. They are always twisting things so you have to use more of THEIR software to use another piece of their software. WIth a Mac, it's all right there I don't have to use only Mac software I can use whatever software I want to do whatever I want.

Me: Ma'am, can you please open internet explorer for me.

Mrs. Smith: What? I don't have internet explorer on this computer...it's a Mac, I've told you this.

 Me:(thinking to myself, "well then clearly you aren't free to run 'any' other software you wish on your precious Mac", but sense kicked in and I didnt') Well, then your not going to be able to properly print your reports, I suggest you consult your department head about getting a PC in the school somewhere so you can in the future. Is there anything else I can help you with.

Mrs. Smith: CLICK

Yea....I don't like mac worshippers...users are fine...but over enthusiastic zeolots annoy me.

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