Sprint SmartView for Macs incompatible with broadband cards

Thanks for writing this.

I'm in a similar situation to Bob Munn. Bob, if you're there, could you provide instructions on how to use Apple's software to activate the card? I would really appreciate that.

I'm not surprised Sprint hasn't addressed this yet. After almost 10 years of service, I cancelled my personal account. Recently, their approach to just about everything, especially customer service, drives me up the wall!

This is a perfect example. No patch with a fix, no apology, not even links to older versions of their software, which I would gladly use.

I believe the title should read "Sprint Smartview Update Pwns Broadband Cards"

;)

From the standpoint of one who:

(a) purchased the express card in question, and
(b) attempted to install it in a---you guessed it---MacBook Pro AND
(c) purchased it on August 28, the day this software update was released.

(d) spent two hours on the phone between my local Sprint retailer and Sprint's "Mac Specialist" back at headquarters

(e) found no mention of the situation online except for the same universally glowing reviews from Mac users that I had accessed in pre-purchase research

(f) made two trips to my local Apple Store Genius---including one in which I became uncharacteristically argumentative given that the only known manifestation of this problem was limited to my machine. (An older machine running 10.4 ran it flawlessly)

(g) finally accepted my Genius' solution, which I deemed to be a kludge by using Apple's own software to activate the card.

(h) learned today from my Genius that this posting existed, which is the first light that has been shown on this matter by Sprint, Apple or anyone else.

Props and Thanx to reader John T, to Anthony at the Charlotte, NC Apple Store and to TUAW.

Regardless of your choice of B-words: Bricked, Broke or Befuddled. (My choice would have been something from the F-family.) I am simply grateful that the information finally became public, and I can vent my anger at Sprint, where it justifiably belongs.

Everyone who politely pointed out that 'brick' was probably the wrong verb to use for this driver issue, thank you for your input. The headline has been changed. Per Steve's earlier comment, we do try to avoid changing headlines on posts when it's possible to do so, as it can have deleterious effects on RSS readers.

Oh and thank you, Editor, for changing the title. :D. Sorry to double-post.

We got our point across, case closed I think!

Cheers.

These sensationalist headlines make this blog crap to read. Every blogger on this site needs read the definition of term "brick." It's short for, "as useful as a brick," meaning you permanently damaged the firmware. So "offense was taken" should be changed to, "I am a idiot, and I like to blame other's for my incompetence, really."

No one was ever "bricking" their iphones; they could be software restored. No one bricked their apple tv when hacking them to pieces. Your spring broadband card has a driver problem. It's not the same thing, and YOU are an idiot.

I think TUAW should fire all the bloggers who are unable to program in C (or obj-c, why not, this is apple) or are unable to identity and discuss the purpose of individual parts of a motherboard. No one wants to read this diluted crap anymore and you're driving traffic away to sites that host factual information.

Speaking of, the macrumors.com forums host a plethora of great information for people that like macs other than 'omg so pretty!!!!!!!!!"

Hmm. In Ireland this was a regular problem with O2 pcmcia cards - newer versions of software just didn't work or indeed removed functionality that was present in previous versions.

They never bricked the cards though. Just like Sprints software didn't brick their cards.

I find it sad that a blog which uses the word "bricked" to describe iPhones which were irretrievably broken also uses it to describe cards which don't work with a particular version of software.

I hope Sprint doesn't get too upset.

Thank you, Steve, for putting adding the "update" part to your article. I hope you can learn from this mistake, and it's perhaps something you can make sure that all the bloggers at TUAW take heed of. But no, we don't take "offense" (I presume that's a US spelling). We are just simply appalled at your lack of interest for detail.

Anyway, I think it's safe to say that we can leave this to lie now. Good job, discerning linguophiles.

This just in... TuawSteve just bricked TUAW!

Whether Steve is a douche or not has no bearing on the fact that Sprint is full of fail.