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It's a company run by engineers. There were electronic bits all over the place. I said I liked that about them.
They are asking me to quote them on three different projects. The first one is only a week or two of work - heh: "only" - the other two I'm going to have to study before I can quote them.
If these three work out OK they said they'd have lots more work for me.
I shouldn't say who it is because that would preannounce that they will be supporting Mac OS X. Mostly they need drivers.
There are very few Mac driver consultants, as most who know how to do it have perm jobs at apple.
I'm both excited, and greatly relieved.
A couple months ago I lost a good contract because I don't have a Mac. I had a really tricked-out MacBook Pro, but it died shortly after the AppleCare extended warranty expired.
They were completely cool with that, and said they have macs I can use.
I specifically asked to work on-site. The vast majority of my clients are remote, but these guys I can get to on the bus and light rail. They were very pleased by that.
I asked to work on-site before I asked them to lend me a Mac, so they would understand I didn't plan to take it home with me.
I should be able to buy a new MacBook Pro with my first paycheck. That will be the third I've owned. I have no complaints about the first one, it lasted six years.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @12:33AM
Six years? That's not impressive given the extreme over-price you pay for Apple hardware. My laptop is a Compaq that is now 10.5 years old. And it, when new, was 1/10 the price you'll pay for that overpriced stuff from Apple.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @02:19AM
In MDC's case, it seems like the Mac would be an investment as it is needed for future work.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday December 06 2016, @02:29AM
I also do linux drivers and embedded, but everyone wants me for Mac.
I plan to pay for the thing out of my very first paycheck, with lots left over.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @12:11PM
Whoosh....
And, you completely missed the point.
If you pay 10x the cost of other hardware for the Apple stuff, but you only get six years of lifetime out of it, then something is seriously wrong with Apple's hardware or pricing model (hint, it is likely the pricing that is seriously wrong, as in inflated well beyond any realm of reason).
It also does not help that Apple purposefully obsoletes otherwise good hardware to push their mindless fanbois to fork over even more cash for no good reason, and the fanbois accept this as normal.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @02:29AM
You imagined the company, and you imagined the building. The next time you go there, you will find only a vacant lot.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by aristarchus on Tuesday December 06 2016, @04:30AM
First Rule of SoylentNews: You do not fuck with MDC! We are all pulling for him. I would not be surprised if a whole slew of cyber-ninjas have already fixed your location and have launched a probe, you know, a probe, in your general direction. The next time you return to your mother's basement, you will find only a vacant lot. If you are lucky.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @08:21AM
You've only made MDC into your site mascot because he's a gregarious chatterbox who loves to blab about his wonderful life. And yes, it is a wonderful life, and he's very, very lucky. There are folks whose lives are much worse, but you don't read about them, because not everyone is an extroverted attention whore. Introverted people, who in the past have found acceptance in technical fields, now have no prospects in the tech industry. This is a news site, so you might have noticed the newsworthy trends of massive layoffs and outsourcing. Well you know who gets laid off, it's the introverts, the loners, the misfits, the non-team-players, the losers who live in their mothers' basements, the homeless bums who hold advanced degrees and who still eat at soup kitchens and who regret ever wasting their time getting an education. And they don't find work again, not anywhere, because the future is social. Anyone who doesn't feel the urge toward self-aggrandizement, who doesn't pimp exaggerated skills on a blog, who doesn't live and breathe advertising, who doesn't do search engine optimization, who despises social marketing, and who steadfastly refuses to join the social circle-jerk of LinkedIn, basically your garden-variety introverted geek will never find work and might as well be dead.
And the second rule of SoylentNews is, you do not...fuck with MDC!
His name is Michael David Crawford. His name is Michael David Crawford. His name is Michael David Crawford.
Well damn, now I'm going to imagine MDC with Bob bitch tits, every time I see his name.
(Score: 3, Touché) by aristarchus on Tuesday December 06 2016, @08:30AM
Happy to help you explode, AC. Now perhaps, get some professional help? It is out there. People do care.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @08:59AM
Remember what happened when Jack/Tyler Durden tried to get some professional help? They almost cut off his balls.
I'm loving the Fight Club theme. Know what, I should try getting the whole year severance package deal like Jack/Tyler did. Oh wait, I already did that for real.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday December 09 2016, @04:42PM
Things could be worse. MDC could have been born a Somalian, or a rural Nigerian.
MDC has a lot going for him, given the circumstances.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday December 11 2016, @09:30PM
Some of my high school classmates are dead. I'm still alive and aside from my mind I'm in good health.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday December 06 2016, @02:58PM
how do _you_ know that soylent news is a real website? Maybe you've hallucinated the whole thing.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Tuesday December 06 2016, @04:21PM
Can't speak for AC, but I'm counting on it! :)
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 06 2016, @10:53PM
You imagined your own wit and importance.