Depending upon how you look at it, signing up for a Genius Bar appointment online either got a little more convenient, or Apple IDs just inched a little closer to creepy Big Brother-esque omnipresence. Either way, if you go to Apple’s online Genius Bar appointment page, you will now need to enter your Apple ID in order to secure your next appointment. Before, only email address and name were needed.
This does make things somewhat more convenient for users, inasmuch as your history and info will already be there for quick access. On the other hand, this does mean all your history and info will be available for quick access, which may make some people feel a little wary. Given that you can’t make appointments by phone, and only a limited number of walk-in appointments are available, this makes it a lot harder to keep your activity out of that ecosystem.
It’s also been pointed out that part of the purpose of this change may be to address the scalping of Genius Bar appointments, which is apparently rampant in China. This is certainly laudable, as it’s exceedingly lame that fraudsters are profiting on this; it’d be the computer equivalent of selling doctor’s office visits.
What are your feelings on this change? Do you find this to be a super-happy increase to your ease of use? Or do you think you’ll just take your chances with a walk-in appointment next time you need some time with a Genius?
