Friday, July 17, 2015

Ok Google, Wake up!

OK Google! Yeah, the thing that is going to tell you anything and everything!From the traffic on the road to the hotel by the road, it gives you anything and everything, it identifies your office location and tells you where your vehicle is parked. All that is appreciated Google. Thank you for that.

I would be okay if you actually are not so accurate on these things, I would forgive you Google, I wouldn't be a tiny bit unhappy if the location of the car was off 20 meters or if you didn't tell me the exact traffic density on the road I am heading to. I have not paid a penny directly for that, as long as it's free and you give me a little inaccurate data I am okay with that, please understand that Google.

Alright let me cut the crap and head straight the heart of the matter. I have been a Google loyalist, my phone runs on Android, my browser is Google and the goddamn search engine I use is also google and my email account is also google. To add to that list, I have forced my parents to use Android phones as well. All in all, I am deeply embedded in the Ecosystem you have created around me. Although, I am scared someday you will take over my life completely, I still appreciate the work you are doing. But, hey I missed out something in the Made in Google list that's in my arsenal, or rather what was in my arsenal until a couple of weeks ago, my most treasured Nexus-7 just went dead. Kaboom!

I didn't drop it, did not allow it to get wet in the rain, did not root it, did not do anything that would set it in the direction of the heavens. I just took care of it like my own baby. But what happens, it goes dead, despite all the care I took, it just freaking crashes!

It was just another day in my life and I took my treasured Nexus 7 into my hands to read the book, " Wild, a journey from lost to found" and then, the thing suddenly hangs. Then I fiddle with the power button to restart it. It turns off and reboots. The screen turns on and " Google is displayed". I get nervous, try to restart it again, nothing happens. I leave it there like that for a few hours, nothing happens. Then, I use google to get to the root of the problem. I search for answers, the answers look bleak, I get even more nervous!

Four days go by, no action taken. I decide to head to the service center. Located at a distance of 8 kilometers I use Google again to find my way. I reach the place and wait for my turn. I sit there in deathly silence wondering what would happen to her. My mind runs through all possibilities, " My baby could die!, My baby would not return". The pessimism starts to kick in.

My number is called, I head to the counter, I greet the lady sitting across, " Good morning ". She reciprocates. Then I blurt out everything that happened to my baby ( When I say my baby, I refer to the Nexus 7). She hears me out patiently. Then she does a preliminary inspection. Her next few words give me a glimmer of hope, she says it could be a software issue and it could be fixed. Then she tells me a dude is going to give me a call in 3-4 Business days, I respond with a hint of agitation, then she assures me I will get a call tomorrow. I then head back home with a slightly higher amount of optimism than the pessimism I came in with.

The next day, at around half past three, the phone rings, a number without a name displayed on my phone. I pick up my ANDROID Phone and answer the call, on the other end a gentleman speaks, no non-sense there, he get straight to the point, he shoots the most difficult part, " We re-installed the OS and tried to start it, but it doesn't work. We believe the board has to be replaced, it is going to cost you INR 10,000, do we replace it ?" I hear all this and my emotions change drastically, I am enraged and devastated. Just for the sake of asking, I ask them, " Can't anything else be done?" The gentleman firmly says NO! I say," Alright, don't do anything, I will come and pick it up tomorrow!, Thank you" and hang up the call.  

The tab is a mere one year and six months old. It was purchased in the US and it had been my loyal companion. I have read more than thirty ebooks in that, heard countless songs and watched movies! I miss it and I miss it badly!

Well this is not a eulogy, but this is a message to Google, a message which I hope has an impact! I hope they understand that loyalty comes with effort not from one end, but from both ends, I need you to make me love you. I have been a google loyalist and for me to remain a google loyalist, the folks in mountain-view should buck and give goods worth the money! I have an apple Ipod touch which is 5 years old and till date it's as good as new. My dad has an ipad-2, the damn thing is four years old and yet, is solid as a rock. not once I have had to take it to the service center.

The point here really is no one buys a gadget to use it for a year and then throw it off their life, unless of-course they have 10 digit salary or they have shitloads in their bank account. When I googled to see how many Nexus owners faced such a problem, I could almost see an unending thread with a kazillion users complaining about the same problem. Well, that isn't how a company which ranks third in global Brand value ( Courtesy Forbes ) should work. I would really appreciate if Google worked more on the Tablet's reliability instead of figuring out ways to make me click on that pesky ad!

Google, I really hope you have taken note of this!  

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