Robert Ruggles, an Apple-certified technician, troubleshoots a computer at MacMouse on South Street.
Tech takes bugs
out of Apples
Robert Ruggles is the main computer tech at MacMouse Club, on South Street, owned by Rolf Nordahl and Michael Palcic. Raised in Michigan, he first lived in Hawaii from 1981 to 1984, just after getting out of the U.S. Navy.
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Who: Robert Ruggles
Title: MacIntosh technology specialist Job: Repair customer software and hardware, and manage the company's computer network and Web site
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Question: Are you the only computer tech at Mac Mouse Club?
Answer: Rolf and Mike know a lot, but when you start getting into the guts of the machines, it's a different story, especially on this newer stuff. In fact, I'm one of the few people on this island that will attempt a repair the power connector on a PowerBook G3. Most people would just replace the board. I actually resolder it. It's because of my electronics background that I can do that.
Q: How did you get into computers?
A: I started with computers in 1975, on IBM mainframes. I had gone to a vocational school in Michigan for it, but then when I went into the military, I went in for electronics. Then, just before I came out here, while I was in college, I was working on their computers -- PCs and Macs.
Q: The college's computers?
A: Yeah, at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Q: Who was your first employer in Hawaii?
A: Mac Made Easy. I was with them for almost four years.
Q: How long have you been working at MacMouse Club?
A: Just over two years.
Q: Where did you work before that?
A: A little place called Active Computers in Hawaii Kai. They're out of business now.
The crew at MacMouse on South Street. From left, Rolf Nordahl, head cheese; Ahinahina, security dog; Robert Ruggles, technician; Mike Palcic, big cheese; Trax, director of security; and Julia Allen, consultant.
A: One I've been getting a lot of lately are the analog boards from the old iMacs. The analog board is what supplies the power and the video to the iMac. I've seen a lot of those go out lately.
Q: Do you fix or replace them?
A: They get replaced.
Q: What's one of the hardest repair jobs to do?
A: Probably one of the most time-intensive is recovering somebody's data on a drive that is really flaky.
Q: Have you ever accidentally wiped out a customer's hard drive?
A: No. I treat data like gold -- literally.
Q: Do you have a favorite computer?
A: A favorite platform or a favorite computer? There's a difference.
Q: Well, both.
A: My favorite platform is Mac, no doubt about it. I've done both (Macs and PCs) for too many years. And the biggest reason for anybody these days for switching over to a Mac is no viruses.
My favorite computer would have to be -- and I don't own it right now -- the 2.5GHZ G5.
Q: The new iMac?
A: No, the new Power Mac. It's actually it's a dual 2.5GHZ G5. It comes in a large tower, it's about three grand, though the new G5 iMacs are absolutely awesome. I'm just a power freak. More power the better.
Q: Have you been to the new Apple Store at Ala Moana Center?
A: Of course. I was 20th in line when they opened.
Q: What did you think of it?
A: It's absolutely awesome. It kind of slowed our business down in the very beginning, but we figured it would, but we actually have a symbiosis going, because we send them business and they send us business.
Q: Was working on computers for you a hobby that became a job?
A: Heck, it's my life. I've got two towers at home, a PowerBook G4 that I carry around, so everything that has to do with Macs and the Web, I pretty much do. I'm Web master for a few sites, I play online video games like you wouldn't believe. I'm into "Halo" and "Medal of Honor" these days.
Q: I was going to ask if you were a gamer.
A: Oh yeah, big time. Most techs I know are.
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