Hey, remember all the flak flying around when Apple moved to its new (cough) "Microsoft-like" support structure in 1997? It marked a big change for Apple, who had previously always been able to boast free lifetime technical support for all of its customers, via the (800) SOS-APPL toll-free number; once the switchover took place, however, Apple customers were to be charged for phone support beyond the first ninety days of ownership. Suddenly, tech support became an argument against getting a Mac, instead of one in the Mac's favor. But what made things even worse was that Apple wasn't just sticking its new customers with a tech support bill-- previous customers, who bought their Macs with the understanding that help would always be a free phone call away, were suddenly informed that they would be charged $35 per call for technical support from that moment on. (Presumably, in this context, "Microsoft-like" can be interpreted to mean "callous, unfair, and profitable.") That's when the lawsuits popped up...

Enter the Federal Trade Commission, who stepped in to set things straight. They charged Apple with "deceptive advertising," citing an ad campaign touting the "Apple Assurance" program, which told prospective customers that if they bought a Mac, they'd have free access to technical support for as long as they owned the product. The "Apple Assurance" ads ran from September of 1992 through April of 1996, so Apple's changing of the rules is hardly fair. And Apple's argument that customers still have access to free technical support via the Internet doesn't help much when the problem with your Mac is that it can't connect to the Internet. So guess what? According to a Reuters story, Apple has settled with the FTC, and is reinstating free technical support for Mac owners who purchased during the ad campaign. In addition, they've agreed to refund any $35 charges that they've collected from customers who should have gotten their help for free.

Before everybody starts jumping up and down with glee over the prospect of free tech support, it's worth pointing out that Apple is very likely not restoring the old complimentary SOS-APPL-style service plan across the board. Rather, this FTC agreement is almost certainly limited to people who purchased their Macs during the four-year period when Apple ran the "Apple Assurance" advertising campaign-- iMac and G3 owners, if you're expecting difficulty, keep those credit cards by the phone. But who knows? Maybe someday Apple will be in a position once again to differentiate their products as not simply the easiest to use, but also the easiest-- and cheapest-- to fix.