Another update June 2018
Well I did go back about 13 months ago and bought another Mac. After about 11 months the unit started heating up to the point it would stop working.... Even though the system showed very little cpu usage (15%) Took it in and told the problem was Chrome and to stop using chrome (tough when multiple sites I rely on for work are chrome only) but I did delete Chrome... And the problem got worse. I took it back in and they looked at it... Told me there was nothing they could do about it because it is a "hot unit" it just runs hot end of story. Odd since it never did that before and no other Mac I owned ever was a "hot unit" this Mac runs so hot you cannot use it on your lap and the fan runs all day everyday regardless of how many applications are running. I went back and forth with them and they just kept saying "hot unit" nothing we can do.
So after buying multiple units here over the years I am no longer a fan. Even though this unit was under warranty they did nothing with it cause it was a "hot unit". Unfortunately after just 11.5 months the "hot unit" is no longer usable so I am forced to buy a new one.
Previous update
So after my issues - Alan reached out. He and I talked through the problem and although it doesn't seem like there is anything that can be done to get my mac back to what I believe is acceptable performance. My experience with Alan and his honesty has made me a fan.
Sometimes you can't please everyone - but it is how you respond to challenging situations that makes an impression.
In the end I may not be totally satisfied with the outcome of my mac and its performance but I am totally satisfied with Alan and The Apple XChange.
So my update is 5 stars.
And next time I need something ... I will be back.