Text 2141, 349 rader
Skriven 2005-01-24 19:42:06 av John Oellrich (1:379/45)
Kommentar till text 2129 av Antti Kurenniemi (1:379/45)
Ärende: Re: The Thinkpad Blues
==============================
From: "John Oellrich" <john@oellrich.us>
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Antti,
From what I have been reading about the new BlueTooth virus be happy = that you
can't wake it ;->
What is a Windows key? Oh wait I remember that is that weird key on the =
latest set of shitty keyboards that I trash in favor of ancient IBM and = AT&T
keyboards that actually have full travel and clicks!=20
I just checked my Dell Laptop, and yes it has a Windows key, but I have = never
used it (judging by the dust on that key compared to the others), = nor am I
planning to.
--=20
john
john@oellrich.us
"Antti Kurenniemi" <antti@anttik.com> wrote in message =
news:41f4e51d@w3.nls.net...
Hola!
For what it's worth, after about a week with my new thinkpad T42 I am =
not=20
impressed in anything except the mechanical feeling of this machine, =
and=20
probably would not buy another one. The IBM provided software is just =
crap=20
(and there's a LOT of it by default!), and their service just plain =
sucks=20
here. I'm having trouble getting the BlueTooth to wake up (hint hint: =
candy=20
for anyone who knows how it's done) and I haven't been able to get =
anyone on=20
the phone who has any clue.
And I HATE that they don't put the Windows -key on the keyboard! I =
didn't=20
realize that at first, but that alone would most likely have prevented =
me=20
from buying this computer; I've grown to use it so much that it =
actually=20
took me a while to figure out how to turn the system off with the =
mouse <g>.
Antti Kurenniemi
"Frank Haber" <frhaber@N0SPMrcn.com> wrote in message=20
news:41e6a88f$1@w3.nls.net...
>A little story of "overnight IBM service," heavily edited, on why IBM =
maybe
> didn't make much money in the PC business.
>
> A good client gives me his son's new T42, and asks me to check it =
out, set=20
> it
> up, and beat on it for a while. A privilege, right? It's a great=20
> machine,
> and besides how can I turn down a guy who lets me borrow a vacation =
home=20
> and
> swim in his pool, as well as giving me money?
>
> A day into my gleeful fiddling, the wireless mini-PCI fails. No =
prob,=20
> right?
> It's brand new - send me a new one, IBM. Problem one - dad has sat =
on the
> unopened box for 34 days. Blue's guidelines are "full replacement =
up to=20
> 30
> days." 34 doesn't cut it, but please see our Ombudsman department=20
> (Customer
> Advocates). That's cute, say I, they have someone on my side. Prob =
is,=20
> they
> don't have another of this T42 variant 4011 out of 5666 choices in =
the
> pipeline. Back to level one service.
>
> I draw a lady (in Atlanta, thank goodness) who insists that I undo =
SP2 ON=20
> THE
> PHONE, then won't escalate until I do a NUKE REINSTALL from the =
service
> partition. Since the (standard Intel B/G) mini-PCI isn't even seen =
by the=20
> DOS
> diagnostics, that doesn't help, as I expected. But the idiot has =
just
> required that I undo a day's work, so replace is now roughly equal =
to=20
> repair,
> in my eyes. I pursue both paths.
>
> Of course, the son has law and grad school apps and job stuff that=20
> requires a
> laptop NOW. I gussy up his antique 266 with 96MB of RAM, and that =
problem
> gets a Band-Aid.
>
> It's now 48 hours later, and IBM has decided I *must* return the =
machine=20
> to KY
> for repair. Waitaminit, says I. I've found disassembly directions =
for=20
> the
> casing on IBM's site, and I ask for the part. "Sorry," level 2 =
says, "Our
> guidelines for the 15" model prohibit customer installation for that =
> part."
> OK, we ship.
>
> I meekly ask, "Are we sure they have the part?" Level 2 says, "We =
have no=20
> way
> of knowing that, sir, but it's a monster facility, right at the =
airport,=20
> and
> I'm sure...." Yeah, yeah.
>
> OK, say I, give me the address and I'll overnight it in your =
original
> packing. "Oh, no," say they, "you must wait for our standard, =
pre-paid,
> pre-addressed all-leather return packaging, and ship in that. =
That's how=20
> we
> do it." I'm wise now, and ask whether they can send this magic box =
to me,
> instead of to the owner across town. Nope, of course. I make=20
> arrangements to
> return the machine. The owner gets the box and ships.
>
> Two days later, he gets a call from the repair site. "I'm sorry, =
sir - we
> don't have the part. It comes from China, and we don't have an =
arrival=20
> date
> for the next batch. I'm giving you over to our Customer Advocacy=20
> Department."
> Now, of course, we meet their guidelines. They scrounge.
>
> Three days after this, they find a machine. At this point, neither =
the=20
> owner
> nor I cares whether it's a refurb, but it appears new when it =
arrives.
> Everything works, and I deliver a set-up and well thrashed machine =
13 days
> after this all begins.
>
> There's more, but my fingers are tired. Everyone at IBM was just =
stellar,
> except for the first (Ms. Format) support person. They just had a =
book to=20
> go
> by. Sigh.
>
>
> --=20
>
> -Frank
>=20
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<DIV>Antti,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>From what I have been reading about the new BlueTooth virus be =
happy that=20
you can't wake it ;-></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What is a Windows key? Oh wait I remember that is that weird key on =
the=20
latest set of shitty keyboards that I trash in favor of ancient IBM and =
AT&T=20
keyboards that actually have full travel and clicks! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I just checked my Dell Laptop, and yes it has a Windows key, but I =
have=20
never used it (judging by the dust on that key compared to the others), = nor
am I=20
planning to.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>-- <BR>john</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A href=3D"mailto:john@oellrich.us">john@oellrich.us</A></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>"Antti Kurenniemi" <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:antti@anttik.com">antti@anttik.com</A>> wrote in =
message <A=20
=
href=3D"news:41f4e51d@w3.nls.net">news:41f4e51d@w3.nls.net</A>...</DIV>Ho=
la!<BR><BR><BR>For=20
what it's worth, after about a week with my new thinkpad T42 I am not=20
<BR>impressed in anything except the mechanical feeling of this =
machine, and=20
<BR>probably would not buy another one. The IBM provided software is =
just crap=20
<BR>(and there's a LOT of it by default!), and their service just =
plain sucks=20
<BR>here. I'm having trouble getting the BlueTooth to wake up (hint =
hint:=20
candy <BR>for anyone who knows how it's done) and I haven't been able =
to get=20
anyone on <BR>the phone who has any clue.<BR><BR>And I HATE that they =
don't=20
put the Windows -key on the keyboard! I didn't <BR>realize that at =
first, but=20
that alone would most likely have prevented me <BR>from buying this =
computer;=20
I've grown to use it so much that it actually <BR>took me a while to =
figure=20
out how to turn the system off with the mouse =
<g>.<BR><BR><BR>Antti=20
Kurenniemi<BR><BR>"Frank Haber" <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:frhaber@N0SPMrcn.com">frhaber@N0SPMrcn.com</A>> =
wrote in=20
message <BR><A=20
=
href=3D"news:41e6a88f$1@w3.nls.net">news:41e6a88f$1@w3.nls.net</A>...<BR>=
>A=20
little story of "overnight IBM service," heavily edited, on why IBM=20
maybe<BR>> didn't make much money in the PC =
business.<BR>><BR>> A=20
good client gives me his son's new T42, and asks me to check it out, =
set=20
<BR>> it<BR>> up, and beat on it for a while. A privilege, =
right? It's a great <BR>> machine,<BR>> and besides how =
can I turn=20
down a guy who lets me borrow a vacation home <BR>> and<BR>> =
swim in his=20
pool, as well as giving me money?<BR>><BR>> A day into my =
gleeful=20
fiddling, the wireless mini-PCI fails. No prob, <BR>> =
right?<BR>>=20
It's brand new - send me a new one, IBM. Problem one - dad has =
sat on=20
the<BR>> unopened box for 34 days. Blue's guidelines are =
"full=20
replacement up to <BR>> 30<BR>> days." 34 doesn't cut it, =
but=20
please see our Ombudsman department <BR>> (Customer<BR>>=20
Advocates). That's cute, say I, they have someone on my =
side. Prob=20
is, <BR>> they<BR>> don't have another of this T42 variant 4011 =
out of=20
5666 choices in the<BR>> pipeline. Back to level one=20
service.<BR>><BR>> I draw a lady (in Atlanta, thank goodness) =
who=20
insists that I undo SP2 ON <BR>> THE<BR>> PHONE, then won't =
escalate=20
until I do a NUKE REINSTALL from the service<BR>> partition. =
Since=20
the (standard Intel B/G) mini-PCI isn't even seen by the <BR>> =
DOS<BR>>=20
diagnostics, that doesn't help, as I expected. But the idiot has =
just<BR>> required that I undo a day's work, so replace is now =
roughly=20
equal to <BR>> repair,<BR>> in my eyes. I pursue both=20
paths.<BR>><BR>> Of course, the son has law and grad school apps =
and job=20
stuff that <BR>> requires a<BR>> laptop NOW. I gussy up =
his=20
antique 266 with 96MB of RAM, and that problem<BR>> gets a=20
Band-Aid.<BR>><BR>> It's now 48 hours later, and IBM has decided =
I=20
*must* return the machine <BR>> to KY<BR>> for repair. =
Waitaminit,=20
says I. I've found disassembly directions for <BR>> =
the<BR>>=20
casing on IBM's site, and I ask for the part. "Sorry," level 2 =
says,=20
"Our<BR>> guidelines for the 15" model prohibit customer =
installation for=20
that <BR>> part."<BR>> OK, we ship.<BR>><BR>> I meekly =
ask, "Are=20
we sure they have the part?" Level 2 says, "We have no <BR>>=20
way<BR>> of knowing that, sir, but it's a monster facility, right =
at the=20
airport, <BR>> and<BR>> I'm sure...." Yeah, =
yeah.<BR>><BR>>=20
OK, say I, give me the address and I'll overnight it in your=20
original<BR>> packing. "Oh, no," say they, "you must wait for =
our=20
standard, pre-paid,<BR>> pre-addressed all-leather return =
packaging, and=20
ship in that. That's how <BR>> we<BR>> do it." I'm =
wise now,=20
and ask whether they can send this magic box to me,<BR>> instead of =
to the=20
owner across town. Nope, of course. I make <BR>> =
arrangements=20
to<BR>> return the machine. The owner gets the box and=20
ships.<BR>><BR>> Two days later, he gets a call from the repair=20
site. "I'm sorry, sir - we<BR>> don't have the part. It =
comes=20
from China, and we don't have an arrival <BR>> date<BR>> for the =
next=20
batch. I'm giving you over to our Customer Advocacy <BR>>=20
Department."<BR>> Now, of course, we meet their guidelines. =
They=20
scrounge.<BR>><BR>> Three days after this, they find a =
machine. At=20
this point, neither the <BR>> owner<BR>> nor I cares whether =
it's a=20
refurb, but it appears new when it arrives.<BR>> Everything works, =
and I=20
deliver a set-up and well thrashed machine 13 days<BR>> after this =
all=20
begins.<BR>><BR>> There's more, but my fingers are tired. =
Everyone=20
at IBM was just stellar,<BR>> except for the first (Ms. Format) =
support=20
person. They just had a book to <BR>> go<BR>> by. =20
Sigh.<BR>><BR>><BR>> -- <BR>><BR>> -Frank<BR>>=20
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