Well, it has turned out that my computer is not dead, but just taking a little siesta. How appropriate. It will not be useable until a month or so until after we return to Florence because to awaken it will require that I ship it to Hewlett Packard for a little corrective surgery.
When I bought this laptop it was precisely so that we could take some trips and I could still take care of business from afar. I registered my purchase with HP and signed up for their monthly email news just in case there was anything new they wanted to tell me about my slick new machine. In the ensuing two years their emails have arrived each month touting new gadgets and new computers that they think I should purchase, but not much in the way of useful information. They have not been honest with their customers – well, not entirely forthright at least.
It seems that there has been a know problem with the algorithm used to control the fan that cools the motherboard and a lot of these models just shut down in a self-preservation attempt. That would have been really useful information to have included in their monthly email. Another morality dilemma for a big company, “Should we tell our customers that we goofed, or just let them find out the hard way?” I would like to sit in on those types policy meetings and be a moral compass, sort of and Ombudsman or advocate for the people that have trusted the company with their money. I would feel a lot better about HP if they had just put that information in big bold letters at the top of their email – YOUR COMPUTER MAY FAIL AND HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. WE’RE HERE TO HELP. That would have been useful.
The information about the problem is on their help web site and with a little digging one can learn about the problem, some possible home remedies, and that they will fix the problem for free, including shipping costs and sending me a special box, if I call their help tech line.
If you are ever in San Carlos and need some computer help just look for the “Computer Help” sign near the Oxxo store near the second Pemex station. Sonny Felix and her compadre on the phone are very helpful and reasonable.
When I bought this laptop it was precisely so that we could take some trips and I could still take care of business from afar. I registered my purchase with HP and signed up for their monthly email news just in case there was anything new they wanted to tell me about my slick new machine. In the ensuing two years their emails have arrived each month touting new gadgets and new computers that they think I should purchase, but not much in the way of useful information. They have not been honest with their customers – well, not entirely forthright at least.
It seems that there has been a know problem with the algorithm used to control the fan that cools the motherboard and a lot of these models just shut down in a self-preservation attempt. That would have been really useful information to have included in their monthly email. Another morality dilemma for a big company, “Should we tell our customers that we goofed, or just let them find out the hard way?” I would like to sit in on those types policy meetings and be a moral compass, sort of and Ombudsman or advocate for the people that have trusted the company with their money. I would feel a lot better about HP if they had just put that information in big bold letters at the top of their email – YOUR COMPUTER MAY FAIL AND HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. WE’RE HERE TO HELP. That would have been useful.
The information about the problem is on their help web site and with a little digging one can learn about the problem, some possible home remedies, and that they will fix the problem for free, including shipping costs and sending me a special box, if I call their help tech line.
If you are ever in San Carlos and need some computer help just look for the “Computer Help” sign near the Oxxo store near the second Pemex station. Sonny Felix and her compadre on the phone are very helpful and reasonable.
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