Greetings from the front.... All opponents/team mates please read

[Larry Reese]

Guys,

I will be back in action this weekend. Got the technical issues sorted out. Now I just have to catch up with you all. My thanks for your patience during this long drawn out ordeal.

Now, for any of you who'd like the details:

SO, I escalated the issue with HP and got the head of the customer service escalation team. She too indicated they would not cover the blown HD since it was now out of warranty after less than 9 months of service. I advised her that I was a disatisfied customer and a disappointed former employee, that HP had lost my business for good, and that I would let Mark Hurd know about it.

I e-mailed the story to Mark and his staff shot it down the chain to the head of the escalation team again. She called me the next day extremely apologetic and "really really wishing there was something she could do to" fix the situation. I could have said, swap the hard drive (hell, it wouldn't cost them anything, the manufacturer would have to eat it unless they cut new contracts since I was there... which they probably have now that I think about it). Anyway, I was tired of dealing with them and did not make that suggestion.

Instead, I went out and bought a screaming 16 inch laptop, new digital coax speaker system (505 watts), HDMI link for the 20 inch monitor, full wireless desktop system, USB hub, and a custom stand to hold the laptop screen at eye level. So we're ready to rock. Oh, and I'm going to toss a replacement 500 gig HD in the old desktop, test it out, and put it and the old sound system up for sale. The only HP products I will have then will be the camera and the monitor.

More importantly, I made sure to put the word out in my professional and client circles (where I had always been an HP advocate) regarding the facts of this case. Probably nothing will come of it, but if even a single person buys from a different manufacturer instead of HP that'll be enough.

Into the bargain, this guy in a F150 crew cab rearended me in S500 Tuesday, right in front of a DPS Trooper (that's Department of Public Safety for you non-Texan types, basically state police). The guy admitted he was watching the trooper in his mirror when he rear ended me. I was stopped flat and he hit me at about 40, with a stab on the brakes just before impact. The F150 was towed. That S500 is built like an APC. Crunch up the rear bumper, shattered the tail light on the passenger side, dented up the trunk lid pretty good, and cracked the windshield but otherwise no major problems and looks to the eye like the impact was far less than what it was. Of course, I bought the car in order to have the best protection for my daughter and wife and this really exemplifed that. Guy admitted fault, was ticketed, and now I just have to get the thing repaired.

Oh, and Kool Kat, nice song quote. Here's one I like:

"Life is just a blast
its Movin really fast
you Better stay on top
or life will kick you in the ass"

Later amigos. Watch your in boxes.

LR

[Chuck10mtn]

Hey Larry the way your luck has been going I thought you were going to say that new computer was in the trunk of that car !!!! I can just see your face if that had happened "PRICELESS"
Glad to hear your up and running again Good luck

Chuck

[Larry Reese]

Hey Larry the way your luck has been going I thought you were going to say that new computer was in the trunk of that car !!!!

That really did make me laugh out loud. No, hopefully this tech stuff will go back to my old mundane experience. In nearly 30 years prior to this, no virus infections, no ID theft, no HD crash, nothing.... Boring here I come!

LR