Re: ot- buying a new name brand pc with xp

[Bill Troop billtroop@xxxxxxxx]

>  new Dells. Based on their
> experience, I think their quality control has
> collapsed.


I don't think it's quite that bad, yet, Harry. Another nice thing about
the inexpensive 17" Inspiron laptops is that you can get two hard
drives in - - though 'hardware' RAID won't be available on all models. In
any case, it's essential to buy the 3 or 4 year on-site warranty. The
other essential thing to do - - this is based on long experience - - is
never to describe your problem in any detail. Play dumb. 'The
computer doesn't work. I don't know why.' The minute you admit the
smallest thing that could possibly be your own fault, the manufacturer
will try to renege on the warranty. I once cleaned an IBM Thinkpad
keyboard with alcohol and the keyboard fried. I told them this. They told
me they had discovered traces of Coca-Cola in the keyboard. I knew my
keyboard had never been near soda-pop of any manufacture. It took a month
before I got the system back, after the intervention of the director of
PR who told me that 'ten executives decided that it was a better use of
their time to stop arguing and just fix your system.' So: complain, but
never explain. 'It doesn't work.' That's all you need to say.


BTW, I can't resist. Some years ago, the 'Coca Cola Cookbook' made rather
a splash. The New York Times asked Pepsi for comment. An acerbic exec
stated, 'Our customers prefer to drink, rather than eat, their
cola.'