anti-Linux Policy at HP

[I. Khider]

Hello Hugh, 

In light of your post I think it would be pertinent to add Toshiba's
take on the problem. The Toshiba rep said that any smart technician,
when faced with a computer with an alternate operating system, would
simply switch the hard drive and resume diagnostics. That answer made
sense to me. Someone else mentioned doing a 'level two diagnostics'
which meant a computer can be diagnosed without going through the OS. It
seems that alternate ways exist for manufacturers to test and back their
product. 

All I want is HP's backing for their hardware. As for software, of
course I cannot ask for that. 

My case number can be quoted just to prove my grievance exists. 

Someone said that Linux distros like Ubuntu have a bug that burn out
hard drives quicker and that is why companies will not back machines
that run them. I am trying to figure out how Gentoo works and am told
that distro is a lot better for my hardware. I do not know as I am still
a 'newbie'--but asking for a company to not sell me a lemon is not
asking for the moon. 

I may sound bitter, and I am, I think HP's policy is gratuitous and
without merit. I have a lot to learn yet, but my gut tells me Linux is
good, Windows is bad. 

"Four legs good, two legs baaaaaaaad." -George Orwell, Animal Farm. 

-Ib-

On Sun, 2009-02-15 at 20:35 -0500, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:

> | From: I. Khider <contact-uc+NVM1kvX9BDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org>
> 
> | I was about to purchase a business class HP laptop when the product
> | information specialist informed me ALL HARDWARE WARRANTIES ARE VOID THE
> | SECOND YOU INSTALL LINUX.
> 
> Unless it says that in the actual warranty, I imagine that this position
> is unsupportable.
> 
> On the other hand, what tech support says is, in a practical sense,
> effectively how things go.
> 
> For example, I have an Acer notebook.  The published specs say that it
> can handle up to 4G of RAM.  In fact it cannot.  Evidence suggests
> taht this is a BIOS bug.  I have found no way to deal with this
> through their support system.  I'm unwilling to use the court system.
> 
> I've not really had great experience with warranty support when the
> problem is not with my particular machine but with all of them.  The
> best that they know how to do is give you a replacement and if the
> replacement is going to have the same flaw, what is the point?
> 
> Unfortunately, tech support and engineering just don't talk for
> consumer products or services.
> 
> | My first impression was that I was speaking to
> | a under-trained call centre op so asked to speak with someone else.
> | After speaking with four reps, two technicians, and the client relations
> | department, I realized it was their policy. I sent a polite and
> | constructive e-mail to HP President Mark Hurd to reconsider this policy.
> | His office sent me an e-mail and said they are reviewing my request. 
> 
> A reasonable position (from their standpoint) would be if the problem
> cannot be demonstrated in Windows, then it isn't a problem.  They may
> feel that they don't have the resources to support other OSes.
> 
> I actually think that "PCness" is sufficiently well defined that you
> could find hardware to be out of spec. without Windows tripping over
> the problem.
> 
> | One technician offered a work-around, in case of a hardware defect,
> | re-install Windows and send it in. So, in case of a defective power
> | supply or CPU fan, how does one install Windows?
> 
> I always leave MS Windows on the systems that I buy with Windows (hard
> to avoid).  This may be stupid but it does let me apply firmware
> updates that are delivered as Windows packages.
> 
> | Personally, I would like to take this issue to the papers. 
> 
> HP has (had?) internal Linux advocates who might help first.  Bdale
> Garbee
>   http://www.gag.com/~bdale/
>   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdale_Garbee
> told me some years ago that the consumer-class stuff had no Linux
> support but that business-class was more likely to.
> 
> The "papers" are particularly bad at this kind of thing.
> 
> | My case number with HP is #80216227703
> 
> Can we do anything with this number?  I assume that we cannot due to
> privacy concerns.
> --
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