Comments on: Hewlett-Packard is what is wrong with computing http://www.chrisblanc.org/blog/information-technology/2008/12/15/hewlett-packard-is-what-is-wrong-with-computing/ fiction and technology Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:16:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Will http://www.chrisblanc.org/blog/information-technology/2008/12/15/hewlett-packard-is-what-is-wrong-with-computing/comment-page-1/#comment-15087 Will Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:46:43 +0000 http://www.chrisblanc.org/blog/information-technology/2008/12/15/hewlett-packard-is-what-is-wrong-with-computing/#comment-15087 I really wish I could customize the pre-installs on my operating system -- I don't need Windows Meeting Space, I don't need minesweeper, and I don't need three different media players that demand updates every time I turn on the machine. Also: HP customer service is wretched. I recently called about an urgent tech support matter. After confirming that I was still under warranty, they routed me to an Indian call center which (accidentally?) dropped my call. The second time through, a different Indian call center rep told me that because of the (totally incorrect) warranty expiration date listed for my computer on his end, he was 1. forbidden to help me while 2. unable to transfer my call back to anyone in a management/customer service position. This was when my computer was going through debilitating driver issues in the middle of exam week. I think computer mechanics and basic windows troubleshooting will have to become part of public school curriculum in the near future -- we all have to use these things regularly by high school at the latest, but very few of us know how to fix anything more complex than an empty printer cartridge. I really wish I could customize the pre-installs on my operating system — I don’t need Windows Meeting Space, I don’t need minesweeper, and I don’t need three different media players that demand updates every time I turn on the machine.

Also: HP customer service is wretched. I recently called about an urgent tech support matter. After confirming that I was still under warranty, they routed me to an Indian call center which (accidentally?) dropped my call. The second time through, a different Indian call center rep told me that because of the (totally incorrect) warranty expiration date listed for my computer on his end, he was 1. forbidden to help me while 2. unable to transfer my call back to anyone in a management/customer service position. This was when my computer was going through debilitating driver issues in the middle of exam week.

I think computer mechanics and basic windows troubleshooting will have to become part of public school curriculum in the near future — we all have to use these things regularly by high school at the latest, but very few of us know how to fix anything more complex than an empty printer cartridge.

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