(It's unwise statistically, but I think we all remember personal experiences much more than any actual stats)

My one run-in with Compaq re a failed MB in an early notebook (under warranty), got me all the way to talking with The Frenchman's er 'Executive Secretary' for some hints on wording of my letter to the Unreachable One. This after literally an hour+ of wasted time long distance, with high-priced successive managers reading me the mantra, it's against company policy.

Simply, I wanted to *pay* for the minor mb 'upgrade' of including a bloody CACHE! for this underpowered cpu. I knew they HAD more of the later mbs in stock than.. copies of my older one, and I had S/Ns and prices. No Dice. The Frenchman also bounced it back to previous hi-level droid woman - with smirking refusal. Customer is always Wrong, no matter what the logic. (My last Cpq (used) purchase ever, needless to say). I made that point clear to smirking droid, especially re my PO for 24 new laptops going to Toshiba (a baldfaced lie, but when in Rome...)

Toshiba OTOH, with a machine in final week of warranty: virtually rebuilt the sucker, paid for Fed-Ex pickup and return, to a nearby warr. station. (Called them too, to applaud).

I wonder how typical was my Cpq. experience.. but I can cheerfully and irrationally, simply: permanently avoid them.
(..nobody fucks with Paul Lazzaro!)


A.