HP LAPTOPS SUCK - HERE'S WHY

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If you have any desire to install any form of Linux/BSD(that includes OSx)/Unix. DO NOT choose HP. I bought a dv9008nr and found the out of an 18 point check of the bios 10 failed!!! I called HP and got way up in customer care. HP stance is that HP sell windows laptops only. They will not support any other functionality AT ALL. I asked for my money backl so I could buy a laptop that works for me only to get put off over the last 5 months. I even left a messege for Jeff Utiguard, a executive in Customer care, over 2 month's ago. I never heard anything back from him at all. I urge all laptop consumers to STOP buying hp products until HP stops supporting ONLY WINDOWS. And just as an FYI the 10 failed BIOS points are still broken in windows as well, but they put "patches" for windows to work, but NOTHING for ANY OTHER OS!!

TELL HP to stop asying. "Well it works in windows!?!?!?"

To view the errors for yourself:
1.) Download OpenSUSE CD1
2.) Boot to the disk
3.) Choose firmware test

debian working on the same model. Why don't you try that distro?

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?p=2630785#post2630785

Besides, which other manufacturer's consumer laptop would you recommend for SUSE? Many of HP's higher end business laptops are SUSE certified, so why didn't you pick one of those?

Also note this CNet article about Dell just getting into Linux certification with their business laptops.

http://news.com.com/Dell+takes+small+steps+toward+Linux/2100-1003_3-6162164.html?tag=nefd.top

Some day when Linux trickles down to the masses, maybe all mfrs will certify, or better yet, offer to pre-install for all laptop models. Until then we can dream on.

First off, I don't like HP just as much as you. Secondly, I have over a decade of experience in customer service and retail sales (in particular electronics) and the most important thing I can ever suggest to anyone looking to purchase any product... DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

If you want a notebook that will run Linux.. buy a notebook that you know for sure will run Linux on it and make sure you clearly know what the retailer's return policy is.

To anyone reading these "I hate HP, I hate Dell, etc" posts, take this as a lesson that you can't hide behind ignorance, that's why big companies hire smart people with letters after their names to write warranties and ensure they are protected legally.

Oh, and be nice to the case managers, they are just doing their jobs and honestly don't care how mad you are because they can't fix stupid.

How about helping/suggesting to all your friends that they should buy a HP laptop, and then all of your friends start having the same problem; that being DV series laptops that boot to a black screen or "Operating System Not Found" or only booting up after 7 or 8 tries. And more often than not, this seems to be happening after 1 year of use, so if they/you purchased only a 1 year warranty, you are SOL (sh@#$t out of luck) for those of you whom are young enough not to recognize SOL. I am a professional IT support professional in NY working for a mega-size investment bank and yes, I have done my research and I have tried the whole "taking apart the laptop and unplugging the quicktouch cables", replacing hard drive crap" I will suggest to every single user that I support (over 1500) that if they purchase an HP laptop, they are fools, and I will have about 20 or more current HP laptop owners as proof.

Why is it that every time someone says "I'm a senior IT engineer with 20 years of experience", "I am a professional IT support professional" etc they betray the fact that they might not actually be any good at what they claim to do?

And here's a thought - don't buy cheap, bottom of the heap consumer laptops from anyone with basic warranties if you have unrealistic expectations about durability or longevity.

I don't think you are seeing the implications of what I wrote... I don't own a laptop at all; I have 6 perfectly running older generic desktop computers in my home - every now and then a small issue pops up; I fix it. I support approx. 1500 users at my IT job; no problems arise that we can't fix (Thinkpad laptops). But since my employer is HP and I get a discount, people like to buy laptops THROUGH me FROM HP. All of these people are now coming back to me with HP laptop problems; Most of the laptops are out of warranty. So my expertise really has nothing to do with the post. The problem is that non-technical people are buying laptops that are becoming $1500 paperweights after 2 years. Typically they'll call HP and get turned away and then they'll come to me and I'll try to help them by reading hundreds of posts of other unfortunate souls with $$$ paperweights and ultimately I'll have to tell them to either buy a new MB or buy a new laptop... now that really sucks; hence the title of this post.

As for unrealistic expectations.... I don't think getting 5 years of problem free standard use out of a laptop is unrealistic. On the otherhand I think only getting 1 or 2 years of satisfactory service IS unrealistic. Remember, most users are only retrieving email - surfing internet, using Photoshop, and writing letters;

If i might not be "any good at what I do" as you so thoughtfully put it, and hey! I might not be compared to you... imagine the standard users that I support.... they have no chance in fixing their broken laptops.

Don't buy HP because they "suck" & also because Customer Support is a BAD JOKE!!!
Advised there wasen't enough ram so doubled it & still have a laptop that does NOT work properly. Spoke to MSN, possibly the worst manufacturer of computer programs otherwise known as VISTA, & of course,as usual, they blame HP because Hp modified their program.
End of all my complaints? No satisfaction from either company.
Next time - APPLE!

Hi dont agree, bought a great one at <a href="http://www.hp.com">Hp.com</a> got it for 1/3 of price in shops

Hi Paul. . . I work for HP and I helped 30 or more friends buy laptops through HPshopping.com and I get the HP discount and yes, we purchased all of them for much less than in a regular store; and yes, they are beautiful looking laptops. HOWEVER 8 of those people have come back to me with serious serious serious problems with their laptops. Problems that HP wants them to pay more than $300 to fix. So, I agree with the look and the initial performance of these DV serious laptops, fantastic. I don't agree with a 1 year old $1500 crashed laptop that cannot be fixed by regular non-IT techs. So, have fun with your laptop, don't heed my warning, but make sure you back up your pictures, music and important documents, because a year from now, you'll be remembering this post.

There is little help for OS issues. No maker that uses Windows has this nailed so I can't pan HP but rather all Windows PC makers.

Of our serious problem machines all snapped back to working proper with simple things like reloading the OS to factory install and the usual yearly vent and heatsink cleaning. One had added RAM but putting it back to the factory RAM fixed it.

It's very hard for me to pan HP here.
Bob

Basically if you buy an item for $1200 - $1800, it is asking too much to have this item work sufficiently for up to 5 years? This is not to say that I'm the ultimate IT Genius but I am skilled enough to research my problems and fix them; I do IT support for a living at a mega size investment bank. So if I am having serious issues with almost new HP laptops, imagine those people who ARE NOT technically skilled and who have purchased high dollar laptops, there must be thousands upon thousands of people out there with DEAD 1 year old laptops, getting no support from HP. Of course I will now be attached by a bunch of computer nerds screaming "... you shoudda did this, you shoudda did that, wny don't you replace the MB, print out your Registry ...." Do you think Mac users have to do that crap?

I have yet to see Windows operate under a consumer's use for much longer than 1 or 2 years.

Apple has a weapon we wish Microsoft would rip off. It's called "Archive and Install" (see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710 ) It's not perfect but we don't have anything close.

Also, the 5 year mark is rarely reached for another simple issue. No one tells the owners about a simple yearly maintenance item (clean vents and heatsinks, check fans.) Then again the number of busted power connectors has created an entire new small industry just for laptop power jack repair. Again something a little "tell the owner" could have avoided that.
Bob

will offer to backup your present install before going ahead with a complete recovery.

I'm sure it's considerably less pretty than the Apple software though.

Yes, but the problem scores of people are having is that their laptop will not boot up at all; it will boot to a black screen and then after several tries in MAY boot up, and thereby let you operate as normal. For the casual user this may be acceptable, but not for most.

There are far too many things it won't save. Rather than comment about that, the black screen is thankfully rare here and the ones I did see were able to get to the bios screen so it was not a dead unit but a corrupt boot. CONSUMERS are ill equipped on what to do next and all the players have spent as little as possible on diagnostics and more.
Bob

You are correct.... Bad support from HP on laptops that look beautiful but after a year or two become useless expensive junk that they won't fix. The next time I plunk down $1000+ it will be on a Mac FOR SURE.

different from the one that was installed when you bought it. This hold true for laptops and desktops. They will support it if you purchased the OS from them but not if purchased or downloaded from the net. Instead the refer you to the support of the OS. Most barebones or non brand names sell with or without the OS. This also means no crapware.

I disagree that HP is 'a perfectly good company'.

I bought one of the many laptops (mine is a Compaq F732NR) that has the infamous motherboard issue in which the wi-fi stops working. The laptop is less than two years old, but HP will not replace it because it's out of warranty.

If a company makes a failing product AND refuses to stand by it, that does not fit my personal definition of 'a perfectly good company'.

Some extend the warranty on the spot. Cheaper than the alternative.

hence the problem with America today. We buy extended warranties rather than demanding products be made to WORK.

If enough people quit buying HP, and buy from a company who can make a laptop run for more than 3 years, HP will test their products better, and thus make them better.

We should encourage competition in the market, not pay for their mistakes.

That buy things that last less than 10 years? Look at today's LCD, Plasma TVs and the pitiful warranties offered.

-> Lots to read there.

I shared since I helped a few avoid replacing such a laptop a few too many times. The warranty costs made this an easy decision.
Bob

Buyers need to stop buying from companies that make horrible products and follow it up with excuses instead of customer service.

Hence, why I will never buy another HP product. Computer, notebook, printer, camera. Nor will any of my close friends or family.

We have some HP gear here (laptops, printers, cameras) and they last about the same as all the other makes except that IBM Thinkpad that won't die.

Occasionally you find that group of people that have an out of warranty experience and will forever slag that maker. The truth is you'll find this same person across all makers.

-> For those types it's best they give up on today's tech products.
Bob

Dell to HP for our desktops machines which are 90% desktops but the repair rate is very similar. We had a project we called forklift to replace all our computers 1500. We decided to pick the vendor to do it and didn't do it based on hardware. The vendor that won the contract use Compaq/HP so we switched to Compaq/HP. We started our second forklift and are sticking with Compaq/HP but we're doing the repalcement ourselves.

I will be honest. HP printers and great, HP Desktops are great, HP cameras? dunno, HP Plasma and LCD TV's? dunno.. But HP Laptops? I must reiterate that I find they are just not worth the price. Like someone said earlier, my "ugly" IBM Thinkpad will outperform all of the HP laptops that I've helped sell and now try to help fix.