Upscale wrote:

"J. Clarke" wrote in message

And this is an issue because? You can buy a kit specifically for the
purpose of upgrading internal laptop hard disks at Best Buy for under
$200,
including the disk.

And most likely void any existing warranty? Try again.

Then use a non-semi-proprietary OS that recognizes all hardware fully.
XP Pro full boat retail costs 300 bucks, and nobody in his right mind
pays
list for it. You're out the door for 500, worst-case, which is the same
as
the cost of the extended warranty. Since you're buying a drive anyway
you qualify for OEM pricing, so that's more like $150 for the OS.

Doesn't work that way. I put in a number of years doing technical support
for IBM in their Thinkpad department. Even though it was Windows OS, some
of the hardware at IBM is always proprietary (including hard drives) as
are changes to the OS in contract with Microsoft. Dell is exactly the
same. There aren't any other OS' with all the proper drivers. That among
other reasons are why companies like IBM and DELL are able to stay in
business, at least in this particular type of computer section. In most
repects, you're forced to buy their products to keep something working
properly.

You worked Thinkpad support and yet you are not aware that IBM Internet site
provides detailed instructions on the procedures to be used to install
non-IBM-provided Windows on Thinkpads? You just blew your cred there.

Outside the US, perhaps. United States Code, Title 15, Chapter 501,
Section
2302, starting at paragraph (c), states:

rest snipped
Try investigating a little more. When I worked Thinkpad, it was technical
support for the continental USA. Not Canada, not overseas, just the USA.
The OS as I stated above, had plenty of proprietary code in it.

So what?

You quote
all the legal rhetoric you want, but my experience tells me what *was*,
not what you've read that it should be.

Which has exactly what to do with the illegality of voiding warranties due
to the installation of third-party components?

And if one out of ten machines needs data recovery they can spend 5000
bucks
on the recovery and still break even. If you check pricing, you'll find
that 5000 bucks is at the high end of what a single-drive
standard-priority
data recovery will cost. For 500 bucks on a typical laptop I'd expect
something beyond replacing the drive.

And you'd be very, very wrong. Try calling a professional data recovery
centre and ask them about charges for an entire hard drive ~ even a
relatively small one, say a forty gigger. Ask them what it would cost and
come back here to tell me that I'm wrong.

Already did. About 1500 bucks.

I challenge you to ask around
and find ONE person has has demanded and received data recovery for any
reason! Not the reloading of the OS, but the recovery of personally loaded
information.

Well, just about anybody who had certain models of Fujitsu drive and felt
like collecting for openers.

Now if it also includes broken-screen coverage it's probably reasonable.

Not a chance in hell. Sorry, but you're delusional if you think that
*ANYBODY* is going to offer information recovery on a retail purchase. It
would set a very dangerous and costly precedent and then everybody would
demand it. I've had salesmen screaming their heads off that they're going
to sue IBM for everything they've got. Not once did we ever pay for data
recovery. Warranties are limited to replacement of hardware, not to any
type of information that's been loaded or saved by the user. It's the
user's responsibility to back up any personal information in case of drive
failure. Just the fact that you're suggesting it tells me you have
absolutely no experience in this area.

We aren't talking about the warranty that comes with the box, we are talking
about an additional warranty purchased at extra cost. Do strive to pay
attention.

A great many users of Thinkpads are sales people, business people and the
working person. Although prices have come down in recent years, the higher
end laptops are greatly purchased by professionals, the ones that can
afford to spend that kind of money. Everyday, I had people calling for a
walkthrough with the recovery CD. How many experience the loss of the OS
at one time or another? I'd guestimate at better than 50%.

Which has exactly what to do with disk failure?

It happens to
everybody at one time or another. Everybody loads programs that aren't
supported by the manufacturer, programs that screw up some settings or
they get a virus or whatever, it happens to everyone.

I suspect that you're going to try to tell me that it's Dell laptops we're
talking about, not Thinkpads, but it's the same industry, just a different
name. Like I said, you call one or two data recovery centres and then tell
me what they told you. I'll take you at your word.

In the post to which you are responding I addressed this point. But you
conveniently snipped that part.

And why is it that you no longer work in Thinkpad Support? Were you excess
to Lenovo's requirements?

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)