I have been using computers since 1981, when I was 5 years old. My first computer was a Commodore Vic20. Today, I have a HP Pavilion Laptop – rather I had a HP Pavilion Laptop. I bought it three years and 15 days ago. I love HP Laptops. They are reliable and anytime I had a problem I could get it fixed easily.

For 15 years now, when I purchase a computer, I always buy the absolute top of the line laptop and then I know that I will have the computing power that I’ll need for three years. After about three years, I usually have to buy a new laptop – give or take a few months. Consequently, I buy the 3-year extended warranty so that I know I’ll be covered. Five years ago, I dropped one of my laptops from two stories up (accidentally of course!!). I took it in to HP and a week later I had my computer back, with everything exchanged – all for free.

Three years and 15 days ago, I made my most recent laptop purchase and I knew that the time was coming to purchase a new laptop – in a few months. However, 5 days ago, without explanation or warning, my laptop gave up the ghost. When I turn it on, instead of seeing that poorly drawn Windows screen with the bar moving underneath, I immediately see a screen full of colons and a cursor blinking at the top. I hadn’t seen a cursor since 1987.

I was on a business trip in Cyprus and the first thing I did was call HP Support in the States. Naturally, I was concerned since the Extended Warranty had run out ten days earlier, but I thought that since my last 5 computers were all HPs that they would certainly give me a break on repairs and repair it for free – I mean we aren’t talking about a month or even half a month, but 10 days!

I spoke with some nice people living in India (the accent was a dead give away). As soon ad they had ascertained that my problem could not be fixed over the phone (duh), they said that they would send me up to a Manager to discuss what could be done.

The Manager, a man in the States, was very nice and immediately began speaking to me in a language used by Used Car Salesmen. Send in the laptop and no matter what is wrong, it wouldn’t cost more than $300 to repair, “but”, he said with that ‘here comes something really spectacular, in a used-car-salesman’ voice. “But, if you want I can do something really special for you! Would you like a new computer, one of HP’s best? I can do that for you right now and send you a brand new laptop”!

Sound too good to be true?! Sure it is! Because my laptop had died, HP was trying to sell me a new laptop. Granted, they were offering me a laptop that anywhere I look runs almost $2,000 for only $1,380. But the principal of the thing of how anxious they seemed to suddenly get me into a new laptop rather than solve my problem bothered me. But I’m a die hard HP Fanboy, so I told him I’d compose myself and call back later. All this happening on the morning of Apple’s Announcement and I was secretly hoping that a thinner, newer MacBook Pro would be announced with Leopard, early just for me. See, ever since Apple went Intel CoreDuo, I’ve been toying with going back to Macs (my last Mac was in 1985). Apple, however, made no such announcement. Apple, you almost had me there.

So, back to HP, do I fix or buy? What really bugged me is that it is time for a new laptop, but I hated HPs attitude. In the meanwhile, I’m on day-5 of being without a laptop. Sure, there is my wife’s and I have a loaner laptop, but they don’t have my files and emails on it that I need to get off my old laptop. In summary, this is a painful time, made worse by HP’s ’sell as much as possible to the customer’ attitude, rather than pulling out the ‘we will do everything we can for you’ attitude.

What makes all of this worse, is that my computer is my work and I go nowhere without it. Needless to say, this is difficult times, all because 10 freakin’ days had passed. I expected more from HP! In my computer life, this is not one of the best times. Rather unjust I would say!