I don't know about everybody else, but SWOTVAC has pretty much started for me. So I now have a lot of free time that I'm supposed to be using on study and I've taken a bit of that time to revisit my beloved Taiko no Tatsujin DS.

It's been a while, old friend.

Anyway in other news, moving the laptop downstairs has severely stemmed my flow of creativity and I've ... what was I saying?

Anyway in other news, this should only be temporary as I should be getting a shiny new macbook some time in June during the EOFYSs.

Good luck and Hafnium in your studies, all.

Hafnium...? ---> atomic symbol Hf... ---> HF? ---> have fun?! (yakitate japan pun reaction: WHAT??!!)

Well, well, well, how the turntables.

After a couple dozen emails between HP and myself over the course of 10 days or so, I have finally managed to convince them that it is a hardware issue.

'I understand from the case notes that the wireless network is not functioning properly and you have tried reseating the WLAN card. However the issue persist.

I see that you have updated the WLAN driver and removed and reseated the Wireless module but still the issue persists.
This proves us that this is the issue with the Wireless module which is faulty.
Hence please carry the notebook to the service Centre to get it services.'

- HP tech support's most recent email.

So the final step is to see if they're willing to cover the cost of repairs. If so, I'll gladly bring it to the repair center in Clayton to have it fixed.

If this follows through, it looks like I won't be getting a macbook after all then.

And as for the happenings between my second post and now... One day I might sell the movie rights to them or produce the in-between episodes when I'm a bit strapped for cash.

[EDIT]

A couple more emails later rejecting my request to have HP extend the warranty of my laptop and I finish with this.

HP: Epilogue

To put it simply, I do not wish to pay for the repairs because I believe that I have been sold a faulty notebook. 

And I am disappointed to hear that HP would not like to bear the cost, so I regret to inform you that HP will no longer be receiving my patronage in the future.

Jason Ling

***

I guess that's the end of that.

Well I got a quick reply from a nice Indian fellow. But I would just prefer them to take it in for repairs or refund me the cost of the notebook. The latter is preferred and highly unlikely.

Here's his reply:

-----

Dear Jason,

Thank you for contacting Hewlett-Packard's eSolutions Center.

This is in response to your email regarding HP Pavilion tx1312AU NB PC.

You mentioned in the e-mail that there were many issues with the unit since you purchased it.

I will surely help you regarding the issue.

I would like to inform you that I apologize for the occurrence of the issue and I am extremely sorry that the unit is not working fine.

I would suggest you to provide us the details of the issue you are facing so that we will be able to work together in resolving the issue. We will isolate it to software and hardware.

Regarding the wireless drop I would suggest you to perform the steps provided below:

Go to services.msc >> go to wireless zero config >> right click and go to properties >> go to recovery TAB >> select restart the service on failure >> for all the three option.

We appreciate your assistance in collecting the above information. Please revert at your earliest convenience and we will be glad to assist you.

Please feel free to get back to us for any further assistance; we will be glad to assist you.

Once again, thank you for contacting Hewlett-Packard's Commercial Solutions Center.

Regards,

Abhishek Sharma

----------

Here's my response:

I appreciate your prompt response. (Note: The model is a HP Pavillion tx1000, not a tx1499us or a tx1412AU as stated in the email.)
The suggested steps did not resolve the issue and I am continuously unimpressed with the wireless adapter in this notebook which, I have previously mentioned, has inexplicably stopped working 8 months ago, whereupon it was sent in to a technician and repaired.
I rely heavily on the wireless network adapter in my notebook and it may as well be a typewriter without it. (What is the use of a notebook if I have to sit one metre from the router and plug myself in to access the internet? And if I am not at home, shall I carry an ethernet cable with me and be so fortunate as to find a port whenever I need one?)
To have the same piece of hardware inexplicably stop working again so soon is greatly disappointing to say the least. 

I have attached two images. The device manager still shows the wireless network adapter, but the connection suddenly drops to 'limited connectivity' a few minutes after connecting. Moreover, it displays a 'fair' signal when I am sitting right next to the router.

I ask that you bear the cost of a technician to replace the wireless adapter, motherboard, or if it's a software issue, to fix whatever the problem is. I have had enough of trying to fix this over the internet or over the phone. At this point in time, I am considering the purchase of a new macbook, after which this notebook, unfortunately, will be of little use to me. 

Although it is unfortunate that HP seems to have become this ureliable notebook manufacturer (and I cannot possibly encourage the purcahse of any of its products to my friends or peers), I hope that you can change my mind.

Awaiting your reply,

Jason Ling

*****

I'll keep everybody posted on the adventures of HP. (I get to play the bad guy!)

Just sent this out to HP's tech support. I think I'm getting a Macbook.

PS: This is post #200.

----------------------

I am writing in regards to my HP Pavillion tx1000 (S/N: ######, P/N: #######), a model which, I have recently discovered, has a significant trend of disappointment and malfunctions.

I have a URL to a post in the HP forums for your perusal as a small sample of the feedback in regards to this line of notebooks: 
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447626+1241681894560+28353475&threadId=1268501

To my dismay, I too have experienced great dissatisfaction and frequent frustrations with the shortcomings of this notebook computer over the last 18 months of ownership.

Prior to entering university, my decision was to buy a HP branded notebook – a brand that I thought promised value, reliability and care for its customers. These were traits that I placed great importance in, being a keen student that would rely heavily on this notebook throughout his studies. And eventually, I purchased the notebook in December of 2007 whilst on holidays in Hong Kong. 

There were problems from the very first boot-up:

1. Upon installation of Vista, Vista had failed to properly create a user account and I was unable to log in at all for my very first experience with using Windows Vista. This problem is somewhat commonly experienced in the early years of Vista and can be easily found with a quick search using Google.

2. This would have been a simple issue to resolve had HP’s recovery function worked. It did not. Pressing f11 during the boot-up had no reaction whatsoever. And I could not reinstall Vista without creating a recovery disc first.

Luckily I was still in Hong Kong when this happened and the notebook was brought back to the shop to have Vista reinstalled.

The second instance of issues is regarding the URL referenced above, where literally hundreds of tx-model users have testified that the wireless adapter inexplicably stopped working approximately one year after purchasing the notebook. I heavily rely on wireless networks from home-use to accessing the university-network and unfortunately, I too experienced this problem where the computer could not detect a wireless adapter. On instruction from HP’s technical customer service, I reinstalled the drivers to no effect, I reinstalled Vista to no effect, and as already stated earlier, HP’s f11 recovery function also did not work. It was now very evident that it was a hardware issue.

Long story short, a while later, the laptop was sent into repairs under the 1yr warranty period and it was returned to working conditions in a few days at no cost to me.

Unfortunately that is not the end of my experiences with your notebook. I am yet again having issues with the wireless adapter within ~8months of repair. This is extremely exasperating. Upon boot-up I can establish a connection to my wireless home network for anywhere between 30 seconds to 15 minutes after which I am informed there is ‘limited connectivity’ and the connection eventually drops out. After which, I cannot establish a connection to any wireless networks nor detect any wireless networks until the next boot-up.

I have called your technical support and been informed that my 1yr warranty has expired and the technician would not even speak to me about the issue without a warranty, let alone cover the cost for repairs (there are dozens of instances of your customers being treated like this in that linked forum post alone, could you imagine how many customers you are losing as you read this?) This is unacceptable service to say the least.

I am writing to inform your organization that at this point in time, you have most definitely lost a customer and many more, as I will not be recommending any HP products – in fact I will be discouraging the purchase of HP products whenever consulted – with my family, friends and peers. Nevertheless, I will enjoy my $1,500 paperweight.

Regards,

Jason Ling