[rescue] Never trust the OU Computer Store

[Jeffrey S. Sharp]

That's the University of Oklahoma Computer Store (actual name).

The College of Engineering at OU now requires all incoming freshmen to
posess laptops.  When I entered the program in 1997, a laptop was not
required, but I was part of a beta test group to see how the classroom
environment would change with the introduction of the laptop.  We all
purchased IBM ThinkPad 365XDs from the OU Computer Store and were given
PCMCIA wireless NICs and some free-of-charge-but-properly-licensed
Micro$oft software.  This was my first computer to have a NIC of some sort
instead of a modem, so the 10mbps (?) wireless link was simply amazing.

Then strange problems began to occur randomly with my laptop.  These were
weird, strange options that would confuse even the most savvy tech.  I've
never seen anything weirder.  I finally took the machine to the OUCS to
have it fixed.  They said they would send it to IBM and that I should have
it back within two weeks.

Two weeks later, I checked back with them.  They still had not sent my
laptop in to IBM.  I spewed forth great cursing at them, and they promised
to send the laptop to IBM tomorrow.

I checked back one week later.  The laptop had not been sent to IBM.  I
asked them what their problem was.  They claimed to be busy.  I asked them
why my friend's laptop had been in and out of their service department
before mine had been sent in.  They didn't have an answer and promised yet
again to submit my laptop to IBM tomorrow.

I checked back one week later.  The laptop had not been sent to IBM.  I
then asked to have my laptop back.  At first, they refused to get it from
their storage room, citing administrative records that had been written
concerning my machine, that taking it back would mess up their
record-keeping.  I told them that if the laptop was not handed to me
within the next 5 minutes, then I would call the police in, show the
officer the receipt from me leaving the laptop with them, and have someone
arrested for theft.  Screaming at people who are wrong is sometimes very
rewarding, and tends to make the other customers in the store leave.

The laptop was returned to me within 5 minutes.  A quick check revealed to
me that nothing had been fixed.  I then called IBM and explained the
situation.  On a hunch, the IBM tech instructed me in getting to the
unit's hard drive, which we then discovered had come slightly off its
connector.  I pushed the hard drive back into its connector, and the
machine worked.  The tech sent me a postage-paid box to ship the laptop to
them in case it wasn't really fixed.  The box arrived the next day.

I threw the box away just last week, having sold the laptop a while back.

--
Jeffrey S. Sharp
jss at subatomix.com