Carrier
21st Jan 2006, 08:07
After three years of struggling with a Toshiba Satellite 5200 PS520C-31POEP laptop and HP Deskjet 450 printer Mrs C and I have had enough of Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Future Shop (Circuit City), Microsoft, Windows Xtreme Pain, and everything connected with them. We have been having continual problems with these products ever since they were purchased from Future Shop in Canada.
As one example, our laptop has a DVD burner but we have never been able to record on a DVD. We are unable to refer to the instructions. The specification and instructions both on the computer and in the printed manual make no reference at all to DVD recording or even to a DVD burner being on the computer. They refer only to CDs and CD functions. Toshiba ignored our requests for a manual for the DVD version of the computer. When the Better Business Bureau became involved Toshiba finally sent another manual for the CD only version.
The HP Deskjet 450 has not worked properly since we received it. After we initially got it working while still in Canada with the help of HP technicians it still often took fifty or more attempts over several days to get it to print a one page Word document. It would not print photos. Early last year it ceased to function. The initial HP CD-ROM froze the new computer when inserted. Two replacement HP CD-ROMs with supposedly updated software improved the situation somewhat but still did not solve the problems.
We are sure most readers will agree that when we opened the boxes we should have received a computer and printer with properly developed software that is stable and will work reliably. Full and correct instructions for these products should have been in the boxes. We have repeatedly asked Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard to supply these but have been ignored.
Despite help from two Better Business Bureaux in Canada and the US and Ontario’s Ministry of Consumer & Business Services we have still not received the correct manual and operating software from Toshiba for this computer and correct software from Hewlett-Packard for the printer to make them work reliably and with all features functioning properly. We are particularly upset because at the time of purchase we made it clear to Future Shop that we would be moving to a fly-in safari lodge in a remote location in Africa and therefore needed reliable equipment. This computer and printer were recommended as being suitable but they have proved to be anything but reliable. The brand new computer even came with outdated Windows XP operating system software! These products are clearly not suitable for the purpose for which they were sold.
This Toshiba computer and HP printer are so bad that we have considered buying a used PowerBook or iBook and Canon printer by mail from somewhere like CPUsed in Toronto just so that we can have a reasonably reliable computer and printer. However, why should we have to do this? We paid a substantial sum for these products. It is up to Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard to support their products and solve the problems. Indeed, the problems should have been solved before the products were put on the market. Why don’t these companies have competent product development procedures and effective quality control systems in place? The same comments apply to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. This has had a continuous stream of updates in a ludicrous number of attempts to get it to perform as intended. It is impertinent of Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft to prematurely release products and use the public as unpaid and involuntary product testers! It is even worse that they then refuse to correct the defects.
Honest and competent companies stand by their products. They want to solve any problems and have their products perform as intended for their customers. The obvious conclusion one has to arrive at from our treatment is that the companies mentioned above do not fall into the category of honest and competent companies! As per the McLibel case in the UK and EU courts we do not have the resources to force these dishonest companies to perform. In any case it would be impossible to take any action from this distance. I have no doubt they are taking advantage of this. We have to accept that these unscrupulous Enron-style corporations and their employees of similar ethical standards have swindled us. We have to accept that this Toshiba computer and HP printer from Future Shop will never work properly. We intend to return to a Macintosh for our next computer, as soon as we are able to return to the First World.
We had a Power Mac 6100/66 and StyleWriter 2 (Canon) for more than eight years in Canada. These worked well and did what it said on the box. We sold them and bought the Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard products on Microsoft Windows XP three years ago. How we regret this! We should have bought a Mac PowerBook and Canon printer.
Anyone considering buying a new computer, printer or related product, particularly if they intend to move to a remote location, should consider our experience before making a decision on what to buy and from which companies.
As one example, our laptop has a DVD burner but we have never been able to record on a DVD. We are unable to refer to the instructions. The specification and instructions both on the computer and in the printed manual make no reference at all to DVD recording or even to a DVD burner being on the computer. They refer only to CDs and CD functions. Toshiba ignored our requests for a manual for the DVD version of the computer. When the Better Business Bureau became involved Toshiba finally sent another manual for the CD only version.
The HP Deskjet 450 has not worked properly since we received it. After we initially got it working while still in Canada with the help of HP technicians it still often took fifty or more attempts over several days to get it to print a one page Word document. It would not print photos. Early last year it ceased to function. The initial HP CD-ROM froze the new computer when inserted. Two replacement HP CD-ROMs with supposedly updated software improved the situation somewhat but still did not solve the problems.
We are sure most readers will agree that when we opened the boxes we should have received a computer and printer with properly developed software that is stable and will work reliably. Full and correct instructions for these products should have been in the boxes. We have repeatedly asked Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard to supply these but have been ignored.
Despite help from two Better Business Bureaux in Canada and the US and Ontario’s Ministry of Consumer & Business Services we have still not received the correct manual and operating software from Toshiba for this computer and correct software from Hewlett-Packard for the printer to make them work reliably and with all features functioning properly. We are particularly upset because at the time of purchase we made it clear to Future Shop that we would be moving to a fly-in safari lodge in a remote location in Africa and therefore needed reliable equipment. This computer and printer were recommended as being suitable but they have proved to be anything but reliable. The brand new computer even came with outdated Windows XP operating system software! These products are clearly not suitable for the purpose for which they were sold.
This Toshiba computer and HP printer are so bad that we have considered buying a used PowerBook or iBook and Canon printer by mail from somewhere like CPUsed in Toronto just so that we can have a reasonably reliable computer and printer. However, why should we have to do this? We paid a substantial sum for these products. It is up to Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard to support their products and solve the problems. Indeed, the problems should have been solved before the products were put on the market. Why don’t these companies have competent product development procedures and effective quality control systems in place? The same comments apply to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. This has had a continuous stream of updates in a ludicrous number of attempts to get it to perform as intended. It is impertinent of Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft to prematurely release products and use the public as unpaid and involuntary product testers! It is even worse that they then refuse to correct the defects.
Honest and competent companies stand by their products. They want to solve any problems and have their products perform as intended for their customers. The obvious conclusion one has to arrive at from our treatment is that the companies mentioned above do not fall into the category of honest and competent companies! As per the McLibel case in the UK and EU courts we do not have the resources to force these dishonest companies to perform. In any case it would be impossible to take any action from this distance. I have no doubt they are taking advantage of this. We have to accept that these unscrupulous Enron-style corporations and their employees of similar ethical standards have swindled us. We have to accept that this Toshiba computer and HP printer from Future Shop will never work properly. We intend to return to a Macintosh for our next computer, as soon as we are able to return to the First World.
We had a Power Mac 6100/66 and StyleWriter 2 (Canon) for more than eight years in Canada. These worked well and did what it said on the box. We sold them and bought the Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard products on Microsoft Windows XP three years ago. How we regret this! We should have bought a Mac PowerBook and Canon printer.
Anyone considering buying a new computer, printer or related product, particularly if they intend to move to a remote location, should consider our experience before making a decision on what to buy and from which companies.