[top-posting here] Really funny story! I bought my laptop at Office Depot 2-1/2 years ago and they didn't ask me anything. They actually let me boot the floor model from an Ubuntu live CD to make sure everything was compatible. When it worked, I bought it and they didn't harass me at all. :shrug:
Jon (Lafayette) On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 2:14 PM, Edmund Cramp <[email protected]> wrote: > > Yesterday I needed a 64-bit machine running Windows 7 - I looked around > on-line and found a cheap little Lenovo laptop at Office Depot for $399 - OK, > so I'll get it and swap it out with the sales demo machine once I'm done > testing the 64-bit installers that I'm writing and my daughter can have the > old laptop (a Toshiba running Vista) for Christmas. New machines all round - > everyone's happy. > > It looked like the local (Millerville) Office Depot had the Lenovo in stock > so, five minutes later I'm up there, credit card in hand. Turns out they did > have it, but it was the floor model - they jumped on the phone (nice folks > there, very helpful) and they found on at the Cortana Mall store and sent me > there. > > I get to the Cortana Mall Office Depot, introduce myself (I should point out > that I'm wearing a new pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt that says, "Go Away - > or I will replace you with a very small shell script") and after five minutes > the manager turns up with the laptop, boxed and ready to go. I hold my hand > out to take it. He doesn't offer me the box and the conversation starts; > > OD: "What are you going to do with this machine?" > ME: (thinks, "none of your damn business") but sweetly, "I'm writing an > installer and I need to test it in a standard 64-bit environment" > > OD: "It this Business or Home use" > ME: "Business" > > OD: "You'll be needing a copy of Microsoft Office then" > ME: "No Thanks, I just want a standard machine without any other software" > > OD: "What about editing documents, you'll need a copy of Word" > ME: (thinks, "When did EMACS go out of fashion?"), No thanks, I just need a > basic machine." > > OD: "What about Outlook for emailing?" > ME: "No thanks, I just need a basic machine - nothing else." > > OD: "This system has no Anti-virus software, you'll need Anti-virus software" > ME: "No Thanks, I won't be connecting it anything - look, can we just take it > as read that you've tried to sell me all the software that you're required to > try and sell me, and that I've refused to buy anything?" > > OD: "We are required to tell you all of this when you buy a system - if this > is for business then you'll need a copy of QuickBooks" > ME: "No thanks, I just need a test machine without any additional software" > > OD: "We offer a service to setup the computer and install all your software" > ME: "No thanks, I don't need anything other than the operating system." > > OD: "We can set the computer up for you and remove all the bloat ware and > unwanted software" > ME: "No thanks, I can do that" > > OD: "If this is for Business then you'll need the extended warranty" > ME: "No thanks, I don't need an extended warranty" > > Buy this time we've crawfished over to the register and he hands the box to > the girl at the register who smiles at me and says, "Cool T-shirt" > > OD: Loudly, "Fetch me the LIMITED 14 DAY WARRANTY labels" and then to me, > "This machine only has a 14 day warranty" > ME: (Thinking WTF 14 days!), "Why such a crappy warranty period?" > > He sticks their standard limited 14-day return policy label on the box - > that's standard, they've done that for years, and says, "We don't make these > machines and at this price we limit the warranty to 14 days" > > I think to myself, "If I can't debug the script in two weeks than I need > another job." > > So I paid for it and left the store, never to return to the Cortana Mall > Office Depot store - EVER. > > And getting the laptop back to the office, inside there's a little thank you > note from Lenovo with a card saying that I have their standard 2 year > warranty. It boots, it runs like a charm ... unlike my 63-bit installer > script - but that's another story. > > Regards, > Edmund Cramp > -- > Motion Lab Systems, Inc. > 15045 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70816 USA > Tel: +1 (225) 272-7364 | Fax: +1 (225) 272-7336 > Web: http://www.motion-labs.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > -- Jonathan Kulp http://www.jonathankulp.com _______________________________________________ General mailing list [email protected] http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net
