Megan <mbg(a)TheWorld.com> wrote:
> So, I had to spend more money (only $18, but it is the principle of the
> thing) to get what they call the 'quickrestore' CD set.
Its too late now for my advice, but here it is for future reference.
Whenever I buy a PC I check to see if I can perform a full restore
>from the supplied CDs, if I cannot, I call customer support and tell
them that the initial install (which happens when you first power up
your new PC) failed and can I please have the CDs.
If they ask for money, I tell them that I will rather return the
entire PC for a refund since I have just purchased it and it is
defective. Up till now HP, Compaq and IBM have sent me the CDs for
free (IBM in particular sent me the CDs the following morning).
BTW Dell sends the correct CDs with the machine.
> (here's another gripe -- the 'from factory' condition requires the W/ME
> partition to be most of the disk [...]
Other install programs allocate the ENTIRE disk to Windows.
I use Partition Magic to fix this stupidity.
**vp
> What can I use for tape?
oiled paper tape is still available from companies selling
numerical control supplies.
I'd bought from western numerical controls before:
http://www.westnc.com/paptape.html
I found a black boxed set of NorthStar software. The box it marked
InfoStar System, with three binders in it, DataStar, ReportStar, and
ReportStar Reference Manual.
It appears to be complete, manuals and software. I'm guessing it is some
kind of database and reporting system. I don't know exactly what it is as
it has been years since I've even had a NorthStar computer.
Its available if anyone wants it. Just send me any offer over the cost of
shipping (must be higher than shipping cost... basically, I've got no
spare time to do things for free).
If it doesn't sell here, I'll try it on ebay, and then it goes to the
dumpster.
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>
Hello,
Do you still have this HP microprocessor trainer ?
I am interested in learning basic microprocessors and would be
interested in purchasing it.
I think I can get a Sinclair ZX-80 from a friend, if that is what you
absolutely want.
Regards,
Angel
Yet another Commodore calculator for exactly the right price.
This time it's a 796M mint in box (not even dusty) and working
fully. Just the basic four function, % and memory but in black
with 'chrome' highlight on the C= logo and the word Commodore.
That's three so far this year for a total of $0.00
8^)=
Lee.
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>In this day and age, it's really lame when a company requires you to
>order a CD to get your hands on the drivers you need because of
>"licensing restrictions". It's even more lame when you try to enter your
>ZIP code to order the CD and the website comes back telling you that
>you've entered and invalid ZIP code (for any ZIP code entered).
No kidding... my windows machine (the only machine I have running windows)
recently ate itself and got so corrupted that I could no longer boot. I
have backups of my own stuff, but needed to re-install W/ME. I pulled out
the Recovery CD and booted it, expecting it to do something. Lo and
behold it did nothing. I tried it several times, no joy.
I called up Compaq (HP) support about it and ultimately found out that the
recovery CD requires a partition on the machine to be usable (I knew it
was there and had never touched it myself, but apparently it was too
corrupted for the Recovery CD to use). I was totally blown away by the
fact that I have a valid license for W/ME, but due to some lame decisions
on either Compaq's part, or requirements for M$, no copy of Windows on a
CD comes with my machine.
So, I had to spend more money (only $18, but it is the principle of the
thing) to get what they call the 'quickrestore' CD set.
So I get that, and use it to restore the disk to from-factory condition
(here's another gripe -- the 'from factory' condition requires the W/ME
partition to be most of the disk, with the 2nd partition being an extended
partition into which some recovery files are placed. Since it forces this
and apparently checks for it, I don't see a way of partitioning the disk
such that I can also have Linux).
... where was I ...
Oh yeah... now the machine is in 'from-factory' condition, and I have to
go through the welcome and setup screens to get to use it. But, the
welcome screen doesn't display properly. Parts of it overlay other parts
in such a way that I cannot read questions, find buttons to be clicked on,
or field names to fill in a registration form.
I remember this happening when I first got the machine, and a call to
customer support eventually solved it, but since it is several years out
of warrantee now, I cannot go that route (without paying for another
year's support).
I've been using the email support option, but so far all the suggestions
(from a support center in India) have not resolved the problem. In fact,
they have done little more than suggest I do the same things I've already
done... I'm up to 'quick-restoring' the machine 5 times now.
Personally, I'd like to see all companies who play such games be the
target of a class action suit which would require them to supply to all
original purchasers of computer systems true copies of the software which
was 'factory installed', and for which the customer supposedly has a
license.
And if M$ has had anything to do with making them do it, then they should
be included in the suit.
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | email: mbg at world.std.com |
| Member of Technical Staff | megan at savaje.com |
| SavaJe Technologies, Inc. | (s/ at /@/) |
| 100 Apollo Drive | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Chelmsford, MA 01824 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (978) 256 6521 (DEC '77-'98) | required." - mbg KB1FCA |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
In this day and age, it's really lame when a company requires you to order
a CD to get your hands on the drivers you need because of "licensing
restrictions". It's even more lame when you try to enter your ZIP code to
order the CD and the website comes back telling you that you've entered
and invalid ZIP code (for any ZIP code entered).
HP, I fart in your general direction.
That being said, does ANYONE have the driver CD for the HP PhotoSmart 215?
If so, please contact me. I haven't had any luck finding anything
relevant on the web.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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Found one of these today. Can anyone tell me about this teleprinter? I
found DF3OE'S TELEPRINTER MUSEUM at <www.teleprinter.net/> and it seems to
have a lot of information about it but IE locks up EVERYTIME that I connect
to his site.
Joe
