Last week, I tried to save myself some time by using online chat options instead of waiting endlessly on hold for tech support. Turns out I shouldn’t have bothered. Neither Comcast nor HP chat support was accurate. And the inaccuracy of the HP support nearly cost me $135. That’s the non-online price of a new battery for my HP Pavilion. Turns out my extended warranty covers the battery, too, so I’m sending the laptop in for that, plus the (sigh) keyboard problem. Random keys are not printing. I doubt it’s dirt or cat hair.
This may cause a dearth of posting this week, because typing gets very frustrating when you don’t know which key won’t print, and as a touch-typist with speed over 100wpm, it’s killing me to slow down my typing to help the keyboard figure out which key is getting tapped.
Then there’s the whole loaner laptop from work issue. Damn. This thing will be so much easier when I’m on staff. I’ll just have to drive up to NorVA if the laptop goes hinky. My laptop will once again be personal use only.
Back to the HP support: They got my model and warranty information wrong on the chat, and on the email survey they sent me afterward. I know they have accurate information, because I sent in the laptop to get the screen fixed earlier this year. You’d think they’d be able to keep the information up to date, but no. The recording informed me that my computer is out of warranty. I have an email and warranty number that says otherwise.
Time to back up the HD again… I still don’t trust them not to wipe it clean and reformat it
This is probably pretty fundamental and simple to the point of almost condescending, but have you thought of hooking up a USB keyboard to your laptop? I have large hands, so I carry a full-sized keyboard and mouse in my backpack with my laptop.
Obviously it’s not a great long-term solution, but it could help in the short term…
J.
I have a wireless keyboard buried somewhere that I’m going to look for tonight. If I can’t find it, I’ll just deal.
I’m not a fan of wireless keyboards – they get to be maddening as the batteries run low. And if you don’t have a spare set when that happens, you may end up having to drive to the quickie-mart in the middle of the night in order to get your work done.
USB keyboards, on the other hand, are plentiful and don’t cost a lot. You probably wouldn’t like the feel of a cheap $5 keyboard, but there are many good ones in the $30-50 range.
Unfortunately, only one company these days makes keyboards with the mechanical switches I love. They’re not cheap, and they’re not sold in retail stores.
Oh, cripes, Comcast. 45 minutes or more on the phone to talk with someone who’s even less technical than I am.
I have no personal experience with HP but I’m not really shocked by yours, either.