While I love Linux and use it for both work and home. I'm for Newegg. A policy is a policy and not all customers are skillful enough to reload a different OS. I don't think any Linux vendors(Dell, System76,etc) will happily accept returns after you installed Windows on it.
The best could be that we can buy machines with Linux pre-loaded, or certain distro certified. For instance, we choose a PC/laptop, and it's certified with Windows7 and Ubuntu 12.04 both, then you're safe to choose either, otherwise you're on your own.
Not to mention Newegg is just a market place instead of the vendor.
That would be reasonable if newegg listed an OS change as a reason for invalidating a warranty. The problem is their policy and public statements say it is completely ok, but privately they say it is not.
Newegg has stated that:
1. only modifications to the hardware invalidate the warranty
2: and newegg has specifically gone on the record to state that installing linux does not invalidate the warranty.
That's nonsense. First of all, there's basically no way that botching an OS install should be able to damage hardware, and for anything other than a hard drive problem the vast majority of retailers will accept returns with the drive removed (for privacy purposes). Even more importantly, though, the written Newegg policy allows customers to install a different OS without voiding the warranty; the problem is that Newegg is apparently doing a very bad job at educating their CSR's of what their policies actually are.
If this were in their policy, I would sort of agree. A return policy is not a warranty, and therefore a policy that disallowed returns after a major OS modification could potentially be reasonable.
The problem here is that Newegg is not stating this up front.
I've never had an issue with a mfg warranty in a case like this (most recommend not including the HD with returns anyway). I'm still a little confused as to why the customer didn't approach the mfg first.
> I don't think any Linux vendors(Dell, System76,etc) will happily accept returns after you installed Windows on it.
Citation, please? I am not aware of any other vendor with this limitation.
I see what you're saying, but how far do we take this? If I upgrade to Mountain Lion in July, am I no longer covered? Dual-boot to Windows? Seems ripe for abusing.
I agree, but Newegg didn't stand strong when the first case got some attention. They should have remained strong and just enforced the policy knowing that in 3-4 weeks most people would have forgot about the instance any ways.
It now becomes one of those cases where if you are trying to return the laptop you are just pissed off because you feel like they aren't doing everything that they can. It's a catch-22 in a way. You just got to be consistent.
If hardware fails and it is nothing to do with software (99.999999% of the time), it should be replaced under warranty. Full stop.
Perhaps they should give an option for your warranty to either include both hardware and software, or JUST include hardware, and so they will ignore any software changes (but also not, for instance, fix your Windows partition)
what's the market for this thingy?
you need a larger storage, a wireless keyboard/mouse, and assuming a hdmi-display is somewhere ready for use, with all that i could just bring a 7" tablet or a 10" netbook, or a smartphone.
the only place i see is schools, every student can carry one and use it in the computer lab for projects., but then it might get lost, and you probably end up with more management issues comparing to a thin-client setting or a multi-head configuration.
in short, i don't see a good market for it, no matter how cheap that is.
You are presuming a certain use case here. I don't think there is a market for this product as a portable, general-purpose computing device. I do think there are a number of other use cases, though:
- Limited functionality, interactive kiosk/infowall type systems
- Remote logging and processing systems, particularly for complex sensors
- Embedded industrial or robotics systems
by minipc i think it's trying to be a portable PC? 2GB NAND might be too limited for any PC, thus the storage. If it's for a IP STB, you still need storage for media files.
without a wireless keyboard/mouse, how can I use it as a consumer electronic device?
The rest are actually good example, i wish it exposes more IO pins for robotic and industrial usage, but meanwhile the chip needs to be industrial-qualified, not all tablet/cellphone chips can be used in industrial, if at all
could it be somehow the linux display driver damaged that screen? while I use linux but I do think newegg has a point. A policy is a policy and newegg can not verify all those 100+ linux distro on the market.
Generally speaking you don't want a screen to break no matter what signals you put into it. It would really suck if a virus could actually destroy your computer.
In fact, the original IBM PC monochrome monitor had a horizontal sweep timing circuit driven completely by a video card register. If it were set too high, for example the motherboard switch was set wrong and it didn't tell the BIOS to initialize it, the monitor could be burned out.
PC Magazine printed a rumor of a virus that tried to or actually did (can't remember) burn someone's house down.
True, but hardware failures are known to happen due to Linux misbehavior (yes, even today--it might happen with mainstream OSes but I've never heard about it).
I agree that ideally the hardware should be robust about it, but from a practical perspective it's a lot easier for a niche OS to fix their bugs than to get manufacturers to test those corner cases.
> True, but hardware failures are known to happen due to Linux misbehavior
[citation needed]
In the past, Linux was blamed for memory failure because it exposed bad memory when trying to make use of it, and Windows on the same machine didn't. But it was not Linux's fault.
Look elsewhere in this thread re: the Zenbook issues. They're mostly fixed now (maybe even entirely), but at one point it was possible to damage them with certain combinations of settings.
The Zenbook issue described in this thread does not damage the hardware; A proper reset (which unfortunately due to Zenbook construction requires disconnecting the battery, which is nontrivial) solves everything.
Right, which for a reasonable user does mean bricked, and is probably a cause to send it back to the OEM. Personally, if my hardware goes belly-up, I'm sending it back to somebody who's paid to fix it.
"I have to send it back to the OEM" is "damage" as far as I'm concerned.
I used his products since 2008, very cost-effective and neat, it also tells you that there is money to be made in hardware, or software-hardware combined business at SV, not just facebook like companies there.
Meraki who is doing mesh wifi, to some extent similar to UBNT, did not do well somehow, even with google's backup in the early stage. On the other hand, UBUT does everything Wifi, but mesh.
I've been using his product religiously since they've been available. Unfortunately that's the crux of his products: they're often not available. Ubiquiti does a fantastic job of engineering and marketing (online), however when a new product hits their page - it's often months upon months before distributors get product. That being said - it's some of the best wireless gear for the money. Their new 1Gb+ (AirFiber) link hardware is pretty awesome, and in general I won't buy consumer grade wireless junk (i.e. Linksys, D-Link, etc) anymore since I can outfit clients or family with hardware like UniFi very cost effectively.
xxiao - not sure of what you mean by "mesh" but AirOS (and pre-AirOS) has supported WDS for quite some time.
AirOS and everybody else has WDS these days, Mesh is different that uses AD-HOC mode(check meraki.com, google olsr, 802.11s etc).
Routerboard is actually also great hardware vendor, and cheap too. However it's not in US, and it sells licenses with its software with a premium, which is not attractive to customers, esp those in other developing countries. UBNT wins the battle easily with great hardware, and most importantly, free software going with it.
free for 15 people meeting, that's like 95% of the market, and I wonder if they can sustain the business model?
when we use this kind of online conference tools, any concern on internal IP(say, it's recorded without your knowledge)? I would like to buy similar software to host my own conferences instead, though I don't think anyone is doing that.
Without giving too much away, the uptake rate to Pro & Premium has turned MB into a solid, profitable business less than a year after launch.
If tweaks occur to the "Free" account down the road, the MB team has historically "grandfathered" all account levels retroactively if changes are made moving forward.
still in favor of a self-hosted solution and don't mind to pay for that, with that you can compete against the legacy video conference guys, e.g. cisco, polycom(where you set up your private system with their offering, though you now use PC to replace the hardware part).
we do live in a hypocrisy world, esp in US, just embrace that to make life easier.
I am wondering, they have a database that connects your name with the OSS project you're on(or any projects for that matter)? and it pops out once they input your passport number? quite surprised.
