Tech Talk at ShieldsGroup

Just under two years ago, I purchased an ASUS G51. It was, and still is, a state of the art notebook, boasting an i7 processor and loads of features. As sharp as it is, I’ve had trouble with it, with ASUS Customer Service, and with the two-year warranty.

Let me share a couple of examples.

On July 19, 2011 I called ASUS to say that the notebook was overheating and shutting down. I explained this was happening when I engaged in processor-intensive tasks. The representative said, “Get a cooling pad and place it under the unit.” To this day, I can’t believe I let that conversation end that way.

On September 23, 2011 I called ASUS and told them that the overheating problem was getting worse and something needed to be done. The rep asked how often it was shutting down. I told him, “Five times this morning.” He reluctantly set up an RMA and I sent it in for repair. Reluctantly? Wow.

On November 17, 2011 I called ASUS and mentioned that the rubber stops on the bezel around the screen had fallen off. I was advised to call the estore and buy more. This, in direct contrast to Dell sending me replacement feet for my Inspiron when the feet had fallen off of it.

On June 13, 2012 I called ASUS to say the cord on my power-supply was cracking (a common problem with notebook computers, due to normal wear and tear).

• The first technician said that the notebook had a two year warranty but the power supply had only a one year warranty. What?! I asked to speak to a supervisor.
• The supervisor said that the first technician was incorrect. He said that it actually was covered under the two-year warranty. Then he said that I would have to send it in (at my expense) and they would examine it to see if they would replace it. I told him this was unacceptable and asked to speak to his supervisor.
• This supervisor confirmed that I would have to send the item back and they would examine it to determine if they had to replace it. This is not the way Dell cared for these matters. Dell would send me a replacement and a pre-paid return slip for my old one. In fact, the last time this happened with Dell, they said, “Keep your old power supply. We’ll send you a new one free.” I gave this information to the ASUS rep. She was unimpressed. I told her that I had been spoiled. Then, because she was not acquainted with the term, I defined “spoiled” as what happens when parents treat a child with too much kindness. I explained that Dell had spoiled me by acting in good faith, replacing power-supplies for my notebooks, and paying for the return shipping on the broken one. She informed me that not every company is the same. 

And when it comes to Customer Service / Warranty Service, this experience has taught me all I need to know about ASUS.

A quick read of a report from the Apple WWDC presentation was interesting.

It appears the Apple phone world has few real innovations — some enhancements to Siri and finally turn-by-turn navigation. It’s great that Apple’s providing their own maps. (Here’s hopin’ they didn’t buy them from Mapquest.) Still, the phone enhancements that interest me basically catch it up to Android. Just more Apple hype, from my perspective.

But that Premium Macbook Pro…. Wow. Just wow. That’s not hype. It’s nearly as thin as a MacBook Air, but includes more features, including Retina display technology. The screen is 2880×1800 pixels in resolution at 15″. Can my eyes even appreciate that?  The unit features a solid state drive, with a size that maxes out at 768GB. The battery lasts 7 hours. I thought it would last even longer since it doesn’t have to spin a hdd, but then again, that screen is lighting a load of pixels.

Their engineers are leading the pack on this type of hardware. Find me a Dell, Asus, or anything that compares with that Pro. I am sure it’s not that Apple engineers are special and can make what others cannot. More likely, they are willing to create this kind of hardware because they know their ad department can sell it. Good for them.

Still, at a starting price of $2199 — yeah, that’s the starting price — I’ll pass. Not only does it seem excessive, having it would kind of make you look like the kid whose mother called your Resident Assistant and provided a pizza party for the entire floor for your birthday. That price pushes it a little over the top.

The  Droid Razr Maxx I got from Verizon is great — except for two things:

1. The phone was always warm. Whether it was charging, surfing, talking, texting, or sitting on the table, it was warm. Considerably warm. I even took it out of my pocket at times because it was uncomfortably warm on my chest.
2. The battery life was very short. Sometimes I would get six hours out of a charge. Sometimes I would get less. What? This is the Razr MAXX — the one that was supposed to hold a charge longer than the plain Razr.

You can read all over the net that Razrs run warm, but it just didn’t seem right to me, so after about 10 days I went into Verizon’s local distribution store (although I had purchased online) and said, “Is this phone too warm?” The sales person said it was and helped me set up an exchange. There’s some kind of worry / hassle free exchange period for the first 14 days.

Yesterday the new Razr Maxx arrived and it’s cool. I mean, literally, cool.  I am sure the original Razr had a defect that used the battery to heat the phone. Not a bad thing to have if you’re hunting Pennsylvania white tail on a cold December day, but there are better handwarmer options out there. 😉

Lesson learned: Razrs should not be running warm. If yours is, get it to a store before your 14 day exchange period is up.