Laptops don't come with the disc!

[stugster]

I bought a laptop from ebuyer... NEVER AGAIN! What a situation I'm in trying to get my windows xp disc from them!

Whos decision is it to not ship with the disc? 2GB of my hard drive is WASTED with the rubbish backup software. My hard drive was advertised as 80GB, now, surely there must be something in the Trade Description Act that stipulates the hard drive should perhaps not contain additional USELESS partitions.

Everyone uses their computer for different purposes! I want to manually configure the installation of windows and the components - and I certainly don't want HP's crap on there too! Especially when (before even installing anything myself) 256MB of my RAM is being used by that rubbish!!!

Who should I be going to for my copy of the disc? Because as far as I can tell, £60/£80 of my laptop cost went on the OPERATING SYSTEM...and I don't have a copy of it! Fair enough, I could create the backup disc, but I don't want that, I want what I paid for!

 

[Astaroth]

It will be HP that decides how things are installed/ setup etc.

Did the ebuyer advert actually say it came with a full version of windows with CD? Many PCs dont any more but only restore disks.

 

[stugster]

Nope... preinstalled. I hate the fact they're taking the control away from me. It's horrible. Ah well, Ubuntu all the way

 

[Ozzy]

I found this with my Sony laptop - no recovber or Install CD's. I had to go out and buy some blank DVD's and waste 3 of them to remove the install and backup software from the hard drive. Very annoying, and different from the last Sony laptop I purchased 4 years ago.

 

[stugster]

It's such a small factor to the manufacturer, and yet, for the consumer, such a big one. Do Microsoft not have something to say about it?!

 

[Chris H]

Nope... preinstalled. I hate the fact they're taking the control away from me. It's horrible. Ah well, Ubuntu all the way

If you didn't accept the MS EULA then you should be able to get a refund of sorts.

http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2006/110706-dell-windows.html

 

[estwig]

Whats the matter with you girls!!!!! thought you was all 'techy' !!!!!!
Contact MS and and tell 'em you want your copy of Windoz on disc and they will send it to you, easy peasy!!!!

 

[dagr]

Dell offers the original Windows discs as a paying option. It doesn't cost a lot so I always order it with.

 

[leemason]

You can as Ozzy said create installation disks using the HP Recovery utility and then re-install the system from these. On the other hand I would remove Windows and Install Linux. I run Windows under VMware as a virtual machine whenever I need to.

 

[stugster]

Trying to email hp about it is a nightmare too! Alas, Ubuntu is the way to go.

 

[leemason]

Trying to email hp about it is a nightmare too! Alas, Ubuntu is the way to go.

It's a real shame when companies like HP take over Compaq. I go back to the days of DEC/Digital before Compaq. Digital were not perfect but their technical support was second to none. When Compaq took over it got a bit worse but was still pretty good. Now HP have taken over it's got significantly worse! The best companies rarely prosper unfortunately. The best marketing wins, regardless of how good the company behind the marketing is. We seem to like companies with style and no substance to back it up. Sad!!!!

Go Ubuntu!!!!!!

 

You should always take care when purchasing a laptop - ensure it comes with an XP disk, not the crappy partition they always load it onto. A good percentage of the problems I get in need a reinstall of Windows and the partition recovery is rubbish !!

You have to take a look at the price of laptops nowadays - it has been stripped back as much as they can go, and unfortunately there is always something necessary which has gone somewhere. I remember a basic office desktop costing £1000+ and a basic laptop (Toshiba were the baby's then) was minimum £1500. Now we buy laptops for £350 and expect everything to be 100% quality - but it ain't the way of the world anymore.

Tescos now sell laptops - now what are people expecting to get for their money there

 

[An Oasis]

Why can't we just be the kit - software? Who needs software we!!'ve already bought it!!!!

 

[AlphOmega]

Trying to email hp about it is a nightmare too! Alas, Ubuntu is the way to go.

Sounds like the perfect solution, even if you have the disc!

 

[SpeedyExpressCouriers]

Good luck with emailing HP, don't be surprised if you dnt get anywhere with them. Ring them instead, you may have to wait a few minutes or so but you will definately get a better response.

 

[puresilva]

Now we buy laptops for £350 and expect everything to be 100% quality - but it ain't the way of the world anymor

This is a good point Comspec. There can't be much margin left when you're selling at £350. I'd rather pay a bit more and get a better service, but unfortunately the consumer demand is all for driving prices down to the bare bones.

 

[stugster]

Just contacted HP via their online support tool and Sukjeet (or somone with that sounding name) contacted me via my mobile within literally 2 minutes!!!

They're sending out my CD within the next 8 days free of charge!