After months of struggle with HP/Compaq "customer service", they have finally given in and are going to send a new notebook computer to replace the lemon that I purchased. It's coming in 8-10 business days and it's coming direct from their factory in China.

I've learned one important thing from this ordeal and that is I never want to do business with HP/Compaq again. When the computer arrives, I'm going to sell it immediately and buy a Dell. Why?

HP/Compaq put me through hell, that's why. I shouldn't have to beg, cajole, scream, be without my computer for weeks on end, be lied to, accept guarantees that are rescinded, be told that my computer is out of warranty when it’s clearly not, have it returned from service with the same problem, then beg, cajole, and scream again to have a working computer.

Certainly not all computers will work perfectly when they arrive however this company and any company should stand behind their products and fix or replace them immediately when there's a problem without forcing their customers to navigate hierarchies of CS scattered all over the world from India to Canada.

Clearly I made a mistake purchasing an HP/Compaq in the first place. It’s a mistake I’m not likely to make again in my lifetime.