pflikk@wam.umd.edu (Paul Glen Flikkema) (03/25/91)
NeXT, my patience is long, but not without limit...
Summary
If you get a defective computer from NeXT, they may not fix it.
The Story
Five months after placing my order, my 400 MB NeXTstation arrived
February 19. When I powered it up, I immediately noticed a whining
noise which was later determined to be the hard disk. I found it
ear-piercing and have no doubt as to its short-term effect of
headache and irritation, and possible long-term hearing loss.
When I showed it to them, the folks at the UMD Computer Emporium
(where I purchased it) agreed and sent it back to the NeXT factory
for a replacement, which had the SAME problem. So they sent it back
again (third time's a charm?) but it had, again, the SAME problem.
No wonder: the Emporium determined that IT WAS NEVER REPLACED; it was
returned with the original defective unit both times. Furthermore, NeXT
asserted that the drive was "within industry specifications". So the
Computer Emporium and the local NeXT rep (Northern Virginia)
undertook to order another drive, since NeXT stonewalled a swap for a
non-defective unit. On March 21, I received word that I'd have to
wait three weeks for my replacement drive because of a factory
backlog. Yes, ANOTHER three weeks, after placing my order Sept.
25, and receiving my defective unit Feb. 19. I find it hard to
believe that one who placed an order so early could be so continually
snubbed, and wonder about NeXT's desire to stand behind their
product. I find it even harder to believe the factory's treatment of
the local marketing and sales people, forcing them to eat a bad hard
drive. (I must say that treatment by the local reps is the one
bright aspect of this whole fiasco. NeXT is lucky that SOMEONE is
interested in happy customers.)
Context
The disk whine is not a minor problem. The noise emanating from the
disk is very different from any other drive I've heard. When
we powered it up in the UMD Computer Emporium with about a dozen
other computers in operation, the noise was still intolerable, and this
was confirmed by an employee there. (The difference between it and
the NeXT 105 MB drive was painfully obvious.) I've worked
in areas with dozens of computers with many hard drives in operation
at once, all without a piercing whine. NeXT's "within industry
specifications" response represents at best ignorance, and at worst
hostile arrogance.
Why Take it to the Net?
Because I've run out of options. Even though the UMD Computer
Emporium and NeXT-Northern Virginia have made good-faith attempts to
solve the problem, NeXT-Fremont continues its policy of disregard.
So I'm hoping that public awareness of the problem will get it fixed
and prevent it in the future. (Or maybe I'm supposed to be happy with
a $5,000 T-shirt --- at least it doesn't hurt my ears ;-).
--
Paul Flikkema (pflikk@wam.umd.edu) Electrical Engineering Grad. Student
University of Maryland, College Park waltrip@capd.jhuapl.edu (03/25/91)
In article <1991Mar25.033642.15541@wam.umd.edu>, pflikk@wam.umd.edu (Paul Glen Flikkema) writes: > NeXT, my patience is long, but not without limit... > > Summary > > If you get a defective computer from NeXT, they may not fix it. > > The Story > > Five months after placing my order, my 400 MB NeXTstation arrived > February 19. When I powered it up, I immediately noticed a whining > noise which was later determined to be the hard disk. I found it > ear-piercing and have no doubt as to its short-term effect of > headache and irritation, and possible long-term hearing loss. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If it hurts, its my understanding that it is definately causing hearing loss. This post is indeed bad news (good news about the local folks at UMD Computer Emporium where I have a 400Mb slab on order for my son but a disaster for NeXT). I don't believe that noise levels that cause hearing loss are within "industry specifications" and other postings to this newsgroup would appear to indicate that yours is not an isolated problem. c.f.waltrip Internet: <waltrip@capsrv.jhuapl.edu> Opinions expressed are my own.