h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I hadn't mentioned this, because it seems too good to be true ... and yet, I hesitate to scramble for my piece of the pie since the idea of lawsuits raping companies for their errors is abhorrent to me, except in extreme cases of gross negligence involving burned homes, decapitation, lost limbs and really nasty stuff like that.

An interesting letter came in the mail on Sodit. In it, there is a "Toshiba Satellite 5005 Class Action Settlement Claim Form". It appears as that I am eligible for a $1000 cash refund in exchange for my computer ... a sum that would replace this 3-year-old notebook quite handily. Had my computer been serviced more than once, I would have qualified for a $1,500 voucher from Toshiba for the Toshiba product of my choice. If I choose to simply keep the computer, Toshiba will pay me $500 cash in settlement. Mind you, I'm being sought out as a claimant ... I never filed suit.

It seems that this model Satellite 5005-504 has a design defect (that Toshiba was well aware of before marketing this model) that causes it to overheat, shut down repeatedly, and/or lose processor speed. I'll admit that I'm having problems with the speed on this computer ... at times the back vent is very hot. Lately, it seems to drag and hang often. I've defragmented the drive, run every diagnostic program I can lay my hands on, and it still operates sluggishly.

A year after I bought this computer, it lost its hard drive, and the CD/DVD drive was replaced at the time as well. Perhaps these parts died of overheating ... I can't be sure. Recently, the CD drive acted up again, refusing to load and read discs. I spent some time shopping for replacement parts, but to my delight, found that a quick polish of the CD drive lens with my shirt fixed the problem.

There is little doubt in my mind that I have a computer that is somewhat on the "lemon" side of the fence, but ethically speaking, I don't know if it's right to trade in a well-used, middle-aged computer for that $1000 refund check.

What do you guys think about all this? I don't know what to make of it.

That's a 5005-S504 model ... as if you people care. By the way, I *did* run across news of this lawsuit during the hunting for a replacement CD/DVD drive, so the letter wasn't a total surprise, but still ... this is frikking

*raises hand*
Trade it in before you have to make more repairs.

I'm leaning in that direction, Maverick. I wonder how long they'll take between testing it and giving me the check.

There is an implied warranty that anything you buy new should be up to standards right out the box. Toshiba knew this laptop was not as good as it should have been. That is their own fault.

True ... but is there not an epidemic of litigation in this country? Life involves risk. Too many people aren't willing to accept responsibility for that risk and expect to hold someone else to blame for every bad thing (or product defect) that happens to them. I mean, we're so protected from ourselves in this society that we don't even bother to look before leaping off of cliffs. I know, since I do it all the time.

I accept some of the blame for getting a bum computer since I didn't do any research before I bought this hog. It twas "a pig in a poke", so to speak.

I'll sue you if you don't take the check...

I doubt research before buying it would have helped you a bit.

This is something that was not pulled by the company that knew full well that they were selling a defective product.

I say go for it.

I'll sue you for suing me, Maverick.

I've been sifting through the legalese ... I'm not entirely sure that this computer qualifies since the repair wasn't *specifically* for the overheating, shutdown, slow processor problem ... but heck, it blew up two drives ... what further proof do I need?

Opposed as I am to frivolous lawsuits, I'd still go for it if I were you. The difference here is that they *knew* about the defect before marketing it.

You can't be expected to know everything and, as Maverick has said, it should have been up to standard and without defect when you bought it.

It's Toshibas mistake, not yours.

Seems like everyone is in agreement that Toshiba should "eat it" thus far.

Pssst! This is my first web page ever ... I've set up a new domain for the company where I w*rk along with a new web-hosting account. This is a preliminary web page for our site ... it's all made from scratch, by *me*. I even figured out how to upload the thingie today. *all proud of self* ... except for the glowing "rollover" email button that didn't quite upload right. Oh well, I'll fix it tomorrow.

I'm not sure how the boss will react to "Liz" being on the truck. I needed a colorful graphic, so I composed an imaginative scene ... and yes, I know it doesn't exactly fit the theme of the ad. Look at it quick before the boss makes me change it!!

Enjoy a peek at my wo*k (learn-and-do-it-yourself web design and publishing ) ... such as it is ...

alddecal.com

You'll have to add the www. to that link for yourselves.

As you already know, I just love the truck!

You're so easily amused, Lady Scott.

You should have seen the version with John Kerry dangling from the beast's mouth ... I had to open up his mouth a bit to make him scream appropriately.

You don't happen to still have a copy of that one lying around anywhere, do you?

Of course...I simply turned that layer off before using it for the surface of this big rig photo... it looked a little too much like a defect on the lizard's mouth at this scale. It's pretty cool at full size, though.

You have a 50 foot monitor at work?

Pretty much.