I ordered a new Ubuntu HP Laptop ... it's not good

[logFarm]

ebuyer (not ebay)

http://www.ebuyer.com/705955-hp-455-quad-core-laptop-l8b56es

... but what I received is not what I paid for.

I specifically purchased this laptop because I wanted to support a company that was making the effort to sell laptops pre-installed with Linux.


ebuyer not ebay

The confirmation e-mail from ebuyer (not ebay) describes the item that I ordered:

Item: HP 455 Probook Laptop AMD A10- 7300 8GB RAM 1TB HDD 15.6" DVDRW Ubuntu 14.04 - Qty: 1

but the laptop I received has: 7GB RAM and Ubuntu 12.04 as the screen shot below shows.

http://www.logfarm.net/screen_shot_hp_laptop.jpg


Other problems

During the configuration process, when the computer first starts up, a hardware/firmware update is downloaded but on reboot the laptop crashes with a screen of text stating: 'kernel panic'

To recover from this:

- reboot and hold the escape key down
- from the menu select: freeDos
- select reset to factory defaults

and go through the configuration process again but this time avoid the firmware update ...


The keyboard has a Microsoft Windows logo button

I get the impression that HP are not taking Linux adoption very seriously but are in-fact just attempting to ship some cheap laptops to some Linux mugs.


You're a Linux user so why don't you just fix it?

Linux users will shrug at the Ubuntu version and ask: why not just upgrade?

... tried that, wont work.

Upgrading from 12.04 on this laptop fails. The laptop reports the failure at the end of the upgrade. After rebooting it is no long possible to log in. User credentials seem to have been removed.

So why not use another computer, download the ISO image for 14.04, burn it to DVD and install Ubuntu from that?

Tried that ... During and after installation of 14.04 I discovered that this laptop's Wifi hardware is not compatible with Ubuntu 14.04.

So the reason why this laptop has been shipped with Ubuntu 12.04 and not 14.04 as advertised is simple: some of the laptop's hardware is not compatible with Ubuntu 14.04.


Applied for an RMA and a refund

Lets not forget that missing gigabyte of RAM that I have paid for.

I want to return this laptop because it is not what I ordered so I have applied for an RMA. I now have to go through the process of telephoning ebuyer (not ebay) before I can return it.

You can apply for an RMA from ebuyer (not ebay) from here:

http://www.ebuyer.com/help/returns

[logFarm]

Got my refund.

I had a grumpy-fest with ebuyer (not ebay) because the laptop they sold me should have been pre-installed with Ubuntu 14.04 but instead was pre-installed with 12.04.

The problem got worse when it turned out that the hardware was not compatible with 14.04-64bit. Wireless hardware to be specific was not compatible.

ebuyer (not ebay) changed the web page to 12.04 after I sent them screenshots of what was actually installed.

I got the grumps big time after this experience. Forget the fact that I did not recieve what I paid for; I was mainly disappointed that after twenty years of me using and battling with Linux compatibility issues, I find the situation hasn't changed even with the hardware that is supposed to be compatible with Linux.

Manufacturers and hardware designers don't give Linux any priority.

And now tech news report that Microsoft owns your computer's BIOS. Manufacturers can not install a non-Microsoft Operating System without Microsoft's permission.

I am lost with regards what to do about it. I wont be buying another laptop that's for sure.

grumpy, grumpy ...