Roy Schestowitz wrote:
What did EA say?
Gamers Say Microsoft Understates Xbox Problems
,----[ Quote ] An insider from Electronic Arts, Inc. is saying
that the failure rate of Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console
is actually ten times higher than what Microsoft spokespeople
have admitted. Game Daily BIZ, a gaming industry publication,
reported that the anonymous source tallied that of the 300
consoles EA has received, 30-50 percent of them have failed.
`----
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/xbox_gamers02.html
That is rather indicting.
In article
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/msg/f5e5efd4b7e51bbc
you expressed the following link back in February 13. This is a
quaint reminder of the predatory actions by Iomega and their tape
and cartridge drive products 10 years ago.
http://www.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/10875/
Another Xbox Support Nightmare
Perhaps Microsoft needs to find a new call center. Another
horrifying experience with the Xbox's Bangalore-based
"support".
We seem to be receiving an increasing number of horror stories
from Xbox 360 owners who have had to call Microsoft's
Bangalore-based tech support call center. When your reason for
calling is a bricked console, one would think it would be a
painless and quick procedure to get the thing replaced or
repaired. Apparently not the case, according to Brent from
Consumerist.com:
"I run a tech company and a support organization. I'm overly
courteous to tech support people because I know they have a
tough job. My friend J bought an XBOX 360 bundle at Costco and
it bricked on him in roughly two weeks. I was over there
Friday night and decided to call XBOX support for him since
he's kind of a hothead about these things. Here's how it went:
Anyway, I stay on hold for another 45 minutes (really) to
reach a supervisor. He STILL does not accept that my console
is within warranty, but instead of requiring me to fax the
receipt and call them back, he actually allows me to send in
the receipt with the console as a means of verification.
I let him know about my experience with Steve and that I work
in this business and was pretty shocked that anyone would talk
to a customer that way. He doesn't sound interested, but lets
me know someone will talk to Steve's supervisor.
<SNIP>
All in all, a complete nightmare. Microsoft should be ashamed
of their XBOX support operation. First of all, to immediately
assume a customer is wrong is terrible customer service.
Second, to yell at a customer and cut them off as they are
calmly asking you to clarify something is completely insane.
Last, when you are facing a class-action lawsuit because so
damn many of your consoles are exhibiting this exact problem,
you should probably consider some kind of proactive moves to
avoid infuriating even more customers and exposing yourself to
Sony battery-style bad publicity. Terrible stuff."
Dec 11, 2006
There appears to be something terribly wrong with the American
justice system. The following summarises it quite nicely:
http://www.freedomworks.org/informed/issues_template.php?issue_id=1504
or http://tinyurl.com/3ad2y5
[quote]
FreedomWorks July 31, 2003 Wayne T. Brough, Ph.D.
Getting Fat From the Legal System Trial lawyers expand their
fleecing of American businesses.
[/quote]
[quote]
Filing these massive class action suits provides important
strategic advantages to trial lawyers, while not necessarily
providing meaningful benefits for the consumers they claim to
represent. For the trial attorneys, pulling together a large
class of “victims” offers the potential for a larger award,
since it must compensate a larger group of people. The trial
lawyers, however, work off a percentage of the total award, so
the larger the award, the larger their paycheck.
Traditionally, trial lawyers receive a third of the award,
plus expenses. The fact that a bigger class means a bigger
payoff provides another critical advantage for trial lawyers.
Raising the stakes makes it much more dangerous for businesses
to go to court. Rather than risk a bad decision in the
courtroom, many businesses are forced to settle, regardless of
the merits of the case.
Consumers, on the other hand, may not fare so well. It is
common in these large suits against manufacturers for the
class of consumers to receive coupons, discounts, or rebates,
while the attorneys who represent them take home millions of
dollars. For example, in a suit against zip drive manufacturer
Iomega, consumers received rebates of $5 to $40 dollars, while
the attorneys walked away with $4.7 million.
Through the courtroom, enterprising lawyers have gained
tremendous control over private decisions made by individuals
and businesses throughout the country. In the past, the courts
had a much more limited role, adjudicating disputes and
enforcing contracts between private individuals. In the latter
half of the 20th century, however, legal philosophy shifted,
with greater emphasis placed on social insurance while the
importance of private contracts diminished. As it became
easier to file class action lawsuits, clever trial attorneys
saw an opportunity to exploit the change in legal philosophy
in more activist courtrooms. The legal system’s role expanded
as trial lawyers began to exert influence on economic activity
in the private sector, ignoring the role of personal
responsibility and second-guessing decisions made by
businesses and legislatures.
[/quote]
I am in a wait and see mode regarding Microsoft's claims of
patent violations regarding Linux and Open Source. Will it stop
me from using Linux? No. Since lawyers provide advice and
counselling, it does not make it hard to see that the American
justice system has become a haunt of lawyers.
This is why I am hoping that the EU does not buckle under
political pressure to soften justice. We saw that in the US
justice system. Judge Jackson's position of July 28, 1999:
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm
was watered down such that justice was not rendered properly in
the trial against Microsoft.
Also, I am hoping that the EU does not buckle under pressure to
honor at best, silly concepts of software patents, which are best
served unders laws regarding copyrights and not inventions.
It is the consumer who ends up with the "short end of the stick"
in these software patent squabbles, similar to these consumer
lawsuits against predatory companies.
--
Cheers, Rafael
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/
http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk/killfile/anti_troll_faq.htm
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