Posts by Fihart 1150 publicly visible posts • joined 3 Jun 2008
Never mind contracts, (for example) when PAYG customers are offered free texts for a month when they top up the balance by £10, the texts should be free. Not charged for at 12p as they have been during this screwup.
Thus, T Mobile owe their PAYG customers money. The fact that the texts cost the telcos so little they can't even calculate the amount, adds insult to injury.
As for treating PAYG customers as vermin whose only salvation is to convert to rolling contract Smartpaks, this, like your snobbism about PAYG, is misguided. Let's assume your nom de plume indicates that you are female -- well, my impression is women use the phone differently. Calls are conversational, often a form of social stroking. Men use phones like a walkie talkie -- "Are you in ? Okay, I'll be round in ten". Thus, personal calls don't need a contract with hundred of hours of talk. PAYG is fine for men.
500 (and counting) angry user comments here:
https://www.facebook.com/tmobileuk/posts/644363712286366?stream_ref=10
Meanwhile, T Mob's Customer Support Twitter account and Facebook page seem to have been unresponsive for about 20 hours despite claiming to be manned 8.00 AM to 8.00 PM. Complaints that the 'My T-Mobile' website is out and the firm isn't responding to user-support-line calls, either.
Many users PAYG allowances were restored this morning, but no sign of a refund on money deducted from balance in error. This is causing further grumbling in the ranks.
Jest ye not !
The Marantz Special Edition version of their CD63 CD player has a metal bracket within as, apparently, one of the first steps designer Ken Ishiwata took to upgrade the design was to stiffen the case.
Personally, I suspect that the bracket was added to boost the weight by about a kilo so buyers felt that the extra cash they paid for the SE version bought something more substantial than the less tangible changes to circuitry.
@Toxteth O'Gravy
Sadly, I have to agree with you. At least my desktop computer can still use an IBM classic (clicky) keyboard. But, yes, most laptops are woeful by comparison. As for trying to write on a tablet or smartphone -- er !!!
It has to be said though that Sinclair's efforts at keyboards were particularly abysmal -- even the Commodore PET and BBC/Acorn models had something you could type on.
Familiar with Sinclair's earlier audio products -- optimistic power output claims and some reliability questions -- I wasn't about to risk my money on the QL, however cheap.
As a writer, the clincher was the flattish keyboard which was a non-starter for any real work of my sort.
The Apricot, with a reasonable keyboard, MS DOS and 3.5 inch disks was clearly a more serious product and ran reliably for six or seven years.
When will someone tell America that Coca/Pepsi Cola is just water with sugar, fizz and marketing added.
It is not a national institution, to be defended.
As obesity cripples another generation, I foresee a time when Coke machines are as rare as those vending cigarettes. To be fair, it's not the machines that are the issue -- rather it's the burger-flippers selling mega-cups of the stuff. Like it's normal to consume up to a litre of fluid with a snack ?
I rather like the occasional Coke, but then I used to really like smoking.
Sadly, I don't think any of the scanner manufacturers serve home users very well. Seems to be, at best, a marginal product, doubtless shrinking. Models from minor brands seemed to lack any manufacturer support.
I've had several home and semi-pro Epsons and the older ones seem well made -- but support could have been better. Lacking an original CD, finding the right software seemed to draw a blank on the UK site. In the end after trying all English language Epson sites, got what I needed on the Canadian one.
Epson software seems to do the job in terms of previewing the image, choosing resolution, threshold etc.
Not so impressed with the two HP and one Canon models I tried -- I found the preview function didn't have enough detail for one to reliably select the area to be scanned.
Have owned a HP L 4 or 5 and still regret chucking it.
However, it was among various working HP and Kyocera lasers rescued from landfill -- to save real estate I tend to chuck em out when the toner expires.
More significantly, I suspect I'm not alone in printing stuff less these days as correspondence is done by text, e-mail or, even, Facebook.
I would chart HP's decline from the first curvy shaped inkjet printers of the 1990s -- a retailer friend had loads of broken ones in his basement, whereas the old square ones used to work well.
Continuing slide can be witnessed by the number of quite new multi-function scanner/inkjets I see dumped. Whether they have failed or the owner is too disgusted by the price of refills, who knows ?
This malarky of trying to extract your mobile phone number is so transparent.
Yahoo tried this but (presumably) but gave up when everyone ignored them
Microsoft tried to strongarm Hotmail users on security grounds, in case one got locked out (ho, ho).
Unlike Google, MS had the decency to give one the option of disclosing an alternative e-mail address. As I also didn't wish to see that sold to the highest bidder, I gave my Facebook mail address -- which, of course, just leads back to my Hotmail address (ho,ho to them).
Cellphone makers' collaboration with telcos is clearly a cartel. They absolutely dominate the retail market for phones. Presumably why we can only source twin SIM phones in the UK via the grey market.
Is it really true that if you buy a SIM free iPhone it may lock to the first telco whose SIM is inserted ? Long saga in a tech forum from someone who sent his brand new iPhone to a firm to have the case customised and they probably tested it by inserting a SIM. When he got it back and put in his own SIM he was locked out.
May not be the same scenario, but I discovered recently that a discarded Nokia 100 that was previously usable with T-Mobile, worked only with Vodafone after inserting a Voda SIM card. Frustrating, as I was going to donate it to a friend who is with Orange -- he can buy a new one for just £10 but why should he have to ?
Time the EU commissioner looked at breaking up the cartel so that telcos sell airtime and retailers like Argos and Amazon sell the phones unlocked and at competitive prices.
With whom, pray ?
Though I have an oldish Blackberry, I'm not the typical user. Mr brother on the other hand is. He's worked for two firms which had BES and handed out BB's to all and sundry. When I last mentioned the newer BB10 models, his response was they don't work with the firm's version of BES and it isn't going to switch any time soon. His kid and wife use iPhones and I suspect that's where he'll go next.
When I saw the Z10 is at fire-sale prices here, I gave it a glance because, apparently, the OS no longer screws up your SIM so it won't do internet in other phones. And my present phone looks well made, but it's a replacement for two that failed within contract. Other experiences with BB so far have not been positive either -- impossibly small onscreen keyboard, multiple reboots when updating (and 3 minutes to boot from cold each time) and a general feeling that it's the BB way or else.
Well, next time it'll probably be else.
To the 1950s and my dad building balsa wood models on our dining room table -- much swearing and a strong smell of the dope used to stiffen the tissue paper wing covering. Fuel tanks were improvised from metal cigarette packs cut and shaped and sealed with solder.
Then the trip to a farm nearby and much swearing and smell of ether as the diesel (pre-glowplug) engine failed to start. In the days of valve (tube) radio, remote control didn't feature. It was start the engine and launch by hand hoping that the plane would come down within walking distance. I recall going with him the next day to pick up one which got away. The people whose caravan it had crashed onto seemed pretty decent about it.
I don't think I could have matched my Pa's patience, ingenuity and handiwork, creating a fleet including Gipsy Moth, Gloster Meteor, de Havilland Vampire (the experiments with Jetex solid fuel engines didn't work out so well).
I suspect they have improved in the few years since I noticed a newly bought laptop soon had wear on the metallic finish, exposing black plastic below.
I was recently given a Packard Bell (aka Acer) with a P6100 processor. Hard drive had failed outside warranty but otherwise looked as good as new and seems to work well now.
Too right !
A warranty is an agreement between the retailer and the manufacturer in which the latter agrees to underwrite the former's liability to the customer for a limited period. This does not really concern the customer. His contract is with the retailer who is normally seen as having liability to repair, replace or refund faulty goods within a reasonable period. Consumer durables should be durable, so the reasonable period is much longer than the one or three years of a warranty.
In the UK we often complain about higher prices compared to the US. Their lower prices are, in part, a reflection of different liabilities on the retailer. In many cases the warranty is all the customer gets. Quite widely reported problems have arisen with US companies trading in Europe applying American habits in our markets.
Unfortunately, some (perhaps many) leading UK stores seem to have been training their staff to imply to customers that the warranty is all they get, in order to quite dishonestly sell "extended coverage". I recently overheard that going on in a well known high street bike store. And the assistant proclaimed that the normal warranty only covered the frame breaking !!!
Such retailers may then refuse faulty returns outside the warranty period if the customer hasn't bought the extension. This was tried by a very well known high street store.
They will back down in valid cases if you speak to head office. Interestingly, the UK's biggest electrical retailer has an arrangement under which one is then referred on to the manufacturer -- who readily agreed to replace a TV that had failed about 14 months after purchase.
"Research" aka lowest common denominator, suggests that single men will buy unnecessary tech stuff (they bought ugly and barely functional early digital watches). Single men may even fantasize that ownership of the latest thing will attract the ladeez. *
That's the strategy, now come up with a creative concept !
Probably the hapless ad agency creatives came up with something a little more evolved, but the suits or the client shot it down as not matching strategy. So they made an ad of the strategy.
* Of course, in the real world, women are demonstrably uninterested in such stuff and even less interested in the sort of geeks who buy it..
Fellow fan of E71, amazingly slim and robust. Good battery life after nearly 4 years' use. Previous owner had kept it loose in her handbag and scratched plastic screen so reading fine print a pain -- along with the fact that the screen was about half the size needed.
Graduated to Blackberry Torch -- extra screen space but keyboard much worse than similar sized E71. Nicely made, reliable OS, but previous owner's experience of two failing suggests I may be back using the E71 at some point. Which will be a faff because of the way Blackberry messes with your SIM to pipe the internet.
Friend has a Nokia E6 or similar -- first thing I noticed was wear on the plated plastic navigation knob. Clearly not an E71 successor.
As evidenced by a friend's 2 yr old daughter, the childish mind loves the swipe action of phones and tables -- probably one of the reasons they sell so readily to imbecile adults.
However crap the crop of budget tablets may be, welcome sign that, soon, idiots and their money may not be so easily separated as under major brand tablet pricing.
@DougS
".............specify that the POWER BRICK must have a standard full sized USB output....."
Absolutely.
Blackberry chargers used to have that -- incredibly useful for charging loads of other stuff like MP3 players which don't come with their own charger.
........................messages included some falsely claiming to be from the recipient’s friends, included SMS messages such as "Hi Mate hows u? I'm still out in town, just got £850 in my pocket from...............
Do people really address each other in that way ? I'd think only if they're the kind who thought Ali G was a real person.
British bathrooms are often the coldest room in the house because they were added on as afterthoughts to Edwardian era builds designed by those who felt the labouring classes didn't wash and would be happy going to the loo in the garden.
My own home has a structural wall between the main building and the bathroom -- unheated, temp can drop to 6 degrees F, killing any plants I had in there.
"The British manufacturers opposed it because 3 pin plugs needed special manufacturing equipment (flat pins) which was keeping out the Far East. "
Jeez, if you ever step on one in bare feet you'll probably end up as I did jumping in the air and breaking a toe. Had to fly out to Paris that morning and spent the day limping, not daring to take my shoe off in case I couldn't get it back on. Once home was shocked by the rainbow hued bruising of my foot.
The other thing wrong with Brit plugs is the sheer size -- pain to fit into a laptop case.
Much as I'd like a large lump of perspex on my desk, I've concluded that it's function over form every time for me. Granted that the Mac in question defies (to some extent) the notion that nothing dates so quickly as the future, but the rule usually applies.
I've owned generations of different hifi equipment, some of it cool like the 1970s Cambridge Audio amps or brutally aesthetic like a Garrard 401 turntable. The stuff I've kept (Sony power amps, Thorens 125 turntable) look dull but work well 30+ years on.
I've used dozens of ugly cream coloured tin box PCs and kept them so long as they delivered. When that stops, they're cheap enough that you're not tempted to clutter the place with old ones.
I have noticed that most people keep PC laptops and Macs of every type much longer -- this isn't because they're pretty or reliable but simply because they cost more to replace.
Yahoo has been sorely trying the patience of its Mail users recently.
More spam recently than I recall.
Account hijacking incidents.
Forced move to new version (which does have some good new features).
No longer support Opera browser.
New Yahoo Mail seems slow, not helped by ad panels.
Recent outages and very slow spells.
Yahoo now changing to SSL (probably a good thing) but this may inconvenience some users.
Help FAQs on SSL introduction only for Android and iOS -- no mention of WinPhone, Symbian, Blackberry users.
If the above continues to the extent that moving would be less hassle, Yahoo Mail is finished.
Microsoft may be targetting Google but I've heard few complaints about Gmail. By contrast Yahoo has been sorely trying the patience of its Mail users.
More spam recently than I recall.
Account hijacking incidents.
Forced move to new version (which does have some good new features).
No longer support Opera browser.
New Yahoo Mail seems slow, not helped by ad panels.
Recent outages and very slow spells.
Yahoo now changing to SSL (probably a good thing) but this may inconvenience some users.
Help FAQs on SSL introduction only for Android and iOS -- no mention of WinPhone, Symbian, Blackberry users.
If the above continues to the extent that moving would be less hassle, Yahoo users could be persuaded to move to alternative Mail service.
You mean Apple Stores have toilets for the public ?
Add them to my list of emergency ports of call along with McDonalds -- except the McDonalds in Brussels in 1980-something which still had an old lady at a table trying to charge for use. Something I hadn't seen since they expelled them from the loos at Charles de Gaulle airport.
Sharp with a Japanese language keyboard, a built-in ethernet port and a Netgear PCMCIA wireless G adapter is my weapon of choice for fixing friends' wireless woes.
Pentium (P2 at 600 mhz ?) and early XP. Slow and heavy, I'd say it's best-finished laptop I've laid hands on -- perhaps because it was actually made in Japan. Personal import by neighbour who donated it when she upgraded.
The Netgear adapter has the best wireless survey/signal strength software. Unlike modern laptops with Win7, will display two routers that happen to have the same name.
My phone already questions my decisions. Or at least pre-empts them by occasionally ringing people when all I wanted was to use the calculator app. Damn you, touchscreens.
Previous phone would drain my PAYG balance downloading tiny amounts of data to itself on a regular basis. I wasn't on a data plan so £1 for a few kilobytes. T Mobile refunded the money and suggested it was to do with picture-texts but the solution was to put a bogus web address in the APN settings (as I recall).
It might help drive down leading brand prices in the UK if more allegedly crap Chinese smartphones became available here. Note the prices/features of ZTE (notably the Orange San Francisco) and Huawei models already here.
Interesting that a readership of, largely, techies here is so unanimous in their rejection of DAB.
Presumably we are mostly the sort of people eager to adopt new ideas (if they work)*.
On this small sample, DAB might as well get its coat.
* Admittedly, after much muttering that I wouldn't, I adopted CD. But that has demonstrable convenience over vinyl.
Tallying the number of radio units in my home; hifi tuners (4 for some reason), radio/CD player portables (3), MP3 players with FM (4 ?), old phones with FM (6?), Freeview telly with many radio stations not available on FM (1). Add to that internet radio.
With 20 or so means of listening to the radio already, even the offer of a £40 Sony DAB radio at a car boot sale for £8 just didn't seem that tempting.
Fact is, I mostly listen to Radio 4 and Radio 5. Any promise of extra stations on DAB is about as exciting as the multitude of, to me, redundant radio channels on Freeview or Freesat .
A lot of hard work to make a non-point about a competitor.
My guess is there's a lot of people who had never heard of a Chromebook who now have now. They may or may not remember Microsoft's negative message.
One thing is certain, Microsoft are spending money like water on a campaign which gives Google the oxygen of publicity and does little or nothing for Microsoft products.
"Tell 'em what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell 'em what you've just told 'em".
And the other old marketing cliche. "Nobody ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public".
However, for all the stupidity of the advertising, Microsoft does have a point. Chromebook is a bit useless without a decent broadband connection.
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