Monthly Archives: January 2012

I’m one of those few and optimistic people that own a BlackBerry Playbook.  I’ve updated it to OS version 2.0 twice and gone back to the current 1.x release.  I’ve also side-load some adapted Android apps, some work and some do not.

This week after side-loading some Android apps that are supposed to work, I thought I’d try to use the suggestion on many forums to do a Security Wipe to see if that helps.  Unfortunately many of these helpful tips are misleading.  A little known fact exists in this scenario of doing a Security Wipe on the beta developer version of OS 2.0.  They don’t include the default apps in this OS version.  The default apps are a remnant of the original OS install.  So doing a Security Wipe will leave you with only 2 apps, Browser and Setup.  And the only way I know to get apps from the app store onto the Playbook is to use the App World app.

After doing the Security Wipe (and some research) and discovering that you loose all your apps at this point on pre-release 2.0, I found it also killed the Wi-Fi ability.  No local Wi-Fi network would get listed after the wipe on OS 2.0, and it would search endlessly without timing out.

Connecting the Playbook to USB on a Windows computer and opening BlackBerry Desktop, it will immediately ask if it should upgrade the device to (in my case) version 1.8.x.  Doing so downgrades the OS and restores all the default apps and it also fixed the Wi-Fi discovery problem.

The Pre-release OS 2.0 works pretty well, and I like it much better than 1.8.x, but it does come with it’s issues.  And in this case, DO NOT do a Security Wipe on the developer version of OS 2.0, unless you also intend to downgrade the OS or do a restore right after.

During the night my TP-Link TL-SG1024 24 Port Switch failed, going into a constant restart cycle.  I knew about it before I even got up in the morning, since it’s the main switch in my home.  And yes, I have most of the ports used since I have so many IP devices and network plugs installed.  My Windows workstation monitors network and server activity, and when it goes bad a voice tells me the network is down.  I was hearing the voice synthesizer quietly in my dreams all night and dreaming accordingly.

I had purchased this TP-Link switch from a local computer store called Computer Boulevard or Cbit.  The interesting thing is I purchased it barely 4 months ago when the previous switch failed, an old D-Link 24 port 10/100 switch that I had bought used years ago, and it had worked well beyond it’s years.  So money well spent.  When I bought the TP-Link switch I commented to the salesman at Cbit that I wasn’t that impressed with TP-Link and I’d rather have another brand, but that was the only 24 port Gigabit switch they carried in stock.  He went out of his way to go on about how good TP-Link was, that they never have any TP-Link items returned and yadda yadda they are so great.  I assume it was all due to him wanting the sale and not having me leave as I was obviously about to.  I remember telling him how I had my doubts but if he thought so highly of this item I would give it a try.  That was this past September.

So this morning I look up the TP-Link warranty, it describes Expedited Warraty and Normal Warraty.  Expeditied Warranty being described as you take it back to the retailer and they replace it, and the retailer will look after returning it.  I find my receipt, and take the device in.  And low and behold the same saleperson is working today, and I’m one of maybe 2 other customers in the store.  No one at Cbit comes to help me, everyone is sitting around and visiting, and no one at the front desk.  I go to the original saleman, tell him all the above, and he tells me to go to the service counter.  I ask if I can have a new one to replace it with today, he says sure if I want to buy a new one to replace it, if I feel like it?  Yes, if I feel like it.  Otherwise you wait till they send you a new one, if you have a receipt.  He asks if I want him to sell me a new one today.  Yes, I need one in a hurry.  I already did my own research and they have what I consider a better name brand “D-Link”, as I pointed out I don’t want the TP-Link again.  He’s less than friendly and visibly wanted little to do with me after telling him how he raved about the failed switch back in September. 

Needless to say any product can fail, even quality name brands, but I think the part that annoys me is I questioned my purchase back in September and got the hard sell, so the least I would expect today (especially from the very same guy) is better service and maybe some fake words of concern and appology.

My next stop was at the Service Desk, where I was made to fill out their warranty form after waiting way too long for the lazy guy behind the counter with his back to me, to finish his important work of booting up someone’s computer that wasn’t waiting for it, I’m the only Service Desk customer waiting.  I had to ask 5 times, yes 5 times from the Customer Service person with poor English to find out what the expected procedure was to get it replaced.  But his English was good enjoy to keep asking me to sign the form and initial in not 1 but 3 spots on their warranty contract.

So what do you think, is this quality service?  And I’m actually putting a polite spin on the whole experience.

As for the TL-SG1024, it will likely be the last TP-Link item I buy.  And if I’m really lucky it will eventually be returned and kept as a backup unit, should the D-Link ever fail and I need to order a new switch from NewEgg.  Yes I said from NewEgg.ca.  I get excellent service from them!

Who sucks more, BestBuy or Asus when it comes to the flop of a pre-order promotion for what is arguably the most wanted Android tablet to date.  They both do.  Obviously Asus had fulfillment issues getting the thing out the door.  And BestBuy seems to have done little to quickly get it into consumer’s hands after the nearly 6 week delay from the original pre-order date.

In my case, mine sat in stock according to the web order system for several days, till I finally emailed and complained.  A customer service person emailed me back to say it was ready to ship and will be leaving right away, and I would receive an email with a tracking number.  Three days later that happened.  Now it is on route to my location.  Not impressive from either company.  And of course to top it all off BestBuy ships with Canada Post, the worst carrier (in my opinion) in the country.  So I’ll be lucky if they actually deliver it.  Canada Post delivery people (in my personal experience and on my street) have often lied about making the deliver and take it to a package drop far from my intended post office. 

How do I know Canada Post package delivery people have lied about attempting deliveries to my location?  I work from home, they post times on their tracking system when they claim to attempt deliveries and claim to have left a card.  In many cases they did not do either.  I have cameras on the outside of my house.  And on 5 separate occasions when I have been at the local post office, other people in my area have complained in line about the same thing.  Sometimes even when I am there to pick up a parcel that was never attempted to be delivered, and I’m there to complain.  To be fair I’ve now had 2 successful deliveries in a row from them, after 3 lied about deliveries in a row.  So here’s hoping I get this one without having to drive across the city to pick it up 2 to 3 days later after a claimed attempt.  And when I filed a complaint to Canada Post no one ever followed up on it by phone as customer service promised.  No surprise.

And as Transformer Prime fans already know, Asus is trying to lock down the bootloader on the device.  Many people that are buying this over priced tablet are hacker types that will want to unlock and root it.  I hear that after a storm of complaints they “plan” to release an unlocking tool, but it will void your warranty and not allow you to rent videos on most online services due to DRM licensing.  Like that will stop piracy!  The people that know how to unlock and root a device are the types that know how to get movies without paying for them if they want.  So not allowing them to purchase legally may only encourage them to pirate the videos.  Not giving them an avenue to so it the legal way even if they want to.  Genius!

So who sucks today?  BestBuy, Asus and Canada Post.  Not necessarily in that order.