Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!cuuxb!kjc From: kjc@cuuxb.ATT.COM (~XT6513400~Kevin Coulter~C29~L18~6282~) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Northgate Problems Message-ID: <2926@cuuxb.ATT.COM> Date: 3 Jul 89 20:54:38 GMT References: <20546@bikini.cis.ufl.EDU> Reply-To: kjc@cuuxb.UUCP (Kevin Coulter) Organization: AT&T, Data Systems Group, Lisle, IL Lines: 101 In article <20546@bikini.cis.ufl.EDU> mjs@beach.cis.ufl.edu () writes: >A recent posting by Miriam Nadel suggests that Northgate computers are >plagued with problems. I submit to you that Ms. Nadel is the Problem. >I am a proud owner of a Northgate PC and where my machiot been >perfect as is true with all machines any and all problems I have encountered >have been easily corrected by the Northgate techs. Many of these problems >were simply improper settings caused by myself and resident programs. > >It is obvious that Miraim Nadel has little or no experience with >PC's. Here posting reads like a disgruntled house wife who went out and >bought herself a computer without taking into account the the complications >of setting one up. Now it appears as if she fears having to explain to some >other party how the family budget has suddenly been decreased by $4000. Rather, it is obvious that you are in the 0.0001% of Northgate owners who have machines that WORK. In the fall of 1987, I purchased a $2500 286 machine from them. This was a lot of money to someone working 17 hours a week in college, who needed a DOS machine. Nothing fancy. EGA, 32MB HDU, dual floppy, 1MB RAM. It took until April to get a system that somewhat worked. That system currently has a bad serial port, a bad NiCAD battery, and it occassionally doesn't supply power to the HDU on bootup. That is the best it's been since I've had it. It is also going to be sold to the first computer store that I find that is dumb enough to buy used computers, and I can get my AT&T machine set up. I also think that it is unfair to suggest that the problems are Miriam's fault. To me, it sounds like she's technically competent. Maybe I'm wrong. But how do YOU know she is not right????? In any case, I can tell you, I AM technically competent, and they have BAD HARDWARE. I don't know how many HDU's, controllers, floppy drive's, etc. I installed in that machine between Oct 87 and Apr 88. I sent the whole CPU back to them once (at my expense), and it came back, dented as if it had been dropped (possibly bby UPS, possibly by them; anyways, their "packing" is rotten). It did not work. They sent me a new CPU (after they received the old one), saying that they made extra sure everything was fine - DOS is loaded and ready to go, just load your software. In the process of loading the software (commercial packages with install programs e.g. WordPerfect, Turbo Pascal, etc), I got "General Failure" on the HDU. Finally, they sent me the above mentioned CPU, that somewhat works. These CPU problems were magnified because neither myself nor anyone in my immediate family had credit cards, so they had to receive the old part before sending a new one. I wanted a refund. badly. I somehow talked to the prez of northgate. When I told him how shabbly I was treated, how I was getting the big delays due to no charge card (hey, it is not MY fault that they have defective products), that I was TRYING to work on my senior project, and that I felt that his support people took the phone off the hook (I once tried calling an hour before their support time began and got a busy for several tries), he wanted to know what I did to HIS machines, and then HUNG UP ON ME! GIVE ME A BREAK! By the way, their 100% refund applies (or at least did) only to DOS compatibility issues. It does not apply to defective products. I guess you gotta write some code that works on a IBM, but not a northgate. :-) I currently work in Support for AT&T. If I ever acted as bad as Northgate did, I would be fired instantly. >I spoke to Northgate yesterday. The tech. I spoke with happened to be the >same one who handled Miriams calls. I was told that they did everything >possible to resolve her problem. Nortgate even offered to replace the entire >PC at no charge. She refused and claimed she wanted a full refund, not a >refund with a 15% restocking charge. What business do you have discussing Miriam's problems with a Northgate rep without her permission? Replacing the PC did me no good. She DESERVES a full refund! >It seems to me that people who buy from mail order companies forget that >it is a totally different situation than when buying from a computer store. >First of all you cant see what you are buying and there is somewhat of a >risk involved. However, Northgate has had an outstanding reputation for >shipping quality machine with very short turn-around time on repairs. Secondly >Prices are lower because Mail order companies do not have the overhead of >the computer stores. All this along with over the phone technical support >allow mail order companies to sell there products at lower costs. What >Miraim and other people do not realize until they have the computer in there >homes is that saving a few dollars means putting in a bit of time configuring >your machine to work with you software and hardware. Basically it comes down >to... caveat emptor. > >In case you don't know what that means Miraim it means "Let the buyer beware" Try I got suckered like Miriam did by their nice ads! What a farce. I think you are saying that because they are mail order, they don't have to play fair. BULL! Wake up and smell the coffee!!! Kevin -------------------------------------------------------------------- The above comments are purely those of Kevin Coulter. Your mileage may vary. -- Kevin Coulter "If it don't have wheels, it ain't a sport!!!" AT&T Data Systems Group Lisle, IL {att,lll-crg,attunix}!cuuxb!kjc OR cuuxb!kjc@arpa.att.com