My AmigaOne Experience

[Targhan]

While I am completely on the other side of the fence, I can certainly see how this situation could be the result of some gross misunderstandings.  You know, Murphy's Law and all of that.  Have you tried to contact Eyetech again to let them know what kind of situation you are in and how frustrated you are?

[Staticman]

I did that today. They recommended Home Insurance so I can make a claim to get at least some money out of it.

[Skyraker]

@Staticman

If you spoke eyetech in the same manner as you just spoke to everyone on IRC it's little wonder they did nothing to help you.

[Targhan]

While I find that an odd suggestion, I can't help but to be impressed with that logic!  I mean it has never occured to me that a damaged computer could be covered under home/apartment insurance!

[Argo]

Yup, they can be. Check your policy.A few years ago, my gf's cousin got a new laptop that way.  Fell off the dinner table when he moved something else. Shattered the screen. Instead of just paying to have a new screen connected, they paid for a new laptop. They totaled out his old laptop and told him he could keep it as unrepairable junk. So, he took it into a repair shop for a new screen and ended up with two.

[meerschaum]

It's rediculis that a computer board seller  tells a user to rip apart his motherboard and replace roms/etc... I mean sure in our genre it isnt to much of a stretch, but its still an unprofessional response to a user having bugs in the hardware in my opinon of course.

[Warface]

Now as the warranty is void, get someone capable to check if the damage can be repaired. There is nothing you can loose with expert advise.

"Well the instructions are very clear" they say. I say "Well could I just send it back. I dont really know what I'm doing here and I dont want to make things worse". The phone conversation ends.

That despite this conversation they send you tools... Weirdo.

[amigamad]

Should have bought the g4 xe instead mine works fine .I still think eyetech should sort it out these boards are not cheap and they should have done it after you said you were a novice. :-?

[Targhan]

@Argo
Then, I would probably suggest for Staticman to do the same (assuming he has insurance).

@Sky
C'mon cut the guy some slack; he's hot under the collar with an expensive broken computer. :-(

[Skyraker]

@Targhan

I guess mate, but there was no need to come on channel and start hollering at everyone... we were all asleep

[HMetal]

@meershaum

The ridiculous part is that the user, who doesn't know what he's doing goes ahead and does it anyway instead of stressing to the technical support person that he does not know what he is doing.  Once he went ahead and did it, he (pardon the expression) screwed himself.

It isn't all that uncommon for some hardware/device vendors to tell you the "unofficial" way to do things. I have an ARQ 1-20 (http://www.request.com) and while they don't support customers upgrading their own equipment, they tell you how to do it, and I have upgraded my own - twice - without fail.  They do note that doing it yourself voids your warranty and you'll have to pay $$ for repairs that are result of your tinkering.

I assume that the person at Eyetech stressed that any warranties would be NULL and void if the installation/upgrade/swap was done by the customer, no?

[JoannaK]

Targhan: Remembering it was not working in months (never?) before this
'incident' happened, and I must have also affected to his attitude
towards all this. If I had that kind off stuff in my hands I'd would
use a REAL bad language.


I do understand this all hastiness and errors (on both seller and
buyer side) comes from dire need to have New Amiga. unfortunately
there are things (like OS making)  where timelines can (and often do)
slip and results are not pretty.

Good thing is that currently sold AmigaOne hardware is better than
year old ones (and OS4 has definitely made progress too),
unfortunately it's a too little too late to many people.

[meerschaum]

EDIT: appears this is a young kid or something ;(

[Kronos]

@HMetal

He DID stress that he can't do it,but Eyetechs reply was something along
the line "it's dead easy,even the worst dummy can do it".

Also this is not about updating,but about fixing something defunc from
day one,and the main problem is that Eyetech didn't have a proper quality
test done (or how did the write-protected ROMs slip by), which made such
friggling neccasary.

Writing about a paperclip (yikes!!), while sending the right tool, and
giving unclear photos/instructions doesn't put a good light onto Eyetech.

[redrumloa]

The ridiculous part is that the user, who doesn't know what he's doing goes ahead and does it anyway instead of stressing to the technical support person that he does not know what he is doing.

Wow is this guy getting a backlash. While I agree the customer should not have attempted it himself, if all available information is correct Eyetech is at fault.

Eyetech forgot the golden rule in retail.
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!
Eyetech should have never attempted to make the customer do it himself if he said he was a novice, and apparently Etech admitted there was a problem with the rom.

[takemehomegrandma]

@ Staticman

I am sorry to hear about your situation. When you have spent that kind of money you just expect things to work or to get the help you need to get it working (or simply having it replaced), even if it is targeted to very experienced Linux users.

I am also sorry to see some of the replies you got from your fellow A1/Eyetech supporters (here and on ann.lu). I understand that you were very keen to get yourself a new "Amiga", and supporting the company that made them available by doing so, and perhaps you wanted it so much that you simply overlooked the fact that the systems was not really ready yet and that it would take some experience in both HW and Linux to get it working? Perhaps you overlooked the fact that Eyetech outsources their repairs of the €900 A1 hardware to their customers?

Anyway, what's done is done. Eyetech gave you new components and told you to fix your board yourself, and by doing so you damaged it. But don't throw it away. A socket (if that is the only thing you broke) is replacable. You should try to find a TV repair shop or similar that has the equipment and experience on surface soldering. They should be able to replace the broken socket with the new one and place the new ROM chip in that. Hopefully your A1 will be more stable after that.

BTW, did Eyetech explain why you would need to replace Suse with Debian?