EMAIL THE WATCHDOG If you feel you’ve gotten a raw deal and need assistance
setting a vendor straight, email the Dog at [email protected]. Please
include a detailed explanation of your problem as well as any correspondence you
have sent concerning the issue.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXbox, cut along the grooves on
either side of the certificate
of authenticity. Next, peel the
red tabbed label off the front
of the box. Finally, with the
Vista logo facing you, grasp
the red tab on the top of the
box and pull it to the right.
The instructions come
directly from Microsoft’s
own web page dedicated
to describing the package-
opening process (http://
tinyurl.com/3xxh9n). There
are even video how-tos on the
Internet demonstrating how
to open the box, so clearly it is
actually rocket science.
Perhaps Windows 7
can be packaged inside of a
scrambled Rubik’s cube. Only
after solving it can you access
the disc to install the OS.BF Kudos for BFG
People usually complain
about companies to you,
but I come to praise Caesar,
not bury him. The other
day I turned on my moni-tor to find a corrupt image.
Immediately, I knew the
videocard had gone bad.
It was a BFG GeForce 6800that I bought maybe five
years ago.
I went to BFG’s website
and saw that the card had a
lifetime warranty. So I got an
RMA and sent the card back.
Yesterday, a box showed
up from BFG. I opened it up
expecting to find my GeForce
6800 card, but instead I found
a bright, shiny, new GeForce
7800 card. BFG gave me an
upgrade for free!
—Tom Applegate Sony is recalling about 73,000 Vaio
TZ-series notebook computers that could
pose a burn hazard. The company said wires
positioned near the hinge and/or a dis-
lodged screw inside can short out and over-
heat the computer. Sony said it has received
about 15 complaints, with one person suffering
a minor burn.
Included in the recall are Vaio VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200, VGN-TZ300, and
VGN-TZ2000 series notebooks. All are 11.1-inch screen notebooks and were sold
between July 2007 and August 2008. The notebooks were manufactured in Japan
and the United States. Sony said only a small number are affected, but it did not
release serial numbers that consumers could check.
Instead, Sony is encouraging anyone who owns one of the aforementioned models
to visit tinyurl.com/usvaiorecall. Canadians can visit tinyurl.com/vaiocarecall.
If you are not near a computer with Internet access, you may also call 888-526-6219.
Sony said people who have the models may continue using them, but they should check
with the company to see if their product is defective. If you think you have a bad note-
book, you should unplug the unit, remove the battery, and contact Sony support.
Sony is offering inspection and repairs of units that are defective. More informa-
tion is available at tinyurl.com/hotvaios.RECALL ALERTabout 15 complaints, with one person sufferingSony says
some of
its 11-inch
notebooks may
overheat and
burn users.“IT’S THE ABSOLUTE WORST
PACK AGING OUT THERE.
WHO DESIGNS THIS STUFF?”It’s actually easier to open
the Hellraiser puzzle box
than a copy of Microsoft
Windows Vista.