🚀 go-pugleaf

For the GTE 'free' internet trial here's my experience:
1) When you setup the computer, you're offered to try the GTE internet acces
service, you're asked for your credit card information and THEN you get the
dial-up number listing, so you can see there is no local phone number to
call (even in a 600 000 population area and 15 miles apart from one of GTE
compagnies, QuebecTel, which is a local ISP) and no 'back button' to cancel
your order.  It's a strange fact than MSN, AOL, compuserve, UUnet, ATT, IBM
all have local acces number in the QC area, but not GTE!
2) Then you call the GTE customer service, you're told by them not to worry,
just don't use the service so they'll notice you're not interested and won't
charge anything.  GREAT!
3) But two weks later (you 'FREE' month isn't finished yet!), you receive
your credit card account, with the charge billed almost the same day (more
interested in ripping you off than giving you proper service).
Hopefully there's a happy ending for this part.  I achieved to get my credit
card credited for the same amount not eithout some fights and arguments over
the phone, but it sure "leave you with a sour taste in the mouth" (please
excuse my english, but I think you'll understand).

OK let's talk about the Presario 2264 Compaqter (sorry the computer!).
1) the ads are in french but the software isn't (except for win98).  But the
french version of Quicken, MS Money, Ms bookshelf, Ms Encarta exist, but
Compaq seems to ignore it.  I expect a happy ending for that too (again with
somme fights and arguments obviously since my retailler, COMPUCENTRE and
COMPAQ don't want to provide what I'm asking for), because in my province,
when you buy a computer with pre-installed software, the seller is forced by
the law to provide you with the french version if it EXIST.  If I wouldn't
have all this software in my children native tongue, why would I have
bothered to buy a 'name brand' computer, when I could have spent a lot less
with a clone assembled in a local store???
    - For people in the province of quebec who bought the same kind of
computer (compaq, IBM, HP, Packard-Bell, etc) and who:
                a) would like to get the french version of the software,
according to the law.
                b) tried to get them
                c) achived to get them
please email me at aca163@agora.ulaval.ca I'm trying to gather the most
people with me to succeed in this 'quest' for respect.

2) True the M II 300 is only a 225Mhz chips and true it maybe beats a
Celeron 300, which is quite easy.  But true also Compaq and Cyrix try to
make you believe that the chip is more related to the P II 300, since it
claims that it equals a Pentium 300, which inevitably make you think of the
P II, since it has about the sams L1 and L2 cache on it!  BTW if someone can
tell me how to overclock it I'd be gratefull.

3) There is only one available empty memory slot, compared to usually 3 on
comparable models.

4) The HD is the noisiest I've never heard.

5) The computer freeze really at anytime.  Last sunday, I wanted to show my
computer to my nephew and before we ever touched a key, it froze so I had to
turn it off and on (pretty embarassing, when U pay 2000$CAN for it).

6) with 225 (or 300) Mhz, it run slower than the P-120 PC I have at work
(same memory).

7) The french recovery CD is a crap, since you cannot do partial recovery
with it (i thinkthe english version can).

8) The video card is a PCI one (I bought it in december 1998, and at this
time no other company was selling anything else than AGP card).  But the
saddest is than when I asked how much memory the card has, they answered me
about 2 MB.  In fact it's 4, but it is taken from the main memory.  If you
know a better way to slow down the performance of a computer, just email
bill gates so maybe he'll 'add' youe idea in Win2000.  BTW if someone has an
idea on how to put some memory on the video card, just drop me a line!

The list could go on and on and on until january 2000 (or january 1900 on
1980, depending on your OS!)...

bob rekieta a �crit dans le message <7bkrjq$87j$1@walter-fddi.cray.com>...
>gte 'inadvertantly' charged me after i had canceled the service via their
>online method...i called the following number:
>
>800-927-3000
>
>i waited forever on hold but finally spoke with a real person....they
>verified that the account was again cancelled (apparantly something did not
>work the first time and you DON'T get confirmation even if their online
>method does work)...he claimed that they would credit the amount they
>charged and gave me a confirmation number...it has been over a month and i
>was not billed again...the credit has yet to go through, however, but gte
>claimed it could be 4-8 weeks....i gave american express the info and they
>are looking into it as well....
>
>