Mas claro, echale agua - Argentinian saying
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Chinese watchdog blasts HP over dodgy laptops
A CHINESE quality control watchdog has accused HP of behaving like Del Boy by flogging faulty laptops and ignoring consumer protection regulations.
This news follows an earlier Inquirer report about 170 Chinese punters who had filed complaints through their lawyers over faulty Nvidia chipsets.
In a statement on its website, the General Administration of Quality Supervision (AQSIQ), Inspection and Quarantine said that it found faulty video cards in the Pavilion DV2000 and Compaq Presario v3000 laptops that exhibited overheating, crashes and black screens.
Six other models including the HP 541 suffered problems with their screens, but the report did not say how many computers were affected overall. The report also claimed that in handling the complaints, HP did not give customers a guarantee of a refund, replacement or repair.
HP hasn't got back to the Inquirer with a statement yet, but according to Reuters the company said, "HP acknowledges the findings of the AQSIQ. We are working on a detailed action plan to ensure all points are addressed and will publicly outline this plan soon."
Considering the quality of goods that Westerners often get from China, it does seem a bit rich for a Chinese government watchdog to make such a big deal over complaints about failing laptops.
As one of our readers Jeff E commented, "China gives us toxic lead paint toys for our kids, poisonous Melamine laced milk ... and we give them defective Nvidia chipsets. Seems fair."
Quite. µ
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Having one of those flawed laptops I've put some effort in researching the issue. By all indications it seems to be a design issue. HP uses an inefficient thermal pad (if any) to transfer the heat from the GPU to the heat sink. The GPUs seem to overheat, but it is actually the manufacturing process of the system board and inefficient GPU cooling that is at fault. The chip is usually fine and works great. During assembly the chip is attached to the system board via BGA soldering. Because of the heat generated by the video chip is not transferred away properly the small solder joints under the chip melt and eventually separate and there's no longer contact between the chip and the system board. Many shops and DIYs have successfully fixed the issue by re-flowing the GPU. Success rate is 80-90%.
Hypo indicates "lack of" or "too little".
Here it seems they're more like hypERcritical...
Having lot trouble with these rubbish HP/NVIDIA laptops, I wish the chinese govt. and the chinese punters good luck. Atleast someone can make them answerable for producing and selling lemons.
Others HP laptops such as the Pavillion TX1000 are also well known for overheating and destroying themselves. Bad design, nothing wrong with basic components. Alas HP is not bothered as long as they get their money to start with. I'm glad if the Chinese are taking them to task. HP used to be a mark of quality, alas no longer.
The nVidia video chip problem is decidedly not an assembly problem, it's a design issue and nVidia chips are decidedly NOT manufactured in China BTW.
If something is manufactured in your own country should your consumer rights organisations ignore any problems with it? Why on earth do you think that the Chinese government should give HP a free pass just because the laptops in question were assembled there? Providing they hold local companies to the same standards the I can't see a problem.
I find it odd that the Chinese are complaining about a laptop that has manufacturability problems, yet was built in China. However, I do agree that the HP dvxxxx laptops use cheap plastic and fall apart easily. And I'm sure their fan-always-on firmware helped push the life of the laptop just beyond the 1-year mark so that they don't have to spend money on the repairs.
Bit weak that lead paint and milk remark, after all only the chinese basically became victim of it themselves, And they freaking executed people over that, so to be 'fair' will the west now execute an nvidia CEO you think? Or give them ANY kind of punishment? A stern talking to? Nothing you say? Oh well, I guess that's how capitalism works then huh.
Not that they should execute people in the west, but don't make such silly comparisons when you know both the chinese population actually had kids die, and people were actually brought to death, that's not decent to use that as a vehicle or comparison really.
I'm somewhat on the fence on this issue.
On one hand I want to say HP gets what they deserve having most their dodgy laptops made in China itself, a well known center for high quality control standards. That HP should've designed for more headroom on the heat the video cards & chipsets give off, done proper testing etc..
On the other hand I want to say that nvidia needs to stop cocking up their chips. As we see all manner of manufacturers have trouble with nvidia chipsets/video cards, even the infallible Apple. One has to wonder if it's entirely the laptop makers fault in this case.
Now don't get me wrong, I own an HP laptop myself that I slather with love. I've had it for a little over a year now I think, not a bit of trouble out of it. However, it doesn't have any nvidia chips in it either.
The DV2000, DV6000, DV9000 and just about every other DV series HP laptop has been popping left and right for over three years. They are pure junk. Here in the states they're being sold in Walmarts. People aren't getting a clue HP delivered junk and aren't backing up their product. www.hplies.com is evidence that the company isn't going to make this right.