57Gregy


Four of the 5 computers I've owned have been HPs. Never had any of the problems Mosh described.

Depends on your use for them.
 
But for music, or more serious work, I would not recommend a "named" computer at all. But if all it is, has the kids playing around and all you are doing is email ... no worries.
 
It's software is the issue ... their scanner software, for example, has 4 parts, and they insist on the checking/ringing their servers daily ... and if you unmark that option (available in the customer setup!), the complete software will fail when you try to use it ... which tells you that each and everytime you use the scanner, HP is being told about it.
 
Now, I don't know about you, but if the FBI wants a list of how many times I go pee, or poo, I will gladly provide that, but I do not believe that HP, or anyone else, has the right to be checking on you, regardless, and that software peeking underneath WITHOUT you knowing needs to be illegal!
 
Ex: ... so I visit Musicians Friend and such once in a while ... gotta drool over that foldout of the month bass! ... and now when you look at any website I visit at work? ... the same bass information and keyboards I visited are shown as an option for me to click ... it even shows ALL the basses that I checked and visited! That maybe really good advertising for Google or whoever, but in the end, it is a serious abuse of your own personality, and rights.
 
While I do not think that the Internet is safe, no more or less than the local police or gang, anyway, in the end, the invasion of privacy is not cool, and it is just a matter of time, before, hopefully, something gets done about it.
 
If you EVER, want to check these things out ... get a Packet Sniffer ... and take a look at those logs ... the worst is not even the spammers and porn ... there is a reason why I do not have HP and Apple products in my house ... they are the two most invasive companies when it comes to privacy ... how far do you want to get ... walk around naked on the street? It's really all that's left!
 
These people need to get nailed!

trimph1


The DELL  laptop I am currently on has been with us now for 6 and a half years...still works like  trooper.

I use Dell Monitors almost exclusively ... but not computers. I tried, more than once, to just buy the computer,no Windows or software, and they said NO! (I wanted an OpenBSD computer then!).
 
I knew then, that it was about their ability to keep tabs on you!

Moshkiae


Ex: ... so I visit Musicians Friend and such once in a while ... gotta drool over that foldout of the month bass! ... and now when you look at any website I visit at work? ... the same bass information and keyboards I visited are shown as an option for me to click ... it even shows ALL the basses that I checked and visited! That maybe really good advertising for Google or whoever, but in the end, it is a serious abuse of your own personality, and rights. 
 

Hmm...  Maybe that explains all of the farming and fleecing equipment ads I see?

 Those are really good prices. If you didn't want the bloatware simply wipe and reload( I mean the computer).

Starise


 Those are really good prices. If you didn't want the bloatware simply wipe and reload( I mean the computer).

The bloatware is dependent on the features on the computer ... and they need to contact HP for updates, for drivers and for toilet paper, and for a new pillow, and for .... you get the idea ... and ... in the example wiht their Scanner software, it was outright obvious on the Sniffer that they were simply spamming the connection, and on top of it were telling themselves what I named the file and exactly what the dimentions and such were and likely a copy of it for the ... who knows?
 
If I know there is no proprietary hardware in there, I probably would have no issues, as I would get home wipe it and install my own ... with one problem ... their computers are setup so that the Windows is on the HD and on the computer of theirs, it told me to make a copy of it, and when I did, it would fail.
 
But it really got me when they refused to support one of their laser printers I bought at Office Max, that they did not have drivers for, and then told me that the printer was for businesses and not home use, and Office Max got so mad that they offered to take the printer back ... and I gladly did so! Ohhh and I returned the computer the following day ... they wanted to charge me a fee for having support help me setup the "business printer" ... and I'm too cheap with archholinesses that think they can cheat and rob the world and it's our fault that it happens!
 
Office Max gave me a $50 dollar gift card to use ... btw ... because of that situation and the manager was not happy and said that it would hurt their sales if it got around that ... Office Max does not serve "residential" customers!
 
I probably would have dropped all HP sales over night and force them to sign a release that they will support any stuff that the store sold for a designated period of time! Or HP will replace the product free of charge!
 
You can not allow these "corporate" jerks to run the public roughshod ... and YOU pay for it! They need to go down ... and the faster the better! I have no issues with them making money, but I do when they are stealing!