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HP Dishonors Warranty If You Load Linux

Posted by kdawson on from the caveat-installor dept.

darkonc points us to a writeup on linux.com about a very Linux-unfriendly policy at HP. A woman bought a Compaq laptop and loaded Ubuntu on it. Some time later, still well inside the 1-year hardware warranty, the keyboard started acting up. An HP support rep told her, "Sorry, we do not honor our hardware warranty when you run Linux." Gateway and Dell refused to comment to the reporter on what they would do in a similar situation. (Linux.com and Slashdot are both part of OSTG.)

5 of 702 comments (clear)

  1. Illegal? by jshriverWVU · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What does software have to do with a hardware waranty?

    1. Re:Illegal? by sconeu · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When you are using unsupported drivers who's to say the driver didn't screw up the hardware.

      Exactly how is an unsupported driver supposed to cause physically sticky keys?

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    2. Re:Illegal? by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A local IT support company locally called NEXT/IT actually tells customer that linux causes viruses and security holes if it's anywhere in their office. Microsoft tries hard to make sure their partners spread BS FUD like that from the corporate level to the field techs. I find it offensive and inform customers that if a company rep starts spewing things like that then they need to see it as a warning that they are probably lying about other aspects as well.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    3. Re:Illegal? by nine-times · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When you are using unsupported drivers who's to say the driver didn't screw up the hardware.

      So does it void your warranty if you install an unsupported driver in Windows? And supported by whom? If I have an nvidia card, is the driver from Nvidia "supported"? What about the one from Windows Update? Or is it only the driver HP supplies for me? And what if I install a 3rd party piece of hardware or software which results in installing "unsupported drivers"? What if you tried listening to a Sony audio CD and got a rootkit?

      Until they provide a list of all "supported" software, or all software which voids your warranty, they should just support the hardware. It's a general assumption that people are going replace software, or at least install additional software, after they buy a computer. If manufacturers are going to start denying warranties because of software installed, it sets a dangerous precedent.

  2. Good question, Drivers? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There's a warning in x86config when setting monitor refresh rates that warns you that your choice may destroy your monitor. Granted, thats not a necessary step in a lot of installs, and most people have moved to LCD screens that wouldn't explode, but I think they were thinking of something similar to that. Badly written drivers CAN destroy hardware, in rare cases.

    Or, the higher level software may shorten the lifetime of hardware. Maybe Linux uses the hard disk more than Vista, which leads to higher usage frequency which causes it to reach its MTBF earlier.

    Is it fair, no, not really. I'm sure you could wear out your hardware just even faster with certain applications.

    They can't possible start rejecting the waranty, depending upon3rd party apps installed could they? I'm sure Something like Maya or Blender could put a lot of use on a hard disk, especially on a low end system without much RAM.

    --
    Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.