Acer: A Company Without a Heart
If you are getting an Acer product, you may want to reconsider. Apparently, Acer slams Ken Starks (a.k.a Helios), one of the famed Linux advocate around. Helios calls up Acer for assistance in relation to 2 Acer Travelmates enabled with a BIOS lock based on Trusted Computing. Unfortunately, the Acer guys insists on a 100 dollar fix, in spite the reasoning given by Ken Starks that it was for charity work. What a heartless company, trying to milk some dollars off a non-profit. Such practices should not be tolerated, but condemned. After this fiasco, no Acer for me. If you want to, please don’t buy Acer products.
Source: Acer Tells Kid’s Charity – Pay Up or Shut Up
UPDATE: Seems that Ken Starks’ problem is now solved, as chronicled on his latest blog entry “The Acer Debacle – Closing The Chapter”.
Technorati Tags: Acer, Trusted Computing, Ken Starks, Helios, Boycott, Travelmate
Hmm. I am still a bit skeptical of Helios anecdotes. …
K.Mandla
23/05/2009 at 8:08 am
well, it sounds logical to me. 100 dollars for BIOS fix? come on… if you’re a non-profit, natural tendency is to maximize your funds. this is not one of them. it sounds like extortion. the last update I had was the Travelmates are going to be dismantled if Acer would address the problem.
wakizaki
23/05/2009 at 12:24 pm
Hmm. I am still a bit skeptical of Helios anecdotes. …
And why would that be? I’ve worked with Ken Starks for three years now and he’s proven to be nothing but a shining star for his community. He is called upon by his city Council for Tech matters and is trusted by all of them. The man works tirelessly for his charity, a known journalist has met and confirmed the “Karen” story and he is a 20 year Army Veteran with two combat tours and decorated to the point of being embarrassing for him. He is honest to the point of doing himself damage at times. I personally went to Best Buy with him to work out the unfortunate incident at the convenience store. Please think twice about calling me a liar…at least in print.
If you are “skeptical” about him, maybe you need to post those reasons here. Or are you listening to rumor-mongers and not thinking for yourself? Why don’t you come here to Austin and work with the man for three days. I have my own firm and I will pay your way and motel with meals. Then tell us how skeptical you are. My email is posted with the blog.
Michael Jacobson
Austin Texas
penguinista99
07/08/2009 at 5:09 am