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Greetings, I am looking (and I was just hoping that someone here would know who to vent on at IBM) for resolution for a problem with my thinkpad. Here's a brief synopsis of my problem: 1) Some months ago, my Thinkpad went in for easyserv repair (the power connector broke). Before then my serial port on the back of the thinkpad worked. 2) About a week before I left for Antarctica (where I am now) I discovered that my serial port was not working. I could not use it for a direct connection to another machine, and I could not use it to talk to my digital camera. It did pass an EasyStart diagnostic (without a cable attached). 3) I called IBM service and was told by a pretty snotty young woman that what I was doing was not supported (i.e. using the serial port to talk to anything but a modem) and since EasyStart passed, it had to be a program or cable problem. She would not listen to the dignositcs I did that seemed to point at the machine, etc - and closed my call for me :( 4) I get down here to Antarctica, and use different target machines for the direct connection and it works with a compaq luggable, but not my Thinkpad (Procomm+ on both, same cable, etc.). Also, another machine is able to download my camera, but my Thinkpad is not (again, same software, same cable). 5) I call service again. Good tech this time has me put a loopback cable on the serial port (the first tech never mentioned using a loopback - so I figured the EasyStart diagnostics did not deal with a cable loopback), and guess what - it passes without the loopback, but not with it. He then says "just bring it into your local factory rep, or we can EasyService it." At that point I blew up - IBM has a pretty good service network, but the nearest facility is Christchurch, New Zealand (about an 8 hour military air flight from here) and FedEx definately does not deliver to Antarctica. So now I am stuck - I have a broken laptop, which IBM refused to deal with before I left CONUS, and now I can not get it fixed until after I return to the states - sometime in March of 1997. In the mean time I get to carry around two machines (the Thinkpad and a 30+ lb Compaq luggable) because the Thinkpad can not do something as simple as a direct connect serial connection to another computer. Needless to say - I am not really thrilled with IBM and am seriously considering not buying IBM the next time around. I spent good money for support when I bought the IBM, and IBM has not delivered. I would like to "discuss" this with someone at IBM who is not a worker drone. Any suggestions on contacts within their service or PC Co. organization? -=Chris -- Chris Liljenstolpe, ASA - McMurdo Network Engineer Work 165/NOC, Tel X-2253, Pager #502 Res. 209/321, Tel X-2673 mailto:cds@mcmurdo.gov mailto:cds@mcmsun5 http://www.io.com/~cds/ PGP Key 2047/37DDC209 E0 0F 16 97 33 16 F0 DD 41 B6 BC AF 20 31 AC FC