Hewlet Packard, HP refuses to accept responsibility for laptop that overheats due to poor design. Naperville, Illinois

  I bought the TX1000 two years ago for my daughter who was starting college at that time.  Certainly we had many choices for laptops, but a major reason I bought the TX1000 was because I "knew" from when I worked at HP that HP built quality products.

  Unfortunately, quality seems to be missing from the TX1000 line.  Within the first year, the laptop died so completely that it did not boot at all.  HP ended up replacing the motherboard.

  Then, less than a year later, the same thing happened - the LEDs light but the laptop does not boot at all.  The screen stays black.  Although the 1-year warranty is over, I thought that HP would fix the problem for free since the fixed laptop died in exactly the same way as the the first time.  When the same thing happens to new motherboards, it's a pretty good bet that there is a problem - either in design or manufacture.

  It appears that both design and manufacture are problems with the TX1000.  Apparently the video chips HP uses have a design problem that makes them run hot.  Combine that with the AMD CPU that also tends to run hot and an inefficient cooling design for the TX1000, and heat related failures are no surprise.  And these failures are well documented in many, many internet forums.

  What is surprising, though, is HP's refusal to acknowledge their responsibility.  I know that business is about money, but it is also about reputation and doing the right thing - especially if it's your fault.

  An HP case manager, Dawn (877-917-4380, x93) offered my daughter a $225 discount (from $400 to $175, plus tax) to fix the problem (I imagine replace the motherboard).  I believe HP should fix the problem for free since the laptop died in exactly the same way the second time as the first time, and each time with a brand new motherboard.

  I called to speak to Dawn, and ended up speaking to a case manager named Dominick because Dawn had finished her shift and was not available.  He said that I could not escalate this, and that I could not speak to his manager on the telephone.

  But he then gave me a number for "corporate head office" that I could call.  I asked him who I would be speaking to or what the title of that person would be.  He said he didn't know, but I could explain my problem to that person.

  The number he gave me is 650-857-1501.  This number, of course, is a general call center number.  I do not appreciate Dominick having fun at my expense.  This should not be the "

   The internet is full of people specifically reporting overheating problems that result in the same thing as happened to us - a dead laptop.  In my case, a dead $1700 laptop.

  There are a number of internet forums, including numerous HP forums, where people complain of this overheating problem.  There was even a link to a website that showed several different lines of HP laptops that were recalled or had warranty extensions for overheating problems.  An internet search using any combination  of the following words will turn up plenty of hits: HP, lies, problems, overheat, laptop, TX1000.  I am aware of on-line petitions and at least one website dedicated to the overheating problems of HP laptops.

  Given the volume of complaints that can be found about a very specific TX1000 overheating problem, I think the TX1000 should be added to the list of recalled HP laptops.

  What I would really like is for HP to exchange the TX1000 for a similar model that does not have this overheating problem.  Failing that, I would like HP to warranty that they will fix for free all instances of overheat failures on my laptop.