Adaptec, Inc. Provide Abominable Tech. Support for a Bad Product Milpitas California

My daughter's laptop required a Firewire port to handle her new Ipod. I purchased and installed Adaptec's Fire Connect for Notebooks.

When I ran the installation disk that came with the device and pointed to the install program, nothing happened. Her Windows XP computer did recognize the card, but with it installed, the computer involuntarily shuts down!

I telephoned Adaptec's technical support line and was told that support for this $60 item will cost $9.90!

Email support produced the following exchange. Note that there is no instruction as to how to get the patch they refer to. I haven't received a response to my follow up regarding how to get this patch.


Create-date : 01/04/05 12:48:10
OS : Windows XP
Problem : 01/04/05 12:48:10 ardev1
Bought AFW-1430A PCMCIA card so I could have firewire funcitonality
with this laptop.

Your install disk does nothing when I click "install."

XP will recognize the hardware, but the machine occasionally will SHUT
DOWN involuntarily with your device installed.

Why can't I get telephone support? This little device cost $60!!!

Webmail Solution : 01/04/05 21:32:55 soo23951
Hello from Adaptec,

If you wish to contack our Technical Support, 408-934-7274 Monday - Friday (except holidays) 3:00 AM - 5:00 PM U.S. Pacific Time. Call will be charge at USD 9.90

Does your computer shutdown if no Firewire device is attached? For firewire issue, it is recommended to update to the latest service patch. If it still doesnt solve the issue, update your motherboard bios, chipset software and PCMCIA software to the latest.

Regards,
Adaptec Technical Support

Richard
jacksonville, Florida
U.S.A.