I'll keep it short. Asked for help (was very detailed and specific). CL sent me an e-mail that was just a page pasted from the website about general instability of graphics card. One of it's suggestions hinted to upgrade my bios. I did that. My computer is plucked! It won't boot far enough to fix.
Creative labs.
- Thread starter lobley
- Start date
*Shrug*
I've never owned a Creative product other than their sound cards, which I'm quite happy with. I've owned a SB16 (original), SB AWE64, and now a SB Live!... never had an issue with anything. I've never had to contact their support either; so I don't know how well they handle support issues.
Is it the video cards that are the biggest problem?
<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
I've never owned a Creative product other than their sound cards, which I'm quite happy with. I've owned a SB16 (original), SB AWE64, and now a SB Live!... never had an issue with anything. I've never had to contact their support either; so I don't know how well they handle support issues.
Is it the video cards that are the biggest problem?
<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
No, the sound cards are the biggest problem. Glad you haven't had any problems with your Live, most people do. A lot of big problems.
<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
Most likely because the card does have a reputation as being a resource hog. I'd probably be having problems too if all my hardware was enabled.
<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
May be I'm lucky or something, I build about ten computers so far and used mostly creative lab sound card with no problem. They start to pissed me off when asking buyers to pay for the update of live ware!. Overall I think creative lab have some decent sound card product. After all, they must have something special within their product to have such a dominant in a very competitive market.
Collective_8472
Distinguished
- Feb 25, 2002
- 63
- 0
- 18,630
the only problem i've ever had with a CL product is my SB Live! Plat's IR reciever cut out, not that i used it anyway, it's not in the hands of a friend of mine (i have an audigy plat now), who doesnt use the remote anyway, other than that i have had no probs whatsoever, i have a SB16 ISA that still rocks, an AWE32 working great, a SB PCI 512, Live! Plat and Audigy Plat... love em.
Rubberbband
Distinguished
- Jul 9, 2001
- 867
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Personally I think the only reason they're so popular is they're the only Mainstream company that produces soundcards. When I built my first system two years ago I though the SB Live 5.1 was the only way to go because all the computer mags were full of their ads. i still use the card in my new system because I'm too cheap to change it. Next time I'll research sound cards before I buy!
The Men Behind the GUNS!
<A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=327" target="_new"><b>MY SYSTEM</b></A>
The Men Behind the GUNS!
<A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=327" target="_new"><b>MY SYSTEM</b></A>
I bought a Greative Audigy Platinum Ext 14 months ago and I had it work only two months. I tried to ask for help, because installation failed continously. (While all hardware is from some of the best makers: PCPower&Cooling, SuperMicro, 3DLabs, Intel and Nokia).
I got a couple of messages kicking me out to MSN pages!!!
They refused to answer me anymore!!!
Then I bought a SB 128. And fulfulled my dream of HiFi sound
Thanks Creative. (Hope I'm not seeing you again.)
I got a couple of messages kicking me out to MSN pages!!!
They refused to answer me anymore!!!
Then I bought a SB 128. And fulfulled my dream of HiFi sound
Thanks Creative. (Hope I'm not seeing you again.)
First note: EVERY company has a product that will fail. Just because the product fails, does not mean the company is a bad company. It's what the company does about and what the user does about it.
Personally, I don't think anything can EVER properly be fixed without picking up a phone. If you expect email to get the faulty product replaced, then you are gravely mistaken. The numbers are usually fairly easy to find, if you can't find a number, then email me and I'll find the number, but for gosh sakes don't complain about the company until you have exhausted all the resources the company has given you. And I don't represent any of the companies, I'm the one calling them and get a satisfactory fix (usually within a couple weeks at most.) about 99.9% of the time.
With that said, I have issue with one statement that was mentioned here. Someone had mentioned that "most people do" refering to having a problem with the SB Live.
Ok, let's talk numbers now. In 2001 I service roughly 1700 different computers. At that time the majority had the SB Live. But for arguement sakes, I'll say 50% had the SB Live, which is about 850 systems. Divide that by 12 months would make roughly 70 systems per month that had this card. I serviced maybe at most 5 sound cards per month. And just for arguement sakes, we'll say that all 5 were this card. So out of the 70 systems per month with the SB Live, only 5 of them were in need of replacement, that says to me that most of them do not go out, and most people do not have a problem.
So the correct statement would be "some people have a problem with the SB Live" Which is EVERY product in the world!
Additionally, the #1 part we replace is easily the modem. (dialup modem) And 95% of the time is always the same reason. People do not unplug their phone cords during a storm. Most people do not know that a lightening stike a mile away can blow out their modem, but time and time again it does over and over again. Yet, the OEM still replaces them. Even though they have a clause in their warrenty that says "we do not warrenty against lightening"
The number 2 and 3 parts replaced are the motherboard and hard drive, which run neck and neck. then would "other media" drives" then the video card, next comes the powersupply, then the sound card, then finally memory being the least.
In closing I'd like to say that 100% of the service calls I receive started with someone picking up a phone. Many of them may start their repair quest with an email, but in the end, they ALL end up calling tech support. This is because no company, that I know of, will diagnose a legitimate hardware problem through email. So all in all, if you feel it's a hardware problem and not software, pick up that phone and give them a call.
Take Care,
RJ
Personally, I don't think anything can EVER properly be fixed without picking up a phone. If you expect email to get the faulty product replaced, then you are gravely mistaken. The numbers are usually fairly easy to find, if you can't find a number, then email me and I'll find the number, but for gosh sakes don't complain about the company until you have exhausted all the resources the company has given you. And I don't represent any of the companies, I'm the one calling them and get a satisfactory fix (usually within a couple weeks at most.) about 99.9% of the time.
With that said, I have issue with one statement that was mentioned here. Someone had mentioned that "most people do" refering to having a problem with the SB Live.
Ok, let's talk numbers now. In 2001 I service roughly 1700 different computers. At that time the majority had the SB Live. But for arguement sakes, I'll say 50% had the SB Live, which is about 850 systems. Divide that by 12 months would make roughly 70 systems per month that had this card. I serviced maybe at most 5 sound cards per month. And just for arguement sakes, we'll say that all 5 were this card. So out of the 70 systems per month with the SB Live, only 5 of them were in need of replacement, that says to me that most of them do not go out, and most people do not have a problem.
So the correct statement would be "some people have a problem with the SB Live" Which is EVERY product in the world!
Additionally, the #1 part we replace is easily the modem. (dialup modem) And 95% of the time is always the same reason. People do not unplug their phone cords during a storm. Most people do not know that a lightening stike a mile away can blow out their modem, but time and time again it does over and over again. Yet, the OEM still replaces them. Even though they have a clause in their warrenty that says "we do not warrenty against lightening"
The number 2 and 3 parts replaced are the motherboard and hard drive, which run neck and neck. then would "other media" drives" then the video card, next comes the powersupply, then the sound card, then finally memory being the least.
In closing I'd like to say that 100% of the service calls I receive started with someone picking up a phone. Many of them may start their repair quest with an email, but in the end, they ALL end up calling tech support. This is because no company, that I know of, will diagnose a legitimate hardware problem through email. So all in all, if you feel it's a hardware problem and not software, pick up that phone and give them a call.
Take Care,
RJ
I do agree with you.
Now, I wouldn't like my company to fail with the top of product. (Which was Audigy Platinum Ext at that time)
I fail to understand how the phone could make one supporting you better than using the email. And we're not talking about a replacement. We're talking about the willingness, regardless the nature of the problem, hardware or software related.
regards
besnik
Now, I wouldn't like my company to fail with the top of product. (Which was Audigy Platinum Ext at that time)
I fail to understand how the phone could make one supporting you better than using the email. And we're not talking about a replacement. We're talking about the willingness, regardless the nature of the problem, hardware or software related.
regards
besnik
I really don't have a good answer for that, but I can tell you that all the companies are the same as far as email support goes. If it's a simple answer, they'll reply with the info, if it's not you may either get a canned responce about something nothing related to your problem or they just won't reply at all.
I'll tell you one of my experiences with my own equipment. A few years ago I purchased the Brother MFC-9100C. (I know I know, I actually bought a MFC.) but anyway, one of my first tasks was to scan images directly into PSP 6 (This was before 7.0 came out) The images would come in, but only in Greyscale. If I used their software, I'd get it in Full Color. So I emailed them about the problem, which they emailed me the fix. Which was simply I needed to add a line in one of the twain INI files to include the support for Paint Shop Pro.
However, somewhat recently I had to contact them again reguarding why the darn things makes the system unusable when printing. When I originally bought it, I thought it was just because I had it on an old 233MMX system, and it really required something a bit more powerful. So for the most part I used the old system as a print server, just so it didn't bog me down on my system. But when I upgraded my system and made the print server an AMD 950MHZ, I expected better performance out of the MFC. So I emailed them to see if there was something I could do about it. I figured they answered me the first time, they probably will again. Well, that was almost a year ago now, and I still haven't heard from them. I did figure out the problem though. It's a Brother. That's the problem.
Seriously, I knew Lexmark was bad for that, but until the MFC I hadn't had too much experience with Brother directly. But I have recently found out that all Brother products bog down the system, no matter what the system configuration is. UGH. I guess I'll stick with HP next time.
For now I'll just leave it on the print server, and I'll run just fine.
As for email support vs phone support. I can't really tell you what the difference is other than how it is perceived on the other end. But I can tell you, that the only real way a problem can be resolved is by picking up the phone and call. Granted, you sometimes have to pay LD charges, or they'll charge for the support, but in either case it's more likely to end in solution than email.
I would just like to stress one more time, that ALL the companies are the same in this reguard.
Take Care,
RJ
I'll tell you one of my experiences with my own equipment. A few years ago I purchased the Brother MFC-9100C. (I know I know, I actually bought a MFC.) but anyway, one of my first tasks was to scan images directly into PSP 6 (This was before 7.0 came out) The images would come in, but only in Greyscale. If I used their software, I'd get it in Full Color. So I emailed them about the problem, which they emailed me the fix. Which was simply I needed to add a line in one of the twain INI files to include the support for Paint Shop Pro.
However, somewhat recently I had to contact them again reguarding why the darn things makes the system unusable when printing. When I originally bought it, I thought it was just because I had it on an old 233MMX system, and it really required something a bit more powerful. So for the most part I used the old system as a print server, just so it didn't bog me down on my system. But when I upgraded my system and made the print server an AMD 950MHZ, I expected better performance out of the MFC. So I emailed them to see if there was something I could do about it. I figured they answered me the first time, they probably will again. Well, that was almost a year ago now, and I still haven't heard from them. I did figure out the problem though. It's a Brother. That's the problem.
Seriously, I knew Lexmark was bad for that, but until the MFC I hadn't had too much experience with Brother directly. But I have recently found out that all Brother products bog down the system, no matter what the system configuration is. UGH. I guess I'll stick with HP next time. For now I'll just leave it on the print server, and I'll run just fine.
As for email support vs phone support. I can't really tell you what the difference is other than how it is perceived on the other end. But I can tell you, that the only real way a problem can be resolved is by picking up the phone and call. Granted, you sometimes have to pay LD charges, or they'll charge for the support, but in either case it's more likely to end in solution than email.
I would just like to stress one more time, that ALL the companies are the same in this reguard.
Take Care,
RJ
A good surge protector (one with phoneline surge protection) is always a wise investment... and I always suggest to my customers that they get one. No one thinks about lightning surges affecting their computer until it's too late. It may not completely eliminate the problem, but it can certainly significantly reduce it.
<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>
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