For some reason, the mulitouch touchpad in my laptop doesn't seem to work very well in Fedora - particularly when I try to click and drag something, the mouse just jumps all over the screen. Not a big deal, I just have to use an external mouse in order for it to be usable. I seem to have lost the one that I was using, so at the SFO airport I picked up a Microsoft wireless optical mouse. I've had a number of Microsoft products before, and I've always been impressed with the quality of their hardware - so much so in fact that I've only had it break on me once. Unfortunately, this particular mouse that I picked up had a immediate mechanical defect - the scroll wheel didn't work right. If I apply pressure to the left of the mouse, it works - but that's really annoying and it's not a 100% solution.
So I called up Microsoft, and got the best customer service EVER. Without being placed on hold, they took down my information, informed me that they no longer made the product that I bought 2 days ago (WHAT?!?! How long has this thing been sitting on the shelf?), but would be happy to do one of two things - either refund my money if I sent the receipt in (I'd have a hard time doing that, I don't generally save those things!) or just send me a new mouse of the newer model that they DO now make, no questions asked. I obviously took the second option, and I'll have it soon enough!
Other companies should follow the lead of this great customer service!
I have similar experience with Logitech. Well..it was a little more work on my side, but still better than anything I've heard of before (and I also received a newer model since they didn't make the one I originally bought). However I agree that Microsoft HW is top-notch. Still have my explorer-2.0 mouse stored somewhere (well..it is so big that I'd rather call it a rat :-) ).
if i'm not mistaken microsoft customer service is not free.
btw i.m being stalked by somebody from microsoft. dunno for what. maybe it's because i slept with ballmer's wife and haven't paid her? kidding. it's funny how my logitech mouse suddenly has problem too. coinci-dunce? thank goodness, this is linux i'm using if it were windows, i might have to call microsoft customer service and being charged for nonexistent troublem or the one that caused by one of their employee. lolz
Microsoft customer service for their hardware is as free as it gets. To add to the story, I was on vacation when I called. When I got back a week later, I wasn't expecting anything, but there it was, a box that was sent from Microsoft FedEx Overnight the same day that I'd placed the order - they had told me it would be shipped USPS. In other words, I called on Monday, on Tuesday I had my mouse, completely free of charge.