MSI: Don't buy our webcam

[Douglas Pollard]

Dotan Cohen wrote:
> I received an MSI StarCam 370i as a gift, and I am having a hard time
> making it work with Kubuntu 9.04. I called MSI tech support and the
> tech was very rude, refused to help me, and ignored my questions. I
> recommend to steer clear of MSI products if this is how they treat
> customers, even before we start talking about the lack of support for
> Linux or Ubuntu in particular.
>
> When I asked if the webcam would work with Ubuntu or any other Linux
> distribution, the tech told me that he did not have that information.
> I then asked if the device supports UVC (Universal Video Class), in
> which it will "just work" as soon as I plug it in. The tech once again
> told me that he does not have that information. I ask if he could
> defer the questions to a developer or engineer. He said that if I
> wanted to do that, I would have to find their information on the MSI
> Taiwan website. I opened the website and told the tech that the whole
> website was in Chinese, and I do not understand Chinese. He said that
> he could not help me. I told him that was fine, please transfer me to
> a supervisor or anyone else with some more authority. He told me that
> they do not have supervisors. I asked for his boss. He told me that
> they do not have bosses. I asked to speak to anyone with more
> authority than he has. He asked if there was anything else he could
> help with then closed the phone.
>
> MSI will never, ever sell another product to me or anyone who asks me
> for advice.
>
>   
You were likely talking to someone in India that does not know anything 
about the product other than what they have rehearsed.  I don't think 
they mean to be rude but when you get beyond their list of answers they 
are reluctant to say much for fear of saying the wrong thing and getting 
in trouble.  I agree   that is a lack of response and all these 
companies want to do is unload  your questions or complaints   to some 
place where they don't want to hear about it.   The companies that make 
that stuff generally don't know anything about Linux, they have no idea 
about linux drivers and what is avilable.  If you can't get these 
answers in the Linux community you likely won't get them.  There just 
aren't enough Linux users for them try to cater to us.  There isn't 
enough money in it.   Take heart it's getting better.
                                                                         
                                                                        
         Doug