you realize Air France sucks big time.

So I fly from Chicago to Bangalore on Air France - cheap yes but pain the a-- too! Paris CDG airport is probably the worst International Airport in the Western Hemisphere. Driving around on a bus for 30 minutes to access a terminal to which I could have walked in 5 minutes!!

Anyway, the Air France stewardesses think they are doing you a favor and one accidentally spills hot coffee on my arm - but then walks away without even as much as an apology or concern!

Their booking agents in the US and India have no clue. If you want to change a reservation, you have to be prepared to receive a fax, sign it and then then fax it back! So if you wanted to change a flight say 2 hours before, apparently there is no way to do it!

Thats the first and the last time I'm flying with Air France.

you make sure the iPhone 3G works with Airtel India

Airtel India has a problem with unlocked iphone 3g - unlike Vodaphone India and other carriers.

1. The Airtel 64K chip will not work with the iPhone 3G - if you have the 64K chip, return it and ask for the "big chip".
2. Even if you have the Big Chip from Airtel - under Ultransn0w .91, Airtel works sporadically. The only sure way to have an iPhone under Airtel (except paying through your nose for iPhones sold by Airtel) is to use an iPhone 2G. I can confirm that the iPhone 2G works without any problem all over India!

Airtel customer service is absolutely great and their roaming plans are also very reasonable but somehow the unlocked iPhone 3G's have problems on their network!

HP decides to suck and I give a $8000/- order to Dell

Look, I'm a Mac person - but I had to get a PC workstation for a company project - needed to run Windows etc. I disliked Dell - actually Michael Dell because he tries to piss on Apple users as much as possible. I configured a HP Desktop system online with RAM and Video Cards totaling about $8000! I placed the order, paid with a credit card - and waited. First they send these cryptic e-mails that I cannot track or reply. There's no online support e-mail - they want me to call for any problems. After a day I get a message that my order had been declined. I call the number - jump through some hoops, get passed around and then a lady tells me that they cannot ship to a Mailbox - mine is a UPS store - where I have received hundred of packages this year alone! Ok, so I give our office address and the lady assures me that everything is fine and the order is through. After another day, some one calls me and leaves a message saying there is a problem with the billing address. I call back the next day (they only work 9AM to 9PM) - I needed this PC asap and after half hour of hold when I finally reach a support guy - I explain that this has been a frustrating experience and that I was considering canceling my order if I had to jump through any more hoops. His answer - Go Ahead Cancel - thats probably best for you - and I did! I quickly called their customer support line again and made sure everything was removed from my account - but then they tell me that there could be a hold placed on my credit which may take upto a week to clear!

Switch to Dell - I configured a more powerful system for $1000 less - then I called their customer service - I got a free upgrade on a video card. They price matched software I was planning to buy from other places and were very pleasant to deal with. They got my order and I bet you I'm never buying a HP system ever again. I have also instructed my offices outside the US not to buy HP when possible.

I think HP has become too big and they dont care anymore. Well - its time for them to learn about the free market.

[Update: April 25, 2009]

There's an interesting article at NYTimes about HP:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/technology/companies/26hp.html?hpw

And its obvious that HP has become a company run by a number cruncher. At the same time Apple keeps reinventing itself with huge profits and completely radically different new products.