The HP Way

Just in case you were wondering, RAM is not hot swappable.

I found this out a few years back when I killed a color LaserJet network printer at work. I had pulled out the old RAM and was attempting to insert the new. Before the card had even been seated in, I heard a *click* and the printer turned off - a minor detail I had overlooked prior to starting.

I had fried what HP calls the 'master logic board', which has the RAM slots. It only costs $609.  The printer itself cost $800.  This printer was special - the sum of the parts was vastly greater than the whole.

I don't know whether I was more embarrassed by the fact I was an idiot or that the technician HP sent out (I assume she was Bill Hewlett's grandmother) was about 65 years old, 4 feet tall and called me 'honey' - as in "Oh, no, honey, you should never try to change the RAM when the power is on. Hehehe!"

Sheesh. At least she didn't pat me on the head, but that was probably just because she couldn't reach.

Then, to add insult to insult, I called HP for some covered warranty work on a desktop motherboard a few years later.

I answered the knock on the office door, and - you guessed it - there stood Bill Hewlett's grandma.

"Hello, I'm Mildred from HP, and I'm here to...Oh!  I remember you!  You're the cutey who hot-swapped the printer RAM!  Hehehe!"

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