Chat session with HP

Today I had a go with HP chat support.

The HP chat has very limited browser compatibility. Main compatible browsers Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2? What? Really? With Internet Explorer 8 it was possible to enter a "compatibility mode". This is something you should really fix HP!

Lennart Schedin : Where to a I buy an adapter (one 3.5mm male mic and one audio to 3.5 mm special combined audio/mic) as this link describes: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01633145&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&rule=15961&product=3892398
[An agent will be with you shortly.]
[You are now chatting with Sam Gale .]
Sam Gale : Welcome to HP Total Care for Notebooks. My name is Sam Gale. Please give me a few moments while I review your problem description details.

NOTE: For security reasons, PLEASE DO NOT send credit card information via chat.

Sam Gale : Hi Lennart.
Sam Gale : How are you?
Lennart Schedin : Fine thanks!
Sam Gale : Great!
Sam Gale : As I understand that you want to purchase an adapter, am I correct?
Lennart Schedin : Yes!
Lennart Schedin : I have a "normal" headset and I want to use it with my Compaq Mini.
Sam Gale : To assist you better, may I know the Product number and Serial number of your Notebook? You can check these numbers on a non-Microsoft sticker when you flip the notebook over. Please provide the numbers beside s/n and p/n on the sticker?
Lennart Schedin : s/n: XXXXXXXXXX
Lennart Schedin : p/n: XXXXXXXXXX
Sam Gale : Thank you.
Sam Gale : Lennart, you can purchase the part at any nearest store.
Sam Gale : I will provide you the contact details of our regional support.
Sam Gale : They will help you where to purchase the part.
Lennart Schedin : Probably not... The special connector required for the Mini is not that common.
Lennart Schedin : I will probably buy an external USB sound card instead, since it is so hard to find a 3.5mm audio adapter.
Sam Gale : Let me check.
Sam Gale : Are you looking for the same special connector which is there in the link?
Lennart Schedin : Yes (one the right in the picutre).
Lennart Schedin : My scenario is: I want to use skype. And my headset has two 3.5mm plugs (one for audio and one microphone).
Lennart Schedin : My Compaq mini has only 1 input a combined 3.5 mm audio and mic (with 4 analog wires, instead of the normal 3)
Sam Gale : Okay.
Lennart Schedin : (In my opinion it is rather stupid to use a combined input, but I guess it was used to save space on the Compaq mini).
Sam Gale : Thank you for elaborating the issue.
Sam Gale : May I have 3 to 5 minutes of your time while I check for information?
Lennart Schedin : One workaround is for me to buy an external sound card. Something like this: http://www.coolgear.com/images/USBG-X2X11.jpg
Lennart Schedin : Sure, I have up to 10 min!
Sam Gale : Thank you.
Sam Gale : Thank you for being online.
Sam Gale : I am afraid that this part may not be available with HP.
Sam Gale : The only option would be to check with your local dealership.
Lennart Schedin : I understand! That was also my guess. :)
Lennart Schedin : Well an external USB sound card is easy to find. And it costs less then $20. So that will be the solution I'm going with.
Lennart Schedin : Thanks for you help!
Sam Gale : Thank you for your time and patience.
Sam Gale : My pleasure
Lennart Schedin : Bye!
Sam Gale : Is there anything else I may assist you with?
Lennart Schedin : No that's it!

So HP chat support could not help me find any adapter (probably because the 3.5mm plug is so custom). Worth noting is that HP support personnel does not know every computer at the top of their head, it took a while under I managed to explain that my Compaq Mini has such a custom plug.