OT laptop computer question

Marina wrote:
My computer's monitor light went out. It's been flickering now and then,
but now it went out completely. I'm wondering if there's any point
changing the lamp, or would it make more sense to just buy a new laptop
already. You may remember that Caliban spilled tea over its keyboard (I
take full responsibility for that - stupid me threw him a foil ball when
he was sitting next to the laptop and beside a half-full cup of tea).

So if I took it to a shop, I wouldn't just have them change the light,
I'd have them clean the keyboard. But would that be so expensive that it
would make more sense to buy a new computer? I bought this one in Summer
2005, so it's 2.5 years old. It cost 1,000 Euros (about 1,470 USD) then.
It's old enough that I can't even find a current price for it.

I borrowed my laptop from work again, but it's so small, I hate to write
on it. The keyboard is so cramped. Also, I can't set it up like I would
like it to be, because I don't have access to all the features.

TIA
Marina

You can buy a laptop screen for $200-300. They have video instructions on site
or you can send them your laptop and they will replace the screen at no
additional charge. This is a US site, but they have a contact number for the UK.

http://www.screentekinc.com/


Randy

http://picasaweb.google.com/crmartin1

Marina wrote:
My computer's monitor light went out. It's been flickering now and then,
but now it went out completely. I'm wondering if there's any point
changing the lamp, or would it make more sense to just buy a new laptop
already. You may remember that Caliban spilled tea over its keyboard (I
take full responsibility for that - stupid me threw him a foil ball when
he was sitting next to the laptop and beside a half-full cup of tea).

So if I took it to a shop, I wouldn't just have them change the light,
I'd have them clean the keyboard. But would that be so expensive that it
would make more sense to buy a new computer? I bought this one in Summer
2005, so it's 2.5 years old. It cost 1,000 Euros (about 1,470 USD) then.
It's old enough that I can't even find a current price for it.

I borrowed my laptop from work again, but it's so small, I hate to write
on it. The keyboard is so cramped. Also, I can't set it up like I would
like it to be, because I don't have access to all the features.

TIA
Marina
Hi Marina -

What type/model is it? Some are prone to broken wires, some have
inverters that go bad, some have lamp problems. There's a miniature
florescent lamp in the frame of your LCD panel. The lamps are a
nuisance to replace, but cables and/or inverters are usually a bit
easier to deal with.

How technically inclined are you? You might be able to locate a
complete display assembly for your laptop which would replace
the LCD/lamp/inverter/cable all at once. Depends on the model.
Some displays can be replaced after removing four screws, a plastic
panel, and a cable connector. Some are a lot more complicated...

Keyboards are pretty easy on most laptops after about 2000...

The fact that it was flickering before the tea incident sounds more like
the cable or inverter than the lamp, but YMMV. I've had three come
to me in the last two months for no backlight. One was the inverter,
one was a bad cable, one was a loose cable. Took awhile to dismantle,
but the overall parts cost never went over $25.

Two of my personal machines (one Gateway, one Mac) came to me because
of backlight problems, and both of those were bad cables.

If you do get a new one, make sure it's Vista ready, but insist on
XP...

Purrs-

Chris, Tripper, Katie, Hazard and Oreo...who have all contributed
fur to my various computers...

On 2007-12-06 01:35:35 -0600, Marina said:

My computer's monitor light went out. It's been flickering now and
then, but now it went out completely. I'm wondering if there's any
point changing the lamp, or would it make more sense to just buy a new
laptop already. You may remember that Caliban spilled tea over its
keyboard (I take full responsibility for that - stupid me threw him a
foil ball when he was sitting next to the laptop and beside a half-full
cup of tea).

So if I took it to a shop, I wouldn't just have them change the light,
I'd have them clean the keyboard. But would that be so expensive that
it would make more sense to buy a new computer? I bought this one in
Summer 2005, so it's 2.5 years old. It cost 1,000 Euros (about 1,470
USD) then. It's old enough that I can't even find a current price for
it.

I borrowed my laptop from work again, but it's so small, I hate to
write on it. The keyboard is so cramped. Also, I can't set it up like I
would like it to be, because I don't have access to all the features.

TIA
Marina

Well, 2.5 years....you'd be super happy with the speed of a new one.
I'd *check* to see if it would be as expensive as you think to fix, and
make my decision based on that.

On Dec 6, 11:04 am, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:35:35 +0200, Marina wrote:
My computer's monitor light went out. It's been flickering now and then,
but now it went out completely. I'm wondering if there's any point
changing the lamp, or would it make more sense to just buy a new laptop
already. You may remember that Caliban spilled tea over its keyboard (I
take full responsibility for that - stupid me threw him a foil ball when
he was sitting next to the laptop and beside a half-full cup of tea).

You usually can't replace the lamp. Look at the bulb funny and it'll
shatter; they're incredibly fragile. Go to ebay, and search using the magic
search string with the make and model of your laptop and "display" or "lcd".
Try the same search on google.

If you got tea in the keyboard, there's a chance that it didn't go anywhere
else except the keyboard assembly. They're easy to replace and run about $25.

If you have a dell or an ibm/lenova, they have outstandingrepairmanuals
available that tell you exactly which screws to remove and the order of
dissassembly as well as illustrations, part numbers, etc. If you have a
different brand, you may still be able to get a decentrepairmanual off the
maker's website.

You can also get manuals at http://www.manuals4you.com at a very
reasonable price.

Randy wrote:

You can buy a laptop screen for $200-300. They have video instructions on site
or you can send them your laptop and they will replace the screen at no
additional charge. This is a US site, but they have a contact number for the UK.

http://www.screentekinc.com/

Thanks Randy, but I'm afraid I'm not in the UK, either. They don't have
a site for Finland.

Where have you been, Randy?

--
Marina

Chris Havlicek wrote:

Chris, Tripper, Katie, Hazard and Oreo...who have all contributed
fur to my various computers...

Thanks for your reply, Chris. Now I know it's called a backlight. I'm
afraid I'm not technically minded at all, and with my current hand
problems, I don't think I could do this kind of thing anyway. But now I
have an idea of what the cost should be (adding some 50% for our high
cost of living ;P) so I maybe don't get screwed over. I e-mailed a few
places to ask for an estimate, but it was our independence day
yesterday, so no one was working (didn't contact their 24-hour services
since this is not an emergency and that would affect the prices even more).

I definitely agree with you about Vista/XP. I helped my sister buy a new
laptop (talk about the blind leading the blind), and I didn't realise
that it came with Vista. What a horrible OS!

Fur, huh? I always worry about fur in the computer.

-
Marina

"Gandalf" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:35:35 +0200, Marina
wrote:

My computer's monitor light went out. It's been flickering now and then,
but now it went out completely. I'm wondering if there's any point
changing the lamp, or would it make more sense to just buy a new laptop
already. You may remember that Caliban spilled tea over its keyboard (I
take full responsibility for that - stupid me threw him a foil ball when
he was sitting next to the laptop and beside a half-full cup of tea).

So if I took it to a shop, I wouldn't just have them change the light,
I'd have them clean the keyboard. But would that be so expensive that it
would make more sense to buy a new computer? I bought this one in Summer
2005, so it's 2.5 years old. It cost 1,000 Euros (about 1,470 USD) then.
It's old enough that I can't even find a current price for it.

I borrowed my laptop from work again, but it's so small, I hate to write
on it. The keyboard is so cramped. Also, I can't set it up like I would
like it to be, because I don't have access to all the features.

TIA
Marina


I don't own a laptop, so I don't know what a 'monitor light' is.

But $1470 is a LOT of money.

Yes, your computer is out of date. So what. ALL computers are out of
date about 3 months after you buy them.

Call around and find out about how much the service on your computer
will cost.

If it was me, I'd almost certainly put some money into repair, and then
use the computer for another year or two, at least.

As long at the computer does the things you NEED it to do, it's still
useful.

When for some reason, it won't let you do something you need, or really
want to do, THEN it's time to think about a new one.

Keep the old one as a back-up. You'll get very little selling it; and
it's hard to delete, reliably, your personal data without rendering the
computer useless.

Just my opinion, of course.

Good luck.

I have always bought computers that are just a step behind state of the art.
It saves a fortune, and is the same computer I would have owned if I'd
bought state of the art six months ago.

But now I'm in a fix. Technology has outpaced me. I want a laptop and
college grandson really needs a lap top. I'm trying very hard to determine
just what I have to spend to get what each of us needs (and nothing much
more than that)

I've found computer repair to be both overpriced in relation to replacement
and not all that reliable. They just don't seem to want to work right once
their innards have been messed with.

Jo

I have vista on a new laptop and am getting used to it. Hated any new
system as the years have gone by.
"Marina" wrote in message
...
Chris Havlicek wrote:

Chris, Tripper, Katie, Hazard and Oreo...who have all contributed
fur to my various computers...

Thanks for your reply, Chris. Now I know it's called a backlight. I'm
afraid I'm not technically minded at all, and with my current hand
problems, I don't think I could do this kind of thing anyway. But now I
have an idea of what the cost should be (adding some 50% for our high cost
of living ;P) so I maybe don't get screwed over. I e-mailed a few places
to ask for an estimate, but it was our independence day yesterday, so no
one was working (didn't contact their 24-hour services since this is not
an emergency and that would affect the prices even more).

I definitely agree with you about Vista/XP. I helped my sister buy a new
laptop (talk about the blind leading the blind), and I didn't realise that
it came with Vista. What a horrible OS!

Fur, huh? I always worry about fur in the computer.

-
Marina