So...for about the fifth time in my little laptop's career, I've knocked it over. I'm convinced it likes to leap off surfaces and onto the floor. The other four times, it survived unscathed.
THIS time...it survived, but scathed. The bottom of the case cracked, unseating the RAM stick in the ram compartment. I pop open the compartment and move the RAM stick to the intact side. Boot up computer. Everything boots up fine.
Except the computer insists it has no sound card.
Oh, okay. Must've come unseated. Easy enough to pop open the case and re-seat it.
Except when it's integrated to the motherboard.
Did you know sony has a repair tier that includes "acts of God"?
Mine isn't covered under that, unfortuntely (as repairs for acts of God are cheap).
Mine is tier II--major part replacment. Duh, the motherboard.
Estimate? $726.73
So...choices. Do I just use it till it blows up? Do I get it repaired? (This is a $2000 machine I got for a steal...$400) Do I get an Apple machine that I'd need to use for my photography ventures anyway?
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
How much will you miss sound?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
On this one? Lots.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
You could get a USB based sound card, such as this. Adds to what you have to carry, but is cheaper than a $700 motherboard repair. Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
But will the loose mobo crap interfere with other crap and make it blow up? Or melt down. Or something...
...I haven't heard the fan turn on.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
quote:Do I get an Apple machine that I'd need to use for my photography ventures anyway?
Yes. Powerbook!
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
How old is it and when were you planning on getting a new one? I'd hesitate to spend more than 1/3 the original cost to repair an item with a useful life of 4 years or so. Is it possible to get a PC Card Bus sound card for it? You'd have to have external speakers for that to work, though. Good for home, bad for travel.
Dagonee
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Does it have to be portable? No soundcard = no homestarrunner. Is this going to put a big dent in your online enjoyment?
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
Aren't you still in starving-student-mega-debt mode? Fun as new toys are, it might be wise to live within your means and run this laptop into the ground for the next little while. Besides, the longer you put off buying a new one the better the technology becomes Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yeah, but online enjoyment is not worth $700.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
There's no reason you couldn't get a cheaper windows replacement to do you photo stuff instead of a powerbook (though they ARE nice). I'd see if you can't get another steal on overstock.com or other similar sites.
-Bok
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yes, but future job uses macs.
...
...
Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :
they really aren't that bad. or, at least, not worth head-smashing. Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
No, just the ill-fated TIMING of this all. This was NOT the time the fairly new 3 lb hell of a steal laptop got broken.
Not that there'd be any good time for that.
But you get what I mean.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I get the joke, too. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
You have a new job lined up, Mack?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I think so.
...it's more broke than I thought.
The PCI card slot is busted up, which in turn busted up the DVD/CD-ROM thing, and the battery lock/release system also effed up.
It's dead, isn't it?
Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :
Dang, that really sucks.
If you do end up getting an Apple laptop, get one from the iBook line. They're pretty tough.... I used to demonstrate this by throwing them, hard, onto the floor. Maybe not the best idea in the world, but it got the point across. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
For your next computer, I would reccomend putting some kind of non slip stuff on the bottom, plus some felt buttons so it can rest on a normal surface and not scratch, but so it doesn't slide off the lap. My brother puts a piece of leather over his keyboard when he closes his laptop. I forget why. maybe it keeps the oils from the keyboard off the screen.
Posted by NdRa (Member # 2295) on :
I did the same thing Jamie. I bought my powerbook only 2 months ago, and have already dropped it 3 times. My computer has trouble booting now and I can't figure out if me finging it around like a baseball bat has anything to do with it.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Maybe there needs to be a laptop owner skills class where you spend a week treating a board like it was a real laptop. No shaking, dropping, or leaving in the locker. Also, you have to check your forum at least once an hour.
[ July 20, 2004, 06:10 PM: Message edited by: pooka ]
Posted by NdRa (Member # 2295) on :
I'm afraid no amount of teaching can fix my careless ways. This is a warning to all, don't lend me anything.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*makes note*
Well, you can borrow my sony-vaio-looking paperweight. Posted by NdRa (Member # 2295) on :
Jamie - I emailed you my new address. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Oh man, I was sure you would flip me the bird for that one.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I KNOW how to treat a laptop...but my natural grace doesn't seem to want to practice it.
Sandy--you did NOT. I got your new PHONE number. *kick*
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"Yes, but future job uses macs."
So? There's no photo you can't create on a PC that you can't pull over to a Mac, as far as I know. All major image formats can be read by both OSes and their most popular applications.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Good. Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
"Yes, but future job uses macs."
I assumed she was talking about herself.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
In the plural???
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
There are some questions that should remain unasked. That might be on of them, rivka.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
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Maybe not the best idea in the world, but it got the point across. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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