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Obtaining Replacement Parts for Your Laptop?
halosfan asks: "I recently broke the LCD bezel (the plastic thing that holds the LCD and related wires together) on a laptop that I bought half a year ago. I checked eBay as well as a few online stores specializing in laptop replacement parts, but still couldn't find the replacement. I contacted the manufacturer, but they were absolutely useless. Local laptop repair shop said they wouldn't replace the bezel without replacing the LCD, which isn't acceptable. It is an extremely frustrating situation, as the bezel is a minor part that I otherwise couldn't care less about, but it is necessary to carry the laptop around. I am wondering what other ways are there to obtain a laptop replacement part? Also, any recommendations for manufacturers that are good about making obscure replacement parts for their laptops available to the general public?" Does your laptop manufacturer make it easy or hard to get the necessary replacement parts?
Some of PB Parts prices were REALLY high. When the inverter cable running through the hinge to my iBook monitor frayed and shorted (I've had hinge issues with both my Apple laptops - my Wallstreet hinges actually cracked!) they were charging $100 for it. Apple charged even more to repair the whole thing. As it turns out, Small Dog sold the part for around $30, although you have to talk to their techs directly to get the price quoted. I'd familiarize yourself with PB parts prices first, and then go ask Small Dog.
---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?
This reminds me of something my Electronics teacher back in High School used to tell us. (Keep in mind this was back in the late 80's) He had been in the consumer electronics business practically for quite some time and the way he put it was this. Back in the early to mid 80's consumers started demanding a product that was cheap enough that if it broke, they could simply throw it away and buy a new one. Consumers began demanding "disposable electronics". Now they are getting it cramed down their throats. He told us the story of an unnamed consumer electronics firm that he had worked for where they designed a product that in theoretically would last 15-20 years without any component failures. Then they changed the specifications of two or three components so that they same product would have an average life expectancy of around 5 years. He ran an electronics repair business while he was teaching high school and he said that it was amazing to see now that people would bring some of these same products in to have him work on, and he could pinpoint the problem in 90% of the cases to one of those three parts.
To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer
According to the Ministry of Duct Tape and High Voltage, the tape was a by-product of World War II. In 1942, after numerous cases of ammunition were destroyed by humidity, the United States government turned to wartime supplier Johnson & Johnson, hoping for a fix. J&J promptly responded with a waterproof tape dubbed "duck tape" by the military due to its ability to repel moisture like water off a duck's back. It did the job admirably, and soldiers soon found an assortment of other uses for it as well.
After the war ended, the resultant housing boom inspired yet more uses for the material. Homeowners soon realized how effective the tape was at sealing off ducts -- leading to a change in name (from "duck" to "duct") and color (from army green to silver).
Before you laugh, you can make your own parts in plastic.
Plenty of books out there to teach you how to create a mould and cast your own out of scrap plastic.
All it takes is a bit of patience.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
To use an analogy from a car. Say you need to replace a spark plug -- it's not just like an expensive spark plug -- this is like a manufacturer refusing to sell you a spark plug without the entire replacement motor.
Now I hear what you're saying about laptops just being "that way"...but it doesn't make it OK. I don't have much intention of buying a laptop until they're user servicable and suitable replacement parts are available (it's probably clear by now that I have no specific need for a laptop and when there is, my job will probably provide one). Point is, it's about as lame as Apple's iPod battery debacule, except it's an accepted industry-standard parctice.
-Turkey
I used "no more nails" on the crack on my palmax. Im not sure it was the right kind of glue for the job, but it sticks anything to anything. It doesn't actually look too bad.
Unfortunately now the battery has died, and that one is *way* trickier to find. Ironically my old 486SX IBM PC110 Palmtop PC uses standard batteries that I can replace at any DV camera shop.
Whenever the guy in the shop offers you an extensive warranty ask him why. Then whey he talks about accidents point out you have insurance for that. He'll next talk about the product maybe failing, at which point you ask him if he's telling you the product is unreliable and crap.
In the UK the household insurers have taken to offering equivalent insurance to the shops but at much better prices for product failure.
Were you issued the laptop from your employer?
:)
If so, your treatment will differ quite a bit from some Joe who bought his laptop on his own.
My experience with Dell through work was completely different than with my personal equipment. Our helpdesk was able to get laptops replaced with no charge, even if they had obvious signs of abuse (droppage, etc).
With my personal laptop, I was unable to have a similar issue corrected as the author, except the hinges that hold the screen on were badly constructed and managed to come apart after 6 months of use.
My final solution was to swap the hinges from my work laptop onto the personal one, then getting Dell to fix my work system for free.
Good thing the office issued Dell Latitudes, otherwise it would have been $89..