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Update on Jim's Laptop

Well, Dell came out yesterday and replaced the video card... worked fine for 1 hour and then the screen started blinking on and off... after a few reboots, it boots up (I think) fine but nothing is displayed on the screen.

So, the scoreboard:

Wednesday, June 10 - Laptop dies, approx 8am
Thursday, June 11 - no laptop, no next-day-service that I purchased
Friday, June 12 - no laptop, switching to backup machine but it doesn't have all my software
Monday, June 15 - no laptop, replacement part arrives
Tuesday, June 16 - technician installs new part, laptop not working 1 hour later
Wednesday, June 17 - tech called and is scheduled to come out today...

5 full days of basically non-productivity - I've now crossed over the $2000 lost billable hours line... behind schedule on 3 chapters for one book (give you a guess as to which book) and behind 1 chapter for a second book.

Dell - my backup PC is being transitioned to the controlling computer for my CNC machine tomorrow. How about sending me one of those $400 to $500 desktop units as a replacement and as compensation for my lost time/revenue (or send my wife one of your netbooks - either solution works for me) and let's put this to rest and get back to work?

Comments

L3G0Bots Lady (;-p) - V.G. said…
Jim, that's why I have a Mac as well as a PC. My I use my Mac for dependability & speed (and IF you do need service - it's excellent); and the PC is for those few programs that are not available for Mac - the best of both worlds!

By the way, those Mac commercials - funny & mostly TRUE!
Jun 18, 2009, 12:25:00 AM
James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…
My experiences with Windows and Dell aren't bad ones...

My Dell laptop has been a great investment (to now) and it's endured a lot of travel and wear. My issue isn't with the quality of the product but with the warranty and repair...

Unfortunately, a LOT of my publishers prefer Windows screenshots so I'm a Windows user for sure... and yes, I know Windows can be made to run on a Mac, but right now I'm happy with a laptop that will run Windows and all the dozens of applications I use... Maybe I'll buy a Mac one day, but not yet... :)
Jun 18, 2009, 12:53:00 AM
NXTreme said…
Sorry to hear that your computer was working again and then stopped working (again!). Its amazing how one small chip can keep someone from doing their job, although it's not fun when it happens to you. I hope that Dell will fix your PC for good and refund at least some of your lost working hours. And if your computer just can't be fixed, may it RIP:) (although I hope this isn't the case)
Jun 18, 2009, 3:18:00 AM
Anonymous said…
If you lost $2000 in productivity, maybe a quick 1hr trip to shop and cheapo $400 laptop would save you $1600... deal with the problem, bill Dell for lost time later :)
Jun 18, 2009, 6:46:00 AM
James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…
I have a backup PC which I was using... I actually underestimated the billable time I lost... but buying a new laptop isn't really a solution since I have some specialized software I use that costs quite a bit more than the actual laptop it usually runs on... some of that software is specific to the machine it's installed on as well...
Jun 18, 2009, 8:50:00 AM
NickNackGus said…
I have had similar problems on my old XP laptop. The screen doesn't always work, but it appears to be on. Try shining a flashlight at the screen, or another light source, and if you see anything, then it's the backlight. Try connecting the desplay from another computer and seeing if you can get the laptop to display your desktop on the monitor using the light source from before. (Not easy!) You should then be able to use your computer. (Just for now, though. You might want to use the laptop's screen.)
Jun 18, 2009, 9:11:00 PM
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