12 replies to this topic

[Michael Van Ert]

Unfortunately, these reasons are not limited to any one manufacturer, in fact, they are our own fault and can be easily remedied!

1. We drop them.

2. We spill something on them.

3. We break the hinges and lids.

With the first two we just have to be more careful, pretty obvious right? However, with number three this is something we do without realizing it, we grab the top by the corner of the lid to close it. This puts an strain on the hinges and the frame literally twisting them and, over time, this leads to breakage of hinge, frame and even the LCD itself. The correct way to close the top is by grabbing the center and pull straight down. Save a laptop, do not grab a corner!

[VA-Judy6]

NUMBER ONE!! No, fortunately, I have not done this; our laptops are close to sacred, but when I read your title, I thought "Drop them".

I also read that the keyboards are supported by membranes and that weight on them (such as the cat walking across them or heavy, hard pounding as we keyboard) can damage that membrane and then the keyboard. Since we have cats who WILL walk across the desk to get to a window in the night or when I'm not in there, I make a policy of closing the top of the ones not being used. I also gave the cats an extra old keyboard to step on, which they cheerfully do.

[OnlineMarketingGal]

Does having a "heavy" fingers would cause a laptop to break? My officemate types on his laptop like hes mad with the laptop's keys. lol

[vlb2123]

4. Our children take them & infect the BIOS and the HD with spyware

[Cathy D]

I actually crushed the LCD of my iBook with my recliner...long story...silly thing looks goofy but works the best of all the laptops I've ever had! It's like a Timex (can I say that here???)
Cathy

[Apostol Virtual Assistance]

LoL... 5. Your 18 month old toddler pulls out the letters from the keyboard

[Tawnya]

I've been lucky and had my laptop for almost 4 years now (touching wood!). The video card went on it but it still had a month left on my 3 year warranty so I was lucky and it got fixed.

[Ian Scott]

Ahhh.. laptops... I have a Dell Studio. About 4 months after I got it, I dropped it.. and it would not boot - hard drive was damaged. Dell fixed it as I purchased the extended accidental/anything damage warranty.

Two years later, the same laptop overheated and shut down on me, and then they keyboard stopped working. A USB keyboard works though. Two months ago, the video went on it - but oddly enough, it works if I plug in a monitor.

I could get it fixed, but can't go ten days without my laptop!

[Tawnya]

Buy a new one Ian

My laptop either has dust in it or I spilled something over it as the keys snap every time I press down on one, drives me batty but don't use my laptop enough to warrant a new one just yet. All it does is hook up to my TV so I can watch Netflix Speaking of which Ian, getting lots of work done since I introduced you to that series "Breaking Bad" on Netflix? hehehe

[angela_wills]

I did something really stupid with mine and picked it up WITH ONE HAND by the screen and I had my thumb ON the screen.

Well the laptop couldn't support the weight and I watched as beneith my thumb a small screen crack started and then expanded across the whole laptop screen.

Luckily I had a friend who works at Future Shop and she was able to help me get it repaired for about $60!

[Linda55]

Ian

Add another one - Cat hair. I just recently had to replace my hard drive, motherboard and fan. The technician said the fan was clogged with cat hair. Although the laptop's just over two years old, I have the extended warranty (which I always get), so there was no charge to get it fixed. I also noticed that I was getting randon errors and before it completely "bit the bullet", I decided to have them diagnose the issue. When the cats were kittens they both like to stay close to the laptop when I was working. Now that they are bigger (and don't fit into the space by the computer) they are happy to take turns laying on the left side of the desk, look out the window and then fall asleep.

Although I am now looking at getting a newer laptop because this one is not as fast as I would like. I got it several months before I started my business and my husband didn't believe that I needed a faster (and more expensive) laptop.

[Jodie Burdette]

Keyboards a very easy to replace and usually pretty cheap too. I have replaced a keyboards on my various laptops a number of times. The keyboard usually costs about $15-20 and the actual replacement took maybe half an hour.

My problem was eating at the keyboard and getting crumbs under the keys which caused this to break. Once the dogs got into a fight and a paw on the keyboard sent keys flying.

Now I use what my husband calls a keyboard condum, a silcone overlay that is molded to for your specific computer model. They cost about $3.

Jodie "Migraine's suck" Burdette

[Tawnya]

I've seen those keyboard covers Jodie but didn't know if they worked very well. Speaking of laptops, mine died in the summer (probably right after I posted it was working, isn't that always the way? LOL).

Anyhooooo.... didn't really need a new one but our computer guy Mike here got me a super hot deal under $400 and I'm really loving it!

Speaking of Mike he has given us a really great deal on remote monthly computer service if anyone is interested. I have used his services for past few years and never had a problem with viruses/updates or anything. Check it out here:
http://www.vanetworking.com/vatraining/computer-upkeep-plans/