(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

So my laptop was dead yesterday afternoon when I got home from uni. Since I've been having a few problems with the power cord/battery lately, I'm pretty sure that the cord connector bit has come loose - this is also what the guys at Global PC suggested. Anyway, took it to the repair place and they said, oh yes, we can fix it by Tuesday, that'll be $170 and the repair is not guaranteed to last for more than a month.

I can't fucking cope, however, I also can't buy a new laptop right now, so I don't have much of a choice. Fingers crossed the repair will last until July, which is when I am planning on getting a new one, because I can't get by without it. Anyway, I will be mostly on radio silence for the next short while, so let me know if I miss stuff, OK.

BTW, I am currently taking recommendations on what to get in July (brand, processor, how much I should spend, etc) if any of you and your giant brains want to help me out. *kissyface*

I'll probably be using this icon more than a little bit for the next weeks. I really need the good mojo. *makes a small sacrifice in their geeky honour*

Comments

[blademistress.livejournal.com]

It's true that the Acer are cheap, but we've *just* got back our Acer from their fixy place. This isn't so much a commentary on Acer laptops in themselves, but DataCom, the place that Dick Smith's has on retainer to fix them. There were so many things I'll have to put them in bullet form.

* It was two months with no word before we actually rang them asking what the hell.
* They had somehow lost the laptop. They needed to call Dick Smiths to find out which serial number it was? Or something. Eventually after we harassed them they did so.
* They lied to us about the repairs. My brother knew exactly what was wrong with it - the windows partition on the hard drive was corrupted, as well as a variety of small faults with the machine itself. Nothing but a brand new hard drive would have done.
* The fixy guy (sorry, my brain has shorted out) told my brother he'd managed to recover Windows. This was impossible. Not just in a "no, it's totally fucked" way, but in a "my brother is paranoid and used tools the CIA have to completely destroy all data."
* The man fixing the machine was away so often and there so irregularly we had to contact his supervisor just to get the job completed.
* After about 2 weeks we were told it was shipping out. It didn't arrive. We rang on the Friday and told it was shipping out on Monday. It had actually already shipped out on the Friday.
* They then lost the laptop again. Demanded proof of returning it. Dick Smiths then somehow lost all records of us putting it in. We tracked the package by getting in touch with the man who actually packaged it. We traced it to Albany, and told them this. They still couldn't find it.
* We heard nothing for days. We sent emails. We threatened them with Fair Go (BEST THING EVER) and they immediately transfered us over to someone higher up.
* Someone higher up couldn't find the folder that had our entire details. No one else would deal with us because we were higher up's problem now.
* We sent second email, threatening Fair Go and small claims court.
* They send back immediate email apologizing as much as they can within the limitations of the English language. They promise new, shinier laptop.
* We hear nothing. We ring. Laptop is in South Island, they say, and is shipping up to the North so we can have it.
* Another week goes by and finally, finally we have a laptop. New laptop is a better model than the one he had, and it looks to be custom built because they weren't going to give us all the optional extras, but had to make it faster and prettier.

Total time in between giving laptop in and receiving new one: 4 months. That said, the sibling is very pleased with what he has now. Apparently you can get it for about $1050 from Dick Smiths. I'm in the market for one was well. I'm weary of Toshiba because my high school was part of that laptops for teachers thing, and oh wow did they have problems. I'm not sure if it was sheer idiocy on behalf of the teachers or the laptops. But I was told that after a year most had to be replaced. Asus is apparently a good brand, and they have a global 2 year warranty with apparently a good turn around time. I heard good things about HP's service. 3 days on average for a repair, and they let you know if it's going to be longer because of a part.

Also, if you get a student card (studentcard.co.nz) you get 10% off at Bond and Bond. :)