Comments on: Notebook Computer Buying Tips

By: marshallslion

marshallslion — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:22:40 +0000

I have to say extended warranty worth its money for me.My Toshiba is in for repair ,2nd time in 2 weeks. They called me to say that now the warranty is finished they “spent up to what” {i} ” bought the laptop for”!
Next thing i need is new laptop.

By: nh4~

nh4~ — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:24:30 +0000

thank you for the tips…god bless u n yur hard effort^_^

By: amit

amit — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:06:12 +0000

hi i hv an vaio vgn nw 350f/b its optical drive is not working some times its starts automatically but most of the time it will not rotate at all can u pls tell me the solution for this problem

By: Jessy S.

Jessy S. — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:10:23 +0000

I feel the same way about HP Grace. I had trouble with my screen in October 2007 with a laptop brought in March of 06 and HP wanted $500 to replace the screen and this estimate didn’t include shipping or labor costs. I got the laptop repaired locally for $300 including labor.

By: cj2600

cj2600 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:34:25 +0000

Grace,

I never thought about the importance of buying an extended warranty.

If I have to buy a new laptop today, I would pay for the extended warranty again.

By: Grace

Grace — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:43:58 +0000

I never thought about the importance of buying an extended warranty. but my recent experience with HP really make me thinking it hard. Your article just made it even more clear.

Thanks

By: Javier

Javier — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:34:35 +0000

Hello great guide on every aspect.I would like to thank you and to get your e-mail if possible. I want to buy a new keyboard for my vaio, but i dont have the model nor want to dissasemble the notebook before i get it. Would you have any info on the part number of a keyboard for a AR520?. More info on the hardware (meaning part numbers for all of them) would be highly apreciated also.

By: Koray

Koray — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:43:29 +0000

This guide makes lots of sense, I’ve been telling the same to everybody else now, but my last laptop purchase (Sony Vaio SZ1M/B) is a disaster. It is a blind decision, my colleague thought it was a great machine and we ordered two for the work without actually seeing the actual machine. Then I ended up with problems like:

- huge and heavy power adapter (yup, I counted grams when comparing the actual laptop weights with competitors when I looked up the market)
- horrible keyboard, it flexes a lot and by design spacebar doesn’t work on right end (I have to use external keyboards most of the time).
- no hardware volume control (lots of embarrassments at must-be-quiet situations, awful windows log-in sound inevitable since I can’t mute it without logging in first)
- 1 year warranty (if this one fails, I don’t think I’ll be able to find parts for it on ebay, it is a rare machine)

I miss my Thinkpad, it had none of the above.

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:19:31 +0000

At Toshiba there is several listings for “Blank Screen” I think there is more reasons than they have listed. There is several reasons for this to happen, bad components – LCD, Invertor, Motherboard, or Power Settings(when to turn off), Software Problem, BIOS Settings, Virus, and etc. I assume my Motherboard is good, that my LCD is good, Invertor is good, Memory tested good, DirectX tested good. I guess my problem is my BIOS Setting or BIOS Bug or a Software Bug or Virus. If I check everything it tests as no problem found, I noticed in the BIOS Setting if LCD is set to Auto, it will prefer the monitor and not the notebook LCD, if the Monitor is connected, or the other setting, LCD + RGB in this setting it allows both – I have now set it too this, maybe the problem will go away and the screen will not go blank at random or whilel typing,.because everything has been tested.and checked.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:43:40 +0000

Hi Reena,
Did you ever find a solution for your Toshiba? I have the exact same model and the exact same problem. I have not tried “chilling” the laptop in the fridge though. I have however explored power supply, memory, hard drive, dvd drive and external monitors to no avail. Mine will power into music mode, but the dvd will not work in that mode either. Hopefully you found a solution other then using it as a door stop. Thanks in advance.