Problem with laptop need a new one some help please

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floweravalanche

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I'm due for a new laptop as mine is deciding to go bye bye, I've had it for almost 3 years now, its an HP pavillion, I paid over 700 bucks for it, and I don't want or have the money to get another 700 dollar one. So I'm wondering if any one knows of some good brands for good prices one that a poor college student can afford? Any help would be great.

Also anyone know what it means when the screen goes blue? and why if I touch the side of my lap top where the cd/dvd rom is it turns blue and shuts it self off, it also tends to not to come on at times, etc.

I sent it in a few months ago when it was doing that minus the blue screen and they said something about the mother board but since I've gotten it back it has given me more problems that it already had and they wont fix it now cause the warranty is up.

anyone know why it may be doing that? Along with what are good brans for laptops for a cheap price?

 
There are hundreds of reasons why you get a blue screen. The STOP error on the screen would help narrow it down. Based on what you say, it sounds like a motherboard issue. If so, beyond that it doesn't really matter exactly why it is because either way you'd need a new board or new computer.

You can get Dell's for $500 or so but you get what you pay for with laptops. It will probably be a low-end Inspiron running Vista with too little RAM and a crappy processor.
 
I'm due for a new laptop as mine is deciding to go bye bye, I've had it for almost 3 years now, its an HP pavillion, I paid over 700 bucks for it, and I don't want or have the money to get another 700 dollar one. So I'm wondering if any one knows of some good brands for good prices one that a poor college student can afford? Any help would be great.

Best Buy has some good deals (see their site). For example, there is currently a Dell with 15.6" screen, Dual-Core Intel, 3GB RAM, 160GB hard drive for only $449. They also have HP, Toshiba, and Gateway with similar (or better) specs for a similar price. I don't like Compaq personally.

HP has a support forum- I would post your issue there as well.
 
So, they replaced the motherboard under warranty, and since you got it back, it's been doing the same thing and worse? But now the warranty is up?

Sounds to me like they put a bad motherboard into your laptop. The same thing happened to my daughter. Fortunately, the work was done at a registered repair center, so we just contacted them and took it back, and they ordered another motherboard.

If I were you, I'd call them and politely but assertively state that this has been going on since the first warranty repair, that it obviously wasn't repaired correctly, and ask that they reopen your case. If they refuse, don't settle for that, go up in the chain and ask to speak to a supervisor. If that person won't listen, ask to speak to their supervisor. You have to be insistent. Good luck.

As far as purchasing a new laptop, if you decide to go that route, I'm SO over the shitty brands that are out there now, and all the problems inherent with them. I'd go for a Lenovo that fits your price range, even if the specs are lower than those of a comparably priced HP, Toshiba, Dell, et al.
 
Check this. There have been major issues with HP Pavillion motherboards. There have been days at work where I've gotten 3-5 of them at a time, all the same thing. They have extended the warranty on models that apply. My laptop and my sister's laptop were already sent in for this.

HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs�-� HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement�
Mins an hp pavilion dv2000 I fought for a long with Hp and said screw it I've had this laptop for about 3 years now, probably go with buying a new one.

I'm not a fan of dell as they have a lot of problems from what I heard, and I had one and had problems.

I'm about 100% positive now this is a motherboard issue I weather get a new one, then buy a new mother board and take the chance of it getting screwed up more.
 
If you're using your laptop at school, so that you're transporting it all the time, then I wouldn't pay for those bulky 15" screens that you get at Best Buy et al. for like 500 bucks. Totally inconvenient and usually horrific battery life.

I'm never going back to Windows, but the Macbook seems like it's out of your range, so I don't have any other really good suggestions.

My Mom has used IBM Thinkpads (Lenovo now) for years and they are sturdy and very good. I just don't like that they're built like bricks.
 
Well if you want windows and are going for battery life and portability, I'd get one of those "minis". I've seen Dells, HPs, the Asus Eee PC (Windows or Linux), Sony... Someone showed me one out of the box, I think it was an HP with a solid state hard drive, paid about $400 for it.

Lenovos are pretty good but man they really are built like (and often look like) bricks. For some reason we switched to Dell Latitudes and they have been nothing but problems.

The budget is kind of the deal-breaker. There really aren't "good" brands (good machines, really) for less than $700, especially if you take HP/Compaq and Dell out of the equation.
 
I've never used a laptop in a college setting, so I'm not familiar with how and where it's used (classroom, library, etc.?). Some of the specs on the Best Buy laptops are great for the price - almost 3 hour battery life is advertised. I never liked the fact that Apples cost 2-3 times as much for the same specs.
 
I can get 5 hrs normal battery life on my Macbook; if I dim it, I can get closer to 7 or 8. There isn't a PC on the market that comes close.

It's not so much the battery life these days because most better colleges have plugs at every seat these days, but the fact that anything over 13" is just very inconvenient to transport constantly. Way too bulky. But if you're just going to use it like a desktop, then by all means, get one.
 
Oh, the other thing I really liked about the HP Mini is the keyboard is over 90%. I have a very small HP pavilion laptop (can't remember exact specs but it looks like the little MacBook and fits in my purse) and when I tried the keyboard on the even smaller HP Mini it felt the same.
 
The budget is kind of the deal-breaker. There really aren't "good" brands (good machines, really) for less than $700, especially if you take HP/Compaq and Dell out of the equation.

I've had my Acer laptop since early 2005, and it's still going strong. I paid around $850, which was considered "cheap" back then (among the cheapest). I use it as a backup to my PCs and have traveled with it. Two or three other relatives and friends who bought the same laptop (and even a lower-end model) in 2005 on my recommendation are still using theirs without any problems. It's possible that laptop quality has declined since then (some newer keyboards feel really toy-like), but I'm not replacing mine anytime soon. A site like newegg may have more variety and better prices.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I'm probably gonna have to go with another HP or I thought Toshiba. I'm waiting on my refund check from school I usually get every semester, its gotta depending on how much I get back from that. If I get a lot like I did last I may be able to get a Mac but if I do that I weather kiss everything else in my life good bye
 
I am toying with buying a new laptop.

I want to wait until the new and improved M S vista is out, I think it is 30-60 days away.

Also, I think I want 4 megs of ram. In my market place I should be able to get this for around $600.
 
Satellites are in general, unless they have made improvements. I dunno, saw enough troubles with them a few years ago.

If you are in the market but can wait, yeah I'd wait for Windows 7.
 
I was hoping you would reply.

So Toshibas are bad news?

and is it true that MS will be shipping a better OS?

My daughter's had nothing but trouble with her satellite, and she has several friends who have experienced the same thing. She's had a keyboard replaced, two motherboards, and the AC jack soldered back on. The most recent tech we took it to said that Acers and Toshibas have very high failure rates, that a few years ago HP was a decent brand but now it's not much better, and Dells aren't that great, either. The only brand they sell are Lenovo, they won't even take those other brands in as a trade in. As others have pointed out, Lenovos aren't as great for portability or aesthetically, but that's not really an issue for some. If you're going to get any of those other brands, I'd get an extended warranty with them, the longer the better.
 
Toshibas died on me twice, wouldn't buy one again if you held a gun to my head.

As soon as I have some disposable cash, I'm going to either get an iMac for home or the new version of MacBook Pro in the next 12-18 months.
 
Macs are amazing. I will never go back to a PC.
Yes, they are more expensive...but well worth it.
Btw, they are extremely consumer friendly and you will get the hang of it in no time.

I suggest going into an Apple store and try them out.
:)
 
Toshibas are good I find. Although they do over heat alot. Thier customer services are excellent, always a pleasure dealing with them when we have customers bringing them for the occasional repair. I'd take a Toshiba over anything else. I've had mine for nearly 3 years and it works perfectly fine.

A few months ago a bag full of stuff fell off the top of my wardrobe and landed on the keyboard causing the laptop to just turn off, just pressed the power button again and it still worked with no physical damage.


The most laptop brands we have to send back week after week are either Asus or Fujitsu Siemans.
And I wouldn't touch a Dell to save my life.
 
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