I love Dell. I’ve used their machines since, oh, the 1990’s; and right now I have problems—I nurse the thing to give me functionality—oh, heck, just forgive me the misspellings this thing is causing; and the fact the mouse thinks it has a stuck key….and
I get to Dell technical. Now, if you pay for the at-home/office service option, you get the US thoroughly knowledgeable tech office, with nice folk who will ask you to run Diagnostics, (the Fn key plus power) and record the error messages. You go back on chat (you could skip a step if you just ran diagnostics first)—and give them the error message numbers, and that lets them know any hardware problem.
So because I insist on a trackpoint mouse instead of a touchpad, it takes me one extra day for them to fly a key board to the Spokane techs, but I’ll get a nice guy with a pocket protector, a screwdriver, and a new key board and face for my computer, probably about Tuesday, and meanwhile I can kind of limp along with our backup machine, another Dell.
Seriously, if you get that onsite service, you’ve got every chance of having your computer fixed in your living room, and I’ve already renewed the policy on this jewel once. It’s a Latitude 5500, from about 2004, and it’s had 3 keyboards over the years, none of which cost extra. The techs also ask if you’ve got any other issues like missing feet or loose hinges they can fix all on the same run—just really nice, “keep the machine I live by in top form” kind of service. Yep, the home-service isn’t cheap, but this machine’s second service policy expires in 2013, which is a pretty good life for a computer. I’ve upgraded the memory to 4 g, as much as it can take, and it’s, yes, a 2004 machine, but it’s tough—except its poor keyboards, but hey, my typing has fragmented IBM typeballs and sent plastic shrapnel to every corner of the room, has had Smith Corona keys flying off so I had to search up the m-slug repeatedly, and I wore out the cams on that machine in one year—that was the tough one. The only thing that’s retired with honor is the old Underwood I learned on, but that one had already fallen out a second story window and been refurbished, so nothing I could do could kill it.
Anyway, hurrah for not having to mail this machine in or wait for repair on some local shop shelf—I’m in mid-galleys and trying to finish a book, and I can’t wait for weeks for my keyboard to get fixed! I’d run mad in the streets and DAW would have an apoplexy.
I don’t go for the at-home service, since I’m quite comfortable installing new laptop parts on my own, but I fully agree about spending the money for extending some type of warranty for the lifetime of the laptop. The one year warranties are rarely long enough for most of the hardware problems that crop up these days.
I can do most of it—they send me, say, a keyboard, and I can take the lid off, pop it in, connect wires, replace the lid—but on a Latitude, since removing the keyboard also means the palmrest, aka the whole top surface, they think that requires the guy to arrive with the part.
However it does cover the whole new part—I had a computer running out of warranty that stopped—and I asked about it while I was also getting a keyboard replaced—on that other machine they replaced the screen and the motherboard—so in effect I got a brand new computer out of that deal. And I got my working keyboard replaced.
This is why I’m not sure I like the new ‘chiclet’ style keyboards that are in vogue right now. Not only do they feel a bit harsh under the fingers, I don’t know how replaceable they are. I suppose there’s something underneath the chassis that can be replaced. I just hope it’s easier to replace than my old powerbook keyboard was. That alone made me regret not having a service plan.
An easy solution is a separate keyboard. You have a separate mouse, why not a keyboard? I guess you like the laptop for travel or the ease of working where ever you please. Personally, I dislike the keyboard on a laptop. If you go through keyboards as you describe, you could keep a spare in the closet. I wager you could find a keyboard to your likeing for very little cash.
I have another keyboard, but vision means I need the screen close; and I am so used to the spacing on a laptop keyboard it’s a pita—plus I live by the trackpoint mouse, not a touchpad and certainly not a regular mouse. I have a hand tremor that cuts in when I try to target a mouse—funny thing, I can shoot and draw with that hand; but mousing just kills me. If forced to use one, I often just rub its tummy and use it as a trackball—which has problems, too, for me, but is easier than a mouse.
I’ve got osteoarthritis of the finger joints, so I went to a gamer keyboard because the touch is feather light and rapid. It’s a backlighted keyboard, and it’s for a desktop that has a nice big wide screen monitor. I finally was able to get some new glasses this Monday. Got them from Walmart’s optical place, and picked them up Friday. They are the best bang for my buck optically speaking that I’ve gotten in a long time. I give their optical place a thumbs up too. No line trifocals with the magnetic clip on polarized sunglasses thing at just over 2 C-notes, and a second clamshell case for the sunglass thing for free. Lenscrafters wanted twice that — and that was with 50% off the frames!
I found the best optometrist at Walmart. They’ve got two good ones. But I prefer my regular one— I got fitted with bifocal contacts (due to the warp in my astigmatism I can’t use regular bifocals—but these contacts warp right along with my problem…and if I then use glasses to correct my astigmatism for reading, plus sharpen the close focus, I’m in great shape. My eyes are no easy job—ranging from a congenital muscle defect to scarring from an ether drip when I broke my arm, to scarring from a prescription I was allergic to–well, it’s a mess. But the Walmart doc handles it better than any doc I’ve been to in Spokane.
Well, if you learned to type on an Underwood (as did I) then it’s no wonder you’re hard on keyboards. I still remember the blisters I had under my fingernails from the tall rims on the keys of that monster. Hard to believe I actually managed to get up to 45 wpm on a typewriter where each keystroke required what seemed like 30 lbs. of pressure.
I keep it to help me remember just how good I have it now.
WOL, may I ask what brand is your keyboard? I’m using a Microsoft one which isn’t bad at all, and has some nice hot keys I really like, but I’m toying with the idea of replacing it with something that takes a lighter touch. I hate having to bang hard on the keys. And the backlighting sounds nice too.
Goodness. I’m impressed. spend about 10 hours a day (if not more) on my keyboard. In the last twenty five years the number of keypads killed is none. Like WOL I’ve gone for a gaming keyboard at home (a Logitech G15) and its a real pleasure to use and can take one heck of a lot of punishment (and indeed has) during the day. I couple that with a Microsoft trackerball (sadly discontinued) and I can use that combo without risk of strain or pain.
Reminds me of a visit by Chanur to the docks – if you ever want your dock destroyed, have the Pride make a visit while they are fighting with the Kif.
Well, I found the culprit key—the middle mouse key for the trackpad—heck, I didn’t even know that WAS a key—thought it was a separator—and I have to access this file, and the constantly ‘pressed’ , ie, stuck, mousing key was driving the CPU nuts, so I figured, hey, these keys pop off and they’re replacing this keyboard, so I disabled the trackpoint keys, popped the two offenders off the board, shut down, and now the CPU is getting a little saner input from the touchpad—(my machine has both) keys below the whole trackpoint assembly. SO I use the trackpoint for positioning, the trackpad keys for input, and I’m able to get a little functionality out of this keyboard.
I consider these light keyboards a use-and-toss item—they don’t cost outrageously even if you had to buy them—and I wear holes in my keys. I have long fingernails, I type fast, and I will give it to this latest keyboard, which has now broken from use—at least I haven’t been able to wear the lettering off—that’s a new thing!
OTOH, a correction to the above: Jane says I probably got this computer at the start of 2007, not 2004, so it’s newer than I remembered—one Latitude is so like the last in appearance they blur together—but hey, it’s still good.
I go through about one keyboard a year. So this is nothing new.
Just inconvenient timing!
Ah deadlines and hardware failures.
Always keep your hard drive backed up and have an ‘extra’ machine for when you need it.
A few years ago I had my monitor die in the middle of working to meet a deadline. Used my laptop to access the desktop machine’s hard drive and was able to finish the work on time.
Silverglas, I’m using a Logitech, this one: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/illuminated-keyboard. Not technically a gamer keyboard, it does have a very light touch.
Oh, yes, Gilles. Learned that one the hard way. I now have an external backup drive.
Darn, CJ, I wish my fingernails were as tough as yours. Mine always crack and split. I go through desktop keyboards fairly regularly, I’m a little more careful on laptops because the keys are sometimes arranged closer together than the desktop keyboards. For the most part, if I don’t have to type on the laptop, it’s easier for me.
I have a couple friends with a tremor that only shows up for mousing. That is a problem, for sure. I wear bifocal contacts as well. They are fitted with different strengths. The left weaker eye has the most bifocal correction and leads the charge for close work. My right master eye is a lighter bifocal correction and slightly stronger distance. The right eye takes charge for distance viewing. Oh, and one eye has an astigmatism correction (mild) as well. It amazes me how the brain accommodates this stuff.
WOL, thank you!
WOL, I also thank you. I’m getting a corded model. I have used Logitech keyboards before and generally liked them. My HP desktop’s keyboard is good. I think I have a spare, but… like others, I need a good solid keyboard and go through them more often than I’d like. The illumination and backlighting is a big plus too. Thank you!
CJ, if you often use your laptop at home, and yet vision and ergonomics for hands and back are important, I’d suggest an interesting option. About two laptops ago, the Gateway salesman suggested a docking port, to plug in the laptop and allow me to attach a full-size keyboard, mouse, and screen. At the time, I could simply close the laptop and set it aside. Essentially, an instant desktop. This sounds perhaps going the long way around the middle, but it was a very good solution. And I could then simply shut down the laptop, pick up, and go. Nowadays, most laptops have ports for external keyboard, mouse, and screen anyway, and USB ports for an external hard drive or flash drive (the little pack of chewing gum stick drives). You really might want to think about doing that, with or without a docking station, if you don’t already do it. It worked great for me.
BTW, those little flash drives are good ideas for travel. They’re now getting cheaper for much higher capacity storage, enough to put large projects such as multiple novels 😉 on there and still have room for some audio-video for fun. (Though I’d recommend a separate stick or ext. drive for the audio-video, as that eats up storage in a hurry.) If I recall correctly, I think even a 32 GB flash drive is now right around $100. It may be 64 GB by this season. Just an idea when you two can think of it.
Actually, I’d guess the two of you are fairly tech-savvy between you, having been into computers early. 🙂
Oh! A 32 GB USB flash drive, Kingston Digital, is $40. A 64 GB model, another mfr., is $110. The price difference between the 16 and 32 GB models means you actually get a bargain going with the 32 GB models now.
One friend prefers the tiny flash memory cards used in digital cameras, which can be used just as well for data as for photos, in your desktop or laptop with the reader, which might be built into your machine. She can put them in a small pouch or envelope and off she goes, she says. Others said they hadn’t really thought of it, but it worked well for them.