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AUGUST 8, 2006 The last time I used the Inspiron was March of this year and it was I know it seems like sour grapes to complain about something that cost over 1600 bucks a little over three years ago but, over the years, I have found this happening too frequently to be accidental. (As an aside I purchased a Sony DVD/VCR player just over a year ago and the VCR component died about three months after the warranty expired. I did not extend the warranty on that unit when I purchased it so now I have a half operating product that will no longer record poker tournaments or the Sopranos.) Back to the Inspiron! What to do with this expensive bowling ball that had turned into a heavy paperweight? I, like every other computer geek, Googled the internet for solutions. To buy a new updated snazzy but similarly equipped notebook computer would be about $800.00. About half the price of the dead one. I could buy a very basic unit for about $500.00 but what fun is that. I then checked the Dell replacement site to find that a new 30 Gigabyte hard drive would cost me about $165.00 plus shipping. If I had to do that I might as well buy a new notebook. I then took a look at my favorite junkyard. eBay! A search on eBay gave me several options: a 40 Gigabyte hard drive that was called a Dell replacement for my model at $62.50 including shipping or some other Dell replacement drives that had much greater storage for more money. Spending about $62.50 sounded about right but what about installing it and getting the notebook up and running? Looking at the fine print in the eBay auction there was a recommendation that a trained technician should do the installation.
The drive came in the mail a few days later at about 4:30 PM. My wife said, “Why don’t you just get to work.” Since I am also a great procrastinator I said, “Maybe tomorrow” as I sat down to read a mystery novel. A few hours later, with her having telepathically messaged me so I would get off my butt, I decided to bite the bullet. Two and a half hours later the job was done. The drive worked. The operating system was installed and I felt like the greatest technical genius in the world. All kidding aside, I had converted a dead weight piece of out of warranty junk to a working, if not valuable, road warrior computer. Could you do it? Most likely. All it takes is research, a small screwdriver, and the ability to read directions. Unfortunately, I now find myself with a three and a half year old notebook instead of the much faster, more up-to-date one I would have bought if I had just given up on this task. Maybe I can give it to one of the kids and get that new one anyway. |
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fine. It was stored in a padded carrying case until I decided to check it out for a planned trip this month. I plugged it in and turned it on. Believe it or not there was no hard drive to be found. I guess I should have paid for that fourth year. Then it might have lasted until next year before someone pushed the big switch in the sky to shut me down.
Back to Google I went to research what would be needed to do the install. It didn’t look too hard so my inclination was to either do the deed or trash the computer. I bid on and won the drive. Now I had to worry if I was buying a piece of junk, would I be able to install it and make it work (In case you missed it, I am a great worrier). |
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Harry Skevington has been involved with electronics since 1981. He has taught, written for, and provided support to, computer users since 1985. Information that will help consumers with buying decisions is more important than ever due to the current convergence of computers and other consumer products .
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