Laptop Screen Dying, Repair or Replace?

[Peter Guy]

I have an adequate (about to write perfectly good, but really adequate is the proper word) Acer laptop that is about 4 years old. It runs XP3, 2 gb mem, internal 160 HD, external 320 HD (velcroed onto the case). The screen has been tempermental for about 6 months but, yesterday, just went dim and won't get brighter.

It is readable but not usable as it is.

Questions for SB guru's --

a. CAN a screen be repaired/replaced?

b. Even if it can be repaired/replaced, should I just wave goodbye?

c. What could I use the laptop, with external monitor, for? We have a home network with one simple 'puter hooked to TV and sound system (listening to Rhapsody and watching slideshow on TV as I write this) but not much else distributed. We have a couple of printers that could be run off it I suppose and also a scanner -- can I network the scanner through it?

This would be the second old laptop that I just don't know what to do with -- suggestions?

And, if it can't/shouldn't be repaired, suggestions on what I should "demand" on my new laptop? (Win 7 is one thing -- I am NOT a Mac person -- hate Macs -- don't understand them -- NOT going there so don't even mention it!!!!!)

Oh -- and what do I use it for? Normal stuff plus doing some Power Point presentations, some web design, fair number of image processing and some video processing.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

a. Possibly. I know for the laptops I use, it's not uncommon for people to buy used or as-is units from ebay just to replace the screen.

b. Only you can decide that. If your technically minded, it shouldn't be very expensive to fix, but laptops are getting cheaper too, so it could be a wash.

c. sounds like you have some ideas, but I'm not sure about the networked scanner. If you mean having other computers access the scanner, I'm not familiar with his being done. It could be easier to use remote desktop with shared disks to share the scanner.

What to do with an old laptop... Well when I was in college we took an old laptop and mounted it on our dorm room door as a message board. We were surprised it never was stolen.

 

[muddiver]

I think if you check the cost of taking it to a computer repair shop, that just walking down to Costco and buying another is cheaper and less frustrating. Anymore, computers of any kind are pretty much disposable items once they start to have problems. I only say this because by asking the question you did, I am asuming that you are not a "techie, take-it-apart type" and buying an old, used lap top for parts would be a waste of time for you.

Please be responsable and dispose of the old computer in the environmentally appropreate manner.

 

[drbill]

I also think that buying a new one may be only a bit more expensive than replacing the screen unless you can find one used and do it yourself.

I have a number of old and generally unusable laptops dating back to my first one, a CP/M based Epson Geneva. I keep them in my storage unit and plan to open a Laptop Museum in the future!

 

[Gombessa]

I have a 6yo Thinkpad that had its CCFL backlight go bad. You can replace the electronics, foil and tube yourself if you really want, and the parts are cheap and readily available on ebay, but when I last looked into it, it's a delicate operation with lots of small, fragile parts. The easiest bet is probably to replace the entire LCD screen, which you can probably also find on ebay. This is a simple issue of a screwdriver and figuring out the laptop assembly jigsaw.

If you do want to go the repair route, you can start looking for the part numbers and basic research somewhere like here: http://www.lcdparts.net/CCFL.aspx

 

[Skull]

Depending on how much fire power you need in your laptop ... I believe Dell is selling some very nice ones for ~$300.00 USD ... nice units and probably what it would cost to replace your screen.

 

[Peter_C]

Buying a screen from ebay is easy and cheap. The installation takes less than 30 minutes. Probably 5 minutes to someone who as done one before. A computer that old though, it might be worth it to get something new with Windows 7. NO Vista!

 

[Jax]

Replacing the screen is fairly straight forward. Buy aftermarket, it's too expensive through Dell.

Then go to Dell Outlet Dell Outlet - Refurbished Computers - Refurbished Laptops - Refurbished PCs | Dell. How much is a new refurbished one?

If you buy through Dell outlet, you can upgrade and buy cheap. You can send your laptop back to Dell, who will refurbish it and sent it to a third world country as part of those charity whatsits. You can claim the donation on your taxes.

Whatever works for you.