Saturday 21 August 2010

RM599 Laptop Expenses This Month

My lappy was throwing tantrums like a toddler recently, and that explains my infrequent updates on this blog.

Anyway, the tantrums started when lappy could not start-up, and sometimes half-way in the middle of something the screen will suddenly blur and freeze. Damn sickening, man!

When these tantrums started, I quickly got myself an external harddisk to back up all my files, especially my travel photos. Losing my travel photos would be utter horror for me, and I don't even want to think about it.

RM249 for a 500GB external harddisk. There were a few colours to choose from but I think red is the best :-)


When my lappy finally could not start-up at all, I sent it to the Toshiba authorised dealer in Low Yat Plaza for repairs.

The technician told me it's a graphic card problem and apparently the Toshiba Satellite M200 series is synonymous with graphic card problems.

It would cost RM360 to repair the graphic card and RM600 plus to replace it. I was lucky the damn card could be salvaged, and therefore it costs me only RM350 (managed to bargain the price).


I bought my lappy in April 2008, and just after 2 years 4 months I have to repair the bloody graphic card. How disappointing!

I wonder how come when I was researching which brand and model to buy, I missed the part about graphic card problems being common in Toshiba Satellite M200 series. Well, now you know.

A friend has been using his HP lappy (can't remember the model) for the past 5 years without any problems whatsoever. I'll remember to get a HP the next time. It may be a bit pricey, but it's worth it compared to buying a cheaper brand but having to fork out more for repairs later on. And not to mention the threat of having your files wiped out if the cheap lappy crashes.

4 comments:

Angie Tan said...

OUCH !
very sleeky external HD....

Julie Lim said...

Yes OUCH 100 times! I regret buying a Toshiba and when it's time to change my lappy, I'm gonna get a HP!

Anonymous said...

I got my Fujitsu laptop in February 2007. At that point in time, it cost a bomb (S$4k) but it was everything I wanted. I thought for such a price and specifications, it would last me almost a lifetime, or more than 5 years at least.

Unfortunately, it started getting cranky in March 2009, and finally crashed in April 2009. I lost all my travel photos! It was such a heartache!

Luckily, my mum took some travel photos from me, and I sent some to my friends, so I managed to salvage some, but not all. It was really a big lesson to backup all my data.

Since then, I am without a personal laptop. Now I am living on (off) my company laptop, until I feel ready to buy the next one. The next one will be either a Sony VAIOS or a MacBook Pro - not as pricey and much longer-lasting.

Julie Lim said...

The sad part about laptops is that their lifespan is shorter compared to PCs. But we still use them because of their mobility. So it's a good idea to use your company PC as long as you're able to. And I guess having an iPhone helps too since you can blog on the go and don't have to rely 100% on the computer PC :-)

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