Computer guru needed?

[HOGEYE]

I* have a compaq Armada E500 laptop and the screen went white on me. It still runs fine and even works with an external monitor. Do I need a new screen or what?

[joneshat11]

yup! but thats what ya get for getting a compaq. (no diss respect) Now you get really find what crappy customer service you'll get with them, also. Otherwise still try to play with the display settings on switching from a external monitor to normal screen. (Should be a function key) Or, it could just be settings with the video card.

Let us know how it goes and if compaq customer service gotten better!

JonesHat11

[Capt'nJosh]

DOH! You'll have the Vaio in the shop before you get tha compaq back!

Dude, you should have got a Dell....

Capt'n

[This message has been edited by Capt'nJosh (edited 04-09-2003).]

[Valv]

Captn Josh is right.

DELL, DELL, DELL

[Crawlerman]

I'm assuming this happens every time you boot up? Does the laptop have a FN button, and then another with a sun or half moon symbol on one of the keys (being the contrast and brightness) It's possible that they are just both turned all the way up... If it is an actual problem with the screen, unless it's a newer laptop; you'd prally be better off getting a new one or just hooking it up and running it as a desktop. Screens will generally run between 150-300 or more to get replaced.

[HOGEYE]

I isn't the contrast. I just thought I ask. I did already by a new VAIO that seems to work good. 2.4gig

[chunkytrout]

Or you could avoid all problems and just get a mac! hehe. Sorry, got to speak out for mac in a windows world. Sounds like your screen went down stream on ya and you'll need to replace fer sure.

chunky

[RuKiddingMe]

Screen went white? Sounds to me like the Screen is fried, the bummer is you loose one commponent on a laptop out of warrenty you may as well scrap the whole thing, and they are insaenly expensive to fix. Compaq has the WORST customer severice in the business. Watch out for that Sony i have heard nothing but bad things about those as well. You got a 2.4 Ghz, and that sounds pretty new, if at all possible I'd try returning it and putting that money forth on a Dell or a Gateway, both have excellent customer service which is probably the single most important thing to look for when purchasing a Laptop, not to many folks can do their own repairs.

Good Luck

Matt

[This message has been edited by RuKiddingMe (edited 04-10-2003).]

[Guest]

Yes, Dell's are probably the best choice but they're certainly not perfect. Last week the LCD on my 2yr old Inspiron 4000 laptop started acting noisy and weird. Worked with Dell tech support (very good, by the way) and finally ended up having to order a new LCD assembly for a cost of $379. Thank god I was able to install it myself -- who knows how much the cost would have been. Thankfully everything works now.

[MNUser]

Bummer....like stated above:

Buy a Mac.....service rocks, OS is the best and they are rock solid!

I have both and my Mac just continues to run, and run, and run.....

[Crawlerman]

What are you talking about? Vaios are SWEET. So small... so light... 2.4 eh? I liked them better when they were small; not one of these honking huge buggers with the 17" screen they have now so they can compete with everyone else. *sigh* the age of the "note book" is over and everyone is going back to "laptops" I allways thought the lil ones were nifty..

But yeah.. I've had numerous problems with Compaq laptops. I had a screen burn out on me once, i replaced it; and then the hinge broke and so did the cover of the battery pack. The thing was covered with duct tape when I got rid of it! Never again! Another solid laptop is Thinkpads-- they're really rugged, I got a P II 300 thinkpad off hsolist for $250. And that "dude your getting a dell" guy must die....

[This message has been edited by Crawlerman (edited 04-10-2003).]

[Guest]

Can I have the old laptop? My wife is blonde so she would use the screen as a whiteboard anyway........

[HOGEYE]

I forgot to mention that it was a desktop. I didn't know that people had been haveing trouble with them. It works great with all my plugins like handycam, digital camera.

[Guest]

Should have gone and got a GATEWAY... excellent service, even after the warranty runs out! No other company can even come close.

[HOGEYE]

SHOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE................