Need Computer Help

[hutch85]

Hello all,

I am an American freelance writer that recently came to Bariloche where I will be until mid-March. Last Friday my laptop died. It is in the shop now but after looking up its symptoms online I believe it is a motherboard failure. I am hoping to get advice on how to get a new laptop. Local stores don't have english keyboards and I'm not sure where to get one online. Am I better off just waiting until I get back to the states for the increased options and value? Is there a great difference in value between what is available in Argentina vs. the US? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Gringoboy]

Replacement motherboards here are very expensive.
Is it still under warranty?
Either way it would be better to acquire the board in US according to my experience ( I fix PC's).
There is a member here who fixes laptops I believe

 

[hutch85]

The laptop is almost four years old so i would rather not not sink several hundred into a new motherboard when I could get a significant upgrade with a new laptop for a little more. Or perhaps I am over-estimating the cost of a motherboard. Also, I imagine the time it would take to find and a acquire a new motherboard with installation, would probably take a few weeks.

 

[Roxana]

I suggest you to get in touch with Ricardo, he is really good at his job and will give you a good advice. He is a member of baexpats too.


Argentine/Australian (English Speaker) Laptop Computer & Data Recovery Technician.

Services available from 10am to 9pm SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Website: www.balaptop.com
Mobile: 15 5600 8680.
Email: [email protected]

 

[notebook.fix]

Hi Hutch,

Ok, the golden rule for calculating computer prices here is: every US$100 spent in the US is around US$150 that you'll have to pay for here..unfortunately the import taxes are high here.

Now, your motherboard may have any number of issues, although with the best intentions, most general computer shops here do not have the skills or equipment to be able to competently diagnose & fix a laptop electronically speaking. They are usually very quick to point to a motherboard fault, but most often they do not know what is the exact electronic fault...they will sometimes say its a video chip problem but it may be any number of other related problems such as a faulty memory chip that the video chip uses, or solder fatigue on a part of the circuit etc.

If you could describe roughly what the symptoms where just before the laptop died, then this will give me some big clues. Yes you can get a second hand motherboard here in Argentina for a reasonable cost of around US$100, maybe a bit more or a bit less, but you don't want one that has a similar weakness to your faulty one cause they usually are a design weakness.

THen again your laptop is 4yrs old & that's not too bad, it has lived more than most.

ANother option, if you don't have a need for a high performance system, is to just go for a netbook. Netbooks are very versatile & you can even install Linux or Mac OSX10.6 on them. I have installed the lates Mac OSX10.6 Snow Leopard on mine Bellow is a pic of one of my netbooks running OSX10.6.3 Snow leopard.

The beauty of installiung Linux or Mac OSX is that you'll avoid the usual Windows virus problems & therefore you'll get a lot more 'Up time' out of your system...you won't be as vulnerable to failures.

A netbook will sell for around US$450 to US$500 here in Argentina.
But PLEASE note that they are designed for a longer battery life rather than high performance.

All the best.

EDIT: When installing Mac OSX on a netbook, most of the time the Wi-fi module inside has to be replaced with a Mac OSX compatible wifi card, they cost around US$25 to $30 ea.

The laptop is almost four years old so i would rather not not sink several hundred into a new motherboard when I could get a significant upgrade with a new laptop for a little more. Or perhaps I am over-estimating the cost of a motherboard. Also, I imagine the time it would take to find and a acquire a new motherboard with installation, would probably take a few weeks.

 

[jez]

Hello all,

I am an American freelance writer that recently came to Bariloche where I will be until mid-March. Last Friday my laptop died. It is in the shop now but after looking up its symptoms online I believe it is a motherboard failure. I am hoping to get advice on how to get a new laptop. Local stores don't have english keyboards and I'm not sure where to get one online. Am I better off just waiting until I get back to the states for the increased options and value? Is there a great difference in value between what is available in Argentina vs. the US? Thanks for any suggestions.

Where did you leave it in Bariloche? I live here and have taken my laptop and notebook for repairs & upgrades to a place on Gallado street between Elordi & Ruiz Moreno, just across the road from the YPF Pertol Station. I think it may be called 'xtream' but don't quote me on that. They put in second hand parts and last time they changed the backlight that was broken with a second hand one, it broke the next day so they gave my money back, very friendly & professional service...

 

[hutch85]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I would love to get in fixed in BA but cannot as I am in Bariloche. I took it to a place called Exert on Frey. It is due to come back tomorrow. I had shut the laptop and it went to sleep. When i opened it a few hours later the screen was blank and nothing was happening. I hard shut it down with the power button and tried to turn it back on. It sounds like the hard drive starts, then stops. The caps and number locks light up and it beeps. The screen remains blank. I don´t remember how many times it beeps, which I know is important.

 

[notebook.fix]

I don't feel too comfortable posting here at the moment as it feels like I may be intruding or my posting here is not wellcome, yesterday I tried to post an answer to a technical question that another poster asked but my post was not permitted for what ever the reason, so in light of that, I will keep it short & say that if you want to PM me, I will try to give you some more advice.

All the best.

Ricardo.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I would love to get in fixed in BA but cannot as I am in Bariloche. I took it to a place called Exert on Frey. It is due to come back tomorrow. I had shut the laptop and it went to sleep. When i opened it a few hours later the screen was blank and nothing was happening. I hard shut it down with the power button and tried to turn it back on. It sounds like the hard drive starts, then stops. The caps and number locks light up and it beeps. The screen remains blank. I don´t remember how many times it beeps, which I know is important.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I don't feel too comfortable posting here at the moment as it feels like I may be intruding or my posting here is not wellcome, yesterday I tried to post an answer to a technical question that another poster asked but my post was not permitted for what ever the reason, so in light of that, I will keep it short & say that if you want to PM me, I will try to give you some more advice.

All the best.

Ricardo.

I don't feel that way about your postings. Someone has a problem and they talk about it on here: you can help them - that's great. Sometimes you can help them yourself and you say so: other times you refer them to others with different specialities and that seems fair to me. I get annoyed by the equivalent to the pancho and gaseosa sellers who burst in here, unasked as if this were a train on the LSM to Pilar. But I have no complaints about anyone who has a genuine answer to a genuine question - whether they are in business or not.

As to the other thing: I've had posts disappear and others held up for moderation when I can see no earthly reason why - and I've got nothing to sell. I just put it down to glitches in the site software.

 

[hutch85]

Someone told me that I would have to pay ahefty customs fee to have a laptop shipped here. Is that correct and if so how much do you think it would cost? Also, does anyone have tips for using the omnistar website? Thanks.

p.s. If anyone has a an english netbook they want to sell let me know : )