Contacted Dell Customer Support, nice guy, seemed to know what he was talking about (good scripting, Dell script-writer guy!!)
Replacement of screen should be the solution. As I had to perform additional tests with standalone screen, I went to see a couple of friends who I hadn't seen in a long time. Promise to meet again soon, possibly next week end.
No symptoms on exterior screen, the connection is probably the root-cause of all that.
I'll call Dell tomorrow morning to inform them and decide if I want a technician to come and replace the screen here or if I want to send the laptop to their workshop for a complete check up.
Foreseen unavailability is "none" in the first case and 6 days if it's sent back.
I will choose the workshop solution if possible, cuz they could replace the broken soundcard at the same time. I just need to make sure that I don't have to package the laptop. I got rid of the delivery box a long time ago.
All in all, I'm satisfied with their handling of the case, we'll see tomorrow how it goes.
31 janvier 2006
my ________ is dying, take 2
After the iPod, RIP, the laptop...
It's 35 months old, anf the warranty is valid for 3 years. The backlight for the screen is messed up. No idea why. I can adjust the lighting between dim and super bright, I've always adjusted it to super bright.
And a week ago, it started to flicker between super bright and bright when I started it. 2 hours ago, it flickered again, except I hadn't started it, I had done that 7 hours earlier. And all of a sudden, the light went out. So I shut it off via the Power button, and restarted it. Made a couple of tests, restarted it blind a few times, checked my warranty paper and here it is.
I'm calling them tomorrow to see how I can have it repaired under warranty. I guess I'll have to sent it myself but I also guess I have no choice. Of course, it had to happen while I need it the most, right when I'm trying to look for a new job. And right when I don't have much money to spend.
Anyway, data backed up on an external drive, most important files burned on a CD. Let's hope it won't take too long to repair...
I'll update my blog as soon as I know what's the status on the warranty and the sending for repair. Just pray Ol' Dell doesn't suddenly lose another functionality...
It's 35 months old, anf the warranty is valid for 3 years. The backlight for the screen is messed up. No idea why. I can adjust the lighting between dim and super bright, I've always adjusted it to super bright.
And a week ago, it started to flicker between super bright and bright when I started it. 2 hours ago, it flickered again, except I hadn't started it, I had done that 7 hours earlier. And all of a sudden, the light went out. So I shut it off via the Power button, and restarted it. Made a couple of tests, restarted it blind a few times, checked my warranty paper and here it is.
I'm calling them tomorrow to see how I can have it repaired under warranty. I guess I'll have to sent it myself but I also guess I have no choice. Of course, it had to happen while I need it the most, right when I'm trying to look for a new job. And right when I don't have much money to spend.
Anyway, data backed up on an external drive, most important files burned on a CD. Let's hope it won't take too long to repair...
I'll update my blog as soon as I know what's the status on the warranty and the sending for repair. Just pray Ol' Dell doesn't suddenly lose another functionality...
28 janvier 2006
Snow!!!
There's snow all over the place, and it keeps falling!!!!
I will have to go in town to take other pictures today.
23 janvier 2006
The Salars of Uyuni, Bolivia
A long time ago, a certain someone told me of a photographers site: TrekEarth
I still go very often, specially when I have little to do.
I'd describe it best as a site with "pictures of the world", it's full of amazing photographs. Well, some photographers tend to rework their picts a lot using computers, which I don't particularly. It sometimes feels like cheating.
Even then, you can find real pearls while wandering.
And tonight, I found this pic, which led me to this gallery of the Uyuni in southern Bolivia (so says the site at least). I've never been interested in southern america (cuz that's where Bolivia is, right?) but that place? That's something different altogether. I'll probably forget everything about it except the "feeling" before long, but I wish I could visit it. I might look for places to see in the general area, trying to plan holidays over there. I've got a friend of a friend (who coincidentally is a super cute and freaking pig-headed girl, who guessed?) if she knows anything about it. She's doing field-work for a travel agency in southern america, so she might have been there already.
God, this place is so incredible...
Hey, certain someone :-) I'm sure you'd love to go too, right? And that photographer we know may well feel it's worth a trip too.
I still go very often, specially when I have little to do.
I'd describe it best as a site with "pictures of the world", it's full of amazing photographs. Well, some photographers tend to rework their picts a lot using computers, which I don't particularly. It sometimes feels like cheating.
Even then, you can find real pearls while wandering.
And tonight, I found this pic, which led me to this gallery of the Uyuni in southern Bolivia (so says the site at least). I've never been interested in southern america (cuz that's where Bolivia is, right?) but that place? That's something different altogether. I'll probably forget everything about it except the "feeling" before long, but I wish I could visit it. I might look for places to see in the general area, trying to plan holidays over there. I've got a friend of a friend (who coincidentally is a super cute and freaking pig-headed girl, who guessed?) if she knows anything about it. She's doing field-work for a travel agency in southern america, so she might have been there already.
God, this place is so incredible...
Hey, certain someone :-) I'm sure you'd love to go too, right? And that photographer we know may well feel it's worth a trip too.
20 janvier 2006
Follow up
My iPod is dead, gone, I'm planning an official burial in the kitchen garbage bin this afternoon, no digging though.
Now, I need a contingency plan fast.
Let's review the options:
Philips HDD6320
Only works on Win XP, I have enough of billy's crap on my computer, and I HATE WHEN YOU DON'T GIVE ME A CHOICE. Your behaviour is offensive, Mr. Philips. And yes, this means no.
Creative Zen Sleek
May do, but it doens't look as good as an iPod and it seems to hang to often
Neuros 442
No need for video or supersize-me-screen, a tad expensive
iRiver H320
not available in france, H10 only supports Win XP, you know the drill...
iPod 30 GB vid 5G white
Last man standing, even though:
it doesn't support any open standards, only mp3 and proprietary lossless AAC
it's overrated
it's not geek anymore
it doesn't work on linux all that well
there's no external power supply anymore
it scratches like hell
battery life is shorter than it used to be
it got videos and a massive colour screen
it lasted 2 1/2 years, but my bros' haven't lasted 1 year 1/2
...
Now, I just need the money... ... ...
I need a job, fast...
Now, I need a contingency plan fast.
Let's review the options:
Philips HDD6320
Only works on Win XP, I have enough of billy's crap on my computer, and I HATE WHEN YOU DON'T GIVE ME A CHOICE. Your behaviour is offensive, Mr. Philips. And yes, this means no.
Creative Zen Sleek
May do, but it doens't look as good as an iPod and it seems to hang to often
Neuros 442
No need for video or supersize-me-screen, a tad expensive
iRiver H320
not available in france, H10 only supports Win XP, you know the drill...
iPod 30 GB vid 5G white
Last man standing, even though:
it doesn't support any open standards, only mp3 and proprietary lossless AAC
it's overrated
it's not geek anymore
it doesn't work on linux all that well
there's no external power supply anymore
it scratches like hell
battery life is shorter than it used to be
it got videos and a massive colour screen
it lasted 2 1/2 years, but my bros' haven't lasted 1 year 1/2
...
Now, I just need the money... ... ...
I need a job, fast...
17 janvier 2006
my iPod is dying
I've had it for longer than both my brothers, even though we bought it at the same time and I have been the roughest with it. I've actually crash-landed on it on a memorable friday night 14 months ago during a high speed skating session. It looks old and battered and used.
The hard drive was actually in pretty bad shape, I suspect clusters had been damaged during the fall and I could not listen to a few tracks; it would jump like a damaged CD. But it would work nonetheless. Until now...
Last saturday, it hung at the start of a song. No response to the clickwheel, no reaction when I plugged it, none either when I unplugged it, even the screen stopped being updated alltogether. Well, it all went back to normal when the batteries ran out and I plugged it. Until I tried listening to it in the train, unplugged. It died on me again, at the worst moment.
I'm trying to reinitialise it to see if it could help, but am quite sceptical it will last much longer.
So, I've started looking for a replacement. It needs:
at least 20 GB of harddrive space, possibly 30
Support for MP3 and OGG, if possible FLAC
Excellent sound quality
At least 8 hours of battery life
Easy navigation
Easy update process
Overall strength
Small form factor
It doesn't need:
video playback
picture galleries
fm radio
recording
And it's damn hard to find something cheap with these requirements
Best bet are:
Philips HDD6320 (no OGG)
Creative Zen Sleek (no OGG)
Neuros 442 (too big and no OGG yet)
iRiver H320 (super expensive)
iPod (no OGG)
this is tragic...
The hard drive was actually in pretty bad shape, I suspect clusters had been damaged during the fall and I could not listen to a few tracks; it would jump like a damaged CD. But it would work nonetheless. Until now...
Last saturday, it hung at the start of a song. No response to the clickwheel, no reaction when I plugged it, none either when I unplugged it, even the screen stopped being updated alltogether. Well, it all went back to normal when the batteries ran out and I plugged it. Until I tried listening to it in the train, unplugged. It died on me again, at the worst moment.
I'm trying to reinitialise it to see if it could help, but am quite sceptical it will last much longer.
So, I've started looking for a replacement. It needs:
at least 20 GB of harddrive space, possibly 30
Support for MP3 and OGG, if possible FLAC
Excellent sound quality
At least 8 hours of battery life
Easy navigation
Easy update process
Overall strength
Small form factor
It doesn't need:
video playback
picture galleries
fm radio
recording
And it's damn hard to find something cheap with these requirements
Best bet are:
Philips HDD6320 (no OGG)
Creative Zen Sleek (no OGG)
Neuros 442 (too big and no OGG yet)
iRiver H320 (super expensive)
iPod (no OGG)
this is tragic...
09 janvier 2006
enjoyable day
Two nice things and one not so nice happened to me today.
Not so nice: Flo and her husband's party to celebrate their moving to their new place has been postponed to later times. Damn, Haven't seen that lady in over 4 months now... Waiting for the next date to be decided upon.
Nice 1: I finally saw my interim agency. Not good news: my pay hasn't been processed, but my contract has been closed. Then we got interrupted by another contractor. And my manager lost her train of thought. So I tried to remember what we were talking about which gave something like: "Pay... Problem... not processed... needs to be addressed". At which point she and one coworker burst laughing. And my manager exclaimed "well he's a engineer, synthetic thinking, few words, effective communcation!!!". Sounds good to start my professional relations with a good laugh :-D
Nice 2: I've had a weird phone call this morning, unknown caller, but the number appeared. It was the daughter of a friend of my parents who recently moved to Toulouse. And a hell of a daughter, I haven't seen her since 1994. That's more or less half-my-life earlier. All I can remember of her is that she was so much more mature than I even though we were born the same year, and that the word "hot" had not been invented for any other girl. Ok, so she's in Toulouse now, with a name that doesn't ring a bell and we just thought we'd just reminisce on those 12 years since we last met. From the bits of news that reached me, she's certainly someone with a very personal and unique path.
That's going to be a nice evening. Rendez-vous in slightly less than 1 hour, I really don't know what to expect
am in a cheery mood :-)
Not so nice: Flo and her husband's party to celebrate their moving to their new place has been postponed to later times. Damn, Haven't seen that lady in over 4 months now... Waiting for the next date to be decided upon.
Nice 1: I finally saw my interim agency. Not good news: my pay hasn't been processed, but my contract has been closed. Then we got interrupted by another contractor. And my manager lost her train of thought. So I tried to remember what we were talking about which gave something like: "Pay... Problem... not processed... needs to be addressed". At which point she and one coworker burst laughing. And my manager exclaimed "well he's a engineer, synthetic thinking, few words, effective communcation!!!". Sounds good to start my professional relations with a good laugh :-D
Nice 2: I've had a weird phone call this morning, unknown caller, but the number appeared. It was the daughter of a friend of my parents who recently moved to Toulouse. And a hell of a daughter, I haven't seen her since 1994. That's more or less half-my-life earlier. All I can remember of her is that she was so much more mature than I even though we were born the same year, and that the word "hot" had not been invented for any other girl. Ok, so she's in Toulouse now, with a name that doesn't ring a bell and we just thought we'd just reminisce on those 12 years since we last met. From the bits of news that reached me, she's certainly someone with a very personal and unique path.
That's going to be a nice evening. Rendez-vous in slightly less than 1 hour, I really don't know what to expect
am in a cheery mood :-)
01 janvier 2006
Gelukkig nieuw jaar!!!!
Happy new year to you all!!
As usual for the few last years, I haven't made any foolish promises/wishes to do anything special in 2006. Until earlier today, it was still 2005 to me, I hadn't yet taken the decision to walk to 2006. I'll probably realise it tomorrow morning.
The christmas holidays went like a bullet, after all, I was barely gone for a week, leaving on the 24th and returning on the 31st to toulouse.
I didn't celebrate at all, the return home was more than enough for one day. I've rested today, waiting for the freezing temperature of my flat to rise to anything acceptable, and I'll probably do something tomorrow in the end.
Thanks everyone for your little words and your cards, I'll reply in time to each of you!!! Each has been a warm surprise to me, and I'll start this year with the thought of each of you as a friend and of all of you as my friends.
As usual for the few last years, I haven't made any foolish promises/wishes to do anything special in 2006. Until earlier today, it was still 2005 to me, I hadn't yet taken the decision to walk to 2006. I'll probably realise it tomorrow morning.
The christmas holidays went like a bullet, after all, I was barely gone for a week, leaving on the 24th and returning on the 31st to toulouse.
I didn't celebrate at all, the return home was more than enough for one day. I've rested today, waiting for the freezing temperature of my flat to rise to anything acceptable, and I'll probably do something tomorrow in the end.
Thanks everyone for your little words and your cards, I'll reply in time to each of you!!! Each has been a warm surprise to me, and I'll start this year with the thought of each of you as a friend and of all of you as my friends.
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