<p>I would definitely get a “second opinion” before I sprang for a new one. If you can find a reputable local small business (maybe a friend can recommend one- put a call out on your facebook for recommendations of local places) I’d definitely spend a few dollars there to have them check it out first.</p>
<p>Some hardware problems are easy to fix. Replacing a hard drive on a laptop is about as simple as it gets. I just did this on my son’s HP and it was easier than installing RAM. Bought it for about $50 from Tiger Direct with free shipping.</p>
<p>Also, the AC Power jack is something that frequently fails, especially if the computer was dropped or jostled. A friend just sent hers off to a guy in Minnesota who specializes in repairing this. Got it fixed for like $88 including return shipping (Google “repair jack Pomeroy” to find the exact one we used, but there are dozens of these guys).</p>
<p>There is no need to buy a new machine unless you really need one (or unless it has Vista installed on it).</p>
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<p>What if both machines have an underlying manufacturing defect that could only be discovered through actual usage? While you may discover one machine has an issue, the warranty period may be such that the second machine may fail not long after the warranty expires. </p>
<p>Moreover, computers are like cars in that their net worth drops precipitously from the moment you take the laptop home and with each subsequent year of ownership. </p>
<p>Better to buy a higher quality notebook to begin with, use for 5+ years with far less hassles, and then replace/supplement it when that period elapses. </p>
<p>Only exceptions are if you can serve as your own tech support…including replacing/repairing any hardware yourself and you got the low-end machines for free/as close to free as you can.</p>
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<p>I’d agree so long as the machine is still serving the user(s) needs and its net worth/cost-benefit ratio has not dropped to the point he/she/they’d be better off putting that repair money towards buying a new machine with more advanced technology and warranty.</p>
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<p>That’s what we thought we were doing.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, you were caught out like many other consumers who were understandably banking on a brand’s past good reputation and found their QC has declined. </p>
<p>Several dozen friends and hundreds of clients experienced the same thing with Dell Inspirons(Consumer grade) and even some Latitudes(corporate grade) starting around 2003-4. Saw similar trends with HP starting around 2005. </p>
<p>Even though I happen to have a Dell Inspiron and HP notebooks from those eras…they were both obtained after clients dumped them on me after some problems or they strongly wanted to get a new machine. Got two machines…and actually got paid to take them off their hands. :)</p>
<p>So what are the good brands of PCs now?</p>
<p>A mid-high end Toshiba, Lenovo, or Apple. Keep in mind that brands do decline so it is better to evaluate based on specs and levels of reliable tech support*.</p>
<p>Also, which ports/parts exactly are you having a problem with?</p>
<p>*Best Buy’s Geek Squad doesn’t count from what my friends experienced and what I’ve seen from their work. Even read about a pending lawsuit because a Best Buy store sat on someone’s warranty repair until that warranty expired…then tried to jerk around the client on that basis. Heard great things about Lenovo’s and Apple’s tech support/warranty repairs.</p>
<p>Problem solved. Thanks for all the suggestions. Took it to an independent computer repair place. Replaced the bent jack and tightened everything up. $161.</p>
<p>(And to my son’s disappointed, “I kind of liked the idea of a new computer” I said, “You don’t have to spend all your money on fast food and video games. You can SAVE for a new computer.”)</p>
<p>Agree with the recommendation for a mid-priced Toshiba. Gave one to Lake Jr. for Christmas last year. All the bells and whistles, quality build and a great price. However, I expressed warned Junior that this was not a game playing machine. That what game consoles are for. As was said, for the basics of a typical student’s routine, such mid-priced laptops are fine.</p>
<p>missypie:</p>
<p>I’m glad it’s fixed and for a cost much lower than buying a new PC. Things like bent jacks are typically “user induced” in that someone wasn’t careful when swinging the laptop around while it was still plugged in or something similar so hopefully the same issue can be avoided now that you know what it was.</p>
<p>You also now have an alternative to Best Buy for computer repair.</p>
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<p>Unless your son is a CS/Engineering, multimedia related, or any other major requiring bleeding edge CPU/Video processing power…a 3 year old machine is more than good enough. </p>
<p>After all, I am typing this post on a 2003 era Dell Inspiron 1100 dumped on me by someone running Ubuntu 11.10 linux. :D</p>