09/06/2009, 01:01 PM
My laptop charger has just died. I was using it earlier when I noticed the AC LED on the laptop wasn't on. I checked the socket and everything was plugged in and turned on. I replaced the fuse on the plug, I wiggled the cables but nothing would coax it back into life. The blocky bit seems to be making a whining noise so I've unplugged it.
Anyway's I've Googled the problem and it seems to be quite common. So i checked the Toshiba website which simply referred me to the PC World helpline (where I bought it from). I've phoned that (surprisingly painless. No waiting for a someone in India to pick up the phone. No cheesy music while waiting. Just a nice, plain, reassuring ring while the computer put me through to someone who spoke English!) and they say that the whole shabang has to be sent off... The laptop and the charger are treated as a single unit, therefore it all has to be sent off for repair or replacement. I was offered the chance to buy a replacement charger for £40 (!). A quick eBay search found that an original Toshiba charger of exactly the same model as the one I have now cost around £15. The one that PC World sell isn't even an original but a "Universal" charger. My dad's going to have a look around in work to see if they have any hanging around from the last crop of laptops to be replaced...
Anyways... It's back to the good ol' desktop for now. I forgot how slow it is compared to the laptop. I've gotten used to doing many things at once but I just can't with this. I've also noticed how much better the monitor and sound are...
Anyway's I've Googled the problem and it seems to be quite common. So i checked the Toshiba website which simply referred me to the PC World helpline (where I bought it from). I've phoned that (surprisingly painless. No waiting for a someone in India to pick up the phone. No cheesy music while waiting. Just a nice, plain, reassuring ring while the computer put me through to someone who spoke English!) and they say that the whole shabang has to be sent off... The laptop and the charger are treated as a single unit, therefore it all has to be sent off for repair or replacement. I was offered the chance to buy a replacement charger for £40 (!). A quick eBay search found that an original Toshiba charger of exactly the same model as the one I have now cost around £15. The one that PC World sell isn't even an original but a "Universal" charger. My dad's going to have a look around in work to see if they have any hanging around from the last crop of laptops to be replaced...
Anyways... It's back to the good ol' desktop for now. I forgot how slow it is compared to the laptop. I've gotten used to doing many things at once but I just can't with this. I've also noticed how much better the monitor and sound are...