February 10, 2015

My Pet Computer is in the Shop

After several days of struggling with blogging on the iPad, I am now using my old laptop. I would have used it sooner but the power supply/battery charger was hiding in the bottom of a box on the bottom shelf of my office, and I neglected to look in that box the first couple of times I searched for the device.

As I mentioned on Friday, I broke the retina screen on my newer Macbook by letting it slip off my lap when I slipped off to sleep on the sofa. The computer part still worked by the bottom half of the display was blank.

laptop computerI seriously considered not having it fixed. Why spend hundreds of dollars fixing a computer that is over two years old? But getting a new Macbook with a retina display is quite expensive, and that's what I want because I've gotten spoiled by having one!

First I took my beloved computer to the "Geek Squad" at a store in Winchester. They could send it out for an estimate, which would take two and a half to three weeks. Oh, no! And a new screen could cost as much as $700! I cradled my laptop in my arms and brought it back home, hoping to find a better solution.

One possibility was to hook it to a separate monitor, but then it would not be a laptop in function; it would be a cobbled-together desktop. I decided to make an appointment with the "Genius Bar" at the Apple Store. The closest one is an hour's drive away and I'd have to brave the traffic around Fairfax, but you do what you have to do. So yesterday we drove to Fair Oaks Mall.

The technician confirmed that the screen needs to be replaced. They can do it there in 3 to 5 days. The price was several hundred dollars less than I feared, so I left my baby in their capable hands. I felt something close to separation anxiety as I left the store!


Rain had started to fall as we drove away.


The mall is a short drive from Fair Lakes, which has an office park where I once worked as a tech writer. It also has a Whole Foods Store, so I stopped there and picked up a few grocery items before heading home. It was 3:30 and rush hour traffic had already begun, but there were two of us so we were able to use the HOV lane and it moved along well. Once we passed Gainesville the traffic thinned out and we were in the country again.
Sharing with Our World Tuesday

8 comments:

  1. I feel for you. I go into panic and anxiety mode when anything happens to my computer. I'm on my second imac and it's more than 2 years old. Hopefully, I lucked out and this one will go longer than the first one. Hope you like your new screen.
    Take 25 to Hollister

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  2. Get an Ipad as a back up then. I've been hankering after an Apple for a while, I used a laptop & Nexus tablet at the moment.

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  3. I have a iPad which I think is great, but I use a pc and Microsoft laptop for editing and travel.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  4. glad you found a livable solution.

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  5. I got a new battery for my 3 - 4 year old, dear laptop. 1/4 of the price of a new laptop.

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  6. So sorry about the computer! Those things happen so fast and easily. :-(((

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  7. Yikes! That must've been one hard drop for it the screen to break like that. Thankfully, you decided to get it fixed as soon as possible, as it would've been troublesome using a laptop with only half its screen working. I do hope you've managed to pick it up by now, Linda. As I'm sure living without a computer is difficult to bear with. Thanks for sharing and all the best to you!

    Cordia Remsen @ RB’s Computer Service

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