Where's a good place to get a laptop serviced?

GTA PokerGTA Poker
in Off Topic Lounge
My 10mo old HP laptop has had it's wireless broken for 8mo -- I have dealt with HP support on and off for 8mo without it being repaired, including having it shipped to HP and shipped back still not working. I will pay to have it repaired, but where should I go? Any suggestions?

Originally purchased at Future Shop, but they are more useless than HP. I'm thinking Best Buy Geek Squad vs private small repair shop, etc???

Where's good?

Thanks

Comments

  • westside8westside8
    I'm not sure if they do servicing, but a few friends of mine have purchased all their laptops at OTA Computers.

    http://www.otapc.com/
  • ScottyZScottyZ
    Where's a good place to get a laptop serviced?

    Strip club?

    ScottyZ
  • GTA PokerGTA Poker
    Sloth?

    Ban?
  • RAM_EhRAM_Eh
    I got my laptop fixed at Compusmart at Kennedy Commons. They did a good job and had it back in 3-4 days under warrentee.
  • compueasecompuease Admin
    Hey GTA, bring it with you to the Ryder this Sat and I will have a look at it for you. I'm in the business, although not necessarily laptops... Keep in mind that if it is a hardware problem it would have to go back to HP or an authorized dealer as HP won't sell parts to anyone... If it is hardware, one option you would have is to either use a PCMCIA wireless card or a USB wireless adapter to replace the broken internal device. Jeff...
  • Big EBig E
    Here are some authorized repair depots in the Toronto area, it's unfortunate you bought HP, their consumer laptops are garbage and their support is brutal. I have no idea how good these guys are but I think taking it here or sending it directly to HP are your only choices.
    What exactly is the problem? There are so many things that can go wrong with wireless devices. Like Compuease said, I may be able to help as well I have a lot of experience with computer hardware but laptops are a bit different...and a PCMCIA card may be a cheaper option with less inconvenience to you?

    Computer Systems Centre
    275 College Street
    Toronto, ON M5T 1S2
    Phone: (416) 927-8000

    OTA Computer Centre
    326 College Street
    Toronto, ON M5T 1S3
    Phone: (416) 922-1177

    CompuSmart Toronto
    151 Yonge St.
    Toronto, ON M5C 2W7
    Phone: (416) 504-6444
  • pkrfce9pkrfce9
    Buy a USB wireless dongle for $25. Far less hassle.
  • RAM_EhRAM_Eh
    pkrfce9 wrote:
    Buy a USB wireless dongle for $25. Far less hassle.

    Probably the best solution yet.

    You da man!
  • GTA PokerGTA Poker
    I've sent it previously to HP and they said that it is not hardware related -- at that time both the wireless failed and a week later the port for my cable internet failed. When shipped back the port worked but the wireless was still not functioning. They are claiming that it is software realted, but speaking with them on the phone repeatedly is a huge waste of my time and I would rather pay to have it repaired. They now recommend reinstalling the operating system, but I don't trust the idiots on the phone as they seem just to pull things out of the air to try and then say oh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah it must be this instead -- 4 hours later I have a laptop with no wireless access, rinse and repeat.

    I'd rather try to get it repaired than use an additional wireless card, but I guess that's an option. I'll bring it to the Ryder if anyone thinks they can be of some help.

    THanks guys.
  • pkrfce9pkrfce9
    Reinstall the operating system... LOL. Sounds like you got first level support.

    Taking it to the Ryder sounds like a good idea. Take your router too, so if the laptop is ok they can try to get the two to talk to each other. I'm assuming, however, that you did have it working at some point and you haven't knowingly changed anything so I'm pretty dubious that this is the problem.

    The good thing about the dongle is you can use it on a desktop computer if needed. Not sure if this matters to you but sometimes the flexibility comes in handy.
  • Big EBig E
    pkrfce9 wrote:
    The good thing about the dongle is you can use it on a desktop computer if needed. Not sure if this matters to you but sometimes the flexibility comes in handy.

    Good point, although USB networking devices are much slower then PCMCIA or PCI, but for ease and simplicity it is a decent option.

    Bring it Saturday, I'd bet we can get it working.
  • pkrfce9pkrfce9
    Big E wrote:
    Good point, although USB networking devices are much slower then PCMCIA or PCI, but for ease and simplicity it is a decent option.
    Really? I've seen them rated at 54 or 108Mbs. How fast do you need them to be?
  • GTA PokerGTA Poker
    pkrfce9 wrote:
    Reinstall the operating system... LOL. Sounds like you got first level support.

    Taking it to the Ryder sounds like a good idea. Take your router too, so if the laptop is ok they can try to get the two to talk to each other. I'm assuming, however, that you did have it working at some point and you haven't knowingly changed anything so I'm pretty dubious that this is the problem.

    You are correct, sir
  • Big EBig E
    pkrfce9 wrote:
    Big E wrote:
    Good point, although USB networking devices are much slower then PCMCIA or PCI, but for ease and simplicity it is a decent option.
    Really? I've seen them rated at 54 or 108Mbs. How fast do you need them to be?

    Just because they advertise a speed, doesn't mean they deliver.

    USB 1.1 supports two speeds 1.5Mbps and 12Mbps, 802.11b is the only wireless standard supported on USB1.1 and it's limited to 11Mbps also keep in mind USB devices do not have a processor they rely on and tax the system processor....a PCI or PCMCIA card will have a processor on it so it will tax your system less, also the old 33Mhz PCI bus allowed for speeds up to 132Mbps, newer PCI buses allow for speeds up to 1066Mbps and higher! So if you only have a USB 1.1 slot and buy a 10/100/1000 usb network adapter you will not get speeds of 100Mbps, you will be limited to 11Mbps, a PCI/PCMCIA card will transfer up to 1000Mbps!

    USB 2 supports speeds up to 480Mbps, if you want to use a 802.11a (54Mbps) or 802.11g (54/11Mbps) you have to have USB 2 support, most new laptops do, some older ones don't if you have a 802.11g device in a USB 1.1 slot it will run at 11Mbps not the advertised 54Mbps speed you see onthe box!

    Sure USB 2 has closed the gap considerably and although it's still not as fast it is fast enough to allow full blown 802.11a speeds but keep in mind USB devices tax your processor more then PCI/PCMCIA cards will. That and the fact that not everything is USB 2 yet I still prefer a PCI or PCMCIA card over USB.

    All that said, if you have USB 2 then a wireless USB 802.11g card should run fast enough that you'd never know the difference.
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