Laptop repair

noah45

I have 3 broken laptops, 1 which I think is for the bin, but it seems to be the screens in the other 2 that are the problem.

Is there anyone in the Athlone area that fixes laptops apart from midl++d computers as they are expensive.

Basically I need them checked to see if they are worth fixing.

Anyone ?

Thanks

memaul

there is a foreign guy near b and q that fixed up my laptop. he was very reasonable an helpful.

cant remember his name but his number is 085 8406783

BoB_BoT

Our company (Avova) does it, we're based in Blyry Industrial Estate, assessment is free, if we can fix it, we'll give you a quote.

AckwelFoley

BoB_BoT wrote: »

Our company (Avova) does it, we're based in Blyry Industrial Estate, assessment is free, if we can fix it, we'll give you a quote.

I work in Blyry too.

.>.>
<.<.

I was only talking to the father of one of the guys in that pc company on friday.

I grew up as a kid in his house mothers house.

The plot thickens

BoB_BoT

lol, dunnnn dunnnn dunnnnnnnnnn.

I think Athlone is in dire need of an "Athlone Beers" or "Westmeath Beers"

IPushButtons

The net cafe beside JD's, they repair computers, nice staff in there too

BoB_BoT

That's me in the NetCafé too I'm everywhere haha.

Glad to hear people think we're nice

tubos

Bob_BoT do you fix Playstation 3's??

BoB_BoT

To an extent, what seems to be the problem with it?

tubos

It seems to turn on ok, but no picture on tv, checked hdmi connection and seems ok. It can't be turned off at the switch on the front. It beeps 3 times and stays on. There is a small green light on the front panel near the usb ports which seems ok. I will try to replace the hard drive and hope thats the problem. Santa is bringing a few games for it, so need to get it sorted!!

noah45

Great service from the net cafe, thanks Rob.

An Ri rua

memaul wrote: »

there is a foreign guy near b and q that fixed up my laptop. he was very reasonable an helpful.

cant remember his name but his number is 085 8406783

He's not reasonable at all. Well, specifially not in my case anyway. I'm sure he must have been at other times.

I just got a quote from him for repairing a DC jack in an old (very old) Inspiron 4000 laptop. Told him I had the jack. How much to check and install etc. He quoted €75-85. That's not reasonable, that's CRAZY !! The jack cost €4 delivered from eBay, I can buy a quality soldering kit and a quality screwdriver set delivered from eBay for under half that and I can repair it using many How To videos online. I figured if the guy said €30, seeing as I have the part, we'd rock n roll. 75-85? That's halfway to a netbook?

The problem with Ireland is that we are ALL to used to fleecing. There is steady business (nixers) for those who can tidy up behind the mass waste of consumerism. Rant over. Off to my watchlist on ebay I go.......

BoB_BoT

An Ri rua wrote: »

He's not reasonable at all. Well, specifially not in my case anyway. I'm sure he must have been at other times.

I just got a quote from him for repairing a DC jack in an old (very old) Inspiron 4000 laptop. Told him I had the jack. How much to check and install etc. He quoted €75-85. That's not reasonable, that's CRAZY !! The jack cost €4 delivered from eBay, I can buy a quality soldering kit and a quality screwdriver set delivered from eBay for under half that and I can repair it using many How To videos online. I figured if the guy said €30, seeing as I have the part, we'd rock n roll. 75-85? That's halfway to a netbook?

The problem with Ireland is that we are ALL to used to fleecing. There is steady business (nixers) for those who can tidy up behind the mass waste of consumerism. Rant over. Off to my watchlist on ebay I go.......

85 is a bit much, I would have charged you 60 for a DC Jack replacement. It may seem like a lot to you, but when you take out tax, insurance, having to guarantee the repair etc... you won't get that with a nixer.
If you break the laptop, be it during disassembly, or removing the old jack, it's no skin off your nose. If I break it, I've to replace the laptop/mainboard, big difference.

I don't know how the person quoted operates, but if it's a legitimate business (registered and paying tax), I'm sure there's operational costs. If you have a premises, there's more cost. It's one thing to work out of a bedroom and dodge the taxman, it's another to do it right.

It's great if you can do it yourself, but a lot of people can't. I've had half butchered pcs and laptops brought into me over the years, where "lad" next door had a go at fixing them. Screwdrivers through mainboards and screens, processors overheating and damaged due to forgetting to plug back in fans, or attaching heatsinks properly.

At the end of the day, I need to put a price on my time and set my rates. It's no good to me if I'm working on something that takes 1-2 hours and I get 30 euro out of it. You could do it at a lower rate if you're getting 40 hours a week worth of business and had no operational costs, but that's not how it works in this business :P It's just not feasible to provide it at 30 euro if you're trying to live on it, while paying bills.

BoB_BoT

tubos wrote: »

It seems to turn on ok, but no picture on tv, checked hdmi connection and seems ok. It can't be turned off at the switch on the front. It beeps 3 times and stays on. There is a small green light on the front panel near the usb ports which seems ok. I will try to replace the hard drive and hope thats the problem. Santa is bringing a few games for it, so need to get it sorted!!

Humm sounds like possibly it's on the wrong video setting. Was it always on the HDMI connection? Try this, with the ps3 turned off, turn it on by holding the power button (keep it held) you should hear a beep followed by another one shortly after. Let me know what happens.

whyulittle

snyper wrote: »

I work in Blyry too.

.>.>
<.<.

I was only talking to the father of one of the guys in that pc company on friday.

I grew up as a kid in his house mothers house.

The plot thickens

BoB_BoT wrote: »

lol, dunnnn dunnnn dunnnnnnnnnn.

BoB_BoT wrote: »

That's me in the NetCafé too I'm everywhere haha.

Ha, my cousin works there!

You're not my cousin, are you?

BoB_BoT

oooo, this is getting a bit creepy :P haha

Well if your cousins name is Rob, then we have a winner!

strangel00p

An Ri rua wrote: »

He's not reasonable at all. Well, specifially not in my case anyway. I'm sure he must have been at other times.

I just got a quote from him for repairing a DC jack in an old (very old) Inspiron 4000 laptop. Told him I had the jack. How much to check and install etc. He quoted €75-85. That's not reasonable, that's CRAZY !! The jack cost €4 delivered from eBay, I can buy a quality soldering kit and a quality screwdriver set delivered from eBay for under half that and I can repair it using many How To videos online. I figured if the guy said €30, seeing as I have the part, we'd rock n roll. 75-85? That's halfway to a netbook?

The problem with Ireland is that we are ALL to used to fleecing. There is steady business (nixers) for those who can tidy up behind the mass waste of consumerism. Rant over. Off to my watchlist on ebay I go.......

woah! hang on there one second. To repair a dc jack involves stripping a laptop down to pcb level before you even begin to make the repair. I wouldn't charge less than €80 for it either.

If you were to get an electrician or plumber in to do a relatively simple job it will cost at least €100. Just because it's computer work doesn't mean it should be for nothing.

stylers

strangel00p wrote: »

woah! hang on there one second. To repair a dc jack involves stripping a laptop down to pcb level before you even begin to make the repair. I wouldn't charge less than €80 for it either.

If you were to get an electrician or plumber in to do a relatively simple job it will cost at least €100. Just because it's computer work doesn't mean it should be for nothing.

+1

It might seem like a small job to you, (and everyone seems to think the same) but by the time you've taken out all those screws, figured out the hidden ones and stripped it down to PCB level (without damaging anything), it'll have taken almost an hour of your time. you won't fix the jack easily with a cheapie ebay soldering iron either. what about the other tools you'd need ?. what if the pcb is damaged ?. If you fixed it sucessfully for someone else, I guarantee you'd be looking for that much too.

AckwelFoley

whyulittle wrote: »

Ha, my cousin works there!

You're not my cousin, are you?

- the chap there is the son of a man that grew up beside me in Baylough - lived in moate for a while and has 2 sons.. i remember the older lad when he was a baby -and thats nearly something like 28 years ago!:eek:

An Ri rua

stylers wrote: »

+1

It might seem like a small job to you, (and everyone seems to think the same) but by the time you've taken out all those screws, figured out the hidden ones and stripped it down to PCB level (without damaging anything), it'll have taken almost an hour of your time. you won't fix the jack easily with a cheapie ebay soldering iron either. what about the other tools you'd need ?. what if the pcb is damaged ?. If you fixed it sucessfully for someone else, I guarantee you'd be looking for that much too.

Therein lies the problem. 'figured out the hidden ones. Reminds me of the time I brought a car to an authorised dealer to put an aerial in. Afterwards, he said he should have charged more because it took him an awful long time. But he wouldn't this time etc. It was his first time doing that particular job, he said. And he wanted me to pay for his education?

What are computer technicians charging generally per hour? Then what will someone charge to fix a particular laptop issue? Thinsg need to be priced accurately. Someone else mentioned what if they damaged the motherboard? You can't be serious. That's what insurance is for. If you are pricing in being a CLOT, then I would not be inclined to do business with you. A craftsperson / tradesperson does not price in being a CLOT. Get real lads.

I am seeking a legit fixer. But not seeking someone with a fancy premises and fancy leased jeep etc. That's what's wrong with Ireland now. I use work at home mechanics, ex garage, who really know their sh1t. Reputation ALONE carries them. Not guarantees or priced-in f**k-ups. Too many people are in the service business who don't know enough. Its the smarts I want to pay for, not someone who has the tools. As I said, I can buy tools myself and I'm fairly handy around such things, so that is what I am going to buy. And the poster who siad the soldering kits aren't up to scratch? Inside a €50 budget, yes, they are.

An electrician and a plumber have proper apprenticeships behind them, do all computer techs? The best ones I've come across over the years don't, by the way. And electricians & plumbers prices have fallen big-time.

I'm very interested to know the labour rate some of you proponents are putting forward? €40 an hour? Like a mechanic in a garage with a huge property binge (sorry, overhead)? Me, I like to shop with value-conscious suppliers, not those in on the consumerist bull run. Lowering the labour rate would mean more work in the door. Nobody in their right mind will pay €40 an hour when they're on maybe 8-25 if they're lucky. Yes, there are overheads like insurance, premises etc but all businesses need to address the market first, not their costbase first.

THAT is why we are scrapping useful cars and scrapping useful IT. I'm not a fan, lads. No disrespect to anyone here who HAS to charge higher prices. I respect that, but its not for me. I am not seeking a tax evader, I'm seeking a value-conscious low-cost operation. There will be MORE of them in every sector now. Out of the 450k unemployed. Its a natural process resulting from the PROPERTY INFECTION/ BINGE.

BoB_BoT

snyper wrote: »

- the chap there is the son of a man that grew up beside me in Baylough - lived in moate for a while and has 2 sons.. i remember the older lad when he was a baby -and thats nearly something like 28 years ago!:eek:

That's one of the other lads then

BoB_BoT

An Ri rua wrote: »

Therein lies the problem. 'figured out the hidden ones. Reminds me of the time I brought a car to an authorised dealer to put an aerial in. Afterwards, he said he should have charged more because it took him an awful long time. But he wouldn't this time etc. It was his first time doing that particular job, he said. And he wanted me to pay for his education?

To know every model inside out of any laptop is virtually impossible, however with experience it becomes a lot easier to disassemble and figure out where there might be hidden screws.

On the mechanic analogy, do you think he shouldn't have been paid for his work, despite using his knowledge to figure out how to attach/install the new aerial?

An Ri rua wrote: »

What are computer technicians charging generally per hour? Then what will someone charge to fix a particular laptop issue? Thinsg need to be priced accurately. Someone else mentioned what if they damaged the motherboard? You can't be serious. That's what insurance is for. If you are pricing in being a CLOT, then I would not be inclined to do business with you. A craftsperson / tradesperson does not price in being a CLOT. Get real lads.

I charge by the job, unless it's a call out, in that case, it goes by time.
It was myself that mentioned what if I damage the laptop. The reason I wouldn't claim against insurance is it would drive premiums up. If it's 100euro of damage, you take the hit. If it was 1000, that's different and even at that, insurance will only cover a certain amount. Also, are you honestly telling me, you've never made a mistake at your job/work?

Mistakes and faults can happen, you're full of yourself if you think they'd never happen if you were doing it.

An Ri rua wrote: »

I am seeking a legit fixer. But not seeking someone with a fancy premises and fancy leased jeep etc. That's what's wrong with Ireland now. I use work at home mechanics, ex garage, who really know their sh1t. Reputation ALONE carries them. Not guarantees or priced-in f**k-ups. Too many people are in the service business who don't know enough. Its the smarts I want to pay for, not someone who has the tools. As I said, I can buy tools myself and I'm fairly handy around such things, so that is what I am going to buy. And the poster who siad the soldering kits aren't up to scratch? Inside a €50 budget, yes, they are.

Who said we have leased jeeps or fancy premises, I sure as hell don't. With regards to reputation, absolutely, it's what keeps customers coming back. The ****ups aren't priced in, but you have to take the financial hit if it happens.
If you're taking in 60euro a day trying to run a business, that's not possible, if you're doing nixers and have no overheads, then you're laughing, 60euro you didn't have before.

An Ri rua wrote: »

An electrician and a plumber have proper apprenticeships behind them, do all computer techs? The best ones I've come across over the years don't, by the way. And electricians & plumbers prices have fallen big-time.

You seem to think that being a computer technician is an unskilled job. I personally have years of experience, an electronics degree, in the process of sitting more certification exams, and on top of that all a personal interest in electronics and computers. I spend an uncountable amount of time, keeping myself up to date on new systems, electronics, software etc... But it's ok, all that can be found in a how-to guide.

An Ri rua wrote: »

I'm very interested to know the labour rate some of you proponents are putting forward? €40 an hour? Like a mechanic in a garage with a huge property binge (sorry, overhead)? Me, I like to shop with value-conscious suppliers, not those in on the consumerist bull run. Lowering the labour rate would mean more work in the door. Nobody in their right mind will pay €40 an hour when they're on maybe 8-25 if they're lucky. Yes, there are overheads like insurance, premises etc but all businesses need to address the market first, not their costbase first.

Lowering the labor rate does not equate to more business. At the end of the week/month, wages, rent, insurance, rates, tax, utilities all need to be paid. Making sweet **** all on a couple of repairs will not cover that.

An Ri rua wrote: »

THAT is why we are scrapping useful cars and scrapping useful IT. I'm not a fan, lads. No disrespect to anyone here who HAS to charge higher prices. I respect that, but its not for me. I am not seeking a tax evader, I'm seeking a value-conscious low-cost operation. There will be MORE of them in every sector now. Out of the 450k unemployed. Its a natural process resulting from the PROPERTY INFECTION/ BINGE.

"A value conscious low-cost operation" sounds like you want the work done for what you think it's worth. Who's definition of value are we using here? If I fix a DC jack on a laptop, I give the inside a proper cleaning, put it back together, check all is working fine, test it for an hour to insure there's no problems, battery charges and all. That's 2-3 hours of attention I'll have to give that one job. Would I do that for 20-30 euro, no, absolutely not.

Out of interest, have you ever run a business? If you can get customers beating each other to get in the door, doing jobs for 30euro have a go. You'll soon turn back on saying I'll do this or that for 30euro when you're trying to live on it.

tubos

BoB_BoT wrote: »

Humm sounds like possibly it's on the wrong video setting. Was it always on the HDMI connection? Try this, with the ps3 turned off, turn it on by holding the power button (keep it held) you should hear a beep followed by another one shortly after. Let me know what happens.

Its funny when I keep my finger down it beeps once, I leave it pressed and it beeps again a few seconds after but it doesn't seem like anything happened. I have done the video setting thing before and I think the beeps are slightly different this time! Ah well!

stylers

An Ri rua wrote: »

Therein lies the problem. 'figured out the hidden ones. Reminds me of the time I brought a car to an authorised dealer to put an aerial in. Afterwards, he said he should have charged more because it took him an awful long time. But he wouldn't this time etc. It was his first time doing that particular job, he said. And he wanted me to pay for his education?

What are computer technicians charging generally per hour? Then what will someone charge to fix a particular laptop issue? Thinsg need to be priced accurately. Someone else mentioned what if they damaged the motherboard? You can't be serious. That's what insurance is for. If you are pricing in being a CLOT, then I would not be inclined to do business with you. A craftsperson / tradesperson does not price in being a CLOT. Get real lads.

I am seeking a legit fixer. But not seeking someone with a fancy premises and fancy leased jeep etc. That's what's wrong with Ireland now. I use work at home mechanics, ex garage, who really know their sh1t. Reputation ALONE carries them. Not guarantees or priced-in f**k-ups. Too many people are in the service business who don't know enough. Its the smarts I want to pay for, not someone who has the tools. As I said, I can buy tools myself and I'm fairly handy around such things, so that is what I am going to buy. And the poster who siad the soldering kits aren't up to scratch? Inside a €50 budget, yes, they are.

An electrician and a plumber have proper apprenticeships behind them, do all computer techs? The best ones I've come across over the years don't, by the way. And electricians & plumbers prices have fallen big-time.

I'm very interested to know the labour rate some of you proponents are putting forward? €40 an hour? Like a mechanic in a garage with a huge property binge (sorry, overhead)? Me, I like to shop with value-conscious suppliers, not those in on the consumerist bull run. Lowering the labour rate would mean more work in the door. Nobody in their right mind will pay €40 an hour when they're on maybe 8-25 if they're lucky. Yes, there are overheads like insurance, premises etc but all businesses need to address the market first, not their costbase first.

THAT is why we are scrapping useful cars and scrapping useful IT. I'm not a fan, lads. No disrespect to anyone here who HAS to charge higher prices. I respect that, but its not for me. I am not seeking a tax evader, I'm seeking a value-conscious low-cost operation. There will be MORE of them in every sector now. Out of the 450k unemployed. Its a natural process resulting from the PROPERTY INFECTION/ BINGE.

since you seem to know so much about the motor/consumer electronics/IT service industry, I think you should give it a shot yourself..

An Ri rua

stylers wrote: »

since you seem to know so much about the motor/consumer electronics/IT service industry, I think you should give it a shot yourself..

I already said that was exactly what I was going to do stoolers