Call this a post on learning to trust my instincts. Last spring, my old Dell laptop suffered simultaneous hinge cracks, making it unusable as a mobile computer. In desperation, I went to a couple of local stores to buy whatever I could find without a multi-week delay. My options were an assortment of machines by HP, Sony, Toshiba, and a couple of other manufacturers. Out of the desire to save a couple hundred bucks, but against my better instincts, I bought a Sony VGN-FE880E. Because I really just needed it to get me through one year of Law School, I got only the one-year accidental damage protection, on top of the one-year defective parts warranty. That was thirteen months ago.

Yesterday, the “n” key stopped working. It had been failing to register maybe 10% of presses, then 30%, then I used compressed air on it, and it stopped working altogether. Every single “n” in this post is the result of a copy-paste operation, which probably means that “v” and the left Control key are going next, despite the efforts of the “L” to beat both of them. And this is all out of warranty, so I can no longer get full use of this laptop without an external keyboard (already ordered).

The point: trust your instincts, and only buy laptops from widely trusted manufacturers.

In case anyone wonders, there are 82 occurrences of “n” in this post, out of 1454 total characters, for a frequency of 5.64%. This is what happens when you don’t have an “n” key:

Call this a post o learig to trust my isticts. Last sprig, my old Dell laptop suffered simultaeous hige cracks, makig it uusable as a mobile computer. I desperatio, I wet to a couple of local stores to buy whatever I could fid without a multi-week delay. My optios were a assortmet of machies by HP, Soy, Toshiba, ad a couple of other maufacturers. Out of the desire to save a couple hudred bucks, but agaist my better isticts, I bought a Soy VG-FE880E. Because I really just eeded it to get me through oe year of Law School, I got oly the oe-year accidetal damage protectio, o top of the oe-year defective parts warraty. That was thirtee moths ago.

Yesterday, the “” key stopped workig. It had bee failig to register maybe 10% of presses, the 30%, the I used compressed air o it, ad it stopped workig altogether. Every sigle “” i this post is the result of a copy-paste operatio, which probably meas that “v” ad the left Cotrol key are goig ext, despite the efforts of the “L” to beat both of them. Ad this is all out of warraty, so I ca o loger get full use of this laptop without a exteral keyboard (already ordered).

The poit: trust your isticts, ad oly buy laptops from widely trusted maufacturers.

I case ayoe woders, there are 82 occurreces of “” i this post, out of 1454 total characters, for a frequecy of 5.64%. This is what happes whe you do’t have a “” key:

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 26th, 2008 at 12:35 pm and is filed under Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.