Keep notebook or accept refund?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.

But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
replace it.

If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.

My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
in my possession are as follows:

- display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
- 512 MB RAM
- 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
- built-in WiFi
- Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
- DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
- and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.

Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?

Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.

Miner2049er.

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

google_groups@excite.com wrote:
> In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
> Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
> second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
> brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
> higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>
> But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
> always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
> Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
> after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
> A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
> replace it.
>
> If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
> tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>
> My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
> with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
> I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
> A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
> in my possession are as follows:
>
> - display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
> - 512 MB RAM
> - 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
> - built-in WiFi
> - Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
> - DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
> - and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>
> Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>
> Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>
> Miner2049er.
>

Make yourself a set of demo screens to look for bad pixels.
Go to the local computer store, the one where you pay higher prices.
Go thru their stock with your test program until you find a unit you
like and buy it. Now, all you have to worry about is the alignment of
the laser in the CD, the bearings in the hard drive, sticking keyboard,
touchy mouse, weak hinges, busted access doors, flakey ram, overheating
cpu, intermittent floppy, overheating power supply, weak battery...and
whether you missed a bad pixel.

If the only problem you have is one bad pixel, count yourself among the
lucky!!!
mike

--
Return address is VALID but some sites block emails
with links. Delete this sig when replying.
..
Wanted, PCMCIA SCSI Card for HP m820 CDRW.
FS 500MHz Tek DSOscilloscope TDS540 Make Offer
Wanted 12" LCD for Compaq Armada 7770MT.
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
MAKE THE OBVIOUS CHANGES TO THE LINK
ht<removethis>tp://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

google_groups@excite.com wrote:
> In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
> Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
> second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
> brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
> higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>
> But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
> always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
> Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
> after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
> A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
> replace it.
>
> If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
> tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>
> My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
> with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
> I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
> A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
> in my possession are as follows:
>
> - display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
> - 512 MB RAM
> - 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
> - built-in WiFi
> - Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
> - DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
> - and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>
> Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>
> Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>
> Miner2049er.
>
Personally, I believe that once such a defect has been noticed, it will
become more and more difficult to overlook it.
Some people can drive a car with the big warning light on and barely
notice it. I could not. So you have to decide whether you honestly feel
you will eventually manage to not even notice this bad pixel. If in
doubt, take the money and start all over again. A laptop that has a
defect you cannot accept and live with is like a bad couple: headed for
divorce.

--
John Doue

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Keep the laptop.

Any laptop can have not just one, but multiple dead pixels, and none of
the laptop makers consider a "small" number of dead pixels to be a
"defect". Any brand new laptop that you buy, from any vendor, might
have more than one dead pixel and would not be considered defective.
[At some point, if there are an excessive number of dead pixels, it is
considered defective, but while each laptop maker sets there own rules,
I think that up to about 6 bad pixels is never considered to be a defect.]


google_groups@excite.com wrote:

> In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
> Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
> second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
> brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
> higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>
> But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
> always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
> Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
> after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
> A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
> replace it.
>
> If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
> tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>
> My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
> with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
> I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
> A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
> in my possession are as follows:
>
> - display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
> - 512 MB RAM
> - 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
> - built-in WiFi
> - Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
> - DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
> - and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>
> Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>
> Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>
> Miner2049er.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

By the way, the same thing applies to desktop LCD monitors. These LCD
displays have over 2 million pixels (counting that there is a red, blue
and green pixels for each image pixel), and it's asking a lot go
guarantee that not one pixel out of more than 2 million is defective.
While perfect panels certainly exist, if every panel with any defective
pixels was junked, the cost of a laptop or LCD monitor would probably
triple.


Barry Watzman wrote:

> Keep the laptop.
>
> Any laptop can have not just one, but multiple dead pixels, and none of
> the laptop makers consider a "small" number of dead pixels to be a
> "defect". Any brand new laptop that you buy, from any vendor, might
> have more than one dead pixel and would not be considered defective. [At
> some point, if there are an excessive number of dead pixels, it is
> considered defective, but while each laptop maker sets there own rules,
> I think that up to about 6 bad pixels is never considered to be a defect.]
>
>
> google_groups@excite.com wrote:
>
>> In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
>> Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
>> second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
>> brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
>> higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>>
>> But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
>> always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
>> Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
>> after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
>> A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
>> replace it.
>>
>> If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
>> tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>>
>> My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
>> with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
>> I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
>> A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
>> in my possession are as follows:
>>
>> - display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
>> - 512 MB RAM
>> - 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
>> - built-in WiFi
>> - Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
>> - DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
>> - and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>>
>> Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>>
>> Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>>
>> Miner2049er.
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Barry Watzman wrote:
> By the way, the same thing applies to desktop LCD monitors. These LCD
> displays have over 2 million pixels (counting that there is a red,
> blue and green pixels for each image pixel), and it's asking a lot go
> guarantee that not one pixel out of more than 2 million is defective.
> While perfect panels certainly exist, if every panel with any
> defective pixels was junked, the cost of a laptop or LCD monitor
> would probably triple.
>
>
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>
>> Keep the laptop.
>>
>> Any laptop can have not just one, but multiple dead pixels, and none
>> of the laptop makers consider a "small" number of dead pixels to be a
>> "defect". Any brand new laptop that you buy, from any vendor, might
>> have more than one dead pixel and would not be considered defective.
>> [At some point, if there are an excessive number of dead pixels, it
>> is considered defective, but while each laptop maker sets there own
>> rules, I think that up to about 6 bad pixels is never considered to
>> be a
>> defect.] google_groups@excite.com wrote:
>>
>>> In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
>>> Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
>>> second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with
>>> a brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different
>>> (mainly higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>>>
>>> But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
>>> always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
>>> Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
>>> after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my
>>> original A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included)
>>> rather than replace it.
>>>
>>> If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25
>>> % tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new
>>> notebook. My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time
>>> (July
>>> 2005) with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150
>>> (+tax) OR have I got a good notebook for the price, and should I
>>> stay with the Toshiba A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the
>>> A70-S249 I currently have in my possession are as follows:
>>>
>>> - display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
>>> - 512 MB RAM
>>> - 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
>>> - built-in WiFi
>>> - Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
>>> - DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
>>> - and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>>>
>>> Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>>>
>>> Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Miner2049er.

As an aside, I have had "hot" (single colored, always on) pixels on flat
panels, camera LCDs, and laptop LCD screens. Almost without exception
(noted below) all of these have been unnoticeable/inconsequential after
a few [insert your time period here] of operation or disappeared after a
time. The only exception was a newly released Toshiba 430CDT (1997?)
that pixelated maybe 20% of the entire screen on the first out of box
boot. It was a wonder to behold!

Anyway, most users don't notice the one hot pixel after a few
days/weeks/months of operation. Frankly, there is no guarantee (except
Fujitsu, with their "no" pixelation guarantee?) that the next screen
will not have one or more hot pixels.

Q

 

[Mikey]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

My Wife bought an LCD Monitor that had 3 dead pixels but they were to the
side and only noticeable on dark screens, so she kept it.
However about 3 months later she noticed about 5 more had appeared and 3 of
these were clumped together in the middle of the screen and very noticeable.
She managed to get an exchange and the one she got had none.
I don't know if once you get them there is a chance of more appearing or
not.
Mike

<google_groups@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1123053761.568616.115660@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
> Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
> second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
> brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
> higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>
> But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
> always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
> Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
> after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
> A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
> replace it.
>
> If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
> tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>
> My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
> with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
> I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
> A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
> in my possession are as follows:
>
> - display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
> - 512 MB RAM
> - 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
> - built-in WiFi
> - Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
> - DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
> - and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>
> Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>
> Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>
> Miner2049er.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

It's not a given that a screen with dead pixels will develop more, but
any screen (including one with no dead pixels initially) can develop
more. Somewhere around 4 to 12, most mfgrs. will accept the product as
defective and replace the screen or the entire device, and this applies
not only "out of the box" but during the entire warranty period. Also,
in many cases there are additional critera, for example a mfgr. may
consider anything under "n" dead pixels to be not defective, but the
criteria may allow that if any two dead pixels are adjacent then it's a
defect even if those two are the only bad pixels and 2 pixels is
otherwise not considered to be a defect. I've also seen a critera that
said that if a single US nickel (5-cent piece) could cover any two dead
pixels, then it was considered defective. Every mfgr. has their own
policy. In you wife's case, she got up to 8 bad pixels, and for most
manufacturers, that has met or crossed the threshold for a "bad" panel.


Mikey wrote:
> My Wife bought an LCD Monitor that had 3 dead pixels but they were to the
> side and only noticeable on dark screens, so she kept it.
> However about 3 months later she noticed about 5 more had appeared and 3 of
> these were clumped together in the middle of the screen and very noticeable.
> She managed to get an exchange and the one she got had none.
> I don't know if once you get them there is a chance of more appearing or
> not.
> Mike
>
> <google_groups@excite.com> wrote in message
> news:1123053761.568616.115660@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>>In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
>>Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
>>second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
>>brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
>>higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>>
>>But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
>>always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
>>Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
>>after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
>>A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
>>replace it.
>>
>>If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
>>tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>>
>>My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
>>with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
>>I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
>>A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
>>in my possession are as follows:
>>
>>- display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
>>- 512 MB RAM
>>- 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
>>- built-in WiFi
>>- Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
>>- DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
>>- and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>>
>>Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>>
>>Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>>
>>Miner2049er.
>>
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Take the refund and buy an IBM. And get a Centrino, not a P4. That is
passe in a laptop now.

On 3 Aug 2005 00:22:41 -0700, google_groups@excite.com wrote:

>In the past few months I had a problem with the plastic case of my
>Toshiba Satellite A65-S126 warping when it got warm, and so after a
>second repair job under warranty, Toshiba replaced it recently with a
>brand-new Satellite A70-S249, which has a number of different (mainly
>higher) specifications to the original A65-S126.
>
>But, although brand new, this A70-S249 has a single defective
>always-bright pixel close to the center of the screen. Initially,
>Toshiba said they would NOT replace it because of this defect, but
>after correseponding with them they have offered to refund my original
>A65-S126 total purchase price of $1,243.79 (tax included) rather than
>replace it.
>
>If I take this refund, it gives me just under $1,150 (plus the 8.25 %
>tax to be added on if I purchase locally) to spend on a new notebook.
>
>My question is - can I get a notebook at this present time (July 2005)
>with equal or better specs than the A70-S249 for $1,150 (+tax) OR have
>I got a good notebook for the price, and should I stay with the Toshiba
>A70-S249 and its bad pixel? The specs of the A70-S249 I currently have
>in my possession are as follows:
>
>- display is non-shiny (which I prefer) 1280 x 800 widescreen 15.4"
>- 512 MB RAM
>- 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM)
>- built-in WiFi
>- Mobile Pentium 4 with hyper-threading/dual processor feature
>- DVD-rewritable drive (single layer)
>- and a few other extras, such as infra-red, firewire etc.
>
>Is one bad pixel, though always-bright and obvious, a big deal?
>
>Any comments would be appreciated - thanks in advance.
>
>Miner2049er.
>