[PLUG] Another laptop buyer

[Matt McKenzie]

On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 10:08 PM, MJang <mike at mommabears.com> wrote:

> Folks,
>
> It's been just about 3 years since I got this dell e1405 w/T7200 core 2
> duo CPU and it has served me well. Just tried closing the laptop, and
> the screen holder just cracked weirdly. I've gotten it retaped and
> screwed in place.
>
> It doesn't affect the functionality of the thing, but I'm taking it as a
> sign to at least get back up to speed on the latest in laptops.
>
> For the writing/testing that I do, I need hardware virtualzation, which
> is why I got this e1405 with the T7200 CPU / L2 cache of 4MB. Just
> browsing a bit, I see all sorts of bigger numbers, and Es, etc. And I'd
> much prefer to stay reasonably light (weight based on 13.3 / 14.5"
> screens).
>
> I see some interesting laptops with the P8600 CPU, but am wondering
> about the lower L2 cache of 3MB. Does that make a difference w/r/t
> hardware virtualization?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>
>

Hello,

Just to put my Dell laptop repair experience into play here, what do you
mean "screen holder"?
Do you mean the plastic bezel that sits in front of the LCD panel?  If so
that part should be easy to replace.  On some models those tend to break
somewhat easily.
You would need to remove a number of rubber bumpers, then you can remove the
screws underneath, and replace the bezel (on most models, some don't use the
screws on the bezel just hooks underneath).

Or are you talking about the top plastic piece that actually holds the LCD
panel (the lid of the laptop)?  That part is also replaceable but is a bit
more time consuming to replace (you would have to remove the LCD panel
itself and swap it over to the replacement lid piece).

Replacement parts may or may not be easily obtainable through Dell itself
(assuming this is out of warranty situation), but should be obtainable
through other means also, such as eBay or Craigslist.

I haven't worked on the e1405 but I have worked on many other models in the
current and n-3 year lineup, including e6400/e6500, and tons of D620/D630,
and D820/D380 series.

If the screen bezel is the only problem, then buying a whole new laptop may
be too much.

However, if you are talking about the LCD screen itself being broken, and if
it is out of warranty (3 years sounds like it would be), then it would make
more sense to purchase a new (or newer used) one.

I don't know about the newer P8600 CPU so I'll leave that part up to someone
else... ;)

----------
Matt M.
LinuxKnight