HP Wimpy Laptop computer plug

[glenn kangiser]

Note: I may have problems getting here once in a while for a bit until my new laptop arrives.

I like HP laptops but they all suffer from a very poor power plug connector - a little excess stress or trip over the cord and it breaks loose from the mother board- a very complicated repair or send it away - .  I just ordered my 3rd one in 4 years or so because the last two failed in the same manner. (includes this one--running on battery now and may not charge again)

Note that other popular brands have the same problem- some maybe not as bad, but hard to tell.

I figure it keeps me up with the current technology if I replace it every year or two anyway.

[PEG688]

Hey putz why not when the new one arrives , tape a bunji cord in line with the pwr cord , to provide some shock protection from old club foot.  

  Oz. of protection = ...

  Just a thought, good luck , PEG

[glenn kangiser]

I wish there was a good solution to the problem but the short solid reinforcement at the plug is usually what causes the problem.  Some people have had failures even with it sitting on a desk and careful plugging and unplugging of the cord.  Needless to say, I'm not that careful especially dragging it around with me on the road.

[PEG688]

  especially dragging it around with me on the road.

  Try putting it in the cab of the truck with you ,   instead of dragging it on the road

 Seems simple enough, ah to solve such complex problems , life is good  

 PEG

[Amanda_931]

Even though they're the same company, Compaq's may not be quite as bad that way.  With the last HP I ended up buying another brand of replacement cord--Targus or something, and if I held my mouth just right, I could power up/charge the laptop.

But the current Compaq laptop is short 4 keyboard keys.  It still works.
But it's ugly.

My pet peeve is the little plugs on the end of phone cords.  They last about two weeks before the little plastic locking piece falls off.

I want broadband!  Without upgrading my cellphone service and then driving to where I get a decent signal.

[glenn kangiser]

I actually took apart my old laptop and soldered the plug on the side it was broken on - didn't do this one yet - occassionally doing the holding the mouth right trick it will charge.  It took a couple of hours I guess.

[Thrice-Encircled]

Hello folks, long time lurker, first time responder,  This problem is not a new one for me. Glenn if the laptop has what might be called a normal plug, you can make a break away dongle for the laptop.  Radioshack ( or Purgatory as i call it ) still has some male/female dc coaxial jacks, run down with the laptop and find the right size of each. Then a short piece of two conductor cord, probably need 18ga or so, solder the ends on and blammo a custom dongle.  Oh make sure to check polarity before you solder it up.

[glenn-k]

Thanks Thrice Encircled.  I finally fixed an old one-previous computer - don't want to chance wrecking the one with my books etc. until it's completely dead - took it all apart got to the top of the plug - found the exposed leg was broken from the printed circuit board - pounded a piece   of copper wire into a very small pointed solder gun tip - tinned it then flowed solder from the top down the leg through the hole in the board soldering it back together.  Gravity and capillary action seemed to pull it through and it's fine now.  
Got it back together with only two screws in the wrong place. These things are a nightmare to get into-- I found that the repair manuals are online for tear down - parts, screws, etc. Still remember a bit from my old days as a radio and TV repairman-- most everything was tubes back then---only did it for about six months evenings while in High School.  Not a pro but I get by.

I can still get a charge in my other computer to use it for billing etc - if I hold the cord right.  A new 17" laptop with 240 GB hard drive (2x120 GB) is on the way soon.

[Amanda_931]

That new one sounds yummy!

For better or worse this one works just fine so far.  After you get used to pushing down the non-keys where they're missing.

I love my cats.  And really, keys get loose all the time on laptops, so I'm not really sure if they're to blame here anyway.  Could be me--or a dog.

[glenn-k]

Hope this link works - here is the full info on it.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11105989&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=

[Amanda_931]

Oooh--and my laptop went from doing just fine (with a few new quirks) to having to find workarounds for a lot of new quirks!

[glenn-k]

It's here - notice how much the quality of my typing improved.

Now to get all the programs and data over to it from the old one.

[Amanda_931]

not fun at all.

Can you just hook everything up to your server?

[glenn-k]

I can revive the old one to transfer data to my 250 gb back up hard drive but some of the programs will have to be reloaded as I don't want to back up all the junk that was on the old computer.  Sometimes I just have to clean house.

[RonDay]

The new Apple laptops, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, use what Apple calls the MagSafe connector which uses a magnetic connection. That way if you catch the cord it just pulls loose from the computer rather than sending it crashing to the floor.

And for those that aren't aware, the new Intel chipped Macs can run Windows operating systems (natively) and Windows apps. Apple has a free patch(?) called Boot Camp that'll let you install and boot into XP/SP2, and there are a couple of other virtualization utilities tha'll let you run other Windows OSs side by side with OSX. Very cool, IMO.

I was planning to buy a PC laptop soon to run a couple of Windows only apps, Streets & Trips w/GPS, the BH&G Home Design package and some engine management system tweaking software for my 4 wheeled toys, but now I don't need to. I can buy a MacBook Pro and run all of my Mac s/w as well as the PC apps on the same box. Like I'm telling my wife, I'll actually SAVE money not buying two laptops! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.   ;>)

FWIW,
Ron

[glenn-k]

I heard about that a while back, Ron.  Sounds like a real good idea.  I'm always worried about my fragile plug now -- hanging out like a sore thumb.  It probably sells too many computers for them to change it. :-/

I had a sound problem - hardware with the first new HP - so ordered the new one with the Duo Core Intel chip.  Costco gives 6 mos to return the old one.   240 GB hard drive.

[RonDay]

The 15 inch MacBook Pro has a 2.16 GHz Core Duo, comes with 1 gig of RAM (max is 2 gig), 256 meg of VRAM and 100 gig/5400 rpm HD, Firewire 400 and two USB 2 ports for $2500, or $2300 for special program pricing (fed employee, education, etc.). The 17 inch has the same CPU, RAM and VRAM, a 120 gig/5400 rpm HD and a dual layer 8x DVD/CD burner, plus both Firewire 400 and 800 ports and three USB 2 portds for $2800 retail, $2575 special program.

Apple also just announced new desktops with dual dual (two dual core) Xeons at 2.0, 2.66 or 3.0 GHz. They'll handle up to 16 gig of RAM, have four HD bays, two optical drive bays, two independent gigabit ethernet buses, both Firewire 800 and 400 along with a raft of USB 2 ports, WiFi, Bluetooth and optical digital audio in and out. Prices (retail) on them run $2200, $2500 and $3300. Yes, I am in major lust, but I'm more determined to get a house built so we can stop throwing money away on rent and reduce our electric bill substanially. Plus with Intel scheduled to release quad core Xeons by year's end there's a real possiblity a dual quad core box will be announced in January. I expect those to come equipped with a full safety harness and a Hahns device to prevent whip lash. ;>)

Ron