It is completely reasonable to blame me. I left it in the care of two small children. It just never occurred to me that they'd break the hinges that attach the screen to the body.
Truth to tell, I'm still not sure how they managed to apply enough force to do that.
It's not actually that difficult, unfortunately. Speaking as someone who graduated in mechanical engineering, every gram we can save is worth saving, and if we can save three grams by building the hinges to survive 50 N of force instead of 500 N, we will - because 95% of our customers won't apply more force than we designed for in the three years before they buy a new machine. :(
ReplyDeleteHow broken is broken? If you mean the monitor is still firmly attached and functioning but completely incapable of supporting its own weight, that's actually not so bad. My previous computer's hinges broke that way, and I kept using it for about two years (until it began dying of a different problem) with almost no decrease in quality of life. The secret is to put a loop of string around the computer so that the monitor can't fall all the way back. The extra-secret secret is to make the loop as big as you could ever possibly want, then wrap the excess string into a keychain loop. You can then adjust the monitor by wrapping increased or decreased amounts of string into the loop. All you have to do then is make sure the screen is never in a position to fall forward and you're golden. (And even if you fail in that, all that happens is that the lid slams shut with a startlingly loud noise.)
ReplyDeleteOuch! It seems like your kids were a bit rough on playing with your computer. Anyway, how are things doing with your computer? Were you able to have it fixed, or did you have to buy a new one? Anyway, I hope things are doing great for you guys, and that the kids are taking it light this time. Take care!
ReplyDeleteLillian Walker @ Taylor Works
There’s really a slight chance that things would be broken if you leave them in the hands of two small children. But nonetheless, I’m sure they didn’t mean for it to happen. They’re just kids after all. Anyway, how is your computer doing now? I hope you had it fixed already, and that you don’t encounter this unfortunate situation again. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCordia Remsen @ RB’s Computer Service