[barcalad]

Gentlemen, I'm using a Dell Alienware M17. Of late, I have been facing this issue.

When I plug out the power cord, my laptop barely functions for 15 seconds, after which it freezes and shuts down. It then tries to restart, but doesn't go past the login page. The only way to use my laptop now is when it's connected to power, else no go.

I spoke to Dell who very promptly put my call to the "Out Of Warranty" team who very promptly told me to get a new battery without even listening to my problem properly and asking for details. Appalled. Writing a stern email to Dell India after this post.

1. Can this issue be resolved without me buying a new battery?

2. If I need to buy a new battery (8 Cell), where can I buy it and at what cost? Dell India doesn't have battery for my model in stock.

Awaiting responses!

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by barcalad

1. Can this issue be resolved without me buying a new battery?

2. If I need to buy a new battery (8 Cell), where can I buy it and at what cost? Dell India doesn't have battery for my model in stock.

1a.If you have access to a multimeter, check battery voltage when fully charged. Check on net for the voltage level for the battery model as printed on the battery. This will tell you if the battery is dead or not. Incase it's dead, you'll have to get a new one. You might need to check if your laptop is charging the battery completely or use some other means to full charge the battery.

1b. If battery is OK, something is wrong with the power circuit dealing with battery. Either it's not letting the battery charge or maintain a proper voltage level while discharge. In case you might need to replace power supply components.

2. Google and see if other users have been facing similar issues ( doesn't matter if it's non-alienware) and see if they could solve it or not.

Regarding battery, it's tricky. You can no longer order just the battery as it's added to restricted category for courier- so no eBay/aliexpress. You might have to befriend a local dell store and ask them to order it for you.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by barcalad

2. If I need to buy a new battery (8 Cell), where can I buy it and at what cost? Dell India doesn't have battery for my model in stock...

You can either find one at, or order one through their retail Dell Exclusive stores. I found genuine spares for my 8-year old Inspiron in one of these, so pretty sure they can source whatever you need as long as Dell is still manufacturing/sourcing these parts. Costs aren't very prohibitive, and you'll have the satisfaction of genuine product + warranty (if applicable).

P.S. Have the exact product code handy, just so you don't end up with a similar but incompatible part. Happened to me and it's a hassle returning/reordering with the dealer as the middleman.

[sgiitk]

@barcalad; You can get a replacement battery from Lapcare. I have used four of them and found them excellent. The first was when my Acer kept on losing batteries every three months, lapcare and I was Ok for over two years. My son did the same. Then both my daughter and wife have Toshiba's. No batteries available, so we bought Lapcare and are quite happy. Lapcare are a Chinese firm, with the India HQ in Gurgaon. Their products are widely available, and are also on the e-sellers.

[iamahunter]

Need Help buying a laptop - Urgent.

Hello guys, my need is a laptop with basic amenities.

Requirement
- Office work, includes excel,Power point, MS outlook and a few web driven apps(mostly office websites).
- HDD approx 250 - 500 GB.
- RAM 2 GB would suffice.
- Screen: 13-14 inches.

Budget - Not very high.

Please suggest me some laptops.
If anyone knows of any deals, that would be great.

Thanks.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

- Office work, includes excel,Power point, MS outlook and a few web driven apps(mostly office websites).
- HDD approx 250 - 500 GB.
- RAM 2 GB would suffice.
- Screen: 13-14 inches.

I purchased a 11.6" Asus with Win 8.1, i3, 4Gb RAM and 500Gb HDD for 22.5k recently. Also got the same one without OS for 21.3k about 4 months ago. Both work just fine. Off eBay picked up an i5 Lenovo 15.6" for 29k last month for a friend. Check paytm and Ebay for deals as they appear every month or so.

[JMaruru]

My Dell Inspiron 6000(Win XP) does NOT play many a videos citing the below message :

Codec Description
AC3 Codec from Dolby is a codec for playing multi-channel audio.
The playback of the media which is encoded with AC3 codec requires the Dolby AC3 codec.

The player is from GOM. And most of the video's come out with above mentioned message.

What could be a solution for this issue? Are there any other players, which includes above codec. Please advise.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

My Dell Inspiron 6000(Win XP) does NOT play many a videos citing the below message

Not sure if this will help but, have you tried downloading the Dolby codec? Did you try vlc player?

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Need Help buying a laptop - Urgent.

Please suggest me some laptops.
If anyone knows of any deals, that would be great.

Since you mentioned basic usage.

Why not try for a tab instead? Most mobile platforms (iOS, windows and Android) have Microsoft office + web apps can be used in browser. Instead of a mediocre laptop, you can get a good tab for same price and better battery. Also, tabs are optimised better so lag is less noticeable.

I have an asus 11.6 laptop and iPad mini retina wifi. Ipad cheaper than the laptop, but other than lack of storage, I don't feel the need to use the asus more than the tab.

Incase your keyboard usage is high, just get a Bluetooth keyboard.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Need Help buying a laptop - Urgent.

Hello guys, my need is a laptop with basic amenities.

Requirement
- Office work, includes excel,Power point, MS outlook and a few web driven apps(mostly office websites).
- HDD approx 250 - 500 GB.
- RAM 2 GB would suffice.
- Screen: 13-14 inches.

Budget - Not very high.

Please suggest me some laptops.
If anyone knows of any deals, that would be great.

Thanks.

http://www.snapdeal.com/product/asus...-gen/853720743

I picked this up last year for 21k. Supremely sufficient for all your needs and some. And doesnt look at all like it was cheap.

[Raja]

Need advice and guidance on buying an ultrabook.
I have found a laptop that ticks most of my requirements EXCEPT in comes with 4GB ram only. Also the laptop ram can't be upgraded as it is soldered in place.

IS 4GB sufficient for net surfing (heavy use of chrome browser) and MS Office use (Word, Excel and PowerPoint usually)?

The laptop I am considering is the Asus UX305FA. Any alternatives to recommend for around INR50,000?
https://www.asus.com/in/Commercial-N...pecifications/

[h@r$h@l]

Hi,

I am in process of buying a new laptop for myself. Basic requirements are Office, Internet etc etc + photo editing. I am starting to learn Light room etc. There are 2 models I am confused between.

1. Lenovo ThinkPad E460
i7
8GB RAM
1TB HDD
14" FHD Display
2GB graphics
Price : A$ 1100.

http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/deals/current-offers/laptops-for-work-deals/E460-AU-C4/p/20ETCTO1WWENAU3

2. MacBook Pro 13.3 Retina
i5
8GB
128 GB SSD
Retina Dispaly
Price : A$ 1999

http://www.apple.com/au/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro?product=MF839X/A&step=config#


Is it really worth paying that extra $800 for MBP? I am super confused ad unable to decide. Have already placed the order for Lenovo and have a week before it gets shipped out.

Thanks in Advance.

Regards,

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by diyguy

Not sure if this will help but, have you tried downloading the Dolby codec? Did you try vlc player?

I installed AC3 codec, and the sound is back.

Are there any well known sites to download these codecs?

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Are there any well known sites to download these codecs?

I vaguely remember downloading from dolby's site a few years back, but it's been some time since!!

[kkkkkaran]

Originally Posted by h@r$h@l

Hi,

I am in process of buying a new laptop for myself. Basic requirements are Office, Internet etc etc + photo editing. I am starting to learn Light room etc. There are 2 models I am confused between.

1. Lenovo ThinkPad E460
i7
8GB RAM
1TB HDD
14" FHD Display
2GB graphics
Price : A$ 1100.

http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/deals/c...0ETCTO1WWENAU3

2. MacBook Pro 13.3 Retina
i5
8GB
128 GB SSD
Retina Dispaly
Price : A$ 1999

http://www.apple.com/au/shop/buy-mac...A&step=config#


Is it really worth paying that extra $800 for MBP? I am super confused ad unable to decide. Have already placed the order for Lenovo and have a week before it gets shipped out.

Thanks in Advance.

Regards,

A$ as in australian dollars? Its cheaper in India then. The 13.3 MBP retina 256gb costed my 88k rupees. Got the 15 inch model also, for 1.4l rupees.
If you are dealing with photography on a professional level, then the macs have some of the best color reproduction. Also, im a big fan of mac OS, so i may be biased.
Otherwise, please look for a laptop, even windows, with an SSD. The lenovo yoga has a 256gb ssd, 2gb graphics config. Makes a huge difference in usability, specially when dealing with professional media software.