How much was that warranty?

August 9, 2013

Today was computer shopping day.  Earlier this week, CJ's computer died.  Beth informed me that he was pretty devastated and was going through the 7 stages of grief.  She had seen anger, sadness, confusion, sneezing, Donner, and denial.  I did my duty as a father and put him through my grief counselling class.  "You could read a book." I suggested.  Wow.  If looks could kill.

So we took the computer to a fix it shop guy who said that one side where the lap top opens around the hinge had come loose, thus creating a strain on the other side where a wire connects.  This wire had come loose creating a short.  Therefore, every time that CJ touched the computer, it turned off.  Not especially helpful if you are trying to use it.  That sounds rather easy to fix though, don't you think?  Well, he could fix it for a mere $250, but he could not guarantee that it would stay fixed.

This led CJ and his friend, Rowen, to scour the Internet site Newegg in an attempt to buy and build the perfect computer.  You can buy the necessary parts there, have them shipped to your house, and then put them together.  If it is anything like buying a bicycle and then assembling it in your living room on Christmas Eve, I am assuming it also involves eggnog and cursing.  The price for this venture, they assured me, was $694.  I thought this was something I could maybe live with.

Oh, by the way dad, we forgot to add in an operating system.   How much?  Another $150.  So an operating system is essential?  It is if you don't want all the other parts to become a large, over-priced paper-weight.  Perfect.  And, the person helping you assemble it is the same friend who cut himself by swinging an axe and missing the log?  Yes.

Okay, let's go to the computer store.

So dude at the computer store takes CJ's parts list and assembles one of his own.  By the time he was finished, this computer was going to cost around $1100, assembled.  Awesome.  We did not make any purchases today.

On the way home, I noticed the license plate on the car in front of me was 694 YDA.  (Please do not use this info for anything illegal!)  I could not help thinking that this plate was a omen.  It was trying to tell me that me agreeing to, or believing in the original computer price of $694, really meant You're a Dumb Aaaaas.  Here, let me check my pockets for an extra $700 much less $400 more.

So we were at home and Beth and CJ went online to bring the price back down into dad's acceptable blood pressure range.  They found a prebuilt Dell for around $700 that would work and we would even get a 10% rewards bonus if we used our Discover card.  Okay, I am back in the game.

About 20 minutes later, the guy called from the computer repair shop.  We had asked him to put the broken lap top back together and then we would pick it up.  He had obliged with the putting back togetherness, and suddenly Peaches and Herb starting singing.  "Reunited and it Feels so Good..."  The computer was working again.  The price, $45.  And several hours of my day off that I will never get back.  CJ, I love you.  The proof is in the pudding...or travel time...or whatever.