This article is for those who own Notebook computers, or those aspiring to do so. Notebooks continue to be premium products and the price for a decent MNC model continues to exceed Rs 80,000. Also, maintaining and upgrading a notebook computer is an expensive proposition. Users with notebook computers have harrowing tales to tell about how they chased vendors to repair or upgrade their systems. In the course of my research, I spoke to a service centre, a tech support executive and some notebook users.

According to Dushyant Mehta, chairman and CEO, Mediaman Group of Companies, notebook users encounter five main problems: Battery degradation, adapter failure, memory upgrades, component failure, and lack of suitable accessories. Let’s understand the typical problems in these areas and examine the possible solutions.

Batteries
Mehta says a notebook battery fails every 8-12 months. “Whether you use it or not, batteries have to be replaced every year. Since notebook batteries are very specific to the model and brand, and most vendors do not provide a warranty on the battery, the user is often stranded when it comes to procuring battery replacements.”

Mehta says there are over 200 types of notebook batteries and claims that his company offers most types.

To verify Mehta’s claim on the frequency of battery failure, I contacted an executive in tech support at a major notebook vendor in Canada. Since he wishes to remain anonymous I’ll call him “Techie” in this article.

According to Techie, the average life of a notebook battery is one to three years. This depends on usage, environmental conditions and the chemical composition of the battery.

“NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries have a shorter life span, are less expensive and are prone to ‘memory effects’. They usually have to be completely drained and then fully recharged for optimal performance and longevity.

LiON (Lithium Ion) batteries have a longer life, degrade at a slower pace and have little to no memory effects. They should never be completely drained, as this will kill the battery,” says Techie.

Techie says the determining factor in battery life is (invariably) recharge cycles. Usually it is around 500, therefore, 1.5 years is a more realistic estimate of lifespan. However, if a battery is never used, then the chemicals usually degrade at a faster rate (reduced half-life) and will probably not last beyond eight months.

Some users that I spoke to said they’ve been using their notebooks for two-and-a-half years without any battery problems. But these are the careful ones who take the right precautions.

Adapter Failure
Another perceived problem is adapter burn-out due to fluctuations or spikes in the voltage. This problem is specific to the country in which you use the notebook. There too, the power may be fairly stable in some states or localities while it may fluctuate in others.

If power is not stable in your locality then go in for a UPS unit or spike buster. The cost for a UPS may seem steep, but the cost (and effort) in replacing a notebook adapter may cost you more.

Memory Upgrades
As users load new applications and operating systems on their notebook computers they will find a need to upgrade the memory. Veteran users say memory upgrades are difficult and costly; matching memory modules are not immediately available.

“Memory can be expensive, but only at certain times. If memory upgrades are purchased within six months of the notebook purchase, the cost is reasonable and the stock is available. However, most users require (or think they require) memory upgrades near the ‘end of life,’ and the cost is extremely high at that point in time. In addition, ‘matching memory modules’ are not usually required for laptops, as they rarely use ‘paired’ memory,” says Techie.

Vendors like Dell sell notebooks with an offer to immediately upgrade memories.

It would be best to think long-term. When purchasing a notebook, ask about the maximum memory that the system board can accommodate. Then think about the future operating system or application upgrades that you might make. Accordingly, you can choose a model with the required memory. Some notebook vendors allow users to configure their notebooks online (through a website) and then order it.

Component failure
Another problem that users dread is failure of components like the floppy drive, hard disk, power supply, LCD monitor or the motherboard.

According to Techie, hard disks are more prone to failure than floppy drives. “Since notebook hard drives spin at 4,900 or 5,400 RPM, and notebooks are usually prone to random movements, this usually causes the failure. Floppy disks do fail, but such failures are rare and infrequent. If there are a lot of floppy failures, it is usually due to a major manufacturing flaw in one line of drives,” says Techie.

Damaged notebook screens are a nightmare that no one wants to have. If a notebook is dropped with the screen open, the LCD panel will shatter. Since the price of the LCD monitor is two-thirds the price of the whole notebook, replacing or repairing it could be a costly affair. The damaged notebook may need to be shipped back to the vendor’s factory, so if you factor in shipping and service charges, the cost of replacement could be as much as the cost of a new notebook.

Techie verifies this statement and says the cost of the screen could be anywhere from half to two-thirds the total value of the notebook.

“The other main component is the system board (aka Planar). Depending on the type of machine, either could be the majority of the cost. However, the screen is usually the most expensive component,” he says.

One local service provider replaces screens by salvaging them from old notebooks that it procures from customers through an exchange program. But this method of replacement will be possible for you only if the service provider has the same model.

Accessories
Another myth floating around is the difficulty in finding suitable notebook accessories. Some say that notebook vendors do not offer much choice by way of accessories, and even if one orders accessories through a reseller in India, it does take a long time to receive them.

Take a walk down Mumbai’s Lamington road, Kolkatta’s Chandini Chowk or New Delhi’s Nehru Place and you’ll encounter a flood of accessories mainly from the Taiwan and Chinese markets.

Notebook accessories can be proprietary (i.e manufactured by the notebook vendor) or available from other OEMs. These are more easily available from resellers, and at competitive prices.

The Mediaman Group of Companies, for one, offers a wide range of notebook accessories. This includes PCMCIA adaptors for almost any kind of connectivity (Ethernet, USB, Firewire, wireless, infra red etc), (universal) adaptors, batteries, memory cards, memory modules, cables, port replicators etc. In addition, Mediaman has set up a service centre dedicated to notebook repairs and support. It has specialists trained to tackle almost any kind of notebook computer problem, and that includes component replacements. The notebook division also offers various AMC contracts, and under one of these it offers a temporary notebook replacement—so that you can continue working after an unwelcome breakdown.

Good news
I’ll end this article on an optimistic note. There’s talk about sub-Rs 50,000 notebooks entering the market in 2003. Notebooks are going the grey market route and local assemblers will partner with (Taiwanese) OEMs to offer assembled models.

Friends returning from the US tell me how business schools and universities there have made notebooks a mandatory item. With falling prices, our technical institutions and business schools could soon follow this trend.