Lil Red Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 my hard drive crashed on my Mac on Friday. my husband's computer crashed yesterday. computers stink. anyone have a macbook computer and a windows-based computer they wanna sell for cheap? :P grrrr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappo Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) If it's just the hard drive on the mac, you should be able to replace the hard drive. I'm sure there's a youtube video on how to do it too. Replacing/changing out harddrives even for laptop's is a somewhat common change in hardware. Edited to add: you'd need the restore discs that came with the macbook to reinstall the operating system though. If your husband's computer is a desktop, then there's all sorts of ways it could be salvaged or repaired. If the computer is super old then it might not be very worthwhile though. I know there's (somewhat limited) fixes to laptop hardware, but I'm not familiar with working on laptops at all. If you guys have any nerdy/geeky friends it might be worth asking around. On another note - that smells of elderberries, and I'm sorry :(. Edited February 10, 2014 by Slappo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightofChrist Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 If just the HD in the Mac is broken you could possibly replace it. If you can tell me the model and year I can tell you the type of HD you need, best place to buy it, and the easiest directions on how to make the replacement. For most newer models replacement is basically plug and play. I do have an older black Macbook, but the battery holds no charge so it's a desktop in effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luigi Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 There's an old nursery rhyme that describes computers very well - There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good She was very, very good But when she was bad she was horrid! If you can replace the HD yourself, there are people out there who can do it for you. Just try to find one who won't charge you an arm and a leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 If you're looking to replace a Windows machine, just build one. It's not too hard if you have the knowledge and you get a lot of computer for very little money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappo Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 If you're looking to replace a Windows machine, just build one. It's not too hard if you have the knowledge and you get a lot of computer for very little money. There's a lot that goes into building your first computer though... and at a low price point (<$300-400) it really isn't worth the time and effort that would go into researching, buying, and building the individual components. This is especially true when you have to tack on a $70-$100 operating system to your build cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 There's a lot that goes into building your first computer though... and at a low price point (<$300-400) it really isn't worth the time and effort that would go into researching, buying, and building the individual components. This is especially true when you have to tack on a $70-$100 operating system to your build cost. I've found that a barebones in the $300-$400 range for parts cost is still much better than what you can buy in the store for that money. But, YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappo Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) I've found that a barebones in the $300-$400 range for parts cost is still much better than what you can buy in the store for that money. But, YMMV. the hit is on the OS. An OS is 25% of your build cost at $400. The savings on parts on a $300 DIY build is not really worth the time and effort to research, learn, order, and troubleshoot a computer if it's your first time. Now that I've built my own I'll never buy pre-made, but for those who don't have that experience/love at $300-400 it just isn't worth the time and effort to do all your own research and troubleshooting for the minimal increase in performance at that price point. There is a time value to money. Edit: Yes I know there's free OS' if you want linux, but the majority of PC users are not going to be using linux. As sad as that might be to some, it's just a fact at this point in time. Edited February 10, 2014 by Slappo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeingstar Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I got my laptop off of Mac of All Trades http://www.macofalltrades.com/ they were WONDERFUL. I'd never go back to PC. UGG. About your hard drive failure....make sure you take it to someone who can determine just what happened. My FH upgraded to the new OS and there's now something that makes it all crashy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 There's an old nursery rhyme that describes computers very well - There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good She was very, very good But when she was bad she was horrid! If you can replace the HD yourself, there are people out there who can do it for you. Just try to find one who won't charge you an arm and a leg. no joke, my mom used to recite that poem to me all the time. :| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 If it's just the hard drive on the mac, you should be able to replace the hard drive. I'm sure there's a youtube video on how to do it too. Replacing/changing out harddrives even for laptop's is a somewhat common change in hardware. Edited to add: you'd need the restore discs that came with the macbook to reinstall the operating system though. If your husband's computer is a desktop, then there's all sorts of ways it could be salvaged or repaired. If the computer is super old then it might not be very worthwhile though. I know there's (somewhat limited) fixes to laptop hardware, but I'm not familiar with working on laptops at all. If you guys have any nerdy/geeky friends it might be worth asking around. On another note - that smells of elderberries, and I'm sorry :(. Thanks - and I did get your pm - I will ask my husband about that. If just the HD in the Mac is broken you could possibly replace it. If you can tell me the model and year I can tell you the type of HD you need, best place to buy it, and the easiest directions on how to make the replacement. For most newer models replacement is basically plug and play. I do have an older black Macbook, but the battery holds no charge so it's a desktop in effect. I am sure I could replace the HD in the mac. it's a macbook but I'm not sure of anything else offhand. problem is I have no idea where the restore discs are. :( thanks all, you've been helpful and encouraging. it sucks that both our computers crashed because we both use them for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 I got my laptop off of Mac of All Trades http://www.macofalltrades.com/ they were WONDERFUL. I'd never go back to PC. UGG. About your hard drive failure....make sure you take it to someone who can determine just what happened. My FH upgraded to the new OS and there's now something that makes it all crashy. Thanks for the tip! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 the hit is on the OS. An OS is 25% of your build cost at $400. The savings on parts on a $300 DIY build is not really worth the time and effort to research, learn, order, and troubleshoot a computer if it's your first time. Now that I've built my own I'll never buy pre-made, but for those who don't have that experience/love at $300-400 it just isn't worth the time and effort to do all your own research and troubleshooting for the minimal increase in performance at that price point. There is a time value to money. Edit: Yes I know there's free OS' if you want linux, but the majority of PC users are not going to be using linux. As sad as that might be to some, it's just a fact at this point in time. Yeah, it is sad that people feel the need to spend that kind of money on an OS when they could do some learning instead. But you are right, the sad fact of the matter is that, just like cars, most people who use them will not learn how to master and maintain them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappo Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yeah, it is sad that people feel the need to spend that kind of money on an OS when they could do some learning instead. But you are right, the sad fact of the matter is that, just like cars, most people who use them will not learn how to master and maintain them. Again... time value of money. If it takes me 10 hours to learn linux really well as a brand new user and be able to get everything I need compatible with linux, is that worth saving $70-$100? Lil Red - you might try calling mac support to see what it would cost to get them to send you restore discs. It may cost a crapton, but they also may be able to do it for a nominal fee. Even used, macbooks retain a lot of value for some reason. I was able to sell a well used february 2008 macbook a few months ago for $300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Again... time value of money. If it takes me 10 hours to learn linux really well as a brand new user and be able to get everything I need compatible with linux, is that worth saving $70-$100? Lil Red - you might try calling mac support to see what it would cost to get them to send you restore discs. It may cost a crapton, but they also may be able to do it for a nominal fee. Even used, macbooks retain a lot of value for some reason. I was able to sell a well used february 2008 macbook a few months ago for $300. Yes, but after the initial investment of time, you save $70 to $100 every time you have to rebuild a computer, and you can do it all yourself. Plus there is the cost benefit of open source software usage. For example, I do professional graphic design and digital illustration work using Linux tools which would have cost thousands in the closed-source world. (Adobe) But yeah. Sadness. I also find it really weird how much value Macbooks retain. The hardware on those things is almost always behind the curve, but people still covet it. IDGI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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