Archive for December, 2010
HP TX1000/TX2000/TX2500 Tablet Notebook Laptop DEAD
by Steve O Hernandez on Dec.26, 2010, under Personal, Technology
I have always loved this tablet / notebook (click here to read about my experience ordering it). Not only was it very portable, but it was sufficiently powerful for my needs as a technology professional. Unfortunately, approximately 2 years after I purchased this laptop, it is dead.
Once the power button is pressed the screen remains black, LEDs flash, all lights are on and the CPU / GPU fan spins. That’s the extent of the laptop’s operation. Prior to searching on the internet I began troubleshooting it myself, swapping out HDD, RAM, etc. Nothing worked.
Then I started searching for a cause, since this was obviously a hardware issue, specifically the motherboard. To my horror, I found my answers here:
HP TX2000 Black Screen of Death
Here’s HP’s weak attempt of assisting with the troubleshooting (link).
I’ve tried all the fixes, including pressing down on J, K and L while booting, pushing down with my palm on the enter key, and even went through the trouble of fixing the heat sink gap (link, and link) that seems to be the culprit of this all. Unfortunately, and though there are no signs of morphing or burning on the board, it appears as if the damage was too great. The laptop is dead… and HP stole hundreds of dollars from me.
There are a few motherboards available on eBay, ranging from $140 – 180 (which is cheap considering the motherboard costs $300+ from HP). Unfortunately, and in my case, I’m not sure a new motherboard will completely remedy the situation, since the GPU and / or CPU may be damaged. If that’s the case, then that’s even more time and money to invest in this worthless laptop from a company who’s integrity mimics that of hitler.
In conclusion, I will save the money I would have used to repair this laptop, and purchase a higher quality laptop either a Dell, Toshiba or some other reputable company. HP has been added to my BLACK LIST.
Mystery Surrounds Cyber Missile That Crippled Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Ambitions
by Steve O Hernandez on Dec.09, 2010, under Technology
This article is pretty amazing. The world is changing, where a computer program is used as a weapon against an enemy. What impresses me the most is the strategic exploitation of both social customs, human behavior and secure systems. Definitely worth a read.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/26/secret-agent-crippled-irans-nuclear-ambitions/
