Report Abuse

“All in all you expect to get what you pay for in this...”

Written on: 06/12/2009

All in all you expect to get what you pay for in this world; however I tend to use the rule that under a certain amount is deemed 'disposable' after a year and a day. I have had several of this Advent model through now (all literally just a month or under 12 months old; so outside of warranty), all showing much the same issue - initially with DC jack plugs arcing and burning out, but upon further investigation a short somewhere else on the motherboard as well - perhaps caused by the faulty jack. Unfortunately it becomes uneconomical so a replacement motherboard would be good - can you source them? Nope - even the Tech Guys at PCWorld can't, even though Advent is their own brand i.e. Advent is just DSG Retails' (PCWorld and alike) sticker; the makers are ECS and that's a no-go as well. My advice/personal opinion would be that if you are going to spend over £400 on a laptop (but are looking for budget) perhaps go for a DELL - easily sourced parts at reasonable prices, but the company is also very helpful whether in warranty or not. Further to that, try to use a local (qualified and experienced; not cowboy!) professional who works with companies like DELL - their service and contacts are usually much better and more helpful than large companies. Hope this is of interest.