Sadness!

Yesterday my monitor start hissing and fizzing at me, with just a blank black screen to greet me. I did the old re-boot and, surprisingly, it came back on again.

Tonight however, when I got home from work, it happened again, but no re-booting helped.

I phoned my trusty friend up the road who is a computer whizz and asked her if she had a spare monitor I could borrow until I can afford a new one. She knows how important my PC is to me so she was kind enough to act quickly.

Within 15 minutes she was down with this 15" wide-screen monitor for me to use in the interim, which is smaller than my 17" square monitor, but I'm getting used to it now. .

How long do monitors normally last, and how long have you had yours? I had my original Hewlett Packard one for six years.

Re: Sadness!

Sorry Mollie, can't really be of any help as I use a laptop, have done for a number of years now.

When I did use a desktop, I had a Hewlett Packard too and it seemed to go on forever.

Hope someone else can give you a more positive answer.

Re: Sadness!

I is going to ask at work tomorrow if they has a spare monitor but, if not, I's't have to buy a new one at some point, but I doesn't have many funds!

Re: Sadness!

Mollie, is it a flat screen or a CRT screen?

I had a CRT sreen that lasted for over 15 years and was still working when I got rid of it.

Flat screens tend to have shorter lives, around 8 years on average, due to the nature of the design and people throw them away, (due to how cheap they are ), rather than have them repaired.
Yours could just be the 'backlight' that has a bad connection.

If you are thinking of buying a new one I would advise you to buy LG or Samsung, they have the best immage enhancements and LG invented the flat screen.

PCWorld have some great bargins on monitors at the moment.

Re: Sadness!

It was a square shaped 17" flat screen. Unfortunately, I'll have to go for the cheapest I can find, hopefully a square one, as I've decided I don't like the wide screen after all.

My friend took my old one home with her so she can have a look at it for me, but I've got this for now.

I'm not a techy person, so many thanks for the advice.

Re: Sadness!

Ive still got my 17" flatty made by LG & if my memory serves me right its 10 this summer Its perfect & ive always thought the screen colour & general pic was wonderfully clear & sharp.

Re: Sadness!

Thanks for that, Cassie. I'll have to save me pennies up for a new monitor.

Re: Sadness!

Why dont you put a wanted ad on your local Freecycle too.. I use it lots and have got rid of stacks and have picked up some amazing goodies

Re: Sadness!

I've never tried that Cassie. Was chatting on the phone with Pixie in Canada last night and she suggested a re-conditioned one, but I'd rather have a new one because a re-con might not last long.

Re: Sadness!

Mollie, PC World have a Samsung monitor reduced from £149.99 to £89.99 at the moment.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/samsun...52245-pdt.html