[Dream] How to destroy a computer?
Phrank Harris
malenkylizards at gmail.com
Fri Mar 23 15:43:25 PST 2007
I've got an interesting scenario that merits an interesting question for
y'all.
I've got this computer that's a piece of shit. There's at least one, and
rumors have mentioned up to three, class-action lawsuit(s) against Toshiba
for their Satellite A75 laptops, along with several other Satellite models.
I'm about to have it serviced for the, I'm guessing fifth time in under two
years. I've got another several months of extended warranty.
The problem is that without warning, and not necessarily in the middle of
anything particularly rigorous...I mean, I'm not in Ableton or playing Quake
V or anything...I'm talking about surfing the internet here...the computer
will just shut down. Problem seems to be with overheating. Pretty much
every time it's serviced the motherboard is replaced.
Now here's where it gets interesting. Circuit City (the
X-warranty-providing bastard) has a policy on replacements. IF the same
component fails three times for the same reason, and is serviced every time,
and it fails the fourth time, WITHIN A TWELVE MONTH PERIOD, they'll take the
computer and give me a new one.
I'd really like a new one, because I'd like to sell it and use the money to
make my own damn machine (can't afford that right now). So my question to
you is this: What are some subtle ways of forcing the computer to kill the
motherboard very quickly (i.e., four times in less than a year), and have my
deviousness completely undetected by the service provider? Opening the
machine will void the warranty.
One thing I'm wondering is if you can go into BIOS and tell it to shut off
the fan, or reduce the speed dramatically, then boot my computer up and
overtask it to an absurd amount. Can you do that? If so, would they be able
to tell? If so, would that be likely to void a warranty?
If not, would anyone be interested in buying a shitty and well-used laptop?
Except the motherboard and the cooling system, it's got reasonably good
parts, so maybe you can incorporate it into some Lappenstein if you are so
inclined.
- Phrank
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