The Cambridge Chat Thread

OP

Stratocaster

Do the TSR people who are going to the open mic night fancy meeting outside of Clare before going in?

I think this is a good idea.

Clare Plodge at 8:30 people? I won't recognise all the new TSRlings!

I'm now definitely coming tonight. After this ordeal I really need something good to happen. I'm half tempted to go to my room and break into the bottle of port. :stickyman:

Reply 4322

User182034

Craghyrax

I'm really stressed out :bawling:

Today I dashed into the library and started work on my essay. The power cable for my laptop died. I carried on until the laptop ran out of battery power. Then I went to Maplin and bought a universal power cable. They looked at it carefully and told me that I ought to set it to a voltage of 24. I went back to the library. I put in the power cable and set it to 24. My laptop worked and was charging for about 5 minutes and then it suddenly blew up. I took the laptop and cable back to Maplin. They concluded that the new cable had broken the socket inside my laptop due to a voltage problem. They said they could take the laptop and fix it themselves but that it would take a few weeks.

Meanwhile it was provided by the Disabled Student Allowance people and they want to be the ones to fix this sort of thing. Either way, the laptop will probably have to go away for a few weeks.

I have some hope that my college computer technician may be able to lend me a computer in the short term, but again, he won't be available till Monday.

So this is me: :afraid:

I'm really upset. I'm going to email the supervisor and explain what happened. But I expect that she wants the essay written anyway. And this means starting all over again on a library computer. There's no way that I can produce something on time for her. I don't know if I'll even be able to get it to her on time for her to read it before the supervision.
Furthermore, I really can't easily work on library computers. The reason that DSA gave me my own laptop was because they deemed me to need an entirely controlled and silent working environment. This is why they let me write my exams in isolation. So when I'm reading and taking notes I'm in the library. When I write essays I also take my laptop to the library like today. But I take my laptop to one of those tucked away individual tables where I can't see or hear anybody so that I can concentrate on writing!
If I use computers in the computer room, there are usually loads of people and they're usuall very noisy! I get stressed just trying to think about it! And then the library closes at midnight, whereas I often do my work aftermidnight!

:bawling:

STRESSSSS!!!!

there's never anyone in our library so there's always a quiet corner.

How much noise do sports teams make? I could hear screaming and thought someone was being attacked but can now hear the sound of a basketball or something.

Reply 4323

Tom

Craghyrax

I'm really stressed out

Today I dashed into the library and started work on my essay. The power cable for my laptop died. I carried on until the laptop ran out of battery power. Then I went to Maplin and bought a universal power cable. They looked at it carefully and told me that I ought to set it to a voltage of 24. I went back to the library. I put in the power cable and set it to 24. My laptop worked and was charging for about 5 minutes and then it suddenly blew up. I took the laptop and cable back to Maplin. They concluded that the new cable had broken the socket inside my laptop due to a voltage problem. They said they could take the laptop and fix it themselves but that it would take a few weeks.

Meanwhile it was provided by the Disabled Student Allowance people and they want to be the ones to fix this sort of thing. Either way, the laptop will probably have to go away for a few weeks.

I have some hope that my college computer technician may be able to lend me a computer in the short term, but again, he won't be available till Monday.

So this is me:

I'm really upset. I'm going to email the supervisor and explain what happened. But I expect that she wants the essay written anyway. And this means starting all over again on a library computer. There's no way that I can produce something on time for her. I don't know if I'll even be able to get it to her on time for her to read it before the supervision.
Furthermore, I really can't easily work on library computers. The reason that DSA gave me my own laptop was because they deemed me to need an entirely controlled and silent working environment. This is why they let me write my exams in isolation. So when I'm reading and taking notes I'm in the library. When I write essays I also take my laptop to the library like today. But I take my laptop to one of those tucked away individual tables where I can't see or hear anybody so that I can concentrate on writing!
If I use computers in the computer room, there are usually loads of people and they're usuall very noisy! I get stressed just trying to think about it! And then the library closes at midnight, whereas I often do my work aftermidnight!

STRESSSSS!!!!

Make damn sure the DSA charge Maplins for the repair / replacement, if they supplied you with a product and advice that damaged your laptop. I'd get the comments from Maplins on record asap so you have some proof.

If your laptop really 'blew up' due to excess voltage, then the PWM circuitry inside will be damaged...that's soldered to the motherboard....which means replacing the motherboard. And in laptops, many of the other bits which would be individual and removable in a full size PC are intead built into / soldered directly onto the motherboard too, so replacing that is likely to be as expensive as just getting a new laptop. Maybe the DSA will give you a shiny new one :biggrin:

However, if you need your data in the meantime, hard drives in laptops *are* removable, so you can take the case off, yank that out, and plug it into a different computer if you need to get at what's on it.

Reply 4324

ukdragon37

14

Canned Door

Ooh, no, I think he is in there. Maybe he has a name-a-like, or maybe someone's impersonating him. :mystery:

There also someone from our college who wrote a letter in. Speaking of which, we should really say hello to one another sometime. Maybe today even. Are you going to Clare tonight?

No because I'm going to see Madness of George III at the ADC :p:

Reply 4325

OP

Tom

Make damn sure the DSA charge Maplins for the repair / replacement, if they supplied you with a product and advice that damaged your laptop. I'd get the comments from Maplins on record asap so you have some proof.

They recharged their cable, gave me a receipt with somebody's name and phone number. And they told me to come to them again on Monday after I'd conferred with DSA because they couldn't do anything about it today.

Tom

If your laptop really 'blew up' due to excess voltage, then the PWM circuitry inside will be damaged...that's soldered to the motherboard....which means replacing the motherboard. And in laptops, many of the other bits which would be individual and removable in a full size PC are intead built into / soldered directly onto the motherboard too, so replacing that is likely to be as expensive as just getting a new laptop. Maybe the DSA will give you a shiny new one :biggrin:

They probably will. That in itself is a pain. But then the socket might be the only thing that is damaged, which is what Maplin suggested (perhaps too optimistically)

Tom

However, if you need your data in the meantime, hard drives in laptops *are* removable, so you can take the case off, yank that out, and plug it into a different computer if you need to get at what's on it.

I know that my college computing office does that for some people. Do you think I should ask them to do it before I give the laptop to the DSA people? I just hope the DSA don't suddenly refuse to help just because I broke warranty by letting somebody else touch it other than them.

The thing that's stressing me out - apart from the prospect of not having my own computer all weekend, and only having somebody else's inferior laptop (if I'm lucky) on Monday indefinitely - is that I don't know what to do about this essay. I can't write it on time for the deadline. I don't know whether the supervisor expects me to just chill and climb onto another computer and calmly rewrite it, but right now I feel like dogs breakfast :afraid:

Reply 4326

Tom

I don't know about the warranty. I would imagine you've already broken it by using a non-standard / non-manufacturer-approved power supply that's caused the damage, so breaking it further wouldn't hurt. But the DSA might still kick up a fuss, who knows.

As for the essay - my laptop blew up and took the essay with it is a reasonable enough excuse for, say, a day or two's extension to the deadline, surely. Which'll give you time to either recover it from the hard drive or write the first bit again.

Craghyrax

But then the socket might be the only thing that is damaged, which is what Maplin suggested (perhaps too optimistically)

Well, I'm taking 'blew up' quite literally here. If it just gently died and refused to start up againfor example it might be fine I guess.

Reply 4327

OP

Tom

I don't know about the warranty. I would imagine you've already broken it by using a non-standard / non-manufacturer-approved power supply that's caused the damage, so breaking it further wouldn't hurt. But the DSA might still kick up a fuss, who knows.

As for the essay - my laptop blew up and took the essay with it is a reasonable enough excuse for, say, a day or two's extension to the deadline, surely. Which'll give you time to either recover it from the hard drive or write the first bit again.

Thanks! *has a go at breathing*

Tom

Well, I'm taking 'blew up' quite literally here. If it just gently died and refused to start up againfor example it might be fine I guess.

It did this. I just said blew up because it was working fine for a few minutes, and then suddenly very instantly died and wouldn't go on again.

Reply 4328

michaelyus

10

The Mensch has a real name? :eek4:

SoapyDish

It was really interesting :biggrin:

I thought taste was glanced over a bit (we didn't even get whether umami was direct or not, nor the simple fact that sour & salty are direct because of H+ and Na+ respectively, both of which are depolarisers when entering). And half the lecture was taken up by the mechanoreceptors, which were rather boring. Although I quite like the structure of the cilia, and their adaptative ability.

Oh and I will be coming to Clare for the open mic. See y'all there!

Reply 4329

Scipio90

Craghyrax

STRESSSSS!!!!

Is there a reason you can't just hand-write the essay?

Reply 4330

K.T.

12

Craghyrax

I think this is a good idea.

Clare Plodge at 8:30 people? I won't recognise all the new TSRlings!

I'm now definitely coming tonight. After this ordeal I really need something good to happen. I'm half tempted to go to my room and break into the bottle of port. :stickyman:

I'm sorry to hear about the computer disaster :frown:

I'll see you at Clare Plodge then though!

Reply 4331

OP

Scipio90

Is there a reason you can't just hand-write the essay?

That's something I've never thought of.

But in a word, no. It would be an untold amount of hassle.
When you type up an essay you have the flexibility to write different sections at different times and copy paste things here or there and so forth. Hand writing 3000 words (which is what I usually write) would really be an astonishing hassle.

Reply 4332

OP

K.T.

I'm sorry to hear about the computer disaster :frown:

I'll see you at Clare Plodge then though!

I don't know about that anymore. Now I feel like I ought to write it tonight.

*sigh* What to do...

Reply 4333

Chess Piece Face

Craghyrax

I don't know about that anymore. Now I feel like I ought to write it tonight.

*sigh* What to do...

Sorry to hear about all this. There's hardly ever anyone in the Colony Computer Room, so I or TWW would be happy to let you in. :smile:

In any case, see you all tonight! I won't be at Clare plodge though :p:

Reply 4334

Scipio90

Craghyrax

That's something I've never thought of.

But in a word, no. It would be an untold amount of hassle.
When you type up an essay you have the flexibility to write different sections at different times and copy paste things here or there and so forth. Hand writing 3000 words (which is what I usually write) would really be an astonishing hassle.

Maybe you could handwrite it with a time limit, in an exam practise style thing? Obviously that wouldn't be ideal, or probably exactly what the supervisor wants, but would be better than not being able to do it at all.

Reply 4335

OP

Ok guys I might come tonight! But I probably won't meet you at the plodge. I'll just try to see you in Clare Cellars. Maybe 9ish.

Scipio90

Maybe you could handwrite it with a time limit, in an exam practise style thing? Obviously that wouldn't be ideal, or probably exactly what the supervisor wants, but would be better than not being able to do it at all.

I'm going to try and write it up on college computers. Its a pain but it will be easier than the handwriting thing for me.

However I might use your idea to work in my room after the library closes at midnight!

Reply 4336

ukebert

13

Craghyrax

I think this is a good idea.

Clare Plodge at 8:30 people? I won't recognise all the new TSRlings!

I'm now definitely coming tonight. After this ordeal I really need something good to happen. I'm half tempted to go to my room and break into the bottle of port. :stickyman:

If it starts at 2030 then we'd better meet a bit before then... :p:

2015?

Reply 4337

SoapyDish

14

Glutamic Acid

Err um, want to meet in the bar around 8 and then go?

I'm going with Lauren actually, we were gonna go at about quarter to 9...

Reply 4338

Tom