Broken laptop screen.

[sparkeh]

Ok so the backstory is that a teacher has been pestering me for a long time about getting a new laptop. There has been a catalogue of reported faults that cannot be replicated (they always happen at home or when I am out of school). His request is always turned down by me, then the Head of ICT, then finally the Head, on the basis that there is nothing wrong with it.

So today he wheels up with his laptop and it has a smashed screen. The type of break that is a small circle with cracks extending out - typical of an impact I think. Apparently he doesn't know how it happened, he closed the lid one night, got up the next morning and it was like that. There was nothing on the keyboard at the time so he is mystified.

So my question is, does anybody know of any reason reason why this could have happened, just the way he reported, before we have to start considering the alternatives?

Cheers.

[Sirbendy]

was it in his car, has it been cold? I've had my own one shatter like that when it was left in a car overnight, even in its padded case. Temperature stresses can do it.

Mums Compaq laptop has gone the same as well...in it's case, in the boot, suitably restrained...one cold night and bang goes the panel.

Other than that, I'd say object on the keyboard, or punched. Especially with the past history..

[notalot]

ive see the same thing before with 2 members of staff here, 1 had hit there laptop with a hair dryer and the other had put a large cup of tea on top of the screen, screen dont just brake (with a impact point)

i'd get the teacher to put there thumb over the impact bet it matches up

[sparkeh]

Hmm I thought about temperature but apparently it was in his lounge all night so I would expect that to be ok.

I am leaning toward an accident he doesn't want to admit to or indeed hit.

[alena]

We had a teacher like that here, wanted a new laptop. It was too slow blah blah... Then suddenly a broken screen. It turned out he had picked it up by the top of the screen and applied too much pressure with his thumb thus creating a circular crack and large straight cracks coming off it. He assumed he was going to get a new laptop, but luckily we had a spare laptop with a motherboard problem, so I just changed the screens over. He is still trying to get a new laptop though..lol

[tech_guy]

I bet he'd left something on the keypad like a pen or a memory stick so that when he closed the screen it broke it...

[Sirbendy]

does he have a cat?

Reason I ask, is I do, and the opportunist cat decides that the laptop is toasty and proceedes to sit on it. Now, my Inspiron and Jems Vostro can take a 4.5kg cat, but...he does get shooed away.

Makes the lid/screen back flex a fair bit..

[sparkeh]

does he have a cat?

Heh I did ask that

However, I believe that its an inward depression, I would think that if a cat jumped on the lid you could tell it was pushed out, rather than in. Perhaps

[Sirbendy]

I'll never forget Hex having a mad dash session, leaping onto the table, and using my open Inspiron screen as a launchpad for extra height...the sound of the screen thwacking the table as it shot flat open was horrific.

He flew alright...boot up the arse, vertical launch..strange how he now picks his way very carefully round the Inspiron..heh..

[Bluetooth]

Come on people, achems razor, simplest explanation is often the correct one.

Judging by his/her history of trying to bag a new laptop we can assume that he/she has damaged the laptop for his or her own gains.

This is quite a bad situation. You cannot accuse him/her or doing this unless you have some evidence (however the hisotry of him/her wanting to have a new laptop could give you "probable cause")

If this was me id discuss this on the QT with the ICT manager and see how he feels, explain the fact that he/she has been on the blag fr a new laptop for a while (as your ict manager should know anyway) and that suddenly he/she has turned up with a smashed screen.

One fix which would make this person quite mad could be if you have a spare dead laptop and its screen is ok, just swap the screens out and hand it him/her back with a giant smile on your face and think "have that!"

[teejay]

What is the make/model of the laptop? I've quite a collection of spare screens here

[jcollings]

Come on people, achems razor, simplest explanation is often the correct one.

Occam's Razor

[sparkeh]

This is quite a bad situation. You cannot accuse him/her or doing this unless you have some evidence (however the hisotry of him/her wanting to have a new laptop could give you "probable cause")

If this was me id discuss this on the QT with the ICT manager and see how he feels, explain the fact that he/she has been on the blag fr a new laptop for a while (as your ict manager should know anyway) and that suddenly he/she has turned up with a smashed screen.

Yes it is incredibly frustrating. The Head of ICT is aware and is absolutely fuming. In fact the Head and I had to calm him down a bit before he made some accusations that he might later regret. Which he is thankful for now

One fix which would make this person quite mad could be if you have a spare dead laptop and its screen is ok, just swap the screens out and hand it him/her back with a giant smile on your face and think "have that!"

Heh you know what just happened. I was digging through some old equipment and came up with an old laptop, exact same model that has a knackered motherboard but good screen! Result!

Thanks for all the input - much appreciated.

EDIT: Thanks Teejey, I would take you up on that if I hadn't found one