I broke my computers power jack port!! Grrr! That is my livelyhood! I do website design and management as well as publicity for an LGBT author. I also run a pagan parenting blog...that I JUST came out to.

I am SO pissed.

I ordered the part, but it won't be here until the 20th.

My Galaxy S3 can't handle the demands of my work! Hell, my Nook Color Tablet can't either. I don't even have all my needed passwords!!

/rant

I feel so for you.

I don't use mine for earning, but do to stay sane.

Library maybe?  Borrow a friends?  Time to upgrade?

Passwords and other irreplaceable stuff is the worst.

I try to keep backups. I store online in various places. Provided you are careful with what you store and where, it's surprising how much space you can find.

Dropbox is great. www.dropbox.com I have a few email accounts, mainly with www.mail.com

The problem is keeping track of course. So I have each listed in a school exercise book as a log book.

For stuff that's especially confidential, I encrypt it using Zerofootprintcrypt Best to Google it.

I have my passwords in two groups. General where I use the same for all sites when it is unlikely anyone will want to look at. High, such as bank accounts and similar. Both are phone numbers, where numbers have been changed to letters 0=o 1=i and so on. I have each place where I need passwords, listed, with an L or and H beside the name, in my log book.

I still try to keep backups but let's face it, it's easier to forget.

But I will still say to Adrian_Michael, that I do feel his frustration and pain.

The power jack port?

Is that the thing that comes from the wall? It has 3 connectors, right? Go to Radio Shack, have someone there show you how to use "alligator clips", and...

...wait, do you have any electrical/wiring experience?

Sorry about what's happened.

errr... are you using a laptop or a desktop PC?

if it's a desktop - getting it replaced can be simple - but if it's a laptop then you need to make sure you keep your hard disk as they have to erase it at a service center if you send it. Don't forget to check your warranty and the T&C with them before you do anything with it.

if it's the power jack on the wall or something - then it's a different thing...

Quote from: Beth Andrea on December 16, 2012, 12:18:12 PM
The power jack port?

Is that the thing that comes from the wall? It has 3 connectors, right? Go to Radio Shack, have someone there show you how to use "alligator clips", and...

...wait, do you have any electrical/wiring experience?

No, the port on the actual laptop the power cord plugs into. The hole with the pin in it.

Had it been the cord itself that broke, I would be fine, I have two backups...lol

Someone who's handy with a soldering iron should be able to fix the connector if it's come away from the pcb, if it's not under warranty.

here's some suggestions

I bought a laptop for school. It was 300 dollars at Bestbuy. 4 gigs of ram and 500 gigs of HD space with a quad core. Not too shabby for 300 bucks.

Also..I use to have a Nook Color (I sell them at Barnes and Noble) but I sold my nook color on craigslist for a hundred bucks (with the case) and I bought the new Nook HD+.

Those tablets can do everything an I-Pad can do (virtual identical tech and graphic specs)...except it doesn't have a camera...but for 500 dollars less it wasn't too hard to think about the decision

I take class notes on my Nook HD+ (it has bluetooth for speakers, keyboards, etc), it has flash (something many tablets don't have) and I use Microsoft Office apps on it. It also has unlimited cloud storage too.

Quote from: Annah on December 16, 2012, 01:10:23 PM

Those tablets can do everything an I-Pad can do (virtual identical tech and graphic specs)...except it doesn't have a camera...but for 500 dollars less it wasn't too hard to think about the decision

I take class notes on my Nook HD+ (it has bluetooth for speakers, keyboards, etc), it has flash (something many tablets don't have) and I use Microsoft Office apps on it. It also has unlimited cloud storage too.

I haven't found a tablet that I like yet... I think most of the problem I have with them is just the general lack of abilities compared to even a Netbook.

But to help the OP out with suggestions... If you are running Android on your phone and Microsoft Windows or Linux on your computer look into a program called KeePass along with something like Dropbox. Keepass is an open source program for storing passwords and stuff that's cross platform. You can store your .db on Dropbox and use the same database on all of your devices (not sure if you can just use the .db right from dropbox though).

Sorry I can't offer much other help for the computer issue.

Good luck finding a temp solution.

Quote from: LivingInGrey on December 16, 2012, 06:06:12 PM
I haven't found a tablet that I like yet... I think most of the problem I have with them is just the general lack of abilities compared to even a Netbook.

When was the last time you owned a tablet? Today's tablets are much more faster than netbooks and can do much much more than netbooks.

I'd really like someone to tell me what any pad/tablet computer can do that doesn't cost money.

The problem is, whenever I ask anyone they seem to think I'm gonna argue. OK, I don't like Apple, but that's because its overblown hype. But all I ever heard about Tablets and smart phones is they are new ways to spend.

Sadly, spending is something that I, like many others, simply cannot do!

My Tablet was 269 dollars..I bought it three weeks ago. Here's the things I can do with it:

1. It has the same graphic quality as an Ipad (which means it's the best graphic display you can find). Watching a movie on this is like watch a blueray on a 1080p flatscreen. Magazines and pictures on websites are like 3 times better than on a Desktop monitor.

2. Thousands of apps of virtually every genre you can think of

3. An e-reader (since it's a nook) with 1.8 million free books and 233,000 more book selection than the amazon kindle

4. A Micro SD card that can expand your memory to 64 gigs more than the 32 gigs you have

5. Bluetooth for the ability to use a full keyboard (I use this a lot when taking notes)

6. Microsoft office apps for 14 bucks which allows you to use Word, Exel, Powerpoint, and access

7. Unlimited Cloud storage

8. Direct tablet to PC desktop real time sharing

9. The speakers on my tablet is better than my laptop. Also have surround sound speakers that wirelessly connects to my tablet via bluetooth

10. Free tutorial classes at Barnes and Noble.

11. Fully integrated desktop with three different Web Browsers to choose from.

12. HDMI link to connect your nook to your television.

13. Fully Integrated Magazine interface. If you see a shirt or a blouse in the magazine, just tap the shirt and itll take you to the company's website and the shirt. You can cut out magazine pages and place them in your own scrapbooks (great for recipe collections from recipe magazines).

14. Same processor power and tech specs to an Apple Ipad (minus the camera) but for 530 dollars less than an I-Pad 4.  Much faster than an I-Pad 3.

Those are some of the things I can think of right now

  Also to concider, Windows 8 for PC s and laptops will not play DVD or Bluray movie discs unless you fork over the 10 bucks US for windows media player add-on or a Windows 8 compatable DVD movie player, you still have to use a third party Bluray.  Windows 8 still reads and records data on discs.  I had to do that last night.  40 bucks for the Windows 8 ultimate upgrade if you are interested. 

  Joelene

Most recent one was a Kindle Fire (own) and a Samsung tab from Sprint (tinkered with).

Quote from: LivingInGrey on December 16, 2012, 08:16:20 PM
Most recent one was a Kindle Fire (own)

that explains it

The Kindle Fires rated number 14 in Consumer Digest Ereader. Those models weren't true Tablets. They were comparable to the Nook Color.

Quote from: Beth Andrea on December 16, 2012, 12:18:12 PM
The power jack port?

Is that the thing that comes from the wall? It has 3 connectors, right? Go to Radio Shack, have someone there show you how to use "alligator clips", and...

...wait, do you have any electrical/wiring experience?

Not advised.  I made some of my living off of 'alligator clip' repairs, from Radio Shack, no less.  I used to charge $20.00 for labor plus the cost of the new jack in the other portable devices back in the 80' and 90's.  Full price for that unit type if the broken jack caused more problems to that unit.  In some cases, the board was broken or cracked.  I managed to repair most of those as well.  I got less than 30% of that labor cost in commission.  Don't expect anybody to replace a jack for less than $60 - $80 these days.  The techs now are on a salary and are making less than I did on commission just before 9-11.  A small crack or break on the board is more catastrophic with the more modern stuff due to the newer circuit designs. 

  Joelene

Firstly, to Adrian_Michael, really hope you don't mind us sorta hijacking your thread to discuss computers in general.

Thank you Annah. I did try browsing through a library of apps, once I figured out what an app is. But all I got was adverts.

I've heard already about apps that do everything, though what everything is suppose to be is a different matter.

My principal concern is that, once I move to a different technology, I won't be loosing facilities I depend up and more importantly, I won't end up with a paper weight.

I moved over to PCs from 8 bit once it was possible to get a decent word processor for less than what was then, twice the average weekly wage. (That one was called Word Perfect. There were others available, some free, but they were essentially what I had had on 8 bit so didn't see any point in risking it).

I've reluctantly moved to each new OS as they've appeared. Though still using XP, because I briefly used Vista and my wife uses W7.

Tried Linux. Spent ages looking at the plethoria of choices, everyone I spoke to said this or that one was the best, but refuced to say why. Eventually opting for PCLinux OS which I loaded from a disk sold to me by the Linux group. It made the CD drive unusable and crashed the machine. Repeated calls and question from Linux and linux forums were ignored. So, Linux is out.

Not heard any good things about M$ W8.

So, thinking about tablet machines for when I have to renew my current  machine.

Be nice to actually see some details of a few of these apps. Quantity is irrelevant if every one asks for money. I don't really want 1000s. Just a few that do what I need.

Like the idea of a keyboard. The notion of an onscreen key pad is just silly.

Bit concerned about cloud. Nice idea, but hate loading all my eggs in once basket. Is the cloud secure for example? Do I have to pay?

The best you can do is removing the HDD and extracting all the contents to another device while it is repaired. But, you know, I always keep a second computer for emergencies. When I bought my latest one, I turned my previous one into a miniature easy to store but ready to be used if I have a problem with the main one. I can't stop doing my work...

Spacial: The reason why they have 1000s is because you can find an APP you would like. There are ZERO advertises on NOOK tablets