My laptop appears to be suddenly dying, one component at at time...first the touchpad went away, and now the keyboard doesn't work. I can still operate it with an external mouse and keyboard but I'm afraid it's about to die on me completely. Fortunately I have everything backed up but if it does die, I'm going to be offline for a few days till I either get it repaired or buy a new computer. I'm sure it will cost so much to get it repaired it will almost be enough to buy a new computer, but I really can't afford a new computer right now. Dammit.
If you do not see postings on Monday, Feb. 12, for the Feminist Theory and the Joy of Science class, you will know that I am computer-less.
Maybe it's time for me to start dreaming about those cute little Mac laptops like the one Dr. Free-Ride had at the Science Bloggers Conference.
Actually the keyboard and mouse are part of one assembly on most laptops or they talk to the same controller. They're fairly easy to replace. No, this isn't a commercial plug, but I've bought parts from them before and gotten nothing but solid service from them.
http://www.laptopparts.com
You can also try the manufacturers web site. In many cases replacement parts aren't that expensive.
Depending upon how old your laptop is, you may want to go ahead and take the leap. I had a 2002 vintage Mac G4 titanium PowerBook until one of the hinges broke in late October. I got a little white MacBook to replace it that is faster and more powerful--and can run Windows programs, too, now that I've installed the virtual machine program. And all this cost half as much as what I paid four years ago. I haven't looked back!
TonyP, thanks for the tip! Fortunately (or unfortunately, for my MacBook lust), my little notebook seems to have healed itself. Rebooting didn't help, but rebooting with Norton Goback spontaneously rejuvenated the touchpad/keyboard. I would like to know what happened, if my PC was just having another of its usual hangups or if this is a sign of worse things to come. I'd really like this thing to last a while longer, for financial reasons. Even though I'm sure it's completely obsolete, being all of 2 years old.
No reprieve for the instructor...I must finish my work this evening!