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General discussion

Dell Vostro 1510 laptop parts needed

Jan 14, 2015 10:51AM PST

I have a Dell Vostro 1510 laptop that will be 6 years old next month. I need to purchase a new or refurbished keyboard for the laptop and also a new battery. The laptop came configured with a 6 cell battery; Dell no longer sells a 6 cell battery; they only sell a 9 cell battery.

There are batteries and replacement keyboards listed all over Ebay and Amazon. I've never purchased computer parts off of Ebay or Amazon. Should I stick with purchasing from Dell or is it safe to purchase from Ebay or Amazon?


Big Steve
01/14/15

Discussion is locked

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When it comes to older laptops.
Jan 14, 2015 10:58AM PST

I tend to buy complete working laptops and transplant the HDD over so the owner can carry on.

Nothing is absolutely safe no matter which supplier. My take is that some can't take any risk so they are only going to buy in stores.
Bob

PS. I have a machine so similar to http://www.amazon.com/15-6-Inch-Intel-Celeron-Laptop-500GB/dp/B00L49X8E6/ref=zg_bs_565108_1 it's not funny. We pull it out when folk want to repair very old machines so they can see how much better the new cheap machines are today.

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Re: When it comes to older laptops.
Jan 14, 2015 4:59PM PST

R. Proffitt:

Is that laptop in your link a good one or are you using it as an illustration as a joke? I've never heard of that brand before. All I need is a new or refurbed keyboard for my Vostro 1510; many sources on Ebay and Amazon are selling them; Dell too. That's all I wanted to know; this computer is still pretty good although the laptop's fan does run a lot and when it does everything seems to lock up. It probably needs a good cleaning inside.

Dell wants $149.99 for a new 9 cell battery; they have 2 listed on their website. Since the current 6 cell battery which came with the computer when fully charged will only last about 30 minutes could I continue using this laptop without a battery and instead keep it plugged into an electrical outlet in my home while I use it or should I buy a new battery? Here's the batteries Dell sells for a Vostro 1510 laptop:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productcompare.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&category_id=2999&mfgpid=196586&chassisid=8299&prods=312-0725,312-0922


Big Steve
01/15/15

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I understand that some will have never heard of ASUS
Jan 15, 2015 1:26AM PST

Way back in the 1990's we use ASUS motherboards and other parts from them so for some, I guess they would never know this company that makes Google's Nexus phone and tablets.

That laptop is currently a #1 seller on Amazon and a few students here picked it up to get back into business for school work, the usual papers to write, web surfing, video watching and more.

-> I've seen folk drop more than that on old laptop repairs.
Bob

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Re: I understand that some will have never heard of ASUS
Jan 15, 2015 3:24AM PST

R. Proffitt:

Answer this question for me: Dell wants $149.99 for a new 9 cell battery; they have 2 listed on their website. Since the current 6 cell battery which came with my computer when it's fully charged will only last about 30 minutes could I continue to use my Dell Vostro 1510 laptop without the battery installed and instead keep it plugged into an electrical outlet in my home all the time while I'm using it or should I buy a new battery?


Big Steve
01/15/15

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A fine example where I replace rather than repair.
Jan 15, 2015 7:39AM PST

The only time I get upset with leaving a worn battery in a laptop is when it is in the 20 or so percent of new capacity. Tip: I like the free version of BatteryBar to see if I can get a reading on battery wear.

So you may be in for 150 for a battery another 20 or 50 for a keyboard and anything else? You can see why fewer and fewer folk repair old laptops.
Bob