Return a laptop under SoG if i've changed the software

RhysPhelps

Morning all,
I bought the an acer aspire 8920G where it stated on the webpage (which i cannot link ) on laptopsdirect.co.uk in the tech specs that it would be capable of 1920x1080. I have recieved the laptop and realised that it cannot reach this max resouloution (it's more like 1680x720 but i cant remember exactly off the top of my head) and even the sticker that they've slapped on the laptop shell says full HD 1080 (which would require 1920x1080 otherwise it would be 720 HD right?).

I didn't realise this until after i had installed my own software (including downgrading from windows Vista to XP) so was wondering whether i could still have the right (under the SoG) to return the goods as they are not as described? could me purchasing it through the finance option have any relevance? I've had it no more than 2 weeks. the laptop did not come with a recovery disk so i cannot return it to the original state.

P.S laptop direct have now also discontinued the 8920G and it is no longer listed on their website (although it is still available through the wonders of google caching)

any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

Cheers all
Rhys

S0litaire

Check to see if it has a "Restore Partition"
Best way is to reboot and press the "f8" or "f10" till you get to the XP Menu. See if it has a "Restore" option. Run that, That will put it back to a factory default setting.

Unless when you "Upgraded" to XP you wiped that partition....

[Deleted User]

Have you installed the correct drivers to enable the full range of resolutions?

RhysPhelps

@ Solitaire :- I had heard about this restore partition but i've followed the guide on the internet and it seems as though either the partition has been deleted (more than likely when i installed XP) or never existed in the first place. Wish i'd spent the 14 quid on a restore disk now, seemed like a rip off when i was ordering it.

@ anewhope :- I had hoped that was the case (partly why i re-installed XP) but even with the correct and up to date drivers the max resoloution is 1680x720

DCodd

They do still advertise the 8920 but shows as out of stock.
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_8920G-934G64Bn_-_C2D_T9300,_4GB,_9650M_LX.AP70U.068/version.asp

The specs do say 1920x1080 as max resolution. Is that option not available on your laptop at all or does it say that it is outside of the range of the display or what?

Is there any x1080 options for the resolution available?

S0litaire

How big is the hard drive in the description and how big is the C:\ drive? (e.g. if you got a 160Gb but C:\ is only showing 149Gb)
if their is 9Gb or so difference then the restore partition is still there.

[Deleted User]

RhysPhelps wrote: »

@ anewhope :- I had hoped that was the case (partly why i re-installed XP) but even with the correct and up to date drivers the max resoloution is 1680x720

I'd say you're highly unlikely to be able to return the laptop under the SOGA for something you have done to it, as the native resolution is what was stated and that's how it would have been shipped

You more than likely need to modify the driver package before installation to be able to force other resolutions for use. I've done similar on an ATI based laptop, but that was to enable lower resolutions, but I'm sure the principal is still the same.

S0litaire

LCD resolutions are usually fixed (not like old CRT where you could force a higher resolution.)

Best thing to do is get on to them (Beforethe 14 days are up) and tell them it's not up to the specification and what they will do to fix it.

I'm sure there's a couple of Regulations someone here can quote you to tell the support team (basically you bought a laptop which claimed to be 1920x1080 but it's nowhere close to that resolution!).

Only thing i can suggest is after you've contacted them, and found out the situation, is to wipe the drive and return the laptop. (Since you HAD to use the laptop to find out that it was not up to spec, it could be argued you already had personal information on the drive so you wiped it.)

Not sure how wiping the drive will affect your ability to get a replacement or reimbursement though...

RhysPhelps

@ DCODD:- The option to select 1920 is completely missing.

@ Solitaire :- i think the hard drive is 250GB but is showing 233 GB (as the file system nicks the remainder). There is definatly no recovery partition on it.

@anewhope :- i haven't done anything to it to stop it displaying at 1920. When i first unpacked it and turned it on the resoloution was 1680 and could not select anything higher. whats the risk of "Forcing it" somehow to 1920x1080, surely if the panel IS only 1680 then it couldn't display more pixels than it has?


EDIT:- Cheers solitaire, the wiping of it was what i was wondering about, bit of a grey area

sco0ter

When it says it was capable of full HD 1080 does this not mean for playing videos?? Im pretty sure that there are some video cards that can display FULL HD or have a FULL HD capable output but the screen wouldnt display this in normal running like for the desktop or other programs

sco0ter

I think the HD refered to IS just for video...

The system is shipped with a choice of graphics engines and can be equipped with either the NVIDIA GeForce 9650M GS or the NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS both with up to 1280 MB of TurboCache (512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 VRAM, up to 768 MB of shared system memory). Either will support NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology, Shader Model 4.0 and Microsoft DirectX 10.

Looks like you will need to find the NVIDIA software to display your videos in HD.

So be carefull before wiping or reinstalling anything.