Issues

After nearly 18 months my treasured mobile phone developed a fault. Namely certain keypad functions died. There have been other minor faults to date but I've learnt to live with them. So I faced the inevitable and took the phone in for a service.

Before doing so, I spent some time in a Nokia users forum. Let me tell you, such user forums are an invaluable and indispensable tool. With the aid of Google I very quickly located similar faults to my own and established what the problem was - a dead integrated chip. And such was the amount of information available, I could repair the thing myself if I had the proper tools.

You know when you have a favourite electronic device, or any modern appliance for that matter, how lovingly you regard it. Then the feeling of despair on watching a 'technical consultant' handle it as though it's worth nothing ? Or so it seemed to me as the Nokia front desk guy took the phone and in no time had the face disassembled. It was just another phone to him.

For a few minutes he silently speed pressed buttons as only an experienced techo can. 'I think it's a buggered IC', I suggested, yet immediately regretted it as he didn't even deign to acknowledge my informed comment. Rather he jammed a tool/knife under the face pad, whipped it off and walked out back. I imagined there were numerous techos out there playing computer games amid a jumble of dissembled phones scattered amongst empty Coke cans and chip wrappers. Such was my apprehension.

Five minutes later he returned. 'Yep, you need a new IC', he stated. 'It'll cost $70 plus you've got some software issues'. Bloody 'issues', what a useless copout of a word. 'You mean I need a firmware upgrade ?', I asked. Another 'issue' I'd learned from the Nokia user forums. 'Basically yes, you wanna go ahead'. 'Well yes, I've got no choice', I said. There was no way I was junking a $1000 phone over a $70 ‘issue’. 'How long ?', I asked. 'Two to four days', he replied.

Just as I thought, the bloody thing wasn't ready after two days in service, so now I'm without a phone over the weekend. And already not having a phone is a feeling akin to nakedness, which in the cab is a real issue. Oh well, that’s life.

Comments

[sTeph]

I know all about phone "issues" and was without one for three days! nightmare. Hope your phone comes back fit and well soon.

[Huggies]

I have the same attachment to my 1985 Technics SL-P2 CD player.