Job Discussion Forums

Eloise · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 35 Location: UK

I'm moving to Mexico City in a few weeks and I was just wondering what to take with me and what to buy there. Does anybody know how much monthly and/or weekly disposable contact lenses and solutions cost in Mexico? Sometimes i've found them to be much cheaper in the UK than abroad.

I'm also thinking of buying a laptop and wondering whether anyone knows if there's a big difference in price between the UK and Mexico.

Thanks for any help!

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

snorklequeen · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 6:49 am Post subject: Laptops

hi, Eloise,

you might want to be careful with Dell laptops; i got an email recently showing one exploding Rolling Eyes

said they are prone to that; personally i don't have one so i don't know; haven't heard of any other brands blowing up

cheers,

Queenie

kitkat1 · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 37

Eloise · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 35 Location: UK

Thanks for all the advice. I hope my laptop doesn't blow up! I'm using my dad's at the moment and it's a Dell one!

richtx1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 115 Location: Ciudad de M�xico

You might also try the Electronics mercados on BOTH sides of Eje Central, and along Venustiano Carrenza. Someone may have a rebuilt for sale at less... and there's always Tepito Smile

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

the computer zone downtown is republica de el salvador (east of eje central about 4 blocks south of the torre).

dell's aren't bad, i just got my third one today. the one on the internet did NOT explode, it overheated and caught on fire. not a big deal considering that DELL is the largest computer company in the world, i think one computer aflame out of 100,000,000 isn't a bad ratio. DELL and ACER are the cheapest brands. dell is having a great deal right now.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Richard, nice to see you back in this neck of the woods!

snorklequeen · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:39 am Post subject: Dell laptops

oh, i see, Matt

i didn't read the article; just saw the headline in the Subject: line which said "exploded" and noted the very colorful fire

cheers,

Q

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

that's okay, the headlines are misleading. the more i read the news, the more i hate journalists.

i may have been wrong, my brother told me today that there have been a few hundred that had the same problem. not just dell, though. the issue is something about lithium ion batteries overheating, so it is across all brands. apples have done the same thing. anyway, i never use my battery when i can plug in--it kills the battery's "memory", or charge potential, to leave it in if you are plugged into the outlet all the time at home or work. i just use batteries for flights, and that way they maintain a long charge for a few years.
just a little tip for laptop owners.

FreddyM · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 180 Location: Mexico

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

sorry if that wasn't very clear. yes, i physically remove the battery EVERY time i have the laptop plugged into the wall. with my first laptop, i left the battery in all the time--almost never actually used the laptop on battery power alone. after about a year of doing this, the battery life on a full charge was 5 minutes. it was completely useless, and i had basically never used it, but i killed it by leaving the battery in while it was plugged in.

once the battery is fully charge, unplug the computer and let the battery drain completely before charging it again, or leave the computer plugged in and remove the battery.

there is probably an explanation of all this in the owner's manual.

jseens · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 21

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

That some good and bad advice about the battery, Matt. You are doing the right thing with your battery but for the wrong reason.

The nice thing about Lithium Ion batteries is that they don't care if the charger stays connected to them after they are full. Once they are full, they are full. NiMh, on the other hand, are damaged when connected to a charger for long periods of time. What kills the Lithium Ion battery is the heat from the laptop. The battery sitting in the case gets a lot of heat and the higher the temp, the more a Lithium Ion battery deteriorates. A lithium Ion battery sitting in a hot laptop case can die in as little as 18 months or as jseens said, just a year.

Another thing that damages a Lithium Ion battery is deep cycling it. This is good battery care for Nicad and NiMh batteries, but not for Lithium Ion batteries, it can kill it. It does no good because Lithium Ion batteries DO NOT SUFFER FROM THE MEMORY EFFECT and in fact harms the batteries.

Best battery care for a Lithium Ion battery? If you are plugged into the outlet, do what Matt says, take the battery out, but before you do, let it drain down to 40% charge and then you can store it(Lithium Ion batteries deteriorate quicker at higher charge levels). Store it in a freezer or even in a desk drawer.

One important fact: Lithium Ion batteries begin deteriorating the minute they leave the factory. You ca not stop it, but you can do things to minimize the deterioration.

jseens · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 21

Thanks for the info Sgt Killjoy! Definitely good to know.