Progress Report

So, after almost a month, Dell finally sent us a new Studio 1558 laptop to replace our defective Studio 1558. OK, we thought. Now we're back in business again. Silly us. The replacement 1558 had exactly the same problems as our original 1558, and more. We were instantly (and angrily) back on the phone with Dell. Turns out, Dell has just determined that the Studio 1558 has fundamental design flaws having mostly to do with that critical bit of computer firmware known as the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) which sets up and controls all computer functions and absent which no PC computer can operate. Having made that determination, Dell has taken the Studio 1558 out of production altogether, at least for the nonce, and has graciously offered to replace our defective replacement Studio 1558 with a spanking new Studio 17, a larger, more powerful system with a 17.3" HiDef display (900p) in place of the 1558's 15.6" 720p display, and with a standard keyboard layout (Glorioski!). Problem is, the Studio 17 is significantly larger and not quite as easy to tote around, but more pertinently, we'll have to wait another three or four weeks or so before it arrives. In the meantime we'll work as best we can and to whatever extent our crippled 1558 will permit us to work. Good news is that our Studio 17 should arrive just in time to be a birthday present for us. We'll take that as a good omen.

Stay tuned.