Wootbook, yes/no?

dont have the metal, but 91Wh battery is huge. no GPU to chow battery, AMD are more effeceint and this one review from wootware owner:
Amazing, but can be even better - Errol, 29 April 2021
"Battery life: I'm running Ubuntu and can get between 10 and 12 hours of 1080p YouTube playback at medium screen brightness. Or around 2 hours with all 8 cores at 100% non boost usage, all this in a notebook 16mm thick and 1.5Kg!"
Also prob alot cheaper than the asus (https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ROG-i7-...DDGJQDW/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=B08DDGJQDW&psc=1) looks like ~R26000 vs ~R16000
 
I got the Wootbook Pro II last year. Uncannily, the internal display panel failed just after the warranty ended. The laptop has been sat on my desk for 95% of its life and hasn't been physically abused in any way. One day I got up to make coffee and when I returned 2/3rds of the display was off and the remaining 3rd was barely showing anything.

Got it assessed by Wootware who confimred that it's the display and not a connector. I've just received an e-mail that I'm going to have to ship it at my own expense to China to get the panel replaced. This is my only computer and I need it to do my job - I can't be without the laptop for weeks while it makes its way to China during Omicron times.

This has gone from being a beloved laptop to being the most regrettable PC purchase I've ever made. Anyone know of any local repair shops that might be able to help with an off-brand laptop like this?
 
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Hatefulsandwich said:
I got the Wootbook Pro II last year. Uncannily, the internal display panel failed just after the warranty ended. The laptop has been sat on my desk for 95% of its life and hasn't been physically abused in any way. One day I got up to make coffee and when I returned 2/3rds of the display was off and the remaining 3rd was barely showing anything.

Got it assessed by Wootware who confimred that it's the display and not a connector. I've just received an e-mail that I'm going to have to ship it at my own expense to China to get the panel replaced. This is my only computer and I need it to do my job - I can't be without the laptop for weeks while it makes its way to China during Omicron times.

This has gone from being a beloved laptop to being the most regrettable PC purchase I've ever made. Anyone know of any local repair shops that might be able to help with an off-brand laptop like this?
Click to expand...
To be honest, this even happens to the Dell XPS 60K laptops. HP, MSI.... Always take minimum 3 year warranty and try sell before warranty ends.

Can you not just order the display online and fix yourself?

And if you do send away, won't it go faster through wootware channels, cost on you.
 
Could probably order a replacement panel and have a local replace,wont be a warranty gig though
Goedkoop koop is duur koop (soms)
 
My poor 11 year old Vostro needs to be replaced. Wootbook is on it's way. hope it will continue my good luck with Laptops.
 
RedViking said:
To be honest, this even happens to the Dell XPS 60K laptops. HP, MSI.... Always take minimum 3 year warranty and try sell before warranty ends.

Can you not just order the display online and fix yourself?

And if you do send away, won't it go faster through wootware channels, cost on you.
Click to expand...
Yeah I've certainly learnt my lesson. I tend to like to have autonomy over my equipment which means I usually manage to void the warranty anyway. Like with the Wootbooks they never get BIOS updates, but other manufacturers like XMG release BIOS updates that one can use, but it voids the warranty. I didn't realise having to ship things back to China was the standard way this kind of thing was handled with most manufacturers. Would have given me second thoughts about getting a laptop in the first place.

I have no idea how disassemble this laptop's display properly which is why I sent it back to Wootware to assess. The cost of shipping and fixing the laptop is one thing, the cost of not being able to do my work for potentially weeks is another.

I don't know what to do. Guess I'll just wait to hear how Wootware responds.
 
Hatefulsandwich said:
I got the Wootbook Pro II last year. Uncannily, the internal display panel failed just after the warranty ended. The laptop has been sat on my desk for 95% of its life and hasn't been physically abused in any way. One day I got up to make coffee and when I returned 2/3rds of the display was off and the remaining 3rd was barely showing anything.

Got it assessed by Wootware who confimred that it's the display and not a connector. I've just received an e-mail that I'm going to have to ship it at my own expense to China to get the panel replaced. This is my only computer and I need it to do my job - I can't be without the laptop for weeks while it makes its way to China during Omicron times.

This has gone from being a beloved laptop to being the most regrettable PC purchase I've ever made. Anyone know of any local repair shops that might be able to help with an off-brand laptop like this?
Click to expand...

If it's the display and not the connector why not just buy a cheap monitor, plug it in and carry on? It seems you used it like a desktop most of the time so this seems like the most sensible option. Take it over to a friend's first to check it out on their screen before you splash out on a new screen first.
 
Hatefulsandwich said:
Yeah I've certainly learnt my lesson. I tend to like to have autonomy over my equipment which means I usually manage to void the warranty anyway. Like with the Wootbooks they never get BIOS updates, but other manufacturers like XMG release BIOS updates that one can use, but it voids the warranty. I didn't realise having to ship things back to China was the standard way this kind of thing was handled with most manufacturers. Would have given me second thoughts about getting a laptop in the first place.

I have no idea how disassemble this laptop's display properly which is why I sent it back to Wootware to assess. The cost of shipping and fixing the laptop is one thing, the cost of not being able to do my work for potentially weeks is another.

I don't know what to do. Guess I'll just wait to hear how Wootware responds.
Click to expand...
Please understand I do not down play your situation and completely understand your frustration, I had a similar experience with MSI. I hope it doesn't take weeks and put pressure on Wootware. And so we learn as well, as you said. I feel the same about MSI.

This is also another reason I prefer Dell with their On Site support. Outside warranty they are useless in South Africa and zero after warranty support, it is then just a fancy brick. Within warranty, The technician is here either today or tomorrow. Also they don't fix things, they replace things. The audio jack doesn't work? They swap out the mother board. The Ethernet jack doesn't work? They swap out the motherboard. The display has issues? They swap out the display, whether it is a wire or not. They might use refurbished items though, but seeing that you either extend the warranty or sell before warranty expires, this is not a problem.

But taken from someone who has been working from home since school years.

You need two computers, two phones, two internet lines. If your income depends on this, you can not afford to only have one of each.

Depending on your finances, now might be a good time to invest in a second computer you can use temporary. Some great deals on Carbonite.
 
zolly said:
If it's the display and not the connector why not just buy a cheap monitor, plug it in and carry on? It seems you used it like a desktop most of the time so this seems like the most sensible option. Take it over to a friend's first to check it out on their screen before you splash out on a new screen first.
Click to expand...
Ah, yes, I didn't explain that part. I do use it like a desktop, but I still need to be able to do things like load into safe mode and reinstall windows and such. The external displays only output when display drivers load.

I think once upon a time it was possible to just disconnect the internal display and it would output to external monitors but that doesn't seem to be how modern display outputs work.

RedViking said:
Please understand I do not down play your situation and completely understand your frustration, I had a similar experience with MSI. I hope it doesn't take weeks and put pressure on Wootware. And so we learn as well, as you said. I feel the same about MSI.

This is also another reason I prefer Dell with their On Site support. Outside warranty they are useless in South Africa and zero after warranty support, it is then just a fancy brick. Within warranty, The technician is here either today or tomorrow. Also they don't fix things, they replace things. The audio jack doesn't work? They swap out the mother board. The Ethernet jack doesn't work? They swap out the motherboard. The display has issues? They swap out the display, whether it is a wire or not. They might use refurbished items though, but seeing that you either extend the warranty or sell before warranty expires, this is not a problem.

But taken from someone who has been working from home since school years.

You need two computers, two phones, two internet lines. If your income depends on this, you can not afford to only have one of each.

Depending on your finances, now might be a good time to invest in a second computer you can use temporary. Some great deals on Carbonite.
Click to expand...
Mm, it's a bit of a complex situation where I gave my old PC to someone who desperately needed it, even though it would have been smarter for me to keep it for myself.

There's also some complexity around my work situation and I'm currently trying to push for them to provide me with equipment like they do all their non-third-world employees or else pay me enough that I can afford to have multiple laptops in case of this kind of situation.
 
Hatefulsandwich said:
. I didn't realise having to ship things back to China was the standard way this kind of thing was handled with most manufacturers.
I have no idea how disassemble this laptop's display properly which is why I sent it back to Wootware to assess. The cost of shipping and fixing the laptop is one thing, the cost of not being able to do my work for potentially weeks is another.

I don't know what to do. Guess I'll just wait to hear how Wootware responds.
Click to expand...

What kind of bs is needing to send the whole device back to China, seriously that's ridiculous and I thought Wootware were a solid company.

No ways is that industry standard practice, sounds like they are trying to fob you off.

I'd find a compatible replacement panel and fit it yourself, laptops aren't too hard to work on, just take your time and don't try force anything or take a chance.
 
airborne said:
What kind of bs is needing to send the whole device back to China, seriously that's ridiculous and I thought Wootware were a solid company.
Click to expand...

The wootbooks are rebranded Chinese machines. Where else would you send them to get fixed?
 
zolly said:
The wootbooks are rebranded Chinese machines. Where else would you send them to get fixed?
Click to expand...
Wtf, nearly everything is made in China, using your logic anything made I'm China should be sent back to China for repairs??
:ROFL:
 
Hatefulsandwich said:
Great news, Wootware got back to me this afternoon and clarified that the repair will be done locally and apologised for the miscommunication. Gosh, that's a real load off my shoulders.
Click to expand...

That sounds more like it, what's the quote for the repair?
 
airborne said:
Wtf, nearly everything is made in China, using your logic anything made I'm China should be sent back to China for repairs??
:ROFL:
Click to expand...

No, because we have local branches for other goods that are made in China that will handle things here.

I was under the impression that literally everything for these Chinese OEM machines is done in China. All Wootware does is put their branding (wootbook) on it, so it's not surprising that they'd want to send it back to the company who actually built the machine. But regardless, I see they have found someone locally who is going to sort it out for this guy.
 
Just had my battery swollen on mine. 3k to replace. Wootbook 2 years old, barely used the battery. Joys!
 
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