Broken
Palm Pilot Screen? What
to do when your screen gets smashed
Date
Created: 11/15/1998
Last
Updated:
12/18/2005
Authors:Staff
Cracked screen. Sucks
so bad.
"Hi,
I just wanted to say thanks for your help. I received a Palm m505
as a gift from my boyfriend, and this past weekend, I crunched
it under my foot (stomping around angrily after my team blew it
in Playoffs). I am not a rich person to say the least, so when
I remembered that I had seen the 'broken palm pilot help' column
on your website, I felt at ease. Then when I called, and they
told me to mail them the palm, and they'll send me one for free,
I was oh so elated. I am thanking you for the quickest, most painless
dealings with anyone I have had in a long time. I owe it all to
you, and by the way, great website. I am a woman of few websites,
and you guys are one of my few."
- Sarah Jan 14, 2001
STEPS
DESCRIPTION
1.
HotSync
if possible. Hopefully you've backed up recently. My screen was
smashed right by the "OK" button, so I got screwed.
I had just loaded my Pilot with reminders and couldn't hit the
damn button.
2.
Write
down your serial number and whip out your credit card. Yep, you
need some money.
Get
out your credit card. If you cracked the screen on your brand new
Palm Pilot, then here's some bad news... The palmOne Limited Warranty
does not cover screen breakage and their out-of-warranty repair
charge is $99.00 USD. Sometimes the cost to repair a device is almost
as much as purchasing a new one. Spending $100 to get a $100 broken
Palm Pilot doesn't make sense. If you have a lower-end model Palm
Pilot, perhaps you should take this opportunity to upgrade to a
new one. (skip to step 7).
5.
Mail
your busted Palm to the palmOne Repair Center. Palm has a "Repair
& Return" service. This is what it says on their website
"You ship your device to the palmOne Repair Center. You are
responsible for one-way shipping charges using a trackable shipping
method. When it arrives at the Repair Center, palmOne will service
it and you'll receive a repaired device within 5-7 business days.
palmOne shall, at its option, either replace your device or repair
and return the same device. Replacement devices are likely to
be reconditioned." [palm.com: 08/28/04]
Replacing
a broken Palm Pilot screen is tricky process and involves replacing
the following components: LCD display, the digitizer, the polarizing
layers, the protective covering and all of the LCD subcomponents.
Keep in mind that the screen is the single most expensive component
in a handheld.
6.
Buy
a soft
case for your Palm if you don't already have one. That way when
you drop it again, it will have some padding. A hard case make look
a lot nicer, but you need the shock absorbing action. I've dropped
my palm several times since buying a soft case and it hasn't broken
since.
7.
Last
Resort: Buy a new one. Maybe it was a good thing. Upgrade baby.
Chances are you've probably outgrown your old Palm Pilot. Go to
a website like Amazon.com
that will walk you through all the different options and the pros
and cons of each model.
8.
Good
luck. Hope we helped you out. If we did, please let us know!
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