11/15   I have a Sony Vaio... had it for almost 2 years. The screen has
        started flickering occasionally... it seems to be getting worse.
        Any suggestions on how/if I can get this repaired? I know alot of
        people have gone through hell trying to repair Sony's... any
        info would be welcome. Thanks.          - rory
        \_I think I might know what's wrong. Send me an email. williamc
        \_ my condolences. GOOD LUCK.  I can only offer the advice of
           keep searching the web, it's likely that someone else has
           encountered the problem. By the way, the last Sony laptop I tried
           to get fixed got me pissed because the sony phone tech wanted
           to charge me $10 before disclosing the part-number (just
           the part-NUMBER) not including the part itself! I just
           wanted to make sure it was the right part he was trying
           to sell me (since their web- site sucks so badly, the
           part wasnt listed. And the phone tech only had some
           cryptic part description ("harness jack") and no pictures)
           There are lots of design flaws in their laptops. Almost 2 yrs
           is about right. And tell us the damn model number if u want help
                 PCG-F580... does that really help? _/
        \_ Sonys seem to have a lot of problems and their tech support is
           bad. They wanted to charge me (to troubleshoot) because the software
           on their web site would not install. I haven't had any problems
           getting Sonys fixed (very fast turnaround) but I spent a lot of
           money fixing them and they need to be fixed often. A new
           display will be $700, btw. --dim
           \_ I guess one thing I'm trying to figure out is what it is that I
              may need to replace... the display seems fine, it looks clear,
              etc... but it is just this sporadic flickering that occurs...
              I'm guessing it is some kind of connecting cable or something.
              I'd like to be more educated before calling Sony or some other
                                                  \_ don't kid yourself.
                                                     Sony's call center is
                                                     staffed by mostly clueless
                                                     people.
              repair service... but have not yet been able to find any info
              on the web.
              \_ Send it in to Sony. They will send you a quote back. You
                 will have the option of getting it fixed, having it disposed
                 of, or having it shipped back to you. There is a diagnostic
                 fee, but it's not too bad ($20 or $50). --dim
        \_ I was trying to replace the screen on a toshiba and found a few
           websites that sell parts for various laptops (such as new screens).
           Sorry I don't have it bookmarked but some googling will work.