So here I am in Mexico with my spiffy new ASUS Transformer Notebook. I love it! Touch screen! Faster! Removable tablet so I can play Candy Crush comfortably lying down. I’ve mastered Seagate for backups and am using a USB hub. The compact size is another plus. Yes, my ancient Acer of the past three years is becoming a distant memory. Or is it?

At this moment I long for it……….slowness, freezes and all. I plugged it in and it charged. My battery never died. The hours we spent together………….sigh! Not one warranty problem ever! My ASUS  is a mere month old. And the battery will not charge! I am not impressed at all. I replaced the cable. That didn’t help. I spent hours messaging my computer guru back in Canada and we have been unable to solve the problem with files and programs. What ASUS has suggested on their support site just doesn’t work.

This afternoon I went to Office Depot with my laptop. The diagnosis this time was that the connection on my laptop is the problem and that when I return to Canada I should send the computer back to ASUS to be fixed under warranty. Uh oh! I live in Mexico. I’m not planning to return to Canada anytime soon. And anyone who lives in Mexico knows that sending it back from here is akin to throwing it directly into the trash can.

There is no Best Buy here in Mazatlan. Apparently no-one even sells it here so forget about any maintenance. It would probably cost more than what I paid for the laptop even if I could find someone to fix it. And my computer guru is still convinced that it’s the charger.

This is what I have decided. For the time being I will leave the laptop plugged in on my desk. No more Candy Crush lying in bed with the tablet. Yes, it’s a transformer. The beauty of being a laptop and a tablet……when it works of course. In October when I go to the Dominican Republic for my daughter’s wedding, I will have my computer guru give my son the proper adapter that I need and he can then give it to me. This is the simplest way. There is no such thing as guaranteed delivery of anything in Mexico.

But I want to tell you about my computer guru back in Winnipeg. Her name is Laura Bungarz. We met about five years ago in a university course for ESL. I was completely hooked when in mere minutes she demonstrated how to make a powerpoint presentation. And I could actually do it myself after that!

Those of you who know me are probably laughing by now. I am technologically challenged, or so I’ve been told. VCRs, DVD players, computers, iPhones……you name it and I can screw it all up. But no more! I now have Laura in my life and actually have found out things about my computer that no-one should ever need to find out.

Did I mention that Laura has the patience of a saint? After all, I am her favorite non-paying client ever. Just the other day she talked me through downloading zip files and changing them into regular files. She taught me all about my control panel. She had me do a BIOS update, not an easy feat to accomplish by any means. Yes, she did this from Winnipeg with me here in Mazatlan. She even made videos for me to make it easier. She speaks so clearly on the videos and her explanations make any process simple. It’s the next best thing to being in the same room with her. Of course, I do miss seeing her roll her eyes at some of the questions I ask.

I hope you will check out her website: laurabungarz.ca

And others have been so impressed with her that she was invited to record videos in California, so check out this link as well: lynda.com/LauraBungarz

Here is a pic so you now know what she looks like should you be so silly as to not check out the sites.

Remember: If you ever have any issues with technology, Laura is your woman!

As for ASUS, how likely am I to buy another ASUS product? Or recommend ASUS to anyone? Hmmmmm…………