Repair Parts

Manufacturer Tech Support

If you have problems with a laptop system, you will often need to contact the manufacturer directly for support, spare parts , system-restoration discs, and more. Especially if you are traveling, it is a good idea to keep the phone number and contact information for your system manufacturer (or supplier) handy. This section lists contact information for some of the more popular manufacturers and suppliers.

IBM

IBM offers perhaps the best overall support in the industry for laptop systems. The only criticism might be that the company is so large, there are almost too many resources for help and support. If you are unsure about where to call within IBM, you can use the main support contacts:

IBM North America

1133 Westchester Avenue

White Plains, NY 10604

Phone : 800-IBM-4YOU (800-426-4968)

Email : askibm@vnet.ibm.com

Web site : www.ibm.com

Many of IBM's support resources are international, including toll-free numbers .

Primary service and support : 800-IBM-4YOU (800-426-4968)

ThinkPad tech support:

• United States (English) : 800-772-2227

• Canada (English/French) : 800-565-3344

• Toronto only (English/French) : 416-383-3344

Systems/accessories purchase : 888-SHOP-IBM (888-746-7426)

Hardware service : 800-IBM-SERV (800-426-7378)

Maintenance parts : 800-765-5944

IBM also provides an extensive Web site dedicated to mobile computing and to ThinkPad computers at www.ibm.com/pc/support. From this site you can download drivers, manuals, updates, bulletins , and more.

Finally, if you have a touch-tone telephone and access to a fax machine, in the United States and Canada you can receive, by fax, marketing and technical information on many topics, including hardware, operating systems, and local area networks (LANs). You can call the IBM automated fax system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Follow the recorded instructions, and the requested information will be sent to your fax machine. In the United States and Canada, to access the IBM automated fax system, call 800-426-3395.

To determine whether your computer is eligible for International Warranty Service and to view a list of the countries where service is available, go to www.ibm.com/pc/support and click Warranty Lookup. You can identify eligible IBM computers by entering their four-digit machine types.

For more information about International Warranty Service, see Service Announcement 601-034 at www.ibm.com. Click Support & Downloads, click Announcement Letters, and then click Announcements Search. In the Search by Letter Number Only field, type 601-034 and click Search.

Toshiba

Toshiba provides extensive technical support online (www.toshiba.com) as well as via toll-free support phone numbers. It also has a nationwide network of Authorized Service Providers (ASPs) who service and support Toshiba systems.

Technical support : 800-457-7777

Sales information : 800-TOSHIBA or 800-867-4422

Toshiba Accessories : 800-959-4100 (www.toshibaacessories.com)

Toshiba repair parts are carried by National Parts Depot at 800-524-8338 (www.nationalparts.com).

Information specifically for Toshiba computer resellers may be obtained by calling the Reseller Inside Sales Support Team at 888-800-9128. For online customer service and technical support, visit www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_home.jsp. You can also start at www.toshiba.com and use the menus to select various support options.

Dell

Dell is one of the largest PC manufacturers and vendors in the world. It has an extensive array of support services available online as well as by phone.

Phone (United States):

• Automated order-status system : 800-433-9014

• AutoTech : 800-247-9362

• Consumer technical support : 800-624-9896

• Customer service : 800-624-9897

• DellNet service/support : 877-DELLNET or 877-335-5638

• Software application support : 800-433-9005

• Business service and technical support : 800-822-8965

• Dell sales : 800-289-3355 or 800-879-3355

• Dell outlet store (refurbished computers) : 888-798-7561

• Software and peripherals sales : 800-671-3355

• Spare parts sales : 800-357-3355

• Extended service and warranty sales : 800-247-4618

• Fax : 800-727-8320

• Dell Services for the deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired : 877-DELLTTY or 877-335-5889

Phone (Canada):

• Automated order-status system : 800-433-9014

• AutoTech : 800-247-9362

• Customer care (from outside Toronto) : 800-387-5759

• Customer care (from within Toronto) : 416-758-2400

• Customer technical support : 800-847-4096

• Sales (outside Toronto) : 800-387-5752

• Sales (within Toronto) : 416-758-2200

• TechFax : 800-950-1329

Web:

• www.dell.com

• support.dell.com (technical support)

HP

HP provides support via telephone as well as online.

Pavilion notebook technical support : 800-HP-INVENT or 800-474-6836

OmniBook technical support : 970-635-1000

Main office : 281-370-0670

Fax : 281-514-1740

HP online support starts at www.hp.com.

Compaq

Compaq provides support via telephone as well as online.

General information : 800-345-1518

Technical support : 800-652-6672 or 800-OK-Compaq

Fax : 800-345-1518

BBS download facility (modem access) : 281-518-1418

Backup software, CD replacements , or user guides : 800-952-7689

Presario technical support : 208-4PC-HELP or 208-472-4357

Customer support Web site : (www.compaq.com/support )

Presario support Web site : (www.compaq.com/consumersupport)

Gateway

Gateway provides support via telephone as well as online.

Service and support:

• Automated troubleshooting hotline : 800-846-2118

• Fax on demand : 800-846-4526

• Automated order-status hotline : 800-846-8529

• Home/home office technical support/customer service : 800-846-2301

• International tech support : 605-232-2191

• Business technical support/customer service : 877-485-1464

• Gateway wireless home networking solutions technical support : 877-485-1465

Sales:

• Home or home office : 800-369-1409

• Any size business : 888-888-1094

• Remanufactured PCs : 800-846-3614

• Add-on sales : 800-846-2117

For sales, accounting, and warranty information or to get information about available systems, pricing, orders, billing statements, warranty service, or other nontechnical issues, call 800-846-2000 (U.S.) or 888-888-2037 (Canada).

TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf):

• 800-846-2301 (U.S.)

• 800-846-3609 (Canada and Puerto Rico)

• 605-232-2191 or 800-846-1778 (all other countries)

Other Systems

There are, of course, many other laptop system manufacturers. Those listed here sell and support laptop systems but are not necessarily as "big" in the laptop world as those already listed. Consequently, I've provided only their basic details.

Acer

Acer global information : www.acer.com

Service and support : www.acersupport.com

Main phone : 408-432-6200 or 800-733-2237

Main fax : 408-922-2933

Sales Fax : 254-298-4164

End-user service : 800-816-2237

Notebook/desktop/server technical support : 800-816-2237

Extended warranty department : 800-816-2237

Reseller sales support phone : 800-409-2237

MPC

Customer service : 877-894-5693

Technical support : 800-877-8856, 888-FIX-MYPC, or 888-349-6972

FOSA

Sales : 800-216-3672

Service : 800-216-3672

New Jersey line : 908-753-6100

Fax : 908-753-6616

Web site : www.fosa.com

Service/RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) : service@fosa.com

Technical support : support@fosa.com

Sager

Technical support : 626-964-4849 or 800-741-2219

Corporate/government/reseller support : 800-669-1624, 626-964-8682, or 626-964-2381

Web site : www.sagernotebook.com

Prostar

Main phone : 626-854-3428

Sales : 888-576-6776

Technical support : 888-576-4742

Fax : 626-854-3438

Chem USA

Technical support : 800-866-CHEM, 800-866-2436, or 510-608-8818

Fax (sales) : 510-608-8828

Fax (service/support) : 510-608-5889

Web site : www.chemusa.com or www.chembook.com

Email (sales) : sales@chemusa.com

Email (service/support) : custserv@chemusa.com

Sony

Sony service center : 888-4-SONY-PC or 888-476-6972

Sony customer service : www.ita.sel.sony.com/support

Additional Important Numbers

America Online : 800-827-6364 (U.S.) or 888-265-4357 (Canada)

CompuServe : 800-848-8990 (U.S.)