Courtesy of the Hewlett-Packard company, bane of my existence, I face the choice between living with a faulty laptop monitor (which is a problem for a video editor), and being without my computer for a month while it is repaired (which is also a problem for a video editor).

It would be nice if I could take my computer to the Geek Squad or equivalent, and have them furnish me with a loaner computer for the time being. The loaner computer option could be part of an extended warranty - in fact it would make me much more likely to buy an extended warranty.

Now lets talk about the computer itself. Obviously a laptop would be best for portability. It should be reasonably powerful (not a netbook) and usable for most of the customer's current needs. Files saved on it during the rental period would go straight to an online backup service for later retrieval on one's regular computer. The customer would be responsible for any damage, just like a loaner car. Finally if loaner computers were totally awesome, they might make people envious and more likely to upgrade their old piece of crap that keeps breaking.
-- DIYMatt, Aug 31 2010

sooooo... you want yourself in the position of having not only your computer in the shop, but several iterations of loaners as well ?
-- FlyingToaster, Aug 31 2010


The problem is software. Having run a corporate helpdesk, and having set up MANY loaner computers, I can say authoritatively that "usable for most of the users current needs" is the problem. As someone who mentions "Video Editor" several times you must know that. Internet is easy, email is reasonably easy (as long as they don't use Lotus Notes, and yes it still exists), the problem comes when you go from there. As long as you can survive on a basic laptop with a basic copy of Office then this is bakable. Past that is gets very unlikely.

I know in a corporate setting I baked this long ago.
-- MisterQED, Aug 31 2010


I think it should be a compact desktop with hot- swappable drive bays that accept common hard drives.
-- Alx_xlA, Aug 31 2010


// Lotus Notes, and yes it still exists //

Send us the co-ordinates, we are charging our weapons arrays to full readiness ..
-- 8th of 7, Aug 31 2010


//wepons// dat sounz eeeefil.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 31 2010


Sp. fixed.
-- 8th of 7, Aug 31 2010



random, halfbakery