New and Disappointed

[trish6hundred]

Hi JoLyn,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you as you start your CPAP therapy when you get your machine and I hope you are able to get your computer problems resolved.

[pholynyk]

All this talk of recharging batteries and adapter polarity has me confused... In at least one post, JoLyn referred to it as a desktop computer, a Dell, and opening it up to look at the graphics card.
I believe JoLyn has a (dead) desktop Dell, a big square box with a built in (usually proprietary) power supply. I suspect it will be very difficult to find a replacement that fits.
SleepyHead will run on a Raspberry Pi 3, perhaps the lowest cost computer that will run SleepyHead. It requires a TV with HDMI input, a keyboard and mouse, and an SD card reader. I compile it myself, but it could be packaged as a deb file for easy installation, if there was enough interest.

[Marillion]

I replaced the power supply in my own computer recently. The cost of a new decent quality power supply in the US is often around $100, depending on your configuration.

It wasn't very hard so if you have a friend that is computer inclined you could get them to help you out or just take it to a store like best buy to do it.

It would still be cheaper going that route rather than buying a new computer. If the rest of your computer is still quite usable.

Edit: I just saw Pholynk's response. I was not aware that Dell desktops had proprietary power supplies. If that is the case, it may well be a bigger problem.

[JoLyn]

Disregard the following which applies to a laptop, not a desktop.  I will leave the post, but an internal power supply is what is needed.

A power supply--especially if used or generic--would not be a large expense. Worth being able to run Sleepyhead IMO, even if the PC were not much use for anything else.

I checked Amazon and the new ones are near $100. Do you know where I might check on a used one?

Thanks ... JL

With this information from your current adapter, you can buy a generic AC adapter that perfectly matches your computer.  For example, I can put this search into Google and find an adapter for less than $20:  "AC Adapter 19V 2.31A positive polarity".

Thanks a bunch for this info. I am not sure what I am going to do yet but you have given me a lot to work with! JL

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Thank you Trish!! I am really glad to be here :-)

[JoLyn]

I think I am really messing up on the replies with quotes!! lol

[Sleeprider]

JoLyn, just for the heck of it, what was the model number on your Dell? I bet someone can point you to a power supply (without a link).

[Spy Car]

SpyCar....

Per your last paragraph, wouldn't it be the same difference whether you loaded your SD card onto a card reader and handed it over to a friend to stick in his/her computer OR loaded the data off your SD card onto your Chromebook and handed the Chromebook to a friend? The friend would still have to have SleepyHead installed on the PC? Or maybe I'm not getting this.

I agree that a generic power supply probably wouldn't be prohibitive. It would also make the PC available for word processing niceties and doing taxes....

What I'm wondering is if one were able to upload the raw files from the Chromebook, if they couldn't then be sent (via GoogleDrive, DropBox, attachment, etc) to a third person who was running Sleepyhead on his or her computer and would be willing to set up a separate user for this data?

If that is possible, it expands the options of help beyond locals.

I don't know that this would work, but seems possible.

Bill

[Walla Walla]

Good idea! wish I had thought of that.

[Spy Car]

A power supply--especially if used or generic--would not be a large expense. Worth being able to run Sleepyhead IMO, even if the PC were not much use for anything else.

I checked Amazon and the new ones are near $100. Do you know where I might check on a used one?

Thanks ... JL

Offhand, no. When you check, see if there are "generic" power supplies that match the same specs. Typically these are a small fraction of the cost of an OEM unit.

You might check with Fry's. Perhaps someone has another idea? 
Bill

[Spy Car]

All this talk of recharging batteries and adapter polarity has me confused... In at least one post, JoLyn referred to it as a desktop computer, a Dell, and opening it up to look at the graphics card.
I believe JoLyn has a (dead) desktop Dell, a big square box with a built in (usually proprietary) power supply. I suspect it will be very difficult to find a replacement that fits.
SleepyHead will run on a Raspberry Pi 3, perhaps the lowest cost computer that will run SleepyHead. It requires a TV with HDMI input, a keyboard and mouse, and an SD card reader. I compile it myself, but it could be packaged as a deb file for easy installation, if there was enough interest.

I--perhaps wrongly--had the impression we were discussing an external power supply for a laptop. Sounds like a desktop Dell presents a greater level of difficulty.

Interesting that a Raspberry Pi 3 will run Sleepyhead. With a guru to help set it up, that would be a very low-cost solution.

Bill