Tiring week...

First it was meetings after meetings to gather my user's requirements and get a lot of stuff done.

Last wed the stupid Epson service centre called me to inform me that my P2000's HDD has failed and needs to be replaced (note: they said replaced).

Cost?

$380 for a 40GB 4200RPM 2.5" HDD
$60 for labour.

ZOMG! Come on! A new 80GB 5400RPM 2.5" HDD is only $90! What exorbitant charge is this!!! I refused to proceed with the repairs. I had already found the Epson P2000 HDD image online and also a video on how to remove the internal HDD and replace it with a new one!

Anyway, Saturday, I went to collect the P2000 back from the service centre, the person even bade me "Have a good day sir, thank you". I was fuming, how to have a good day when the exorbitant pricing(s) kept flashing infront of me? Nonetheless, I took a walk to SLS and found a 80GB for $90. So I took it and went home. Eagerly, I followed the online instructions and managed to get the casing opened, the HDD removed.

I didn't manage to get the system up because I needed to cover a photo shoot for a friend and also the HDD image s/w recovery was taking hours to download. So I left it for sunday evening. An interesting thought came to mind. Could I RMA the dead HDD?

I went ahead on sunday evening to give it a try, registering it for RMA on the Hitachi website and YESS!!! IT COULD BE DONE!! So now, it really boils down to the work ethics of Epson. Would they have RMA'd the dead HDD and get a replacement while still at the same time charging me $380 for a new HDD? OR would they get a replacement from Hitachi by RMA and still charge me for a new HDD?

Few trials and errors before I finally jumped for joy when I saw the date entry and system setup screen on my P2000 appear. Although in the process I accidentally tore a wire connecting the power to the status LED, but it was really sweet to get it up and running at a fraction of the Epson's charge.

$440 -$100 (including taxi) = $340 saved!

Not only that the speed of the HDD seems to have an adverse effect on the speed of copying from CF to HDD! At 5400RPM, I could have sworn it's much faster than the older 4200RPM HDD!

Anyways, I headed back to office on tuesday to get a box that was previously used by Sun to send me their HDDs, using the packaging and box, I repacked the 40GB inside and RMA'd via post office to Hitachi. Now awaiting is a replacement. Hope they have no stock of 40GB and replaces mine with a 80GB? Heehee...

It's a $3.70 package to Hitachi, but if I can get it replaced, I think my $103.70 is well spent. I can still resale the 80GB and/or use it as my 2nd HDD.