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    Inspiron 8200 Bluetooth options and loose AC jack

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by AdamaDBrown, Oct 4, 2004.

  1. AdamaDBrown

    AdamaDBrown Notebook Enthusiast NBR Reviewer

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    I have an Inspirion 8200 to which I want to add Bluetooth. I'd like something that I can leave in or attached to the laptop all the time without it sticking out or being a nuisance. I don't want to tie up a PC card slot, and most of the Bluetooth USB adapters I've seen seem to stick out quite a bit. The ideal solution would be a Bluetooth/WiFi combo miniPCI card. I didn't figure that this would be a problem--coexistence solutions have been worked out, and there are ample handheld computers that feature both. However, my searches on Google would lead me to believe that despite numerous claims of reference designs, there's no actual dual wireless miniPCI cards on the market. I'd love for somebody to tell me that I'm wrong, but aside from that, I'd like to hear any suggestions.

    As long as I'm asking about my Inspirion... Recently, it seems that the AC power jack on my laptop is becoming loose. Semi-frequently, the screen will suddenly switch to its 'on battery' brightness setting, then flip back. A check of the Inspirion 8200 FAQ, a Google search, and a check on eBay offered nothing on the subject of securing or replacing power jacks, and no sources for said jacks. I have the feeling that I'm not going to like the answer to this question, since it will probably suggest replacing the motherboard, but I'd really hate to have my laptop taken out of service on me, so I need to ask. Any suggestions?

    And, last but not least, I've developed an interesting processor problem. Several times recently, the system has become extremely slow. When I checked the system properties, it reported that the processor was operating in the 200-300 MHz range. Switching the machine from AC to battery, or vice-versa, makes the processor jump back to normal, but the source of the problem still eludes me. Anyone else experienced this?