Simple Logic Test
Pre-requisite
You need to have an IQ quotient slightly over 1.
Scenario
The light in the bathroom is too dim so you put in a new bulb with higher wattage.
Known Facts
The old bulb works. You can turn it off and on.
Your Observation
After screwing the new bulb in reasonably tight, and turning on the switch, the bathroom is dark. You then remove the new bulb and re-insert the old bulb and try again. This time the light works.
Simple Logic Test
Is there a problem with
1. The light switch?
2. The light socket?
3. The electricity?
4. The bulb?
or
5. the fact that it takes several idiots to screw in a lightbulb and make it work?
Ok I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here and say you selected number four right? LOL
The Not So Simple Logic Test
Pre-requisite
Unlike the first test, you need to know the difference between Computer Software and Hardware. Your IQ quotient needs to exceed that of a total idiot at least partially.
Scenario
Your laptop has loose hinges. You call the company and because your warranty covers accidental damage they send everything under the sun. You get new plastics, new screws and even a brand new LCD. Currently, the laptop works perfectly EXCEPT the hinges. Because you have to dis-assemble the laptop down to the point of removing a WORKING lcd, you go ahead and replace it since you were sent one. The laptop has Windows installed on it.
During the repair process, you notice that you are missing a rubber foot and a small piece of plastic is broken. So while you are finishing up with the repair, you call into tech support and request the additonal parts. Right after, telling tech support that you needed more parts you notice nothing is displaying on the screen past the initial screen. You are seeing video when you first turn the computer on.
Since you have replaced the LCD, the next step is to see if the lcd displays anything in Windows Safe Mode. And it does. So you relay this information to the tech support guy and he suggests that there is possibly a problem with Windows and recommends doing a system restore.
Instead of doing that, you turn off the computer, and connect the old lcd up. It's just a matter of removing one connector and replacing it with the old one. You can do this without totally taking everything apart again and takes about a minute.
This time you turn on the computer, it displays the initial screen and works all the way into Windows where you can logon and actually see what you are doing with no problem. The only issue with the old lcd was a minor scratch and was the reason you changed it. Your basic knowledge tells you that the LCD, Hinges, and screws are computer hardware, and Windows or drivers are software.
Both the old and the new lcd are identical except that the new lcd doesn't display the windows desktop and the origional lcd can. You relay this information to tech support and they insist that it is a software issue and want you to leave it installed and re-install Windows to correct the problem.
Your experience with monitors and Windows tells you that each screen that is displayed on the monitor during the boot-up process is actually displayed a lower resolutions (like safe mode does) until after you logon to your desktop where Windows uses the optimized or user-definded display settings. These resolutions are much higher than the initial screen or in safe mode. You also relay this information to tech support.
Your tech support person AND the supervisor at this point are insisting it is a software issue even though you have over 17 years experience doing nothing but fixing computers.
Reminder
Without making any changes to the software (Windows), the old lcd works in all circumstances.
Not So Simple Test
A.:Is there a problem with
1. The Software?
2. The Hardware - The new lcd and it's inability to display higher resolutions like the old "identical" lcd can?
B.: Who is the idiot?
1. You
2. The support tech and his supervisor