I have a Lenovo Thinkpad SL500 that I got for Xmas/graduation in December 2008. Just the other day my friend went to use it and when he opened it the left hinge broke. It appears as if the metal framing that the lower part of the hinge attaches to snapped and the entire lower portion of the hinge and the piece of metal that it attaches to are loose and trying to pull up and out of the plastic case of the laptop. I admit i pick it up by the screen a lot, do you think this caused the metal to become weak over time and finally break? my only other hypothesis is that the last time i shut it a usb plug or something was between the screen and the main part near the hinge and the levering action when it shut popped the hinge up and broke it. either way, now it is broken. my question is, should i try to order new parts and fix it myself? where do i learn more about laptop assembly/disassembly? i can build a pc from the ground up but know nothing about laptop hardware. would i be better off paying for someone who knows what they are doing to fix it and how much might this cost me? would this be covered under manufacturers warranty? it is over 1 year since i bought it if that matters. what would be my best plan of action in your opinion? i appreciate any help very much, thanks