In case we go on a roadtrip on Tuesday, I popped into London Drugs to buy a portable DVD player. Malcolm has not been keen on the drive the last few times and we've ended up having to stop 3 or 4 times turning a 5.5hr drive into a 6.5-7hr drive.
So they had DVD players on sale for $79 and I figured we'd get some good use out of one. (Okay, I actually bought it yesterday but the fellow said it came with some things that weren't included, so I was actually trading in today as he gave me a better model for the same $79 price. This one came with some other features and a car adapter.)
Well, next thing I knew I was looking at laptops as my 4 year old Toshiba is about to kick the bucket. I hate buying before I know I *HAVE TO* but 18 months ago (the day after Malcolm was born) Jim's computer totally blew up and everything was lost. It was before we really knew about external hard-drives and the like.
He had a scratch on the (internal) hard drive and it was 'running' more and more and more until it just died. I am finding mine is doing the same thing these days.
So, I got an HP 12 inch with a super-charged graphics card, 4 MB RAM, 250 Hard Drive, and a bit slower 1.6 processor (but that is what I'm running right now and I don't run complex processes so I don't really care). I just wanted the RAM and the graphics. And the smaller size.
If you want to look, it is the HP dv2-1044ca.
IT IS SO CUTE!
(god, I'm such a freaken girl sometimes)
And so, a BoQ (please read laptop as "computer" so feel free to reply as appropriate):
What kind of computer are you using?
How old is it?
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
computer boq
Re: computer boq
What kind of computer are you using?
Some Toshiba laptop. I don't really know anything about computers.
How old is it?
Exactly one year old, almost to the day.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Usually about two years. The cats destroyed the last two laptops.
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
I back up my system regularly, and once a week I burn all my documents onto a CD as well as Google Docs.
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
I have no idea. I bought this one last year when my last one went kablooey with no forewarning whatsoever. One minute it was working, and the next minute it wasn't. I paid $600 for this one at Wal-Mart because I had to have one right away because of work.
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
Um, no. But if somebody posts that information, I know what I'll be doing later that night.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
Nope. I don't use my computer for anything except surfing the Internet, Internet-related professional work, and word processing. I don't put music on my computer or watch DVDs or play games. (Except for Bejeweled. Doesn't everybody play Bejeweled?) I would, however, prefer to have a smaller laptop. I would rather have something a little smaller and lighter. This one won't even fit in my regular computer case, so I have to put it in a vinyl bag given away for free by a mortuary. [eyeroll]
Some Toshiba laptop. I don't really know anything about computers.
How old is it?
Exactly one year old, almost to the day.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Usually about two years. The cats destroyed the last two laptops.
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
I back up my system regularly, and once a week I burn all my documents onto a CD as well as Google Docs.
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
I have no idea. I bought this one last year when my last one went kablooey with no forewarning whatsoever. One minute it was working, and the next minute it wasn't. I paid $600 for this one at Wal-Mart because I had to have one right away because of work.
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
Um, no. But if somebody posts that information, I know what I'll be doing later that night.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
Nope. I don't use my computer for anything except surfing the Internet, Internet-related professional work, and word processing. I don't put music on my computer or watch DVDs or play games. (Except for Bejeweled. Doesn't everybody play Bejeweled?) I would, however, prefer to have a smaller laptop. I would rather have something a little smaller and lighter. This one won't even fit in my regular computer case, so I have to put it in a vinyl bag given away for free by a mortuary. [eyeroll]
Re: computer boq
I would recommend using PCDecrapifier from http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/. After that, going into the add/remove programs from the control panels and remove anything you know is not something you want.
X
Re: computer boq
I, too, pretty much use my computer for writing stuff, reading things online, and playing bejeweled.
(and some Sims here or there)
Ghost, the only thing with using the add/remove in the control panel is I don't know what I can add or remove. I once removed Java because I didn't use my computer for anything coffee related....
(and some Sims here or there)
Ghost, the only thing with using the add/remove in the control panel is I don't know what I can add or remove. I once removed Java because I didn't use my computer for anything coffee related....
Re: computer boq
Remove what you know you don't want. If you don't know what it is, do a google search or ask here. Rob will know what it is.
X
-
peaks.
Re: computer boq
Ah yes, the HP dv2-1044ca! Marketable name, heh. We need to start naming our computers like we name our lapcats (Lapcat R2-D2, for example). Does look cute, I agree and want.
What kind of computer are you using?
Two desktops.
One for the internet – Dell, around 2ghz processor, 256 mb ram, 30 gig hard drive, with a dated office style monitor with washed out colours (sometimes half the screen is grey. It's faulty...[/genius]) Desperate for more ram. It takes 15 minutes to boot. Stupid anti-virus software. Stupid windows.
And one for composing music – HP, around 3ghz, 2 gb ram, 180 gig hard drive, with a flat screen monitor that has, like, colour! I've recently stopped using it for the internet after windows system files were mysteriously corrupted. STUPID anti-virus software. STUPID windows.
And breathe.
How old is it?
Over five years. Both second hand gifts from family when they all upgraded to cute little laptops.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
When someone offers me a computer, I take.
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
4 copies!
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
I've never bought a computer. I'm clueless. Around £500? More??
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
Having visited several computer advice sites, I remember a grand total of absolutely none of them. I assume your laptop has the curse of windows (those monopolizing Microsoft $£%$£GRRR) Anti-virus software can slow 'puters down the most, some more than others (Norton is crap. Avoid the trial, imo) Linux is a more efficient and safer alternative to windows, but with 4gig of ram you don't need to panic too much in terms of your cute laptop being able to multi-task. Be careful what programs you install, and yeah, only remove what you're confident is safe to remove after googling. Make sure programs you're reluctant to delete/rarely use aren't updating themselves automatically... unless there's a security risk in turning the auto update off [/spambot speak]
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
Too scared to stalk because I'd most certainly crave several. And stop dangling that cute laptop in front of me like the Buffy Cheese Man!
PS. I know you're a woman.
What kind of computer are you using?
Two desktops.
One for the internet – Dell, around 2ghz processor, 256 mb ram, 30 gig hard drive, with a dated office style monitor with washed out colours (sometimes half the screen is grey. It's faulty...[/genius]) Desperate for more ram. It takes 15 minutes to boot. Stupid anti-virus software. Stupid windows.
And one for composing music – HP, around 3ghz, 2 gb ram, 180 gig hard drive, with a flat screen monitor that has, like, colour! I've recently stopped using it for the internet after windows system files were mysteriously corrupted. STUPID anti-virus software. STUPID windows.
And breathe.
How old is it?
Over five years. Both second hand gifts from family when they all upgraded to cute little laptops.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
When someone offers me a computer, I take.
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
4 copies!
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
I've never bought a computer. I'm clueless. Around £500? More??
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
Having visited several computer advice sites, I remember a grand total of absolutely none of them. I assume your laptop has the curse of windows (those monopolizing Microsoft $£%$£GRRR) Anti-virus software can slow 'puters down the most, some more than others (Norton is crap. Avoid the trial, imo) Linux is a more efficient and safer alternative to windows, but with 4gig of ram you don't need to panic too much in terms of your cute laptop being able to multi-task. Be careful what programs you install, and yeah, only remove what you're confident is safe to remove after googling. Make sure programs you're reluctant to delete/rarely use aren't updating themselves automatically... unless there's a security risk in turning the auto update off [/spambot speak]
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
Too scared to stalk because I'd most certainly crave several. And stop dangling that cute laptop in front of me like the Buffy Cheese Man!
PS. I know you're a woman.
Re: computer boq
Thanks Ghost! I Decrapified my toshiba (old computer) and it took some random shite off it.
I haven't booted up my new computer yet. I seem to be having issues with the fact that my old one isn't dead yet. I feel... over-computered at the moment.
I haven't booted up my new computer yet. I seem to be having issues with the fact that my old one isn't dead yet. I feel... over-computered at the moment.
Re: computer boq
What kind of computer are you using? Laptop: HP Pavilion dv8000, desktops (P= Pentium): generic PC P2 266 MHz, dual processors P3 866 MHz, Dell P3 600 MHz - this is the one I run Linux (Fedora) on. The other 2 are W2K, and the laptop is XP Pro.
How old is it? Laptop: 2 years, desktops, older than that
How long do you tend to go between computers? Until they die (i.e. I can't get parts or too expensive).
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know) - no, because an external HDD is useless in a crash. I've burned an image of the OS base, and do monthly backup to dvd, and weekly to CD, and store them in separate areas (much to the chagrin of my parents - they claim their house is not an off-site storage vault).
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span? depends on what's on them vs. what you need. If you want something just to get on the net, the minis are a pretty good deal at about $250. But, try to run anything locally, you might as well go back to using a slide rule and ENIAC.
A good mid-range general use is going to be priced $900 - $1200. You can add on to them and change the configurations to suit your needs for a little extra. And they will tend to last longer. Well worth getting an extended warranty, and with kids, get the complete care coverage. Things get spilled, the computer knocked off a table, kid colors with a Sharpie on the screen, or what have you - you get the items replaced under the complete care. A screen will run you $475 - $800 otherwise - and that's just parts, don't forget about the labor. The $350 for 3 year coverage is a good deal.
Then there's the highend gamer types, and the low end Mac's. They start at $1300 and exponentially increase from there. Their life span about about the same as the midrange, you are paying for name and/or fractions of seconds faster hardware. BTW: OS X for the Mac does crash. I've done it, both on purpose and by accident. And it does get viruses - and just as nasty, just not as many as you'd expect on a Windows based PC.
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?Nothing free, but if you are running a Windows base, keep Technet handy. Oh just thought of something that might work for you: PC Pitstop - I use that site at work for computer evaluation and testing.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days? I was thinking of picking up another laptop that is a Core2 dual or quad, with beefier graphics card and more than 2 GB memory. I really like having a full keypad and the wide screen, and that takes a priority after required hardware. But I have a house that demands I fix it before I buy any more computer stuff.
Edited: Corrected the color tags to the proper format for the newer system -Techboy
How old is it? Laptop: 2 years, desktops, older than that
How long do you tend to go between computers? Until they die (i.e. I can't get parts or too expensive).
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know) - no, because an external HDD is useless in a crash. I've burned an image of the OS base, and do monthly backup to dvd, and weekly to CD, and store them in separate areas (much to the chagrin of my parents - they claim their house is not an off-site storage vault).
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span? depends on what's on them vs. what you need. If you want something just to get on the net, the minis are a pretty good deal at about $250. But, try to run anything locally, you might as well go back to using a slide rule and ENIAC.
A good mid-range general use is going to be priced $900 - $1200. You can add on to them and change the configurations to suit your needs for a little extra. And they will tend to last longer. Well worth getting an extended warranty, and with kids, get the complete care coverage. Things get spilled, the computer knocked off a table, kid colors with a Sharpie on the screen, or what have you - you get the items replaced under the complete care. A screen will run you $475 - $800 otherwise - and that's just parts, don't forget about the labor. The $350 for 3 year coverage is a good deal.
Then there's the highend gamer types, and the low end Mac's. They start at $1300 and exponentially increase from there. Their life span about about the same as the midrange, you are paying for name and/or fractions of seconds faster hardware. BTW: OS X for the Mac does crash. I've done it, both on purpose and by accident. And it does get viruses - and just as nasty, just not as many as you'd expect on a Windows based PC.
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?Nothing free, but if you are running a Windows base, keep Technet handy. Oh just thought of something that might work for you: PC Pitstop - I use that site at work for computer evaluation and testing.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days? I was thinking of picking up another laptop that is a Core2 dual or quad, with beefier graphics card and more than 2 GB memory. I really like having a full keypad and the wide screen, and that takes a priority after required hardware. But I have a house that demands I fix it before I buy any more computer stuff.
Edited: Corrected the color tags to the proper format for the newer system -Techboy
From the mind of the official Techboy (R) of the Temporary forums
Re: computer boq
What kind of computer are you using?
At home or at work? At home I have 4 computers. My main one is an AMD Dual-Core badass. I have Toshiba P4 laptop (my DJ/Music-making machine), a Gateway Celeron laptop (guest/loaner/light-work machine), and my old Gateway P4 desktop doing server duty.
How old is it?
My main PC is 2 years old.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Considering I still have my old one...
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
I have a slave drive in my desktop that stores my data (so if my system drive fails, my data is fairly safe). They both backup to an external cradle that has a terabyte drive in it. That gets backed-up via an online service for redundancy. I also have a passport external strictly to mirror my music folder for DJing purposes. I also have a bevy of MP3 players/externals, enclosures, and yada yada.
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
You can get great deals these days for around $500. And their life-span isn't so short if you buy good quality and take care of them.
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
Not really, being an IT guy, I've learned everything on the job. But, if you need help. Let me know.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
Yes. Always. No Dells though.
At home or at work? At home I have 4 computers. My main one is an AMD Dual-Core badass. I have Toshiba P4 laptop (my DJ/Music-making machine), a Gateway Celeron laptop (guest/loaner/light-work machine), and my old Gateway P4 desktop doing server duty.
How old is it?
My main PC is 2 years old.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Considering I still have my old one...
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
I have a slave drive in my desktop that stores my data (so if my system drive fails, my data is fairly safe). They both backup to an external cradle that has a terabyte drive in it. That gets backed-up via an online service for redundancy. I also have a passport external strictly to mirror my music folder for DJing purposes. I also have a bevy of MP3 players/externals, enclosures, and yada yada.
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
You can get great deals these days for around $500. And their life-span isn't so short if you buy good quality and take care of them.
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
Not really, being an IT guy, I've learned everything on the job. But, if you need help. Let me know.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?
Yes. Always. No Dells though.
Re: computer boq
What kind of computer are you using?
A Samsung laptop that my sister's extremely knowledgable boyfriend advised me to buy based on my requirements.
How old is it?
Two months old.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Uh .... none? This is my first personal computer. I have used my flatmate's (she has generous parents) or my father's.
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
I have all of my uni work on my pen drive, my uni drive, and my dad's computer. Thanks mum.
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
I honestly do not know. I ask the people closest to me who have a clue. I know I love you, but I do not have a clue. Want a cookie?
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
See above. If you lived in the UK, I would pimp my best friends out to you so they could advise you.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?[/quote]
I'm still in love with my "new" one!
A Samsung laptop that my sister's extremely knowledgable boyfriend advised me to buy based on my requirements.
How old is it?
Two months old.
How long do you tend to go between computers?
Uh .... none? This is my first personal computer. I have used my flatmate's (she has generous parents) or my father's.
Do you have an external hard drive and back up your system on a regular basis (you should you know)
I have all of my uni work on my pen drive, my uni drive, and my dad's computer. Thanks mum.
What do you think is a good price for laptops given their short life-span?
I honestly do not know. I ask the people closest to me who have a clue. I know I love you, but I do not have a clue. Want a cookie?
Any good sites you can recommend that will explain in dummy-talk how to slim down the standard programs computers run that just bog everything down?
See above. If you lived in the UK, I would pimp my best friends out to you so they could advise you.
And finally,
Any laptops you are stalking these days?[/quote]
I'm still in love with my "new" one!