Off Topic: Basic Laptop ideas

[oldtimer]

Both our new laptops are touchscreen. I avoid using it but the wife loves it. They came with windows 8 and upgraded free to 8.1. I made sure they had expandable memory, the dells in the price range did not. We had a dell previously and extended its life by expanding the memory. Keep in mind we buy to keep, our newest car is a 2000 year model.

Windows 8 takes a little getting used to but is not that hard. If you use the desktop feature for internet it is hardly different at all. I use the desktop feature for internet.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

You are in a tough position. I just bought 2 computers. I wanted to buy new and wound up buying used because of the whole Win 8 fiasco, and spent just as much as normal new desktops, but have really fast desktop machines instead (8 processor cores each, 32 gigs ram and 16 gigs ram, SSD's etc.)

I bought my wife a new HP laptop about 1 year ago and she does not like it because of Windows 8. She keeps grabbing our free HP due core from 2007 that I added Linux Mint (it just works so well and has everything in freeward - office, CAD, etc). This computer woudl barely run vista and now runs very smoothly with 2 gigs of RAM and Mint 13.

Do not buy a new Windows computer until a new version of Windows comes out and it is proven to be decent. They are due for a decent OS (seems every other one if OK lately). Win 8 is really frustrating to use if you do not have a touchscreen.

I just bought 2 Dell Precision desktops from the seller below. He was great to deal with and added more memory on my request. He is a certified MS refurbisher which doesn't mean that the computers are broken and refurbished, it means that he has genuine licensed copies of Windows 7 (I researched all of this recently). He gets his computer off lease from businesses.

Here is a decent laptop for $220 shipped, just need a battery and power adapter. You know that you are getting a good copy of Win 7:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Latitude-E6410-Intel-Core-i5-M520-2-40GHz-4GB-500GB-Windows-7-B8159-/380892485026?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item58aef615a2

Ask him to max out the RAM (if possible, you need to look up this computer) for an extra fee.

You can also add a Samsung 840 EVO SSD for lighning fast boots and operation (from Newegg - of course)

I'd partition the drive and add a dual boot with Linux Mint 17 (Long Term Release) when it is released late next month, but obviously, I really like Linux Mint. Then you will have everything you can imagine as far as software. A 120 GB drive can handle about 4 separate installs of Mint with tons of room to spare, don't know about Windows 7, may need a larger drive.

Here is MS's refurbisher directory:

http://www.microsoft.com/refurbishedpcs/Directory.aspx

Here is their top seller if you can find a better deal here:

http://arrowdirect.com/search#/?_=1&filter.category_hierarchy=Notebooks&page=1&filter.screen_size.low=11&filter.screen_size.high=14

Good luck.

As an aside, I never bought used computer before. When the real estate meltdown occurred, my old employer gave me 2 Dell Optiplex 280's when I started my business and they have worked flawlessly since 2006, so techniocally, they were used when I got them.

[minermark]

You are in a tough position. I just bought 2 computers. I wanted to buy new and wound up buying used because of the whole Win 8 fiasco, and spent just as much as normal new desktops, but have really fast desktop machines instead (8 processor cores each, 32 gigs ram and 16 gigs ram, SSD's etc.)

I bought my wife a new HP laptop about 1 year ago and she does not like it because of Windows 8. She keeps grabbing our free HP due core from 2007 that I added Linux Mint (it just works so well and has everything in freeward - office, CAD, etc). This computer woudl barely run vista and now runs very smoothly with 2 gigs of RAM and Mint 13.

Do not buy a new Windows computer until a new version of Windows comes out and it is proven to be decent. They are due for a decent OS (seems every other one if OK lately). Win 8 is really frustrating to use if you do not have a touchscreen.

I just bought 2 Dell Precision desktops from the seller below. He was great to deal with and added more memory on my request. He is a certified MS refurbisher which doesn't mean that the computers are broken and refurbished, it means that he has genuine licensed copies of Windows 7 (I researched all of this recently). He gets his computer off lease from businesses.

Here is a decent laptop for $220 shipped, just need a battery and power adapter. You know that you are getting a good copy of Win 7:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Latitude-E6410-Intel-Core-i5-M520-2-40GHz-4GB-500GB-Windows-7-B8159-/380892485026?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item58aef615a2

Ask him to max out the RAM (if possible, you need to look up this computer) for an extra fee.

You can also add a Samsung 840 EVO SSD for lighning fast boots and operation (from Newegg - of course)

I'd partition the drive and add a dual boot with Linux Mint 17 (Long Term Release) when it is released late next month, but obviously, I really like Linux Mint. Then you will have everything you can imagine as far as software. A 120 GB drive can handle about 4 separate installs of Mint with tons of room to spare, don't know about Windows 7, may need a larger drive.

Here is MS's refurbisher directory:

http://www.microsoft.com/refurbishedpcs/Directory.aspx

Here is their top seller if you can find a better deal here:

http://arrowdirect.com/search#/?_=1&filter.category_hierarchy=Notebooks&page=1&filter.screen_size.low=11&filter.screen_size.high=14

Good luck.

As an aside, I never bought used computer before. When the real estate meltdown occurred, my old employer gave me 2 Dell Optiplex 280's when I started my business and they have worked flawlessly since 2006, so techniocally, they were used when I got them.

[CECAA850]

As an aside, I never bought used computer before.

They'd scare me. Maybe if I were more computer savvy I'd be more comfortable. I like the tech support I get from Dell. I had an issue with my desktop blue screening right after I bought it. Come to find out it was the drivers that I loaded on to my computer that were on a CD that came with my old printer. I ended up deleting them and downloading them off the internet. I never would have figured it out on my own. Dell tech called me on my cell phone 3 separate times in the next week to be sure everything was still working properly.

[beeker]

windows 8 does take a couple weeks to get used to. im tellin ya tho as of 2017 windows 7 will no longer be supported. better to be ready now than when its gone. thru my years of using touchscreens they all sukt. i like my windows now 8.1 as it is. its not as complicated as it looks. if you surf just stay on desktop and its basically windows 7 with features you can use as you want if you do come across them.

windows 8 is actually very useful once you get the feel and understand the little bit that i do/have after a year or so of use. best of luck choosing minermark! id just stay cheap and simple with a brand name

[tigerwoodKhorns]

windows 8 does take a couple weeks to get used to.

A couple of weeks? I make my living my being able to quickly locate documents and edit them. I normally have about 10 windows opened at once and can quickly find everything because I have using the same basic programs (word, windows explorer) for 20 years and I know where everything is. Windows 8 would cost me a fortune in lost productivity.

When MS decides that I have to re-learn everything in my office to have the privilege to purchase their new beta that they are forcing on everyone, it is time that I jump off their train. I also hate seeing my computer get slower over time until they inform me that I just need to buy a faster computer with their latest bloatware.

Carl,

A computer does not have much in it. A motherboard, ram, chipset, video card (if not using the integrated card), HD's, optical drive and a power supply. Maybe a raid card & sound card if getting fancy. That is it.

Replacement parts are dirt cheap on ebay. I remember the IT guy telling me that I was crazy to take the 2 computers theat my old employer gave me because I "would have to spend more than the computer was worth for a video card for 2 monitors." I told him that I picked one up on ebay for $20 delivered. He was shocked.

Problems are ususally software related.

[minermark]

Solved, just bought a Dell on the Bay, running 7 w/16 gig, 15" laptop 5bones refurbished from factory. this should work for basic surfing and road mapping.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

Sweet.

Partition the HD right away. Windows will automatically take up (or rather reserve) a huge amount of space (like a few hundred gigs). Get that second partition while you can to store your files in case you get a virus in the OS.

Use disc manager (my computer - right click "manage" - then disc manager) to shrink the existing drive as much as possible. Then take a chunk out that is big enough for your files (pictures, etc) and format it NTSF - not FAT32. Leave the rest as free space in case you ever want to put a different OS on there.

16 gigs RAM, nice!!

[minermark]

Sweet.

Partition the HD right away. Windows will automatically take up (or rather reserve) a huge amount of space (like a few hundred gigs). Get that second partition while you can to store your files in case you get a virus in the OS.

Use disc manager (my computer - right click "manage" - then disc manager) to shrink the existing drive as much as possible. Then take a chunk out that is big enough for your files (pictures, etc) and format it NTSF - not FAT32. Leave the rest as free space in case you ever want to put a different OS on there.

16 gigs RAM, nice!!

all im going to be using this for is surfing the CL and mapping the route across the US starting in Va, now it looks like the 10th, so I just need to load mapping for the US and should be good to go.

[beeker]

windows 8 does take a couple weeks to get used to.

A couple of weeks? I make my living my being able to quickly locate documents and edit them. I normally have about 10 windows opened at once and can quickly find everything because I have using the same basic programs (word, windows explorer) for 20 years and I know where everything is. Windows 8 would cost me a fortune in lost productivity.

When MS decides that I have to re-learn everything in my office to have the privilege to purchase their new beta that they are forcing on everyone, it is time that I jump off their train. I also hate seeing my computer get slower over time until they inform me that I just need to buy a faster computer with their latest bloatware.

Wow...I have never been spoken to in that tone in my entire life... well

I do understand...believe me. My ex wife was also under the same circumstances with an office at home as well as an office right next to the president in each office he had from Texas to here in Indiana as well as other at&t auditing systems that she was attached to absolutely every moment of her life...it was her occupation and had no choice except using the most current up to date programs etc possible. She too complained for about an hour lol she really didnt have time to complain to be honest...I just know when something new came out there were boxes on our porch near all the time. Our basement looked like an office out of the movies. Pc's everywhere and all serving there purpose.

Turn to apple. They are the same at getting used to. It is a fact in less than 3 years windows 7 will be too shallow to get your hair wet. Windows 8 is not just to get more money its only the next step in total collapse of the internet in my opinion. It is also fact we are hanging on less than a string with what supports near everything on this earth, the internet. Like i said it took my ex wife an hour to get aboard win8. I have no idea what she uses now. Alls i can say the bi annual change she underwent keeping up with the technology at at&t provided me with some very nice boxes to pack up and head for the hills lol.

Its apple or windows 8 partner regardless if we like it or not. Enjoy it while you can. God forbid we resort back to keeping books and reports with an ink pen and paper...I understand completely. I also owned and operated a very successful business for several years using windows 95 lol. We even had some early mac pc's that would be nice for a pc collector today...

By the way...I too have tested tablets and several even a govt produced netbook that was possibly the best machine i have ever used also in win7...wish id kept it but then again i know if the internet does not fail i will have win8.1 which i also use quite frequently for use in my occupation...if it were win7 it would not support the technical aspects of automotive paint i enjoy throughout every day i awake...

Cheers...please smile...we will live long as brothers under God or hopefully learn to!

[Marvel]

Dell is OK but not worth paying extra for the name.

They have just about the best service, though. We have tried other brands at the school where I work and I would get a Dell, even if they cost a little more.

The XPS 13 is great. Looks like a MacBook, but weighs less and costs weigh less. However, it's more than the OP wants to pay.

Lenovo service is also good.

Bruce

[oldtimer]

Lenovo made my tablet. They cut me no slack for just one month out of warranty. Klipsch on the other hand provided new internal amp and electronics for a sub woofer that was out of warranty for more than that. Now that's service.

[CECAA850]

Carl, A computer does not have much in it. A motherboard, ram, chipset, video card (if not using the integrated card), HD's, optical drive and a power supply. Maybe a raid card & sound card if getting fancy. That is it.

Can you scatter an engine and put it back together and have it run? Plumb an entire house from scratch? There's really not much to either of those things if that's your field and you've done it a couple times. Either of those things is a cake walk for me as well as many other things. I don't mess with computers and telling me what's inside does nothing for me. I know what's inside the human body and where everything should be but I won't be rummaging around in one of those either.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

windows 8 does take a couple weeks to get used to.

A couple of weeks? I make my living my being able to quickly locate documents and edit them. I normally have about 10 windows opened at once and can quickly find everything because I have using the same basic programs (word, windows explorer) for 20 years and I know where everything is. Windows 8 would cost me a fortune in lost productivity.

When MS decides that I have to re-learn everything in my office to have the privilege to purchase their new beta that they are forcing on everyone, it is time that I jump off their train. I also hate seeing my computer get slower over time until they inform me that I just need to buy a faster computer with their latest bloatware.

Wow...I have never been spoken to in that tone in my entire life... well

Sorry, text is so impersonal. No bad tone intended. Good post by the way and I appreciate your input.

Maybe I am getting old, but here is my experiance. Windows 8 was frustrating. I am sure that I can learn to use it, but why expend the effort? I do not like it and I am the customer. I loved XP - loved it. I started with Windows 3.1 and XP was the first that I liked (remember the blue screen of death?).

On the other hand, I just turn on Linux Mint and I can find everything. This includes the word processor. It just feels natural and intuitive. Reminds me of a Toyota or Lexus, just works nicely without getting too fancy or cute with special wways of doing things (like push button ignition - ugg!!). So my choice is now very easy. Funny thing is that when I bough a server in 2008, I was glad that had windows home server on it because I was afraid of Linux, thinking it was something off in the wild.

Carl, got it.

My only point was that if soemthing breaks, it is fairly easy to just replace the part.

[minermark]

After everyone's input and chatting with Dell, for what it will be used for, (on the road only) this critter looks to be the best choice, just don't need anything more than this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/141221616202?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

[Marvel]

They cut me no slack for just one month out of warranty.

I have had Lenovo replace motherboards in two different computers (belonged to students, not the school) that were more than a year out of warranty. No charge. Go figure...

[CECAA850]

Carl, got it. My only point was that if soemthing breaks, it is fairly easy to just replace the part.

Understood, I'll have you tell me which one

[Schu]

learn to use win 8?

really?

there is little difference between that and 7 if you are in desk top mode. you DON'T need to use it in window PAIN mode and 8.1 has much faster start up times and is really quite nice once set up.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Schu

[oldtimer]

I agree. Desktop mode is the way to go.

I have Kindle and use that window but nothing else.

Edited April 29, 2014 by oldtimer

[derrickdj1]

Get an Asus laptop. They make some that can double as a tablet. They make the motherboard for most other computer and I read somewhere they usually get the new processor first. I have 2 of these and a Toshiba. They are all pretty comparable under $1000 and really not worth spending more than $3-500 on.