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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/3/2013 5:43:29 AM   
JeffBC


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DarkSteven
I agree about avoiding Win 8.

At a pure technical level (not a user interface question), avoiding Win8 and UEFI bioses would be really wise unless bricking your laptop is something you groove on. On a more "normal user" level I agree with Ron's general guidance... roughly 500gb in hard drive, Win7, 4gb of ram, built-in wifi. Really, running office applications isn't pushing a modern PC very hard. Unless you're into 3d gaming it almost doesn't matter what laptop you buy.

quote:

You don't need to buy MS Office either. You can download Open Office/Star Office for free, and it does 95% of what MS Office can do.

I agree... including quite good compatibility with office document formats. The two decent office alternatives I know of are openoffice and libreoffice.


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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/3/2013 5:31:13 PM   
MalcolmNathaniel


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Status: offline 		LibreOffice is generally considered a bit better than OpenOffice these days, although they share a common ancestry in their code base - the main reason seems to be a faster revision cycle (i.e. updates more often.)

If you are used to MS-Office then you can learn either quite quickly. You will need to learn about some of the settings however.

Either will be fine if you do only light office usage. They are not only both free but they don't rely on a subscription - hates that we does.

If, however, your workplace uses a lot of macros, or any databases you are stuck with MS-Office unless you want to edit all of the macros by hand to work on a document then re-edit them back into VBA to send the document to someone else in your office. However: MS-Office should be supplied by your employer as an essential work tool. If you use Outlook at work you have no choice at all.

Comparison

I'd suggest sticking with what you use at work.

Win7 vs. Win 8: Win 7 hands down. Even though there is a way to launch the pseudo-start menu interface in Win 8 if you need to do any more complex configuration (like connecting to work via VPN or needing to set up multiple networks) Win 8 is a BITCH to work on. You have to drop back to the Win 8 interface, click in an invisible spot, then go through menus where all the names have changed from previous versions of Windows. 64 bit only. Windows Professional preferred (Or Ultimate if you do geeky stuff.)

4 GB is what I'd consider bare minimum these days, don't even think of going with 2 GB unless you need a cigarette break in between opening documents. 6 or 8 would be better. I prefer Intel over AMD. 500 GB should be plenty for work stuff (depending on what you do); keep your porn and pirated movies on an external drive. Wireless should be included on any laptop, but a wired connection can come in very handy so make sure there is an ethernet port. Preferably 1 Gbps. Bluetooth - if you are going to Skype or use video conferencing then yes.

Check with your IT guys. You will probably be required to have a certain AV package, MS-Office and some other software which will limit your choices.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/4/2013 8:14:11 AM   
DesFIP


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Joined: 11/25/2007
From: Apple County NY
Status: offline 		"Check with your IT guys. You will probably be required to have a certain AV package, MS-Office and some other software which will limit your choices. "

I think the problem here is that until the government offices re-open, he can't check with the IT department. And when that happens, he can go back to the office and not have to work from home.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/4/2013 12:52:17 PM   
dcnovice


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Joined: 8/2/2006
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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP

"Check with your IT guys. You will probably be required to have a certain AV package, MS-Office and some other software which will limit your choices. "

I think the problem here is that until the government offices re-open, he can't check with the IT department. And when that happens, he can go back to the office and not have to work from home.

Fortunately, I was able to catch the IT folks before the shutdown.

The shutdown's only one reason for the laptop. The other is that I have a pair of surgeries coming up and would like to be able to stay connected and (depending on the pace of my recovery) possibly do same remote work to conserve FMLA leave.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/12/2013 7:22:31 PM   
dcnovice


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Joined: 8/2/2006
Status: offline 		Warmest thanks to everyone for the help! I really appreciate it.

It's funny: We can bicker over BDSM or politics or what-have-you, but I always marvel at how folks pull together when someone needs help or encouragement. Bless you, CM friends!

I wound up with an HP Pavilion. It was the smallest of the options, half the size and price of the Toshiba Satellite, which I also seriously considered, given the recommendations both here and on Facebook. The savings enabled me to buy a large monitor for my desk at home. So far, I've been very happy. I've managed to transfer all my files (except for music, which I forgot) and to edit and create Word files. Windows 8 is proving manageable so far, mercifully. I was a bit irked by the inability to close apps, but a visit to the Windows help site actually solved the problem.

Again, many thanks and all the best!

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/12/2013 8:11:05 PM   
DarkSteven


Posts: 28072
Joined: 5/2/2008
Status: offline 		Have fun with yer computer!

This wasn't something you brought up, but can you deduct the cost of the thing from your taxes?

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/12/2013 8:16:05 PM   
Kirata


Posts: 15477
Joined: 2/11/2006
From: USA
Status: offline 		Nevermind... I saw too late that he'd already made a purchase.



< Message edited by Kirata -- 10/12/2013 8:19:21 PM >

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Profile   Post #: 27
RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/12/2013 8:40:25 PM   
MrRodgers


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Joined: 7/30/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mnottertail

What do you do with it?

Do not get windows 8. That is heavy avoid.

Where do you have a choice and use another OS without paying for windows 8 anyway ?

< Message edited by MrRodgers -- 10/12/2013 8:46:50 PM >

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/12/2013 8:46:50 PM   
MrRodgers


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

Oh, absolutely. Sun Microsystems bought it to try to knock off Microsoft, and Sun made it able to read Office files, and save in Office format. That said, there are a few incompatibilities, but go ahead and use it and see how well it works.

I have Open Office and I love it.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 10/12/2013 8:49:53 PM   
MrRodgers


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quote:

ORIGINAL: dcnovice

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP

"Check with your IT guys. You will probably be required to have a certain AV package, MS-Office and some other software which will limit your choices. "

I think the problem here is that until the government offices re-open, he can't check with the IT department. And when that happens, he can go back to the office and not have to work from home.

Fortunately, I was able to catch the IT folks before the shutdown.

The shutdown's only one reason for the laptop. The other is that I have a pair of surgeries coming up and would like to be able to stay connected and (depending on the pace of my recovery) possibly do same remote work to conserve FMLA leave.

Nothing serious we hope ?

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 9:15:00 AM   
dcnovice


Posts: 37282
Joined: 8/2/2006
Status: offline 		FR

Sad to say, the honeymoon was brief. Here's a review I posted at Amazon.

Among the trials of this long year for yours truly were chemotherapy and adjusting to this laptop. Believe me, the laptop has been far worse.

In fairness to HP, some of the problems may stem not from the hardware but from the loathsome Win 8 OS--which, I fervently believe, was crafted by Microsoft contract workers taking out their second-class-status frustrations on users.

Here's a bit of what irks me:

-- The tradeoff for the compact size is that reading anything on screen is a major challenge. I solved this at home by shelling out for a large monitor, but that doesn't help on the road.

-- The mouse touch-pad is more sensitive than a guest on "Oprah," so moving it more than a micron lands one on some totally different screen, perhaps in a completely different program--with no intuitive avenue of escape.

-- The sole exception to the above is, of course, when I actually *want* to visit a link. Then no amount of increasingly desperate clicking seems to transport me.

-- The response time for keystrokes to appear on screen tends to get sluggish.

-- The "Start" screen is littered with countless icons for HP and other apps I have no interest in. I've yet to find a way to eliminate this cyber clutter.

-- Norton Utilities, which I neither purchased nor requested, keeps giving me pop-up about how wolves are about to eat my PC.

-- Firefox keeps freezing up.

-- The new (to me, at least) versions of Office appear to have been designed deliberately to make even the simplest tasks twice as complicated as before.

-- The two halves of the mouse bar are so close and hard to see that only taking my eyes off the screen ensures that I hit the button I actually want.

-- The cursor regularly goes AWOL.

I could go on, but you get the idea. I bought this PC in haste (needed it for a hospital stay) and now repent at leisure.

If I had a buck for every time I've literally screamed "GD it, I hate this f'ing machine," I could buy the Mac I actually wanted.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 9:39:08 AM   
ARIES83


Posts: 3648
Status: offline 		The thing with windows 8 is they tried to force the crappy app view on to us... You can actually avoid using it pretty well with practice.

I bought a new laptop not long ago to use for writing and stuff, it has win 8, but an update you get let's you have a task-bar and u can stay in desktop most of the time.
I don't think the original win 8 had the task-bar...

If you don't like change... Don't get win 8. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying those who don't like win 8 are old dogs who don't like to learn new tricks, win 8 is legitimately crap. Whatever the case, there's a lot of new stuff and new (more complicated and annoying) ways off doing things in win 8 and to be honest... No one really needs the hassle.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 9:45:42 AM   
ARIES83


Posts: 3648
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quote:

ORIGINAL: MrRodgers

quote:

ORIGINAL: mnottertail

What do you do with it?

Do not get windows 8. That is heavy avoid.

Where do you have a choice and use another OS without paying for windows 8 anyway ?


Well they actually let you downgrade to win7 for free if ur comp comes with win8

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 9:55:54 AM   
freedomdwarf1


Posts: 6845
Joined: 10/23/2012
Status: offline 		I got hold of an old HP 6710b Notebook for my use.
I got a Toshiba Portege m400 tablet PC for my daughter.
My son nabbed a Toshiba 121 for himself.
Got them all for nothing from freecycle.
It cost £10 ($15) for an extra 2GB Ram for the portege and £7 for a HD cable.
I also managed to get extra Ram and HD's (160GB, 640GB, 140GB) for them for free as well.

I had XP Corporate and also Win7 Ultimate for OS's and various other software so they had a choice of what they wanted.
So we got 3 fully-working laptops for the princely sum of £17 (about $25).
All have 4GB Ram now and all are over 2GHz speed.
We had to buy a charger for the portege - a grand sum of £5.95 ($9) from ebay.

All I had to do was go to the mfr's websites to download the relevant drivers.
All have wifi, bluetooth and cabled ethernet and all working spiffingly well for what they are.
Not strikingly up-to-date or super-whizzingly mega-fast, but for surfing, emails, simple office stuff and 'normal' type gaming they all do the job reasonably well.
For the price, I can hardly complain.
Where else can you get 3 fully-working notebooks for under $40??
And best of all..... none have Win8!!!

There's no way I'd be paying out $$'s for a new or new-ish notebook/laptop and I certainly hate the way tablets work.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 10:33:30 AM   
myotherself


Posts: 7157
Joined: 3/9/2006
From: The cold bit of the UK
Status: offline 		I bought a new toshiba satellite at the weekend. I love toshiba and i've had several older versions of the satellite and I've loved them all.

What I HATE is windows 8. What I really f*!(ing hate is taking SIX HOURS to download microsoft office. I ended up having a long call to a microsoft engineer (a friend of mine) who walked me through the whole painful process of installing it onto windows h8.

I'm getting used to win h8, but it is a pile of shite :(

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 12:37:44 PM   
DomKen


Posts: 19457
Joined: 7/4/2004
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline 		Win 8 is not too bad on a touch screen which is clearly what it was designed for. but using it with a mouse just sucks. Stick with Win 7 if you can.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 12:38:10 PM   
ShaharThorne


Posts: 11071
Joined: 2/24/2009
From: Somewhere in TX
Status: offline 		Lizard wore her Envy out...told her to get something without Win8 on it and get a fan for sitting it on. At first she did not listen and then realize Mommy knows best. Now she wants a Macbook.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 12:57:02 PM   
freedomdwarf1


Posts: 6845
Joined: 10/23/2012
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ShaharThorne

Lizard wore her Envy out...told her to get something without Win8 on it and get a fan for sitting it on. At first she did not listen and then realize Mommy knows best. Now she wants a Macbook.

Why would you need a fan to sit it on??

If it's getting too hot, it's either faulty or you're blocking the air intake for the internal cooling fan.
As for Win8, you can always blast whatever you buy with Win7 Ultimate or even XP if you're a die-hard. Or even a flavour Linux if you must.
Nobody has to endure the pain of Win8.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/4/2014 1:37:01 PM   
EdBowie


Posts: 875
Joined: 8/11/2013
Status: offline 		Wish I'd seen this before the OP made a purchase.

Hidden flaw in HP laptops is the way the dongle (power plug) goes straight into the jack, instead of using an 'L' shaped connector. Every vibration builds up until the connection goes wonkey, at which point the recommended fix is to buy a new HP power supply... a new $80 power supply.

Only recently has someone started making an after market flexible tip to solve that problem.

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RE: Need Advice re Laptop Purchase - 2/5/2014 4:48:43 PM   
MercTech


Posts: 3706
Joined: 7/4/2006
Status: offline 		If you have any intent to ever try playing any games on the laptop, avoid HPs Envy line like the plague. They advertise as being able to play games and videos but their design is defective and the graphics card overheats and shuts down the computer after about 90 minutes.

Windows 8 is great if you want to have a laptop that acts like an oversize phone instead of a computer. Sorry, but touch screen is a bastard workaround for pocket sized appliances not something for serious attempts to use a computer. re All the full size keyboard add ons for things like iPads.


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