Laptop, went out, need new one, help?

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:40 am

i hate apple computers and i hate using safari as a browser.

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:25 am

d i hate using safari as a browser.

agree.....worst browser evah

clive

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:26 am

ps THE only reason the ipad sucks is safari

clive

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 12:17 pm

I agree that Safari on Windows is sucky, but on a Mac it outstrips Firefox and Chrome.

Chris
On Mac #27 - and the first one still works!

jww · Post by **jww** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 12:38 pm

The browser isn't so much the issue for me and Apple - rather it's the lack of flash support for their mobile devices.

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:00 pm

Wendell

big story a day or two ago in techiland about html5 (??) vs flash and how nowadays almost all web sites are apple friendly.....also yesterday big news about giant security flaw in flash.

Personally there isnt one web site ive visited where video was an issue,,,,,,and i visit quite a few

clive

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:04 pm

Chris

Im sure part of the safari issue is historical use. I 'grew' up after genie / compuserve with netscape, now known as firefox and so anything different from that seems odd / sucky

clive

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:12 pm

I remember when Mosaic, which became Netscape, was first available in 1993. My first internet experiences, in 1992 (I was subscriber #27 in Canada outside of universities), were limited at the time to e-mail, ftp, usenet and gopher. Then I found Lynx and later Mosaic. I'm told there were about 40 websites existing in 1992, and over 600 in 1993. Things have got worse since then! I still find it hard to believe YouTube has only been around for five years.

Chris

jww · Post by **jww** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:30 pm

And think on this one. Reported the other day -- the company which has the single highest number of billionaires???? Facebook - the current tally is 6. And they are most under 30. That's making the most of your parents money what sent you to school.

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:52 pm

Safari and Mac. Firefox and Linux Ubuntu. No problems.

JohnP · Post by **JohnP** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:50 pm

Sam,
here is a link to popular Linux versions available free.
I had Ubuntu on my laptop for quite awhile, and found it quite easy to use. I used OpenOffice for all my word processing, etc (compatible with word but free...)
Give any of them a try (or there are other versions on the main page in the link.
There's bound to be one that fits your tastes or nearly so.
John P.

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:01 pm

Just be aware there are some occasions when using Ubuntu that require the use of command line input rather than GUI. I've had to do this when fetching video drivers and updates, and I shudder at the thought of returning in any form to DOS-ville. But this happens only rarely. Once you get past this little hiccup, you'll find it blows Windows out of the water.

I agree with John about the OpenOffice word processor. It's excellent and also cross-compatible with Word.

JohnP · Post by **JohnP** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:54 pm

Sam,
one more thing....I did end up doing one or two command line type things, but they are ridiculously easy...most of them you open the command line, cut and paste in what you need....and hit enter.
And it works.
However that sort of thing is minimal, and as subsequent versions keep coming out, there is less and less. You may never even need it.

Chris...while I didn't have an email back then, I remember being in college (1992) using AutoCAD 12 (and programming in Fortran) on the screaming fast 486 DX2 66MHz computers the school owned. Pretty sure we were logging in to Unix...
Times do change.
I was once impressed by a friend's Nokia because it had "Snake" installed and had programmable ringtones.

John P.

ThePossum · Post by **ThePossum** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:05 am

Sam,

Here is my take on your situation. I would find yourself a laptop, new, used, whatever. Preferably new. One thing about a new computer, there are not many that come with Linux pre-installed and that you might void the warranty by switching to Linux. Talk to the folks where you buy the machine about that.

I would agree with JohnP about going the Linux route. I have been running Ubuntu Linux on my primary desktop and my netbook. Still have one desktop running Win Vista but use it only for one site that is important for my work. That site is only fully optimized for IE. Been doing this for almost 3 years and would not go back to Win unless it was the only thing on the market.

But before you do you should consider the peripherals you will be using. Some of them are not directly supported by the mfg for Linux. More specifically they are printers and scanners. Google "Linux Compatible Printers" and you will find links that will direct you to sites which will allow you to see if your peripherals are compatible. Have found that most HP products work very well with Linux. In most cases though, you should be able to just plug and play things like external drives, keyboards should you go the route I have with my netbook, that is a wireless mouse and keyboard for everyday use.

As for the data on your old computer perhaps it would be worth it to see if your computer guy can transfer the files you have there (document & excel) to a thumb drive or such and thus you will have them ready to transfer to your new machine regardless of what OS you use.

As for an external HD. Get one especially if you get a laptop. What I like about them is I can put stuff that I do not use regularly on it for safekeeping and it also can serve as a backup device in case your actual HD goes south again.

I have been using Open Office for about 5 years. Works just fine and I do not notice any difference in it from MS Office other than some function name differences. Will take a few hours to get them straightened out but there are plenty of tutorials on the web to help you.

One final thing about Ubuntu Linux. No need for anti-virus stuff. Being open architecture there are many folks working to improve it and keep it safe. This means that you will get updates quite frequently, maybe every couple days. Also the entire OS gets updated once every 6 months, usually in April and October of each year. Microsoft does not update nearly as often or quickly. One more reason I love Ubuntu.

Good luck with your purchase decision.

Post by **Sam** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:12 am

Bryce, the laptop situation, it is just a kickaround fun thing at home. I am at the office all day and have internet up and running. If I am not in court and get an email that something at SMF is going on, I open the site up. At home, at night, basically just respond to emails that come to my Blackberry, or I may websurf for a half hour. Wife gets on maybe twice a week for 15 mins. I have an HP printer at home but rarely use it - maybe once every three weeks? No scanner. We don't really instant message on the laptop since we text on our cell phones. May download pictures to send to family in emails. If I found a refurbed computer with 2 gig and Windows 7 or XP loaded, I am fine with that and then go get me Open Office word processing, download Explorer 8 and Adobe reader and I am set I think.

jww · Post by **jww** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:43 am

Sounds like you have found a solution that should work for you.

ThePossum · Post by **ThePossum** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:47 am

Sam,

Thanks for the clarification on how you use the machine. If that is the only uses you have for the computer and you want absolute portability for vacations etc. Then get yourself a netbook. That is what I have. Used mainly for surfing and some email while sitting in my living room watching sports.

But it is also very portable and goes in a backpack along with the power cords and a small netbook size mouse that I got. Also very light weight and has a small footprint. Not the most powerful computer but you don't seem to be a power user.

With a netbook though, the screen is kinda small. I use an older flat panel monitor I had laying around and the computer and the monitor fit on a small computer cart.

Most netbooks you will find now do use Win 7 in some form and maybe that is what you may have to go with. Whatever you do though be sure to give one a try at the store. Have the sales person get you to one that will have Word on it and try typing on the keyboard. It is a bit smaller than most laptop keyboards and if you are like me with "fat" (a plug for MWF wouldn't ya know

) you want to be sure you can still type at your usual speed.

Can't remember where you said you looked for one but I have dealt with both Stapes and Best Buy for computers and computer repairs. I like Stapes both for price and for their repair service.

Post by **Sam** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:50 am

Bryce, unless the netbook was $100 cheaper, Im inclined to go with a 15 inch laptop. Netbooks were running $250 or so and some of the 15 inch laptops were $329, admittedly without a web cam but so what. I think Dell has some refurbed ones for less than $300 and may go that route

Yet trying the Linux and seeing if it works on my disabled Dell Inspiron is an 'inspired" idea

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:36 am

fallingwickets wrote:Wendell

big story a day or two ago in techiland about html5 (??) vs flash and how nowadays almost all web sites are apple friendly.....also yesterday big news about giant security flaw in flash.

Personally there isnt one web site ive visited where video was an issue,,,,,,and i visit quite a few

clive

There's a good reason why Apple's mobile devices don't support flash. Flash is a resource and battery sucking pig, even on desktop powered machines. Adobe has been promising a much more efficient version of flash for... a long time. By all means go and get an Android device and use flash all you like, chances are it will be a short and slow experience.

I shopped all types of Windows laptops last year. I searched and searched for one that had decent battery life and a trackpad that didn't suck. There wasn't such a device and there still isn't. Two finger scrolling forever! And don't tell me I can use a mouse because our laptop is our "living room" computer and is used mostly on our laps....as laptops. Apple's trackpads are unmatched. Windows laptop manufacturers still haven't caught up to it, six years later.

Post by **Sam** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:43 pm

Good and bad news. Found an xp disc for my office Dell and loaded it. Wiped everything. I know I need to upgrade explorer 6 and download xp service pacs. I can go to open office for my word processing.

Problem is that I can not get online. I have comcast internet at home but the disk they gave me will not recognize my computer. What now.

Did find old keyboard that is not usb. I guess they have a cheap adapter to. Make it fit a usb slot?