Okay... After the latest round of technical difficulties, Casa del G. has finally opted to bring our computing hardware up-to-date (current PC was built in 2002).
We have decided that a laptop would be the way to go - run a router off the modem and set up a wireless network throughout the house. We can add on more laptops down the road as the kids start needing their own computers (using, of course, the trickle-down theory as our old laptop gets a HD wipe and becomes their new laptop...).
We don't do a lot of video editing or online gaming, so there's little need for a blazing-fast machine. Our needs are pretty basic - surf online, play a little music, burn CDs/DVDs.
I'm curious about what brands to look for or avoid; what the minimum system requirements for a new laptop should be; and what brand router to get. In the comments to the linked posts, there were plugs, and dings, for Acer as well as plugs for Dell and Lenovo (side note: that went into my head as Lenore. Can you tell I've been trying to think of scary things for the upcoming Cub Scout Halloween party and revisiting the works of Edgar Allen Poe?).
Any and all thoughts/experiences/etc. are greatly appreciated. It's been a while since I've shopped for computer equipment, a process I used to enjoy quite a bit (I even went to the Computer Expos!), but now view similarly to root canals or buying a new car...
That is all.
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my info is a couple years old but i've had problems with dell tech support in the past. they seem to freak out a bit if anyone besides dell works on their stuff. dunno if that's still the case or not.
I have heard good and bad about Dell. I always did good with Toshiba and we just got the wife and Acer and it seems to be running fine and you could not beat the price at Wally World. .
Of course advice on the net is worth what you pay for it. . ..
= )
Wireless Rounter - I use a DLink DIR-655 that I picked up at Costco. It kicks ass.
Dell is always a good choice... you can get something from their refurb/returns site at a reduced price
http://outlet.dell.com or
http://www.dell.com/content/segmenter.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dfo
As far as requirements....don't go for the minimums. Buy up as high as you're willing to spend or can afford. That should get you more life than if you go for the minimums.
As far as requirements....don't go for the minimums. Buy up as high as you're willing to spend or can afford. That should get you more life than if you go for the minimums.
Strongly disagree. Emphasis on "Strongly".
If you don't need 200 gig of HD, then you don't need to buy 200gig of HD. If you don't need 2G RAM, then you don't need to purchase 2G of RAM. Having a bigger toy doesn't make the life of that toy last any longer. If you mean "life" to pertain to the possibility of eventually needing that extra space or RAM or video card or whatnot, then it makes a lot more sense (and cents) to purchase that item when/if you need it down the road - otherwise you're paying for that which you do not need. And, as with everything techie, it'll be cheaper at a later date. RAM will be cheaper, video cards will be cheaper, processors will be cheaper, external hard drives will be cheaper. You don't need to buy Grandma a car with a V6 if she's only going to go to the grocery store a few times a month, for instance. No need for all the bells & whistles that one would need for designing web pages using Macromedia Flash if you're not going to design web pages: the basics will do just fine. Most people come nowhere near using all that they get when they get a PC. AAMOF, most people only need extra RAM because of all the additional software that they accumulate through the years that self-loads (ahem, MSFT) or if they get into things like gaming.
Jay, I get this question at least once per month (remember, I'm a systems manager for a Fortune 500 company w/engineering degree) and my experience is that as long as you purchase a brand that you've heard of (meaning, any of the top 10) and it has the general warranties, then you're likely to be just fine. Sounds like you're going to be using it for what 90% of the public uses it for; internet, MS Office, basic software stuff like banking or a few gadgets. You can get all sorts of good deals from places like Costco or slickdeals.net or some of the other major web sites that delve into techie marketing. At work I had an HP laptop and it was horrible (as was many other HPs at work) but my home HP that I've since given to my daughter has given me zero problems, and it was one with just the basics. My current home desktop is a Gateway - and that's what I bought my son - and they're smokin'. My current work laptop is a DELL and it's awesome.
Chances are that if you pull out your newspaper's sales pages this weekend, you'll be able to find a good deal for something that is right down your alley. Just stay away from a brand that you've never heard of, of course. Any new computer is going to give you basically all you need for minimum requirements, although if it were me I wouldn't settle for 512MB of RAM..go ahead & get at least a 1GB. The new processors will be fine, too. You're not going to get a 486 from a store in the year 2008, after all. :)
djk's info about a refurbished Dell is spot on, though, IMO. (wasn't trying to knock you, djk, just disagree on the minimum part).
Tip: grisoft's free anti virus (AVG) is just as good as the stuff that makes you cough up $.
I'll have to counter djk's recommendation of DLink routers. I do tech support on the side and have had to replace several bad DLink routers (and one at home). I normally recommend Linksys or Buffalo, either one in the $40-50 range will be solid. If you go cheap on the router don't be surprised if have problems with it.
I've had good luck with Dell laptops. Toshiba, Lenovo and Acer should all work good too. Just find something that fits your budget. For the basic stuff you want to do I wouldn't spend more than $600 considering the shorter lifespan of laptops compared to desktops.
And whatever you get, run PC Decrapifier on it. A lot of my help calls involve uninstalling all the crap that comes installed on new machines.
My Dlink Router has kicked ass. I've never had a problem with it and it was by no means a "cheap router".
RW's ideas are sound...I was just allowing for the eventuality that you got into taking photos/video or ripping your CD collection onto your machine in the near future. Don't want to own the 4x2 when you move to the mountains and need the 4x4.
Routers: It's hard to go wrong with DLink or Linksys. I've had both and both were easy to use and powerfully customizable, if you wanted to dig deep enough. Netgear's ok, but a lot more of a pain in the tail than DLink or Linksys.
As for a laptop: You can't go wrong with Toshiba, Dell, Sony (vaio), Levano, Fujitsu, HP. Acer I've heard mixed reviews of. Levano's have been offering the most bang for the buck aside from Acer that I've seen recently. Dell's nice because of their tech support. I'm wary of referbs due to my horrid experience with a refurb laptop, BUT, that was back in 2000 when laptops were cranky-beasts. I'd spring for a minimum of 1-1.5G RAM, a mid-speed Intel DuoCore (or AMD equivalent). It's nice to have a DVD-RW drive. Hard-drives are cheap, but I'd still want a minimum of 80-120GB for a newly purchased machine. External storage is always an option, as is replacing an old hard drive. RAM is always upgradable down the road. WiFi is necessary :) Bluetooth is a nice option, but not worth paying extra for, IMHO. Plus if you find you want that, the little thumb-drive sized dongles are cheap.
Oh, and don't worry about whether it comes loaded with xp or vista, because your vista key entitles you to downgrade to xp, so if you're stuck with buying one that has the plague of vista, just borrow an xp disk and reinstall w/ your cd-key :D
Thanks, everyone, for the tips.
I should have posted the general area I was looking at for specs...
I can't see getting less than 2 gig RAM right now. Hard drive space, anything over 80 gig ought to do it - our current machine came with an 80 gig HD and it's not even close to full. DVD RW is a must, as this will serve extra duty as a 2nd DVD player on vacations.
We're planning on spending between $500 and $700, and unless we come across an insane deal, I can't imagine getting an extended warranty. Dropping $200 on a $2000 laptop is one thing; dropping $225 on a $600 laptop is another...
We've got a 160 gig USB drive that we'll use to migrate files (although it's good to know we can use the router for that, too) - there will be extra space if needed.
Looks like it's time to pick up the ads and see what's on sale!!!
I have an XP disk from the old machine, actually. XP Pro.
Heh. No Vista for me!
OH man...I love my vista. It was a pain for about two days. Now, I love it.
Now, upgrading to it on my home machine was a bear and I went back to XP. But I have a lappy that was loaded with it and I love it.
RW, what do you think about it?
I'm also a Network/Sys Admin...
I took my used-off-eBay IBM Thinkpad X30 (tiny little thing) on a 3-month backpacking trip. I can testify to their ability to take abuse, and keep on running. Also their full-size keyboard with excellent 'feel'.
For non-abusive environments, go for dell. Cheap, commodity hardware that you can fix off ebay.
AS FOR THE ROUTER!!! Ugh. I've replaced any number of Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link routers. They pretty much all die after a couple of years. I personally have two Linksys routers running right now in the house that have been running for years, but I went through 6 before getting lucky with those.
Another problem with many consumer routers is that they will need to be "restarted" every few days/weeks. This is extremely annoying, and tends to affect many consumer routers after a few months. Notable exception: buffalo routers.
I've had excellent luck with Buffalo routers, and if you ever decide to do anything fun with 3rd-party firmware, they are easily modifiable. The same can NOT be said for linksys.... Buffalo makes a "Hi-Power" router, which we use at the office, and it has been very stable.
Creds: Been doing this since I was thigh-high to a grasshopper, and currently work in the field.
Here is rock solid advice from someone who has been "laptop" only based for sometime...
I have a 17" Dell notebook. It's okay. Nothing great but nothing horrible. Dell tech support is hit or miss and can really suck. That said, Dell likes to throw money around for apologies. (ie: I've received numerous $50 credits from Dell over the years).
If you can get a MacBookPro, these are great because thanks to software like Parallels. You can now run Windows and OS X apps together. That said, you'll have to give up an arm or leg or sell off a child for one.
Unless you're doing heavy video processing, 3D gaming, etc. Than most any machine should do okay. That said, there are a number of things to be aware of.
XP requires a minimum of 512MB of RAM to function well. But does better with 1gig. Vista needs a minimum of 1gig to function well.
I would look to maximize your RAM. But it is often prudent NOT to do this when you buy the laptop as memory can be had much cheaper from online outlets.
If you can, try to get a monitor that has a matt finish rather than glossy. Glossy looks sexy and cool. BUT!!!!! It reveals a lot of glare especially in indoor lighting or lots of sunlight. Matte finish reduces this.
I heartily recommend getting a Network hard drive. This can have a 500GB, 1TB or even bigger drive. Can mirror for extra safety. Then you can store all your large files on this network drive and just keep your working files on your laptops.
For example, I watch TV shows via iTunes. I pay for iTunes shows but they would fill my laptop drive in less than a week. So I watch the shows, and move the files to my NAS (Network Arrayed Storage) unit. Also, I archive all my photos, etc.
This really seems to be the way too go. I moved to a 17" laptop back in 2004. I ceased using my desktop and have NEVER gone back.
Hope that helps... (also, if you hunt around, you can find notebooks for as low as $350 when on sale)
- The Saj (a.k.a. N.U.G.U.N. @http://nugun.wordpress.com)
Hmmm. I can live with a pink laptop if it means getting a Sony for $530...
Now, upgrading to it on my home machine was a bear and I went back to XP. But I have a lappy that was loaded with it and I love it.
RW, what do you think about it?
Thanks for asking, I love it as well. Funny story about how I ended up with it: a company that I do outside work for needed me to setup a virtual drive, so that you could launch XP within Vista (yes, such a thing exists, folks). It worked, but I found out after-the-fact that several other options were conflicted (such as USB ports, external drives, TCP/IP settings) and it caused a few hassles....so, the company approached me and asked if I wanted to switch my other personal computer - which was about a year old & a basic, clean XP computer - with a 250GB Gateway that was much better than any computer that I'd ever purchase, as long as I didn't mind having Vista.
Ahem.
Well, I now likes me my Vista, especially when it comes with a free upgrade on a computer!!!!!!
Seriously, I haven't had any problems at all. Expected them, based on what I'd heard, but I haven't come across a single one & I got the PC back in February. And, trust me, I put that thing through a lot of work.
A lot.
I do web design, video editing and let the kids dabble a bit with various PC games (hey, all of you with children - Unreal Tournament is the BOMB) and my wife & I watch a lot of television shows/movies on the PC. And that's just the legal stuff. :)
-
Tip #2: VLC media player for all your video/audio files. Free & the most versatile codecs, plus you don't have to fumble around with Windows Media player (ugh) or the never-ending-updates to Winamp.
Ever notice that all the stuff I like is free? :)
I can't see getting less than 2 gig RAM right now. Hard drive space, anything over 80 gig ought to do it - our current machine came with an 80 gig HD and it's not even close to full. DVD RW is a must, as this will serve extra duty as a 2nd DVD player on vacations.
Other than paying a few bucks to ensure that upgrade in RAM (good idea), the rest is pretty much the industry standard, so it'll be fairly easy to find what you're looking for. I've seen a few 60GB drives, but most of them now start at 80GB.
God, if 20 years ago we heard people talking in the manner that we're typing, we'd have taken them outside and beaten the crap outta them for being nerds....well, I woulda. ;)
Yup, I say load up on ram, get a HUGE monitor and get you some Vista!
Whoa, that Vaio for $530? I'd be all over that... nothing a few stickers can't 'fix' and de-pinkify. Plus, your "Pretty-Pretty Princess" would LOVE it. :)
Good deal on a basic Dell just popped up: http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/13970
Joe
Hmmm...
This one looks promising...
Hoping to pick something up this weekend. Will report findings if possible...
Thanks for all the input, everyone!!!
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