It has become readily apparent that having one (functioning) computer is not going to cut it. The ancient computer in the office has pretty much given up the ghost, requiring extensive reformatting and/or rehabbing before it's even marginally working again, and given that the monitor is ten years old, it's just not worth investing time, money, or effort into saving this machine (it's about seven years old at this point).
The big question, then, is what to get for an upgrade.
There are several options up for consideration:
- New desktop
- Second laptop
- Notebook (Eee or similar)
- Blackberry or similar portable PDA-based device
Each have their pros and cons, and we're having a devil of a time choosing which option will suit us best.
Getting a new desktop has the disadvantages of anchoring us to the office - we love the portability of the current laptop - as well as requiring more work setting up and maintainence. The only real advantage is that we can get more performance for the same dollar. A second laptop is another possibility - BJs Warehouse has a Compaq with about the same specs as our current 6 month old Toshiba for $400. Pretty hard to beat that. The thinking with a second laptop is that we can move the Toshiba - with it's unwieldy 17" screen - to the office as our "permanent" PC and keep the newer, smaller laptop in the kitchen.
The other two options are the more portable ones, the notebook PC and the Blackberry. This is a fundamental split, too - do we opt for a second full power computer, or merely a tool with which to access the internet? There's really two questions that we need to answer with regards to our current needs: 1. Do we need a full-power second computer; and if so, do we want laptop or desktop? and 2. If we don't need a full-power computer, do we want a notebook or PDA-type device?
The advantages of the Notebook-style computer (Eee or similar) are that they are lower-priced than even the cheapest laptop; their smaller size makes for significantly increased portability; and increased battery life. Disadvantages are the reduced functionality vs. a laptop (i.e. no built-in DVD drive, etc.) and concommitant need for more externals (numeric keypad, DVD drive, etc.). The Blackberry, admittedly a dark horse candidate, has the advantages of being free (one of those free phone upgrade deals) as well as covered by the phone insurance policy for breakage. It's also the only option that is always connected - while you pay dearly for the connectivity, with the Blackberry option we're always able to access the internet. No need to roam around looking for wifi hotspots. Disadvantages are significant, though - it requires a $30/month service (!!!) and the teeny tiny keys mean that it won't be as useful as a second computer.
The debate really is between the "second laptop" option and the notebook. The price is pretty similar - we've seen Windows XP equipped Eees and Asus notebooks with the 1G Ram/160G HD selling for around $300, and low-end laptops running $400 - $500. Mrs. G. is leaning towards a second laptop, something a little smaller we can put in the kitchen and move the Toshiba upstairs. I'm leaning towards the notebook; thinking selfishly that I can claim it as my surfing/blogging machine. The idea of have a super small, super light machine that I can bring out into the backyard for cookout-blogging is kinda cool; additionally, with the trip to Disney looming on the horizon, I'm thinking about how beneficial it would be to have a small, inexpensive machine handy to live-blog the experience (at least to document the day's events at the end of the day).
So... What's the consensus in the blogworld collective mind?
Laptop vs. Notebook? Blackberry? Get the laptop and then get the Notebook? We need something; in a house with two school-aged kids and two grown-ups who rely on e-mail communication both professionally and interpersonally (Mrs. G. is an exec member of the PTA; I'm the Cubmaster of our Pack), having only one functional computer just doesn't work. Given the current inexpensive state of mobile computing, it just doesn't make sense to limit ourselves...
Any and all thoughts, opinions, suggestions are quite welcome...
That is all.
19 comments:
Personally, as cheap as they are and as powerful as they can be, I'd consider getting a desktop type machine from Geeks.com, spend about $100 for a P4 machine with Ubuntu Linux on it for web surfing and light use, and then purchase either the laptop or notebook, whichever you feel fits better in your plans.
You can also get used / refurbed machines off eBay for around that price with Windows XP if you don't feel comfortable using Linux. Use your old monitor, and you're golden.
But hey, that's me, I'm a geek. There's more computers in my house than people.
I find that laptops are more than powerful enough for anything I need a computer for these days, but I also don't play games. I do some 3D CAD stuff but my laptop hasn't failed me yet. I'm using a Lenovo 3000 N200, 1.86GHz dual core with 2GB RAM.
Yeah, you get more bang for your buck with a desktop, but who can beat the convenience of a laptop? I should mention I require serious mental stimulation, so if I'm watching a game on TV or something I use a laptop to keep from going crazy.
As Phillip says, though, if you just want a bare bones internet machine, you can't get much cheaper than an old desktop.
As for the mini laptops, I literally can not type on those things. I could probably deal with a slightly smaller than standard keyboard, though my typing errors would triple and I would hate it, but the really small ones? Not a chance. My hands don't even fit next to each other on the keyboard.
Maybe I'm just stuck in 2003, but I can't imagine using a Blackberry or similar device for regular internet use. It would be neat to have if I had a lot more money, but as things stand... a box of WWB 45 ACP, or a Blackberry subscription? Not a tough choice in my mind.
the Notebook-style computer (Eee or similar)Technically these little critters are known as netbooks, and that's how you'll find them labeled in stores and on the Web. I was in Staples yesterday, and they had various models of netbook for as low as $299.
A used machine is always a possibility, as Phillip said. As long as you understand what you're getting -- a machine with a significantly-higher-than-new chance of a DVD or hard drive failure -- used machines are a great value.
I do NOT, repeat NOT recommend a used laptop.
From your description, it really does sound like a netbook might be your best answer. As long as you can tolerate the small keyboard and lack of a DVD drive, it's a right fine and handy machine.
Desk top period.
This is like asking what type of gun you should buy and in what caliber.
It depends completely on what you need or want.
If all you want is something to access the internet, you don't need much power because your connection speed is going to be the limiting factor. I can't speak to the Blackberry because I don't own one and can't imagine browsing the net on such a small screen...but dirt cheap notebook will do fine.
If you want something to do basic office stuff, word processing, spreadsheets, Christmas card labels, look at/photoshop the occasional snapshot...you'd need something with a decent sized screen and a bit more power. A mid-range laptop or cheap desktop would fit the bill.
If there's any possibility you might want to use it for gaming at any time, multi-media editing or desktop publishing, anything video or processor intensive, you'll need more. Very high end laptop or mid-high range desktop.
Everything is a tradeoff. Advantages come with a price. Increased mobility means smaller screen/keyboard and lower operating specs...as well as the inability to upgrade later.
Increased power, full-sized monitor/keyboard and upgrading capability means no portability.
No one can answer for you what you need, you have to decide what features are more important to you and what tradeoffs you're willing to make to get them.
First- STAY AWAY from the crackberry... It is functionally useless for other than text type email... I went with a laptop vs. ee machine as I needed full functionality (e.g. full open office suite and computational stuff). Remember if you get the ee machine, you are going to pay for wireless there too if you want any mobility.
If you touch type, the netbook is probably not going to cut it. If you are still interested, keep an eye on Woot.com--they had EeePc's under $200 a couple days ago. The Windows version is a better deal, even if you plan to run Linux--it comes with double the memory and flash.
What do you do that needs a powerful computer? For most computer uses, memory and Internet bandwidth are the bottlenecks, not processor.
My general strategy is to buy something roughly 10% more expensive than the cheapest available in that class, then add $50 or so of memory from Crucial.com. The cheapest available usually have stupid corners cut.
Before buying on line, check shipping costs, especially for desktops.
Jay,
When you're married to a comp geek, you have 3 desktops, 2 tablets and a laptop. The tablets are basically netbooks. We use them for nothing but net. The sad part is, there are only 4 humans in the house. And only one of those does anything aside from internet stuff. How did we do school papers without a computer?
I agree with both Wolfwalker and Old NFO. I had a Blackberry for work and was able to do email, texting, and keeping track of the Red Sox with it. The browser is craptastic and I only know one person who tried to use Opera and he couldn't get it to work.
I have an Aspire One Netbook for travel use and it's pretty good. Mine is the 8 inch screen version, but I saw at BJs they have the 10.1 inch version for the same price I paid last summer for mine.
Unless you absolutely need mobile broadband, you will be happier with a Netbook.
Get the Eee!! I love, love, love mine!
LOVE!
(can I say it again? LOVE IT! YAY Eee!)
That's a good point, Curt... It is a pretty open-ended question.
Really, though, I got one of my questions answered - the Blackberry is out of the running.
That brings it down to desktop vs. laptop vs. note/net book...
Desktop, really, I can pretty much rule out - realistically, price would be the deciding factor, and laptops are coming so close as to make the difference negligible.
So, really, it's between another laptop and a netbook.
Maybe I'll just get one of each... :)
Jay, I don't have much to add, other than a blackberry through T-mobile is only like $5 for unlimited data & POP mail. It does NOT get you the GPS and blackberry email though, that's $30.
But really, a BB is great for an internet fix on the road, but it's weak for straight-out browsing.
It's unfortunate that you didn't post this a few days ago. Woot.com had the Eee 900 for $150. If I wasn't broke and jobless, I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat.
Another consideration might be the Dell Mini. They're quite cheap, and very small and portable. I've tried out a friend's mini, and it was quite nice. The downside to the thing is the low screen resolution. I've got very good eyes, and therefore find high-resolution screens incredibly useful. 1024x600 just doesn't cut it for me. They have recently come out with 10" and 12" versions (the 12" brings resolution up to 1280x800, which is acceptable for me). They start at $399, and I found a nicely customized one would bring it to $550 (keeping with Ubuntu).
Just something you might want to look into.
I'm not a big fan of Compaq laptops. I'd sooner get a Dell Latitude (which is what I have) or a Thinkbook. They tend to last longer and aren't as much of a pain in the ass to fix (or get fixed).
Really, it comes down to what you want to do with the thing. If you're doing just web and e-mail, then the smaller machine will do you just fine. If you're doing a lot of graphics work or any other processor-intensive stuff, then you need more screen resolution and processing power and should go with a full-sized laptop. And remember not to skimp on the RAM.
I have a six-ish year-old iBook which I love. It's getting long in the tooth but still does most of what I need.
Wife just got an EeePC 1000HA and seems pleased thus far. I think the keyboard is a hair too small, but that's me, and it's her computer. For her schoolwork and net browsing, it's absolutely fine.
http://www.newegg.com/
It has literally everything computer-related.
You'll probably find something to at least consider on there.
Good luck =]]
Netbooks are very portable but the smaller screen and keyboard can be a hassle. For just a little more money you can get a decent low end laptop with a 12" screen. Or another possibility is a nettop http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220009
I am in college and I use a Logitech Alto stand with my laptop computer in my dorm room. It isn't quite as comfortable as a desktop, but it's pretty close.
Check out Tigerdirect.com. You can usually get decent laptop for real cheap. I got WS a refurbished laptop with mega memory and HD for anly a couple hundred bucks (and haven't had a problem with it at all).
Emma - I know the feeling (although I am the geek), we have two desktops, 2 IPaqs, and 3 laptops - for 2 humans. To be fair, 1 desktop was given to me because someone didn't know what else to do with it and 1 laptop was from a previous job (a consolation prize for being laid off).
Go LAPTOP...
I haven't bought a desktop in several years now. If you want a server, get a box. But otherwise, I am convinced laptops are the way to go for "Net" machines.
If you get one with Vista, buy an extra 1-2gigs of RAM if you have any performance issues for like $30. This helped with my wife's machine.
Now we are all laptop based with a NAS unit.
Post a Comment