February 9, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Best Laptop
February 9, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Technically, the laptop was a good choice given you wanted years of use. I personally bought a Lenovo laptop also.
Question: what was the OS? Was it Win7 64-bit? MS 64-bit OS was designed ground-up with MS' security guidelines in mind, without legacy code which were another vector for hacks and viruses.
February 9, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Macbook Pro. Parallels and Boot Camp to run windows. Never going back.
My experiences with all PCs, not just laptops, is given that models are obsolete in 18 months, they throw these things together out of parts from manufacturers from X, Y and Z and sometimes those parts are happy together and sometime they're not.
Either they work together perfectly for years, or they give trouble from day one. It's luck of the draw (about 1 in 10), I've never found a manufacturer this wasn't true of. It's usually particular models.
This is speaking of instability and performance problems (which usually seem to be the main issue and are sometimes fixable by driver updates), not outright harware failures which can happen to any brand.
Once my friends have taken their PC back to be reinstalled a three times, I just tell them, forget about it, just write it off and get a new one. The shop/dealer will never give warranty replacement. They'll just keep 'fixing' it every three months until the warranty runs out.
It's just part of buying a PC, the hidden 'price' for cheap builds (and not-so-cheap builds).
Particularly for business office computers, the price of downtime can quickly exceed the price of a new PC.
B
February 10, 2010 at 1:41 am
I agree with the decision to go with the TrackPoint 100%. In fact, I have an IBM keyboard for my desktop system with a TrackPoint in it, no need for a desktop mouse. On the Lenovo site, search for the "ThinkPad TrackPoint Cap Collection", it is a set of replaceable caps. I prefer the "Soft Dome" cap, really easy on the fingertip compared with the default "scratchy" cap.
February 10, 2010 at 2:54 am
This is why I have a mobile phone that is 3 years old, and hasn't worked properly for 3 months. Because everytime I think about getting a new one, I get lost in the profusion of choices and end up wanting one that isn't out yet. Then I give up.
February 10, 2010 at 6:23 am
I have a HP (Hewlett-Packard) laptop with no trackpoint and have been thinking about getting a laptop with a trackpoint. I use a mouse, not the touchpad, and have been thinking of disabling the touchpad but then there is the rare occassion that I need it. I can not for the life of me get myself to work in bed no matter how sick I am.
:-PManie Verster
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February 10, 2010 at 6:28 am
Great article. I'm going thru exactly that decison myself right now.
I want a machine that has it all 8 gig, Win 7, 500mg HD but at the end of the day...I'm looking at an Asus machine and I'm attracted by the rubberized finish on the keyboard pad because I'm a bit obsessive/compulsive about finger prints on the shiney surfaces. Whatever, we all have character flaws that are salved by features a normal geek wouldn't consider.
$749.00 out the door too, did I mention that I have an accounting degree too?
February 10, 2010 at 6:31 am
I think we sometimes get a bit too caught up in the search for the best, to the point where some people get highly stressed, even afterward, wondering if they got the best product or the best price.
The truth is, there are generally a range of products that will suit your needs, some might be better in some ways, some might be better in others, but if you choose reasonably well they all get the job done. It's not worth sweating it.
Same with price: maybe later you will find a bit better price, but so what? How much time is worth wasting over a few dollars? How much lost opportunity to use it while you're searching for the best price?
And a side point. Specs are important but they're only part of the picture. Manufacturers, even second rate manufacturers find it useful to design for a nice looking set of specs but don't make it on quality (which is hidden). Relying on specs, and nothing else, is not a wise choice.
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
February 10, 2010 at 8:27 am
I bought a Toshiba Satellite 17" 2 years ago and it's been the best machine I've ever owned. Number key pad on the right. It was my first laptop with a touch pad, so that took a little getting used to, but I won't hesitate to buy another Toshiba in the future.
February 10, 2010 at 8:45 am
It really does come down to the purpose of the machine. Like Steve said we are human and tend to salivate over all the bells and whistles however what we should be looking at is what will get us through the next two or so years based on usage needs. I was in this situation two years ago when I changed jobs but decided to contract with my previous employer. I was really iffy doing programming/database development over a VPN connection using a laptop but everything has worked out great. I ended up with a Dell Dimension dual core with 2GB ram on XP. The laptop outlasted the PC I VPN into. I guess I'll hold on to this laptop a little while longer.
February 10, 2010 at 9:05 am
Thanks. Now I know why the cursor on my Dell keeps jumping around.:w00t:
February 10, 2010 at 9:10 am
I have a work-issue HP EliteBook 6930p. I haven't been fond of HP-anything until this laptop. It is well built, fast, and has the stick. The touchpad is also recessed and smack center of the hand placement on the keyboard, so there is no way you could accidentally touch it while typing.
February 10, 2010 at 9:22 am
sing4you (2/10/2010)
Thanks. Now I know why the cursor on my Dell keeps jumping around.:w00t:
If you go to the touchpad setup: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Mouse -> Dell Touchpad -> click on the big touchpad -> Touchpad Settings, you can set TouchCheck, which controls how how sensitive the touchpad is to "hover" - when you hand is above it but not actually touching it.
You also set Touch Sensitivity, which is how much pressure it takes for the touchpad to recognize your finger.
Proper setting of both these values will probably eliminate unwanted cursor movement.
I've used the TrackPoint, but the unadjustable mechanical stiffness of the mechanism makes it unacceptable to arthritic hands - Kensington's Orbit trackball mouse is much gentler on your hands.
John
February 10, 2010 at 9:38 am
I always used ThinkPads from IBM. But once I tried MacBook Pro, I never looked back since. I have 2 laptops and 2 server setups. All are Mac hardware running boot camp with different versions of Mac, Linux, and Windows. With VirtualBox on a Mac Pro, I can test any version OS and SQL in a few clicks.
I have also begun to admire Apple's service and support. No more wasting time on the phone. I just schedule an appt. with their Genius Bar, and my experience has been they fix whatever it is that needs fixing. I never walked away unsatisfied, except once after the click wheel broke on an iPod. Had to get a new one, for which they gave a discount.
February 10, 2010 at 9:41 am
I have a Dell D820 Latitude with the stick thing. I hate the stick, it gives me a cramp in my finger. I hate the touch pad too, I use a wireless mouse.
Different strokes.
Interesting discussion though. I will be shopping for a laptop in a few months for my son to take to college. He has a 4 year old Lenovo Thinkpad. It has the stick. I will have to ask him if he wants the stick thing on his new computer.
Terri
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[Discussing fellow writers Cornelius Mathews and William Ellery Channing.]
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