Author Topic: Advise on buying new laptop  (Read 19403 times)

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Offline sneakypete

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Advise on buying new laptop
« on: July 22, 2022, 03:29:57 am »
Guys,here are two of the laptops I am looking at. Not final choices by any means,but they both fit the general idea of what I think I want.

Right off the bat,I do NOT want any computer made in China at ANY price.

The 500 buck one is right at the very top of my budget,but I could spring for it if it was that much better than the other one.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-A515-56-32DK-Display-i3-1115G4-Processor/dp/B09R5VYRVN/ref=sr_1_9?crid=177EGH04T30VM&keywords=laptop+computer&qid=1658473743&sprefix=laptop%2Caps%2C646&sr=8-9

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-A515-46-R3UB-Display-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B09HVC79PC/ref=sr_1_36?crid=177EGH04T30VM&keywords=laptop%2Bcomputer&qid=1658474631&sprefix=laptop%2Caps%2C646&sr=8-36&th=1

Please feel free to check out this link and make suggestions about other laptops to buy. The one thing I do NOT want besides a Chinese computer,is one that doesn't have black keys. The one I have now has silver keys,and I hate the damn thing.
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Offline Elderberry

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2022, 09:46:45 am »
I haven't ran much on laptops.

I started out on a VT100


Since then I've run on PCs. Usually a mid-tower case, separate monitor(currently a 24"), keyboard and mouse.

I do have a couple of Panasonic CF-29 Toughbooks that I take hunting to view game camera pics.



Offline Kamaji

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2022, 09:51:37 am »
I haven't ran much on laptops.

I started out on a VT100


Since then I've run on PCs. Usually a mid-tower case, separate monitor(currently a 24"), keyboard and mouse.

I do have a couple of Panasonic CF-29 Toughbooks that I take hunting to view game camera pics.





Ahh, the good old DEC days!

Offline Elderberry

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2022, 10:21:06 am »

Ahh, the good old DEC days!

Tweren't too good connecting over a 300 baud no handshaking modem. Even with my poor typing skills, waiting on that modem sucked.

Offline Bigun

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« Last Edit: July 22, 2022, 10:32:03 am by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline Kamaji

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2022, 10:27:51 am »
Tweren't too good connecting over a 300 baud no handshaking modem. Even with my poor typing skills, waiting on that modem sucked.

In high school my best friend's father worked with the government, and had a DEC terminal at home with a 1200 baud modem.  My friend had access to a very limited guest account, so we would log on and play the text-based star trek game.  Unbeknownst to me, we were on ARPANET before it became the internet.

Offline Elderberry

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2022, 11:04:52 am »
In high school my best friend's father worked with the government, and had a DEC terminal at home with a 1200 baud modem.  My friend had access to a very limited guest account, so we would log on and play the text-based star trek game.  Unbeknownst to me, we were on ARPANET before it became the internet.

I didn't get my VT100 until 1981 when was in college from another student. I used it to connect to the school for my 8080 assembly programming class. I also used it in the 1st class on 6502 SYM-1 Application Programming. After that I really didn't get online much until around 91, when I picked up a used 386, and got online using Archie and Gopher.

Offline Kamaji

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2022, 11:10:21 am »
I didn't get my VT100 until 1981 when was in college from another student. I used it to connect to the school for my 8080 assembly programming class. I also used it in the 1st class on 6502 SYM-1 Application Programming. After that I really didn't get online much until around 91, when I picked up a used 386, and got online using Archie and Gopher.

My first intro to assembly was on my old Atari 800.  I got tired of writing "game" programs in BASIC, which was processed so slowly one could see the individual line rastering.  So I grabbed an assembly programming cartridge from a friend for the 800 and figured out how to write assembler code snippets to govern movement that could be stuck into a BASIC program (the Atari had a mechanism for reading machine code into memory when running a BASIC program).

After my foray into the internetworks on my friend's father's terminal, I didn't go back online again until sometime in the early 1990s, when VT in conjunction with the Town of Blacksburg started going all computers and networks.

Offline corbe

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2022, 11:12:20 am »
   Personally @sneakypete I wouldn't buy anything but a DELL Inspiron Laptop with an Intel I5 processor/8GB Ram.  I put many of my customers on one and they love it.  Here's one on EBAY with Win 10 from an Authorized Reseller for $300.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234571904775?hash=item369d933707:g:2akAAOSw0D1ipXx6
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2022, 12:22:58 pm »
My advice is don't buy a new one @sneakypete for that $500 you can get a really good used corporate machine that will serve you well.

Here's just one example:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/133785229224?hash=item1f263897a8:g:Qw8AAOSwVBNin1Fu&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4FbSgepyF4LfGaPgXYr4rHU5k%2BskHtoHkQV%2FjYsGEvF36OcgZvPkGVRf5My2iK3%2BaOEJr7kW62WisszdrMiERval9DR7bLTPhE86T1sJgYIBMV%2Bqsncan83hCF04fnPMyPQSNQoIVN9390Aq%2Fc5%2FtQpwgH4JwB%2Ft8%2BQ05oV91eJu0RcIXN9aew92TdUqPWXxGlP4nxWUD1tUOS0e%2BbtpWufQ7WPXDMUXlntWQf1v8GiPP5aT5l2Yk3HNdGJfQv2UhN%2FWkKQdrsRQGmskE43GPHa3aQ14kE7fpFdcsVTAx%2Bbd%7Ctkp%3ABFBM4rz05MRg

FWIW, I've had really good luck with HP Probooks Two of them currently in use here.


Almost all of my computers (7 of 10) are business class HP. My last (and now secondary, the one I take with me on service calls) laptop was the last of a long run of HP Elitebooks. My main laptop right now is a Dell inspiron.... The only other non-HPs in the whole place are  my main media machine (which is a Dell) and my portable notebook which is a Lenovo Thinkpad of some kind.

You just can't go wrong with business class HP.

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2022, 12:26:19 pm »
   Personally @sneakypete I wouldn't buy anything but a DELL Inspiron Laptop with an Intel I5 processor/8GB Ram.  I put many of my customers on one and they love it.  Here's one on EBAY with Win 10 from an Authorized Reseller for $300.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234571904775?hash=item369d933707:g:2akAAOSw0D1ipXx6

I will second that, secondarily... I think business class Dell is probably the top of the heap at the moment... though I am probably HP business class at heart. That may be changing...

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2022, 12:47:15 pm »
   Personally @sneakypete I wouldn't buy anything but a DELL Inspiron Laptop with an Intel I5 processor/8GB Ram.  I put many of my customers on one and they love it.  Here's one on EBAY with Win 10 from an Authorized Reseller for $300.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234571904775?hash=item369d933707:g:2akAAOSw0D1ipXx6

I gotta have 16 gigs of Ram.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2022, 12:50:05 pm »
Well, @sneakypete ... The two you are looking at are kinda crap.

The i3 would kinda be a battery sipper if you are wanting something with longer battery life, but will suffer performance-wise when compared to i5 or i7.

but neither one has satisfactory RAM, and the sad thing about ACER is that their economy models are often incapable (artificially limited) from increasing RAM. Note that I don't know if that is still true - I haven't looked at an ACER in years. But I surely would be very careful about that aspect.

4g RAM is nowhere near enough.I would say Windows cannot run properly without 8g, and I REALLY like 16g. So right off the drop, figure on upgrading the RAM immediately.

@corbe is sending you the right way. With the money you have to spend, I would be looking for a used, off-lease, business class machine. At least 8g RAM and at least a newer generation i5 (or i7) processor.

« Last Edit: July 22, 2022, 12:55:38 pm by roamer_1 »

Offline Bigun

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"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline Kamaji

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2022, 01:54:10 pm »
I would strongly second the idea of getting an off-lease business model rather than getting a new economy model.  A number of years ago I purchased a couple of Dell desktops from eBay that had come off-lease, and didn't have much of a problem with them.

Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #16 on: July 22, 2022, 01:59:44 pm »

Offline Fishrrman

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #17 on: July 22, 2022, 05:56:34 pm »
SneakyPete --

Once again, I'm going to suggest "Mac".

THIS is what you should be looking at:
https://www.apple.com/macbook-air-m2/
(keep scrolling down from the opening image)

You can get a 10% "veteran's discount" from Apple. If you need help with that, I can explain further. But I just bought a 2021 MacBook Pro 14" and got $200 off last February.

I reckon "the base configuration" will do you fine.

And please -- none of the "I can't learn a new OS" nonsense.
The Mac will be "the easiest" computer you use and an "easy transition", as well.

There's even a "Windows migration assistant" app to get your stuff moved.

Offline sneakypete

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2022, 11:01:49 pm »
@Bigun @Kamaji   @Texas Yellow Rose  @corbe @roamer_1 @Weird Tolkienish Figure

@Fishrrman

Ok,guys,just pulled the trigger on this one.

Dell Latitude E5530 15.6 Inch Business Laptop, Intel Core i5-3210M up to 3.1GHz, 8G DDR3, 320G, DVD, VGA, HDMI, WiFi, Win 10 Pro 64 Bit Multi-Language Support English/French/Spanish(Renewed)

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Latitude-E5530-Business-Multi-Language/dp/B00WJTC13O/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AUTB373MHH4O&keywords=Dell+Latitude+E5530+15.6+Inch+Business+Laptop%2C+Intel+Core+i5-3210M+up+to+3.1GHz%2C+8G+DDR3%2C+320G%2C+DVD%2C+VGA%2C+HDMI%2C+WiFi%2C+Win+10+Pro+64+Bit+Multi-Language+Support+English%2FFrench%2FSpanish%28Renewed%29&qid=1658631185&sprefix=dell+latitude+e5530+15.6+inch+business+laptop%2C+intel+core+i5-3210m+up+to+3.1ghz%2C+8g+ddr3%2C+320g%2C+dvd%2C+vga%2C+hdmi%2C+wifi%2C+win+10+pro+64+bit+multi-language+support+english%2Ffrench%2Fspanish+renewed+%2Caps%2C528&sr=8-1

Mostly because I am even cheaper than the computer,it is a 15.6 inch Dell,and it has a CD player. I learned a long time ago that I can't play computer games if I also want to waste time doing stupid stuff like eating,sleeping,taking showers,and leaving the house.

99 percent of what I do is buy stuff I need and get it shipped to me to save money on gas and time,and irritating people on TBR. Don't need all the latest and greatest do-dahs to do that,but I am DONE with 14 inch screens.

Might take this HP apart so I can maybe sell the screen to somebody for 20 bucks plus shipping,as well as a few other parts on it. Going to trash the hdd. Damn thing just wants to crash all the time,anyhow. I blame that on Win 11. Probably a faulty install at the factory,but I don't care. There were some really great deals out there on newer 15.6 laptops,but most seemed to have Win-11,and with chemo brain,I am just NOT interested in learning a new op system. The one I just bought has Win-10 Pro installed.

Taking a chance on a used one,but if it even lasts one year I can't see how I went wrong.
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Offline Gefn

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2022, 11:03:01 pm »
I’ve been saving up for an .Apple Mac Book pro.


Am I the only Mac enthusiast here?,
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Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2022, 05:10:23 am »

Almost all of my computers (7 of 10) are business class HP. My last (and now secondary, the one I take with me on service calls) laptop was the last of a long run of HP Elitebooks. My main laptop right now is a Dell inspiron.... The only other non-HPs in the whole place are  my main media machine (which is a Dell) and my portable notebook which is a Lenovo Thinkpad of some kind.

You just can't go wrong with business class HP.
I used Tosshibas through Win XP, am running an HP now, and have had good results (all laptops current one is an elitebook, I5 with 8GB Ram and a 256 gig SSD).
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Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #21 on: July 24, 2022, 09:46:44 am »
@Bigun @Kamaji   @Texas Yellow Rose  @corbe @roamer_1 @Weird Tolkienish Figure

@Fishrrman

Ok,guys,just pulled the trigger on this one.

Dell Latitude E5530 15.6 Inch Business Laptop, Intel Core i5-3210M up to 3.1GHz, 8G DDR3, 320G, DVD, VGA, HDMI, WiFi, Win 10 Pro 64 Bit Multi-Language Support English/French/Spanish(Renewed)

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Latitude-E5530-Business-Multi-Language/dp/B00WJTC13O/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AUTB373MHH4O&keywords=Dell+Latitude+E5530+15.6+Inch+Business+Laptop%2C+Intel+Core+i5-3210M+up+to+3.1GHz%2C+8G+DDR3%2C+320G%2C+DVD%2C+VGA%2C+HDMI%2C+WiFi%2C+Win+10+Pro+64+Bit+Multi-Language+Support+English%2FFrench%2FSpanish%28Renewed%29&qid=1658631185&sprefix=dell+latitude+e5530+15.6+inch+business+laptop%2C+intel+core+i5-3210m+up+to+3.1ghz%2C+8g+ddr3%2C+320g%2C+dvd%2C+vga%2C+hdmi%2C+wifi%2C+win+10+pro+64+bit+multi-language+support+english%2Ffrench%2Fspanish+renewed+%2Caps%2C528&sr=8-1

Mostly because I am even cheaper than the computer,it is a 15.6 inch Dell,and it has a CD player. I learned a long time ago that I can't play computer games if I also want to waste time doing stupid stuff like eating,sleeping,taking showers,and leaving the house.

99 percent of what I do is buy stuff I need and get it shipped to me to save money on gas and time,and irritating people on TBR. Don't need all the latest and greatest do-dahs to do that,but I am DONE with 14 inch screens.

Might take this HP apart so I can maybe sell the screen to somebody for 20 bucks plus shipping,as well as a few other parts on it. Going to trash the hdd. Damn thing just wants to crash all the time,anyhow. I blame that on Win 11. Probably a faulty install at the factory,but I don't care. There were some really great deals out there on newer 15.6 laptops,but most seemed to have Win-11,and with chemo brain,I am just NOT interested in learning a new op system. The one I just bought has Win-10 Pro installed.

Taking a chance on a used one,but if it even lasts one year I can't see how I went wrong.

It will serve you well @sneakypete personally I would have gone with something that had an SSD and 16Gigs of RAM but that's just me.  Windows runs in 8 gigs but WAY more better in 16.  At least that has been my observation.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2022, 09:47:50 am by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline catfish1957

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #22 on: July 24, 2022, 09:51:11 am »
I’ve been saving up for an .Apple Mac Book pro.


Am I the only Mac enthusiast here?,

Nope.  I got tired of fighting the malware and viruses of WIN machines.  Not that ios products are exempt, but the problem is apparently infinitely less.
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Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #23 on: July 24, 2022, 09:59:35 am »
I’ve been saving up for an .Apple Mac Book pro.


Am I the only Mac enthusiast here?,

I have never owned anything Apple and never will. Their way of doing business soured me on Apple products early on. @Gefn
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #24 on: July 24, 2022, 10:03:30 am »
Nope.  I got tired of fighting the malware and viruses of WIN machines.  Not that ios products are exempt, but the problem is apparently infinitely less.

Viruses are pretty much non-existent since win10. Even spyware and such. I can't even tell you the last time I had an infection of any kind. Years and years.

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #25 on: July 24, 2022, 10:04:46 am »
I have never owned anything Apple and never will. Their way of doing business soured me on Apple products early on. @Gefn

I heard that @Bigun  :beer:
I own exactly nothing made by apple.

Offline catfish1957

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #26 on: July 24, 2022, 10:04:49 am »
Viruses are pretty much non-existent since win10. Even spyware and such. I can't even tell you the last time I had an infection of any kind. Years and years.

That makes sense.  I made the full Apple conversion in about 2014.
I display the Confederate Battle Flag in honor of my great great great grandfathers who spilled blood at Wilson's Creek and Shiloh.  5 others served in the WBTS with honor too.

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #27 on: July 24, 2022, 10:07:28 am »
It will serve you well @sneakypete personally I would have gone with something that had an SSD and 16Gigs of RAM but that's just me.  Windows runs in 8 gigs but WAY more better in 16.  At least that has been my observation.

@Bigun
But an SSD and added RAM are doable. Get recovered a little bit and add more RAM... down the line another couple months, add an SSD...

@sneakypete

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #28 on: July 24, 2022, 10:09:07 am »
I heard that @Bigun  :beer:
I own exactly nothing made by apple.

I'm the same way about GM products now after the crap they pulled, and got away with, when Obama was dictator.  I'll walk before I drive anything GM.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #29 on: July 24, 2022, 10:11:39 am »
I'm the same way about GM products now after the crap they pulled, and got away with, when Obama was dictator.  I'll walk before I drive anything GM.

Well... I am a Chevy freak. Probably always will be. But I ain't ever bought new, and all my parts tend to be after-market... Chevy ain't making much off a 40 year old truck anyhow.

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #30 on: July 24, 2022, 10:11:59 am »
@Bigun
But an SSD and added RAM are doable. Get recovered a little bit and add more RAM... down the line another couple months, add an SSD...

@sneakypete

OH yeah!  Of course.  But the upgrades will likely cost a bit more than buying a used machine already equipped. @roamer_1
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #31 on: July 24, 2022, 10:13:27 am »
Well... I am a Chevy freak. Probably always will be. But I ain't ever bought new, and all my parts tend to be after-market... Chevy ain't making much off a 40 year old truck anyhow.

I hear ya!  I wasn't talking about preexisting stuff anyway.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #32 on: July 24, 2022, 10:17:26 am »
OH yeah!  Of course.  But the upgrades will likely cost a bit more than buying a used machine already equipped. @roamer_1

@Bigun
Right. But that expense is over time... and the box is still going to be way affordable. Only thing I don't like is that it has a DVD bay. That's getting kinda old. Might be that it ain't USB3 all the way either... hardware with a DVD often has only one or two USB3 ports, with the rest being USB2...

But it's a right enough box. It will work pretty good the way it is, and will be a hummer with added RAM and SSD.

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #33 on: July 24, 2022, 10:21:11 am »
@Bigun
Right. But that expense is over time... and the box is still going to be way affordable. Only thing I don't like is that it has a DVD bay. That's getting kinda old. Might be that it ain't USB3 all the way either... hardware with a DVD often has only one or two USB3 ports, with the rest being USB2...

But it's a right enough box. It will work pretty good the way it is, and will be a hummer with added RAM and SSD.

I was just thinking about Pete in particular since he can't do the upgrades himself but you are right. That box will likely serve him just fine as is.

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline catfish1957

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #34 on: July 24, 2022, 10:22:01 am »
I heard that @Bigun  :beer:
I own exactly nothing made by apple.

If WIN has made that level of improvements around security, I might convert back.  Can't tell you how pissed off I was when I got my wife's last MacBook, and it was devoid of headphone jacks, SD ports, and standard USB connections. 
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Offline sneakypete

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #35 on: July 24, 2022, 10:33:16 am »
@Bigun
But an SSD and added RAM are doable. Get recovered a little bit and add more RAM... down the line another couple months, add an SSD...

@sneakypete

@roamer_1

Part of my plan was to add the RAM from this PC once I strip it. Never done this,but it can't be all that hard to do.
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #36 on: July 24, 2022, 10:34:19 am »
If WIN has made that level of improvements around security, I might convert back.  Can't tell you how pissed off I was when I got my wife's last MacBook, and it was devoid of headphone jacks, SD ports, and standard USB connections.

That's why I don't like Apple... Their phones are a perfect example... No auxiliary drive bay. Spend STUPID money, and wind up stuck without enough storage. I paid 150 bucks for my Samsung A-50 and stuffed a big flash card in it the next day. Heck I don't even know how big it is anymore... But I will never worry about it.

For all the money paid for that dang Apple phone, you'd think they could add a mini flash port. Makes me mad.

Their pooters... same thing. They run great, no doubt, but crazy expensive bang-for-buck, and no where near as easy to upgrade. And hardware externals and software too... Just all the way around.

I like the vast and distributed Windows marketplace. Especially when you are talking used. A three year old WinPC can be found for a song. A five year old Apple is still big bread. There is an argument there about retaining value, but the freewheeling market on the Windows side makes that really negligible.

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #37 on: July 24, 2022, 10:39:02 am »
@roamer_1

Part of my plan was to add the RAM from this PC once I strip it. Never done this,but it can't be all that hard to do.

That may or may not be doable @sneakypete depends on if the RAM is compatible and how it's configured but even if you have to buy more it's not that big a deal.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #38 on: July 24, 2022, 10:41:53 am »
@roamer_1

Part of my plan was to add the RAM from this PC once I strip it. Never done this,but it can't be all that hard to do.

@sneakypete

Might be out of luck on that... All RAM is not the same. and if your current box is new, I will bet it won't work in the refurb. You may be able to sell the ram to buy more ram for the refurb... If it is in 8g sticks or more... But DDR3 ram is around, and cheap, if you can find somebody that is plugged into that local market.

You might just run it by the EEK Squad at the Best Buy and get a quote for upgrading to 16g... That will get you a guaranteed hard number to work with. Then find out if you can beat it on your own. I sure could. But in your position, the deal may be satisfactory and not worth bothering further.

Offline sneakypete

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #39 on: July 24, 2022, 10:42:12 am »
That may or may not be doable @sneakypete depends on if the RAM is compatible and how it's configured but even if you have to buy more it's not that big a deal.

@Bigun

Thanks,I will check into the price of new RAM before I go to the trouble of trying to install the RAM from this one.
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Offline sneakypete

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #40 on: July 24, 2022, 10:43:52 am »
@sneakypete

Might be out of luck on that... All RAM is not the same. and if your current box is new, I will bet it won't work in the refurb. You may be able to sell the ram to buy more ram for the refurb... If it is in 8g sticks or more... But DDR3 ram is around, and cheap, if you can find somebody that is plugged into that local market.

You might just run it by the EEK Squad at the Best Buy and get a quote for upgrading to 16g... That will get you a guaranteed hard number to work with. Then find out if you can beat it on your own. I sure could. But in your position, the deal may be satisfactory and not worth bothering further.

@roamer_1

Thanks!

I will email them today to see if that's possible.
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #41 on: July 24, 2022, 10:46:46 am »
@sneakypete


It would be interesting to find out if your current box has a SATA style SSD drive in it though. If you are parting it out, that might save you a buck. and you could find someone to do that right away.

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #42 on: July 24, 2022, 10:50:49 am »
@Bigun

Thanks,I will check into the price of new RAM before I go to the trouble of trying to install the RAM from this one.

I've probably got some DDR3 Ram laying around here that I could send you but I need the exact spec and the link you posted now goes to some Acer POS. F'n Amazon!

Check that! I was clicking on one of the ones you were looking at not the one you bought. Anyway, when I looked it up It says RAM is maxed out at 8 gigs.  I highly doubt that is true so I'll check further @sneakypete
« Last Edit: July 24, 2022, 11:02:38 am by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline corbe

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #43 on: July 24, 2022, 11:07:12 am »
   @sneakypete There are plenty of UTube videos on how to disassemle a Laptop to upgrade the Ram or install a SSD.  Usually just requires a Jewlers phillips screwdriver.  Just put the Model # in UTube, ie...Dell Latitude 4345.
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Offline sneakypete

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #44 on: July 24, 2022, 11:11:47 am »
   @sneakypete There are plenty of UTube videos on how to disassemle a Laptop to upgrade the Ram or install a SSD.  Usually just requires a Jewlers phillips screwdriver.  Just put the Model # in UTube, ie...Dell Latitude 4345.

@corbe

Thanks,I have a selection of jewelers screwdrivers I used to use when I was working on something forgotten. Maybe watches.

Damn chemo brain!
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Offline Kamaji

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #45 on: July 24, 2022, 11:15:29 am »
   @sneakypete There are plenty of UTube videos on how to disassemle a Laptop to upgrade the Ram or install a SSD.  Usually just requires a Jewlers phillips screwdriver.  Just put the Model # in UTube, ie...Dell Latitude 4345.

An anti-static wrist band or pad is also an advisable accessory, depending on how far into the guts and innards one has to go.  I actually did manage to fry a motherboard one time just with static.  After that, I always have the anti-static wristband going.

Offline Bigun

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #46 on: July 24, 2022, 11:50:01 am »
@sneakypete

Check your PMs
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline sneakypete

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #47 on: July 24, 2022, 11:52:49 am »
An anti-static wrist band or pad is also an advisable accessory, depending on how far into the guts and innards one has to go.  I actually did manage to fry a motherboard one time just with static.  After that, I always have the anti-static wristband going.

@Kamaji

Never heard of such a thing. Do you have a brand name and/or a source you can give me?
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: Advise on buying new laptop
« Reply #48 on: July 24, 2022, 11:59:18 am »
@Kamaji

Never heard of such a thing. Do you have a brand name and/or a source you can give me?

@sneakypete

All you need is a hunk of wire going to ground and wrap it around your wrist or ankle... or touch something to ground yourself... same as letting loose a static spark when you touch a doorknob. I never bother because my benches are metal and grounded. it is nearly impossible for me to carry a charge to a machine.