(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

So my laptop was dead yesterday afternoon when I got home from uni. Since I've been having a few problems with the power cord/battery lately, I'm pretty sure that the cord connector bit has come loose - this is also what the guys at Global PC suggested. Anyway, took it to the repair place and they said, oh yes, we can fix it by Tuesday, that'll be $170 and the repair is not guaranteed to last for more than a month.

I can't fucking cope, however, I also can't buy a new laptop right now, so I don't have much of a choice. Fingers crossed the repair will last until July, which is when I am planning on getting a new one, because I can't get by without it. Anyway, I will be mostly on radio silence for the next short while, so let me know if I miss stuff, OK.

BTW, I am currently taking recommendations on what to get in July (brand, processor, how much I should spend, etc) if any of you and your giant brains want to help me out. *kissyface*

I'll probably be using this icon more than a little bit for the next weeks. I really need the good mojo. *makes a small sacrifice in their geeky honour*

Comments

[kitsunerei88]

Toshiba! Satellite A100, duo core processor! ^^

Well, that's what I have, anyway, and it's a darling, really. I mean, you're not doing anything crazy on it, right?

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

Given that budget is going to play a big part in your choice, have a look at the Acers in Dick Smith ($900 - 1500). I strongly advise XP rather than Vista - Vista is fulla bugs that we have yet to find out about. I even more stonly advise moving away from MS completely and using something like Ubuntu Linux. Get a Live disk from DSE and try it out without having to do an install.

As to processor, etc., it comes down to what you want to do with it. If it's just writing and playing DVDs, you don't need much. Make a list of the apps you use and the stuff you intend to do, then check the net for other people's experiences. Most stuff can be done on the Centrino, the limit will really be how much RAM you can stick into it (as much as you can afford and the beast will hold). Get a 7200rpm hard drive (speed does matter with vid playback and complex databases) and think about using a good sized external hard drive (up to 200GB will cost you around $400) for storage, rather than filling up your internal HDD with crap you want to keep but don't need on a daily basis. I keep all my photographs on a seperate 80GB USB powered HDD.

Other considerations are wireless, Firewire connectors, s-video ports and PC Card slots, but these are all pretty standard these days.

As a last resort, you can take advantage of Hardly Normal's "buy now, pay later" sales, but the downside is that you will probably be paying 2007 prices in 2008-9, when the general price has dropped or the spec has moved on.

[aimeesworld.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about laptops but when I got mine last year, this computer-type at my Mum's work recommended Asus as a brand and it's going pretty good so far.

[kuril.livejournal.com]

As far as laptops go.. Acers seem to have a pretty good reputation and they tend to have reasonable budget models.

Again, I do suggest asking again come June since the landscape may have changed a bit by then. For example, hybrid drives will soon be available and they may provide additional time on a laptop battery. Maybe the tech will suck, who knows. I do know that currently available flash media do have a limited number of writes! Most people don't know that. So I wonder how long it'll take for those flash chips in hybrid drives to fail, since they will likely write extremely often!! (but given a laptop's short life, it's probably fine).

As far as Vista... my current report of an installation on my laptop is one of some frustration. A recent compatibility update decided that a driver could not be loaded -- and the notice refused to go away. It kept popping back up. Just today my wireless went insane and I couldn't reconnect to my AP without rebooting. In fact, I am having wireless connection issues periodically, where suddenly a file en route to my laptop can no longer be read.

May I suggest finding a laptop with Suse Linux 10.2 installed? ;-) It's interesting that, despite Linux having limited wireless support, that I've never had my connection drop without warning and refuse to connect!

When things aren't complaining, Vista is tolerable. But I much prefer my desktop Linux system. I just keep Windows around to act as a "Bridge."

Cheers.

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

Hmm, Suse = Novell = agreement with Satan (AKA Microsoft). I like Suse as a distro, it's always been one of the most stable, but I am concerned with its future as the market-droids play their little games. Also, it's still not a beginner distro, even at 10.2 status. Ubuntu is a gentler start ramp. Tui has geek chops, but I don't think she's an OS hacker, hmmm?

[kuril.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's all true. I only suggested it since there is a less remote chance of Suse being preinstalled. Ubuntu would be great if she does not mind installing it. As for myself, I prefer Slackware.

Tui, you can have beautiful desktops with with Linux, too!

[disturbed-kiwi.livejournal.com]

hey, you might find the last paragraph here interesting:
http://www.websnark.com/archives/2007/03/see_now_i_want.html

[angw.livejournal.com]

I brought an ASUS A6000 last July and have found it really good. Webcam, wireless, 80GB...widescreen - I use it a lot. I've decided I like the laptop better than the desktop. Mobile mobile mobile. Easier with a 300GB external hard drive too.

[sixth-light.livejournal.com]

I'll chime in on the Acer thing. That's what I and Hayden have got, and they work beautifully. You can get something nicer than mine for the same price, too.

Also on Vista. It currently sucks and the geeks of Curletts Rd refuse to use it. If you want Linux, we've got install stuff, and Mike et al will be more than happy to help you make the leap.

*crawls back into bed*

[blademistress.livejournal.com]

It's true that the Acer are cheap, but we've *just* got back our Acer from their fixy place. This isn't so much a commentary on Acer laptops in themselves, but DataCom, the place that Dick Smith's has on retainer to fix them. There were so many things I'll have to put them in bullet form.

* It was two months with no word before we actually rang them asking what the hell.
* They had somehow lost the laptop. They needed to call Dick Smiths to find out which serial number it was? Or something. Eventually after we harassed them they did so.
* They lied to us about the repairs. My brother knew exactly what was wrong with it - the windows partition on the hard drive was corrupted, as well as a variety of small faults with the machine itself. Nothing but a brand new hard drive would have done.
* The fixy guy (sorry, my brain has shorted out) told my brother he'd managed to recover Windows. This was impossible. Not just in a "no, it's totally fucked" way, but in a "my brother is paranoid and used tools the CIA have to completely destroy all data."
* The man fixing the machine was away so often and there so irregularly we had to contact his supervisor just to get the job completed.
* After about 2 weeks we were told it was shipping out. It didn't arrive. We rang on the Friday and told it was shipping out on Monday. It had actually already shipped out on the Friday.
* They then lost the laptop again. Demanded proof of returning it. Dick Smiths then somehow lost all records of us putting it in. We tracked the package by getting in touch with the man who actually packaged it. We traced it to Albany, and told them this. They still couldn't find it.
* We heard nothing for days. We sent emails. We threatened them with Fair Go (BEST THING EVER) and they immediately transfered us over to someone higher up.
* Someone higher up couldn't find the folder that had our entire details. No one else would deal with us because we were higher up's problem now.
* We sent second email, threatening Fair Go and small claims court.
* They send back immediate email apologizing as much as they can within the limitations of the English language. They promise new, shinier laptop.
* We hear nothing. We ring. Laptop is in South Island, they say, and is shipping up to the North so we can have it.
* Another week goes by and finally, finally we have a laptop. New laptop is a better model than the one he had, and it looks to be custom built because they weren't going to give us all the optional extras, but had to make it faster and prettier.

Total time in between giving laptop in and receiving new one: 4 months. That said, the sibling is very pleased with what he has now. Apparently you can get it for about $1050 from Dick Smiths. I'm in the market for one was well. I'm weary of Toshiba because my high school was part of that laptops for teachers thing, and oh wow did they have problems. I'm not sure if it was sheer idiocy on behalf of the teachers or the laptops. But I was told that after a year most had to be replaced. Asus is apparently a good brand, and they have a global 2 year warranty with apparently a good turn around time. I heard good things about HP's service. 3 days on average for a repair, and they let you know if it's going to be longer because of a part.

Also, if you get a student card (studentcard.co.nz) you get 10% off at Bond and Bond. :)