Crap selection of laptops

[snowhiker]

Is Win 7 an extra cost over 8?

The Lenovo site shows the "upgrade" to 7 pro as $50.

Two options 1) Win7 Pro or 2) Win7 Pro upgrade through Win 8.1 Pro downgrade rights.

I'm not 100% sure and would like clarification from those that know but option 1 gives you; win7 media/repair disk/win7 key, while option 2 gives gives you; win8 media/repair disk/win8 key. So if you go option 2 you can "upgrade" to 8.1 by using restore disks, but if your HDD dies and you need to repair you get 8.1 if you use repair disks? And getting back to 7pro is less easy?

Is that how those options work?

 

[Handruin]

Is Win 7 an extra cost over 8?

It shouldn't be for taking a downgrade. People can be emphatic about their OS sometimes.

 

[Mercutio]

A couple interesting things I've noticed in the last few weeks:
Toshiba says it's planning to step away from consumer laptops, starting by axing products for new markets, which I take to mean zero-profit machines for India and China.
And Samsung says it's going to stop selling laptops in Europe.

Vomit Box notebooks are at last a contracting market.

 

[sedrosken]

The drivers for my audio under Win7 have... issues, put lightly. Occasionally my audio will skip -- and I mean often enough for it to become annoying rather than jarring. I've already had it blue-screen on me once, the first time this one has ever blue-screened me and the second time to my memory that Win7 has ever blue-screened on me (the first time being when I was installing the Catalyst suite on Win7 on the GX270). I don't know if it was the sound or something else, but if it happens again I'm reverting to the MS-provided driver and seeing how that pans out. I'm no audiophile, I don't need anything more than stereo.

 

[Mercutio]

I'm sure you're using the same Realtek Audio driver that every other Windows computer built in the last five or six years is. Is it possible that your audio is skipping when you're at high CPU utilization or high internal temperature?

 

[sedrosken]

Maybe? I don't have a CPU meter running, but I was trying to load three pages at once in Chrome at the time. The fact that it blue-screened is unacceptable, though. I haven't had any other issues, it hasn't skipped at all since I posted. Don't know how it could've fixed itself, but if it did I'm not going to question it.

By the way, I am not in fact using the Realtek Audio Driver, it's provided by the Intel HD driver suite. For some reason, my audio is provided by Intel. Again, it works. Not going to question it.

 

[Mercutio]

The device is normally called "High Definition Audio Device" on just about everything. The driver on everything newer than XP is provided by Microsoft.

 

[sedrosken]

Yeah, there's one device listed under that name, but then there's another device under it labelled "Intel Display Audio." Here, take a look.

 

[Stereodude]

That's for the HDMI output (if you were using it).

 

[sedrosken]

Huh. Okay. Anyway, I'm not having anymore issues... knock on wood.

 

[sedrosken]

I managed to get an untouched (REAL) copy of Win8.1 with Bing x64. So that's what I'm using now. It actually grabbed my key from the BIOS and activated this time! I'm legal again!

My old Office '07 (I was hoping to use it for real Office compatibility, but nooooo...) license is apparently still in use. Strange, last time I installed that was almost three years ago on a system I've long since reformatted. But all is well: apparently all I have to do is talk to the right people on campus (in the tech dept. too!). They helped me get the Office 2013 academic edition or whatever installed. Apparently because our college has Office 365 licenses for all of us we're entitled to the offline version. Neat. Why ditch LibreOffice? There's this weird formatting quirk that, when documents created or edited in LibreOffice are opened in MS Word, when you go to print the last couple lines will be cut off. I got tired of getting points taken off my essays for ending abruptly (when I know darn well I didn't). I was at the end of my rope. If I hadn't got that legit Office 365 version installed, I'd likely have pirated a copy of 2010. I will not use that web app. It's not stable enough, at least, not for me it isn't.

Installed 7 on the GX270, installing all my older games on it. Everything that refuses to run on there (Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and all of my Steam games, and other online-only games) I'm putting on the laptop. I'm sick and tired of installing fix after fix for games that I'll hardly if ever play again. Diablo 1? Runs fine on 7, all that has to be done is a registry entry added so DirectDraw doesn't make the colors drop LSD. Diablo II? Runs fine, no bones about it. All my emulators that I don't play anymore? Run great. Don't get me wrong, I'm still folding on it. So my WU count might be a bit high.

Went back to Firefox, and after fixing the UI I have no idea why I ever left for Chrome again in the first place. FF is all around faster for me, and it has a much better (read: more diverse and not subject to Google's terms and conditions) addon ecosystem.

 

[sedrosken]

I can't edit after more than 5 minutes, otherwise I'd just edit to update.

I'm starting to save up to buy an SSD and upgrade the RAM in this. I found another 4gb DDR3L stick on amazon for ~$40. Hoping I have a second DIMM slot, not just for dual channel but so I don't have to spend $30 more on an 8gb stick. Found a Kingston 120GB SSD, also on amazon, for about $65. I don't particularly need either of these things, but at these prices I might as well.

 

[Mercutio]

I started the DVD-based Windows 8 OEM recovery for a Thinkpad T440p (i7, 8GB, SSD) four hours ago and it's still not done yet.
Lenovo used dism to integrate all the application and driver installs and it's actually replaying them one at a time and holy crap someone should tell those people there are better ways to do that.

 

[sedrosken]

Like not including all of the applications? ;-)

In all seriousness, they could have just made a factory HDD image and restored using that instead. You'd think they'd have thought of that, being Lenovo of all manufacturers. I could see HP pulling that crap, but Lenovo doing that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Mercutio]

Ironically, I noticed that one of the dism commands copied over the entire Windows 8 recovery image for later use by Windows. I know why they did things that way, but it's still an enormous waste of time for anyone who has to actually use their tools.

 

[sedrosken]

Oh that was just a dick move, Lenovo. You know better. Go sit in the corner and think about what you have done. Shame on you.

Before this I had never even heard of dism. What exactly is it? Because if all it does is automate installs I imagine they could have done the same thing using a script.

 

[Mercutio]

dism manages the integrity of the system image, starting from the baseline configuration from source media and as updates and extra software. It works with Microsoft's disk imaging and backup tools and it's sometimes used along with SFC to repair weird, random problems with Windows. It's not really something even most techies need to know much about, except for the irregular need to type one specific command or other because a support article says to.

 

[Santilli]

I've got two Panasonic CF-51's sitting here. First one, 1200 bucks, loaded, 14 years ago. With an SSD, still in this century, and adequate.
Second, twice as fast, 120 dollars or so, takes all the stuff from the first one, and is twice as fast. With XP 3, it works just fine right now.
Single vs. dual core, and SSD vs. regular drive.

I look at the current Panasonic laptops, and they are the only ones I would look at for 4 or more years. Lenovo seems to have become less reliable.
Panasonic is really good at tailoring stuff, mainly Windows, to work on their laptops, without a lot of crap, slowing it down.

Drivers are a big deal, moving from one generation to another.

I'm waiting to see some of this stuff drop in price.

GS

 

[Mercutio]

My Thinkpad T20 from 2001 still works as well, but that doesn't mean I'm going to try to use it for anything. It's not even productive to use for web browsing at this point.

 

[Santilli]

http://computers.woot.com/offers/le...z-laptop-2&utm_source=Amazon&utm_medium=email

Looks like a fantastic price. and it's this century.

 

[Stereodude]

Except for the screen resolution...

 

[LunarMist]

Except for the screen resolution...

And it is used. :hurl:

 

[Mercutio]

I'd trust a used T-series Thinkpad. Put a $75 brand-name battery in it and it's as good or better than anything being sold new at retail for less than $600. The 1366x768 screen resolution is ubiquitous and inescapable for inexpensive laptops regardless.

 

[Santilli]

It's a current, very fast, i5 cpu, and has all the stuff I'm after. It's under 300 dollars, and it's the first such deal I've scene. If you are going to buy a used, refurbished machine, I agree with Merc, and would add a Panasonic trailer. However, used Panasonic i5's are in the 1000-1500 dollar range, so it's a no brainer, if you need a current laptop...


No spare money right now...

 

[LunarMist]

I'd trust a used T-series Thinkpad. Put a $75 brand-name battery in it and it's as good or better than anything being sold new at retail for less than $600. The 1366x768 screen resolution is ubiquitous and inescapable for inexpensive laptops regardless.

Who knows what manner of disgusting things have been in or on a used laptop. Unless they decontaminate it with VHP or radiation, or something, I'll pass.

 

[Stereodude]

VHP?

 

[Howell]

Get a blacklight if you are that paranoid.

 

[Mercutio]

Who knows what manner of disgusting things have been in or on a used laptop. Unless they decontaminate it with VHP or radiation, or something, I'll pass.

I'm more disgusted with the devaluation of free will that leads people to purchase Apple, Acer and HP consumer laptops than anything that might've been on the keyboard. I have bleach wipes and Purelle but some laptops are just born in the crotch-stink of evil.

 

[Santilli]

Not to mention grossly over-priced. I'm amazed people pay the prices those 3 companies ask.

 

[Clocker]

My Mom needs to replace here Compaq nc6230 ( http://www.cnet.com/products/hp-compaq-nc6230-for-business/specs/ ) that I gave her (with Vista on it) a while ago. What should I get her? I'd like to keep it under $500, less is better.

She just sits on the couch with it and surfs the web and does email. She's fine with her current 14" screen size but I don't think there's anything decent in a Windows machine that small. Yes I want her to stick with Windows. A 15.6" screen is as big as she will go, I think.

Thanks for any feedback you can provide!

How's this for $350? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314539

 

[Santilli]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834231876

239.00

ASUS X551MAV-EB01-B Notebook Intel Baytrail-M Dual-Core N2830 (2.16GHz) 4GB Memory 500GB HDD Intel HD Graphics 15.6" Windows 8.1 64-Bit

 

[Santilli]

The Asus I linked two has a processor that is 1031 on passmark.

The one you linked to runs around 3500 on passmark.

If I really needed a laptop with 8.1 nutered on it, I'd go with the one you picked.

 

[Striker]

Why not one of the nicer Chromebooks? It would be simple for you to support, still fit well within your budget and work perfectly fine for the web and email.

 

[Clocker]

My 75 year old Mom uses the Windows Live Mail Windows application so I need to be able to install that on the laptop. Can I do that on Chrome?

 

[Stereodude]

My 75 year old Mom uses the Windows Live Mail Windows application so I need to be able to install that on the laptop. Can I do that on Chrome?

Sure don't think so.

 

[Clocker]

I ended up getting this one for $325 with free 2-Day shipping. First thing to go on it will be Classic Shell, of course.

Acer Aspire E5-571-5552 Notebook
Intel Core i5 4210U (1.70GHz)
4GB DDR3L Memory 500GB HDD
Intel HD Graphics 4400 15.6"
Windows 8.1

 

[Mercutio]

Just go ahead and buy the replacement LCD panel now. Your mom will break it soon enough.

 

[Santilli]

Clocker

That looks like a lot of machine for 325. Why is his mother going to break the screen?

If it's a touch screen , don't use it.

Never understood the appeal of having greasy fingerprints on your screen.

 

[Mercutio]

Acer/Gateway/Emachines notebooks are INCREDIBLY poorly constructed. Not just cheap but actively bad design. The screen will break because there will be some kind of minute tap to the edge of the screen (like shifting off the thigh to the wooden arm of a chair) or the center of the cover side and that will be the end of the LCD panel. There's a reason that Acer is right at the top of my laptop shit-list and that reason has to do with my having replaced three times as many screens in Acers as in all other brands of laptops put together.

 

[Santilli]

You can add Dell Inspirions to that as well.

Tried to work on one last night. Trackpad made it a total pain.