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I need a new laptop... would love some help from gurus
Jul 28, 2018 06:15:26 #
As it happens, I am also considering a new laptop. I have back problems and don't want to lug my current heavy 17" around any more. I have been drooling over the LG Gram, which is about 2.5 lbs, depending on model. Of course it doesn't have the DVD drive, but the specs look good. Just curious- how does one load Lightroom and other software without a disc drive? I am determined not to do the cloud thing simply because it pisses me off to have to pay to use everything nowadays.
Jul 28, 2018 06:19:22 #
I also have an ageing HP laptop, I decided recently to replace the HDD with an SSD and increased the RAMto the motherboard's maximum (8gb).
The difference in performance is incredible, the machine now boots up in 30 seconds compared with 1-2 minutes. The reinstallation of the OS (Win 10) also helps to speed things up, so why not give that a try.
The difference in performance is incredible, the machine now boots up in 30 seconds compared with 1-2 minutes. The reinstallation of the OS (Win 10) also helps to speed things up, so why not give that a try.
Jul 28, 2018 07:20:22 #
John_F wrote:
Spinning hard drives are subject to mechanical failure. Usually it is the arm getting mechanically locked or it gouges the platter. At my last place of work our IT guy had a big gouged platter on the wall to show the managers when they came in whining about stuff.
The arm doesn't gouge the platter, the head(s) crash.
(I did read/write signal analysis on disks and heads in the early 70's. When disks were the size of LP records.)
Jul 28, 2018 07:44:05 #
Jul 28, 2018 08:27:00 #
distill
Loc: Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire UK
Well I went to put more ram in my toshiba satellite L300 only to find it could take no more than the 4gb I already have so have also been looking for another and after my serching I plumed for the hp zbook g2, the g3 out o my price range
Jul 28, 2018 08:27:10 #
Everyone wants laptops these days. In the computer store the laptops have switched places with the desktops in the the numbers of units displayed. This might have been the reason I went with a MicroSoft Surface Pro laptop to replace my aging desktop. The kid at the computer story assured me that I would be a seamless desktop replacement. In brief, it didn't work out that way. Running the external monitor and attaching portable external hard drives ended up causing me a lot of grief. I eventually bought another desktop. I love it. I wold suggest you ask yourselve how often you will be using a laptop as a laptop. Could you instead us cheaper tablet, or your cell phone? Be aware that you are not just buying a computer when you purchase a laptop, but also a screen, a keyboard and a battery. Also that the computer part of a laptop is crammed into a small space with less than ideal cooling. Adding more more memory or other peripherals is difficult or impossible. If the portability of a laptop computer is really what you need, then get one. But if it will just be used in the same spot in your home for most of the time, then look at the desktops.
Jul 28, 2018 08:42:12 #
Another vote for Toshiba here. I have the older Satellite L70-A 17", but recently replaced the HD with a SSD and upgraded the memory to 16G.
I realize this is too big for you, but upgrading a Toshiba is an easy DIY project, with parts from Amazon. You may want to see what you can do too!
I realize this is too big for you, but upgrading a Toshiba is an easy DIY project, with parts from Amazon. You may want to see what you can do too!
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Jul 28, 2018 08:47:57 #
Andy, I have purchased severl computers (among many other items) from www.tigerdirect.com and have never been disappointed. I bought two refurbs from them too and both are still operating excellent. Excellent prices and the best of service.
Jul 28, 2018 09:30:20 #
Jul 28, 2018 09:36:44 #
I have been selling and sipporting laptops since 1995. I would recommend Panasonic Toughbooks (CF-54). But due to your price limitations I would recommend looking at ACER. Good value and decent quality. Just make sure you get at least 8GB of ram. Stick with 5400rpm hard drives as they are not as sensitive to getting moved/b in mped around. Memory is the key thpugh.
Jul 28, 2018 09:55:01 #
NCMtnMan
Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC
Recommend Dell because of product quality and for a very reasonable cost you can have American based tech support and next day on-site repair.
Get as much memory as it will hold and you can afford. Get a high end graphics card. Practically all of the major softwares are starting to use Open GL and the better graphics are needed to support this. Unlike a desktop, you cannot upgrade the graphics in a laptop.
Get as much memory as it will hold and you can afford. Get a high end graphics card. Practically all of the major softwares are starting to use Open GL and the better graphics are needed to support this. Unlike a desktop, you cannot upgrade the graphics in a laptop.
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Jul 28, 2018 09:57:52 #
Two years ago I bought a HP Envy 17” at Best Buy .... but also ordered an Intel 1 TB SSD ... after talking with Intel ... their web page on it shows a 1.6 million hours Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) .... that is 180 years running 24/7 ... and the Geek Squad charged $100 to swap out the HD with the SSD ... and copy everything from my old 2012 Envy 17 to the new one. By the way the new laptop has no cooling fan. And that SSD is FAST. I am really happy with this.
Jul 28, 2018 10:45:29 #
AndyH wrote:
Yes. I'm aware that they're sealed - it's pretty obvious. He thinks the SSDs run much cooler and that the airflow cooling volume required for a spinning drive is responsible for many evils. I'm certainly no expert, but he's the one responsible for fixing broken things at work.
Andy
Andy
Actually any heat eminating from the HD is pretty minimal compared to that generated by the CPU and graphics. HDs (depending on size and model) are typically in the 10-12W range (and remember that laptop HDs aren’t spinning constantly). While CPUs are more typically 35-65W and modern graphic cards with GPUs often dissipate more power than the CPU. SATA connected SSD are typically very cool, but some fast M2 connected SSDs can be quite warm. I think the earlier point concerning dust and cooling is well taken. Dust not only clogs cooling vents but, as was mentioned, is an insulator to thermal flow as it accumulates on components. I’d chose an SSD for it’s speed and inherent reliability, not because of the dusty environment. Many HDs actually had a small vent hole (the heads ride on a cushion of air and modern HDs use air bearings rather than lubricants), but it was typically filtered. I haven’t looked at one recently (since I now run SSDs exclusively), but we used to design pressurized enclosures for disk arrays running in high altitude reconnaissance aircraft where there might be a pressure loss as that would cause the heads to crash - just a bit of non-relevent trivia
Jul 28, 2018 11:04:28 #
TriX wrote:
....
but we used to design pressurized enclosures for disk arrays running in high altitude reconnaissance aircraft where there might be a pressure loss as that would cause the heads to crash - just a bit of non-relevent trivia
....
but we used to design pressurized enclosures for disk arrays running in high altitude reconnaissance aircraft where there might be a pressure loss as that would cause the heads to crash - just a bit of non-relevent trivia
Cool, never really thought about the air density difference for the head air bearings.
Jul 28, 2018 11:32:03 #
We're up to three pages of replies, so you've probably seen it all by now. I'll add my two cent's worth anyway. 16GB of memory is good, as is 64-bit, since that's becoming standard. Dell has a good reputation. An SSD will be more expensive and smaller, but it will be faster. Also, it isn't going to be damaged by jolts.
Let us know what finally decide.
Let us know what finally decide.
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