Desktop or Laptop?
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Dixie - Tennessee
Originally Posted by elvia
I have 11 unsecured networks in my neighborhood. I also have a iphone, where ever I go, I check for wifi spots. Then, when I am in the area they automatically update and download my mail.
It would be nice to do so, though... I could save a good $50 a month!
Nightrain
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Hawkeye Country
If you make a new purchase every 2 years why not one of the style you don't have? If you currently have a desktop then get a lap top and keep the desktop up and running.
We've had two Gateways so far, at least 5 years ago though, neither of them ever gave me any serious problems I couldn't fix. I've built my last 4 machines, but due to money issues I have a second hand dell now.
I've never owned a lab top so I don't know about quality issues between brands. Once you tear into different machines their all pretty much the same, you're just paying for the name. Thats why enjoy building my own, get exactly what I want for less then half the cost.
We've had two Gateways so far, at least 5 years ago though, neither of them ever gave me any serious problems I couldn't fix. I've built my last 4 machines, but due to money issues I have a second hand dell now.
I've never owned a lab top so I don't know about quality issues between brands. Once you tear into different machines their all pretty much the same, you're just paying for the name. Thats why enjoy building my own, get exactly what I want for less then half the cost.
Last edited by jimbo beam; Aug 8, 2007 at 10:37 PM.
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From: Dixie - Tennessee
I don't know what brings me to buy new every two years or so. I guess I get tired of what I have and want something different. Whatever I have before I buy new gets sold to someone else, though.
I guess that's just how I am... I hold onto trucks longer than I keep one computer! lol.
Nightrain
I guess that's just how I am... I hold onto trucks longer than I keep one computer! lol.
Nightrain
Last edited by Nightrain; Aug 8, 2007 at 11:00 PM.
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From: Vancouver Island
I build or upgrade desktops, but I've adopted a few worn out or discarded laptops from work. The latest desktop has an Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (something like that) and Geforce 8500 video card so it should be capable of HDTV playback once I get an HD-DVD or Bluray drive. The current IDE hard drive is a bottleneck when I'm editing big audio files, so I'm going to some 73 gig SCSI drives in striped RAID (scrounged from a server that was scrapped because one of the seven drives went bad).
I'm putting together another "quiet" (hopefully) box that'll be a P2P server, using a thrift-store MSI motherboard, 1GHz socket 370 Geode CPU which should be OK fanless, and just enough big slow fans to keep the power supply and hard drive (200 gig IDE) happy.
I need to rig up something else to run Trustix outside the firewall to be an FTP and HTTP server; this will probably be a fanless "biscuit PC" industrial motherboard with a P233 MMX or Geode CPU.
I'm putting together another "quiet" (hopefully) box that'll be a P2P server, using a thrift-store MSI motherboard, 1GHz socket 370 Geode CPU which should be OK fanless, and just enough big slow fans to keep the power supply and hard drive (200 gig IDE) happy.
I need to rig up something else to run Trustix outside the firewall to be an FTP and HTTP server; this will probably be a fanless "biscuit PC" industrial motherboard with a P233 MMX or Geode CPU.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
Home-assembled pc about three years old now. Wasn't half bad when I built it, but I'm looking at upgrading now. I'll probably go with a mid-level laptop, but keep the desktop around for storage and as a home server on my wireless network. I had a ton of old laptops and even and old Toshiba touchscreen tablet pc, but I did have software for any of them so I gave them to my FIL. He likes old computer stuff like that, and still has Win3.0, 3.1 and 95 on 3.5" and 5 1/4" disks.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,078
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From: Rural WV
Laptop! I bought a new Dell Inspriron 8500 about 4 years ago now and it's still going strong. Spent a lot of money but damn near half was s/w so that I can conduct business on the road. It's been money well spent...
Now I gotta go find a new battery for it!
Joe
Now I gotta go find a new battery for it!
Joe
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,413
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From: cape may county NJ
We have a desk top Dell its our second dell and third computer overall,Still have our first system 333 e machine with winblows 98.Wife wants a laptop and was supposed to get one from work but I need to switch over to wireless.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
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From: Sunny tourist infested FL
I have 2 laptops. A Gateway and a Compaq. The gateway is 4 years old. The Compaq is 1 year old.
I no longer use desktops at home. The laptop are portable, with a desktop you're stuck at where you placed it.
I don't buy high end laptops. The gateway was very high end when I bought it. I did add some memory to it make it run better. The Compaq is a Walmart $392 special that I added 2gig of memory to make run some of the program I use better.
If you are changing computer every 2 years, I won't buy anything high end. Unless your doing video editing or running business software you don't need an expense laptop.
Besides, the laptop you buy today is obsolete before you get it home.
I no longer use desktops at home. The laptop are portable, with a desktop you're stuck at where you placed it.
I don't buy high end laptops. The gateway was very high end when I bought it. I did add some memory to it make it run better. The Compaq is a Walmart $392 special that I added 2gig of memory to make run some of the program I use better.
If you are changing computer every 2 years, I won't buy anything high end. Unless your doing video editing or running business software you don't need an expense laptop.
Besides, the laptop you buy today is obsolete before you get it home.
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Thread Starter
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Dixie - Tennessee
Besides, the laptop you buy today is obsolete before you get it home.
The laptop I have now is a $500 Gateway-special. I talked them out of their 3-year "no limitations" warranty for half the cost ($150). I'm very satisfied with it so far. I'll see about keeping this one awhile...
Nightrain
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,562
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From: Southern MD
PCs. . . 7 of them, not including the laptops. (OPlus one old MAC!)
1 Dell 3.0 gig w/1 gig of RAM and 120 gig hdd & 19" LCD
1 Gateway 2.8 gig w/2 gigs of RAM and 160 gig hdd
The rest are home built, by me.
I HAD a Sony Vaio laptop that was incredible UNTIL the MB went south.
(Just like the Sony TVs, the laptop has issues with solder joints on the memory slots.) No more Sony laptops for me.
I lucked into a Compaq laptop for my wife, from work.
Compaq EVO N800c. 2.2 gig processor w/1 gig of RAM and a 40 gig hdd.
$75.00!!!!!
No OS or other software.
No big deal. I have all of the legit stuff that I need.
My name is on the list for another one when they come available.
I'm told the 'new' ones (for me) will be a 6000c Compaq.
What the heck. . . $75.00 is hard to pass up.
1 Dell 3.0 gig w/1 gig of RAM and 120 gig hdd & 19" LCD
1 Gateway 2.8 gig w/2 gigs of RAM and 160 gig hdd
The rest are home built, by me.
I HAD a Sony Vaio laptop that was incredible UNTIL the MB went south.
(Just like the Sony TVs, the laptop has issues with solder joints on the memory slots.) No more Sony laptops for me.
I lucked into a Compaq laptop for my wife, from work.
Compaq EVO N800c. 2.2 gig processor w/1 gig of RAM and a 40 gig hdd.
$75.00!!!!!
No OS or other software.
No big deal. I have all of the legit stuff that I need.
My name is on the list for another one when they come available.
I'm told the 'new' ones (for me) will be a 6000c Compaq.
What the heck. . . $75.00 is hard to pass up.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,155
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From: Southern Louisiana
I have a Dell desktop ebay special. I upgraded the wizz out of it. Had it about a year now, not problems. I also have an Alienware laptop. I use the laptop most of the time when I am at home and my wife uses the desktop. I have a router set up at the house so I can get internet anywhere at the house, even the driveway. HMFIC at work decided that we need to use computers to complete our reports and than email them to the main office, in turn, a router was installed at our office/living quarters. Now my laptop comes to work with me as well.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 752
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From: Marple Township, PA
Best of both worlds is a docking station w/ full size monitor and keyboard at home or office (wherever you spend more time). May cost a few more bucks but it is worth it in the long run to have everything on one machine.
And ALWAYS secure your wirelss network!
And ALWAYS secure your wirelss network!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Leamington, Ontario
I've got an HP laptop that I picked up fairly cheap about 5 months ago. I love having wireless as I can sit on the couch or outside and still surf FTE, before I had to sit in the basement. I still have my old desktop in the basement in case I need it, but I've only used it once or twice since I've had the laptop.