Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: LowRyter on April 26, 2019, 09:24:30 AM
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I've had so many issues with these little junk computers.
Before I bought the POS I have now, I ordered a Dell. I suppose it wasn't Dell's fault but the initial load of Win 10 didn't have any user software on it. I didn't want to load a CD player app just so I could use the built in CD player plus drivers and every other app from photo viewer to solitaire. So I sent it back.
I purchased this crappy little HP and it's literally breaking apart, the hinges are breaking out of the plastic case. So stupid me, I ordered another Dell, that one wouldn't charge the battery which my computer guy says is a typical Dell problem. Now I have Lavenco boat anchor that was shipped to me by NewEgg on Wednesday, it won't hook to the internet. And now I learn that Newegg didn't even sell it to me, it came from a 3rd party and now I fighting them to send it back.
All I want is a 14in machine with 1TB hard drive and the usual plugins, slots, media and lit keyboard which can't be found at any retail store. I have no idea what is meant by Gen9 processors an superRAM ....just give me the size I want in a reliable package.
Typing on this crappy HP hoping the screen doesn't break off from the keyboard
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Why do you need such a large hard drive? If you use cloud storage you won't need it.
Have you considered a iPad? They come as big as 12" I think. I hardly use my computers since I got an iPad Pro.
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Why do you need such a large hard drive? If you use cloud storage you won't need it.
Have you considered a iPad? They come as big as 12" I think. I hardly use my computers since I got an iPad Pro.
He probably likes to have his files on his computer, rather than someone else's.
I am the same way.
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Get an Asus. Not great quality either, but you will save $$$$.
Get it at a place like Walmart. So if there is an issue, they will not question it, just hand you a replacement. Buy it from a computer store and they will say the battery failed because of the coffee you were drinking or something. :boozing:
Or go all out and get a top end quality unit like a Surface and pay the big $$$$.
I used to like HP, but there quality has gone way down hill for the printers and laptops. Had a couple of very high dollar photo printers fail, and HP no longer even has the cartridges. I still have a very old HP laptop that was made before the quality went bad. Works well, though it is a bit overwhelmed with todays software. We used Dell at work all of the time. Battery failure was common.
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I've had so many issues with these little junk computers.
Before I bought the POS I have now, I ordered a Dell. I suppose it wasn't Dell's fault but the initial load of Win 10 didn't have any user software on it. I didn't want to load a CD player app just so I could use the built in CD player plus drivers and every other app from photo viewer to solitaire. So I sent it back.
I purchased this crappy little HP and it's literally breaking apart, the hinges are breaking out of the plastic case. So stupid me, I ordered another Dell, that one wouldn't charge the battery which my computer guy says is a typical Dell problem. Now I have Lavenco boat anchor that was shipped to me by NewEgg on Wednesday, it won't hook to the internet. And now I learn that Newegg didn't even sell it to me, it came from a 3rd party and now I fighting them to send it back.
All I want is a 14in machine with 1TB hard drive and the usual plugins, slots, media and lit keyboard which can't be found at any retail store. I have no idea what is meant by Gen9 processors an superRAM ....just give me the size I want in a reliable package.
Typing on this crappy HP hoping the screen doesn't break off from the keyboard
My HP 15" laptop is five years old. The hinges are toast. Pretty weak design. My previous HP 14" laptop was 8 years old and had a nice full-length hinge that never gave out.
I've had great luck with HP laptops. Other than the stupid weak hinge design, my current Envy is a badass machine!
Go to Best Buy and check them out. Maybe a little more expensive, but at least you have a brick and mortar business to deal with, if any issues.
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I feel for ya John.
I'm fortunate to have a store near me called Micro Center. They have stores spread out around the country. They also have an online presence. I will tell you from many years of personal experience, you would not regret doing business with them. Often, their prices are better than most other places. Easy returns and exchanges.
If you have a store within driving distance, it's worth a visit. If not, online.
Needless to say, this doesn't resolve your current situation, but might be helpful moving forward. I had Dells for some time. Last time I needed something, an IT friend suggested Toshiba. I've had it for a few years now, and it was a bargain basement model that had a built in CD drive. Considering I paid under 400 bucks for it, it has been a good machine. I might think of spending a bit more next time for a faster processor.
John Henry
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I'm a Dell guy, we use them at work for our workstations. Though, a lot of our portable type guys like the Microsoft Surface pros, though doesn't sound like the direction for you on the features you want.
I'd go with a Dell business grade laptop to get the features you are looking for - take a look at their Precision series. A little more on price, but they do last and are better built. I've had a 17" precision laptop for almost 4 years now and it's built like a tank. Mine's a Precision M6800 model, and you can probably find a good used one and upgrade the OS if needed (some already come with windows 10) and it will still have good usable specs and all the ports you may need, some have the light-up keyboard option you mentioned, and most will have the intel i7 processor which is still a good processor today - I think there is also a 15" built the same way. They are heavy though as they are built for field and military use (literally, a "tank") - The 15.6 monitor model is Precision M4800.
In regards to the hard drive space, even with cloud storage you'd probably want to match or have more on the hard drive space if you plan on syncing your cloud and local sync folder, which is where the convenience is in that method.
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I buy ASUS refurbs off Woot.com (part of Amazon). They have all been excellent. They average out costing me $100/yr. I find that acceptable.
-AJ
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I bought a refurb Lenovo off of Newegg and slapped a 120GB solid state drive in it all for less than $200. It's my daughter's laptop. That thing is awesome. I should have bought one for myself.
-AJ
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I feel for ya John.
I'm fortunate to have a store near me called Micro Center. They have stores spread out around the country. They also have an online presence. I will tell you from many years of personal experience, you would not regret doing business with them. Often, their prices are better than most other places. Easy returns and exchanges.
If you have a store within driving distance, it's worth a visit. If not, online.
Needless to say, this doesn't resolve your current situation, but might be helpful moving forward. I had Dells for some time. Last time I needed something, an IT friend suggested Toshiba. I've had it for a few years now, and it was a bargain basement model that had a built in CD drive. Considering I paid under 400 bucks for it, it has been a good machine. I might think of spending a bit more next time for a faster processor.
John Henry
John Henry
thanks, I'll check their website.
They had no 14in models on their site
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thanks, I'll check their website.
They had no 14in models on their site
I went from a 14 to a 15 and won't go back.
Do you HAVE TO have a 14 ???
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There’s this guy named Luap that owns a computer shop. I’d call him <shrug>
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How much do you want to spend?
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How much do you want to spend?
don't care. But can't I get something for a grand or so? I am not going double that, not even half more.
14in, 1TB, lit keyboard, Win, all the usual readers, connections and media, how hard can it be? Right side power connection would be nice but not a deal breaker. Just don't want it to break or go so slow in couple of years that I can't use it anymore.
Does Luap really sell computers?
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I got my current Toshiba for $400, works well. Going to Staples at year end or so gets pretty good results.
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don't care. But can't I get something for a grand or so? I am not going double that, not even half more.
14in, 1TB, lit keyboard, Win, all the usual readers, connections and media, how hard can it be? Right side power connection would be nice but not a deal breaker. Just don't want it to break or go so slow in couple of years that I can't use it anymore.
Does Luap really sell computers?
Yes
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You can get some fine stuff for $500-$800...if you'd use Linux you could get by with 1/2 the processing power Windoze uses to get the same effect...
There is a media player called VLC that is free and works with Bill Gates' basket of snakes, too...check it out
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I bought a refurb Lenovo off of Newegg and slapped a 120GB solid state drive in it all for less than $200. It's my daughter's laptop. That thing is awesome. I should have bought one for myself.
-AJ
My 2008 iMac desktop 20" desktop has been working great for 11 years, but it's time for it to go. The WiFi and the Bluetooth connections no longer work, so it has to be connected directly to the router, plus the OS X "El Capitan" 10.11.5 operating system is the last one that will work on it; the current version won't run even with the full 4 GB of memory.
I guess that's pretty good service in the computer world, 11 years is. So I got my son the computer expert to "Get Me Another System" and he went to NewEgg and got me a refurbished HP EliteBook 15" laptop business model, which seems very nicely built, no problem with hinges and such in this thing's future I don't think, and installed Linux on it with just enough features to do what I want, no forced updates or "MacKeeper" security stuff. I think I paid $350 for it.
So we'll see how this works. I'm revamping my home communications, I hope, trying to convert from satellite and landline to all-cell-signal phone and internet if I can ....
Lannis
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I buy Factory Refurbished IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads, rock solid performers, solid, well built, reliable, and reasonably priced. I usually buy on e-bay, never a problem, never spend more than $600. My wife likes that $$$ Dells, I could buy 3 of mine for one of hers, but my $450 laptop will long outlast the big $$.
Of course you can also buy a new Thinkpad, my son in law has a Thinkpad Workstation that is uber top of the line, had it 3 years, and he swears by it. As always YMMV
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Gen 9 is the latest processor, cpu. Wouldn't think you would need one of those to do basic work. i3 or i5 maybe. Dells are usually best for that sort of office work. Surprised you have had the sort of problems you have had. Not that I have used a generic computer for the last 10 years. My kids use Apple and Surface about $1200, I use a Metabox but there like 3k. Do you really need a laptop? Can the same thing be done by a desktop?
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I'm looking for a 14in laptop, 1THd, Win 10, etc., etc.
I finally got my return slip from the vendor, not NE for the POS Lenvenco, like I did with two POS Dells which I am trying to replace my POS HP.
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I switched over to an Apple IMac 3 years ago and have had 0 problems. Well worth the money spent. No viruses or aggravation. Never going back to PC’s.
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If you want a small, reliable laptop for your motorcycle trips, I recommend the Dell XPS 13 with 16GB RAM and 0.5TB SSD. Check Dell, Staples, etc for older Core I7 versions to save money (they keep them in their online store "backrooms"). Might be hard to find one with 1TB SSD so have a specialty house (Luap?) upgrade to 1TB or else pack an extra 256GB microSD or two and do the Mount thing. Remember the rules: features, quality and price: pick two.
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I just bought a refurb Acer 15" with 1TB for $264 shipped from Newegg. We will see how long it lasts. I've had decent luck with Asus products.
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I'm a Dell guy, we use them at work for our workstations. Though, a lot of our portable type guys like the Microsoft Surface pros, though doesn't sound like the direction for you on the features you want.
I'd go with a Dell business grade laptop to get the features you are looking for - take a look at their Precision series. A little more on price, but they do last and are better built. I've had a 17" precision laptop for almost 4 years now and it's built like a tank. Mine's a Precision M6800 model, and you can probably find a good used one and upgrade the OS if needed (some already come with windows 10) and it will still have good usable specs and all the ports you may need, some have the light-up keyboard option you mentioned, and most will have the intel i7 processor which is still a good processor today - I think there is also a 15" built the same way. They are heavy though as they are built for field and military use (literally, a "tank") - The 15.6 monitor model is Precision M4800.
In regards to the hard drive space, even with cloud storage you'd probably want to match or have more on the hard drive space if you plan on syncing your cloud and local sync folder, which is where the convenience is in that method.
Dell Precision if you need top graphics (3D), basically the same computers with "normal" graphics and screens are called Latitude, or very related consumer laptops (real high-end types) called XPS. We use them exclusively in our family (from a nearly 20 years old Latitude D600 to a spankling-new XPS15, both refurbs and new), and they simply work. I am typing this on a 2009 - Latitude E6400 with the newest iteration of Win 10.
The only real competition to these machines are the ThinkPads.
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I feel somewhat qualified to offer an opinion here...
Yes, I own a computer shop and sell computers. Not new ones, but ones that we refurbish in house and put through a vigorous 16-point test before we sell them. It might not be justifiable cost-wise for John to make the trip though.
Even though I use an HP Envy, I cannot recommend an HP. Their quality is becoming way too sub-par. Dell is not far behind either. I'll save all the reasons for that for a rainy day. I've reinforced mine and massively upgraded it, but not everyone is in the position to do that.
I recommend Intel. Stay away from AMD processors like the plague. Also, stay away from Acer and Gateway like the plague. Avoid computers from walmart (any electronics for that matter). They're all Frankenstein units. I once replaced a screen in a laptop from walmart and on the back of the screen was a sticker that read "refurbished by company x". The company is one that repairs Walmart electronics. I found it disheartening that they'd use refurbished parts to sell as new, but now know why they sell so cheap.
I recommend the Lenovo Ideapad 330s or the Asus VivoBook 14". Either one is a quality device. I'd probably go with the Lenovo though. I worked on one (viruses) the other day and am thinking about selling my HP to get one of those. It's a nice one. Link: https://tinyurl.com/yxjj9o46
Also, remember....ALL HARD DRIVES FAIL. I don't care what anyone says. ALL of them WILL DIE eventually. I've seen comments here of opponents of cloud storage. I'm in the proponent camp on this because I've been seeing first hand for over 20 years the tears falling from peoples eyes that have lost decades of family photos because they didn't have a good, reliable back up. Remember that even external backups fail and 99% of people don't back up often enough. It's not "if" they fail, it's "when" they fail. I'm a fan of google drive. It's automatic, affordable and can be used as an actual drive letter on your computer. A truly wonderful product that I rely on myself.
Hope all of this helps.
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Considering all the "little people" porn you watch, I'd go IPAD. The virus protection is the best! (so I hear) :laugh:
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https://puri.sm/ (https://puri.sm/)
https://system76.com/laptops (https://system76.com/laptops)
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My daughter's refurb Lenovo runs Linux. Keeps her out of trouble. I ran dual boot on my refurb Asus until it died. Lasted 7 years though.
-AJ
My 2008 iMac desktop 20" desktop has been working great for 11 years, but it's time for it to go. The WiFi and the Bluetooth connections no longer work, so it has to be connected directly to the router, plus the OS X "El Capitan" 10.11.5 operating system is the last one that will work on it; the current version won't run even with the full 4 GB of memory.
I guess that's pretty good service in the computer world, 11 years is. So I got my son the computer expert to "Get Me Another System" and he went to NewEgg and got me a refurbished HP EliteBook 15" laptop business model, which seems very nicely built, no problem with hinges and such in this thing's future I don't think, and installed Linux on it with just enough features to do what I want, no forced updates or "MacKeeper" security stuff. I think I paid $350 for it.
So we'll see how this works. I'm revamping my home communications, I hope, trying to convert from satellite and landline to all-cell-signal phone and internet if I can ....
Lannis
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I feel somewhat qualified to offer an opinion here...
Also, remember....ALL HARD DRIVES FAIL. I don't care what anyone says. ALL of them WILL DIE eventually. I've seen comments here of opponents of cloud storage. I'm in the proponent camp on this because I've been seeing first hand for over 20 years the tears falling from peoples eyes that have lost decades of family photos because they didn't have a good, reliable back up. Remember that even external backups fail and 99% of people don't back up often enough. It's not "if" they fail, it's "when" they fail. I'm a fan of google drive. It's automatic, affordable and can be used as an actual drive letter on your computer. A truly wonderful product that I rely on myself.
Hope all of this helps.
Currently I use Dropbox. I have my drive split, small partition for OS and programs, larger partition for any type of data. That partition is set as the Dropbox drive so any file saved to it automatically uploads to Dropbox. When my last laptop died, I just downloaded everything back from Dropbox. Took a awhile but was painless.
I also have a redundant back up of music files to hard drive and pCloud. I'm liking that better than Dropbox.
I learned the hard way that a backup I had saved to external hard dive vaporized when I hooked that hard drive up and it was unreadable. Not much use then.
-AJ
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Luap, you live in the Ozarks for goodness sake! Going to see you for a computer would just be a great excuse for a fun ride. :bike-037:
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Luap, you live in the Ozarks for goodness sake! Going to see you for a computer would just be a great excuse for a fun ride. :bike-037:
That's kinda what I thought : )
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Hell fellas , we are meeting up in Cedar Vale shortly .
Dusty
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Since getting my first iPad 7 - 8 years ago, I’ve hardly touched my iMac desktop. If a physical keyboard is important, obviously it would not be the best choice (although a WiFi keyboard works fine with the iPad).
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I feel somewhat qualified to offer an opinion here...
Yes, I own a computer shop and sell computers. Not new ones, but ones that we refurbish in house and put through a vigorous 16-point test before we sell them. It might not be justifiable cost-wise for John to make the trip though.
Even though I use an HP Envy, I cannot recommend an HP. Their quality is becoming way too sub-par. Dell is not far behind either. I'll save all the reasons for that for a rainy day. I've reinforced mine and massively upgraded it, but not everyone is in the position to do that.
I recommend Intel. Stay away from AMD processors like the plague. Also, stay away from Acer and Gateway like the plague. Avoid computers from walmart (any electronics for that matter). They're all Frankenstein units. I once replaced a screen in a laptop from walmart and on the back of the screen was a sticker that read "refurbished by company x". The company is one that repairs Walmart electronics. I found it disheartening that they'd use refurbished parts to sell as new, but now know why they sell so cheap.
I recommend the Lenovo Ideapad 330s or the Asus VivoBook 14". Either one is a quality device. I'd probably go with the Lenovo though. I worked on one (viruses) the other day and am thinking about selling my HP to get one of those. It's a nice one. Link: https://tinyurl.com/yxjj9o46
Also, remember....ALL HARD DRIVES FAIL. I don't care what anyone says. ALL of them WILL DIE eventually. I've seen comments here of opponents of cloud storage. I'm in the proponent camp on this because I've been seeing first hand for over 20 years the tears falling from peoples eyes that have lost decades of family photos because they didn't have a good, reliable back up. Remember that even external backups fail and 99% of people don't back up often enough. It's not "if" they fail, it's "when" they fail. I'm a fan of google drive. It's automatic, affordable and can be used as an actual drive letter on your computer. A truly wonderful product that I rely on myself.
Hope all of this helps.
I do not doubt that your experience with Dell is real and correct. But I think there is a big difference between the consumer products and the business laptops e.g. of the Latitude 6000 and 7000 series and their successors. These things are built wonderfully (I happen to refurbish my own laptops from time to time). The same applies to Lenovo (the "bigger" ThinkPads are seriously superior to the not-so-expensive consumer´s stuff). That should be considered.
To your opinion regarding hard drive failure and data backup I can happily agree.
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Definitely want to echo what others have said about having a cloud backup. I pay about $90 a year for 1 TB of cloud storage with Microsoft OneDrive. That also includes Microsoft office suite and a few other things.
I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft products, but OneDrive allows you to select what folders are synced with what computer so you can hang everything in the cloud and have cloud or local access to it from any computer or mobile device, and then keep whatever files you want also synced and resident on whatever device you want. This is great if you dont have a huge hard drive. I have a small Lenovo 9in yoga laptop that I use when I travel. I have the folders for my Guzzi diag and maps and all of the service and owner's manuals for my bikes so when I'm on the road if I have an issue it's an easy fix.
I also bought a cheap 2 terabyte external hard drive and do a manual backup on to that once or twice a year. There are some services like Google drive that will give you a certain amount for free, and also work well, but one drive really works well and for the money it's great to have up-to-date software.
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No I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft products
Well, I am.
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Well, I am.
And??? :boozing:
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Since I was having trouble finding what I want and am not going for a Dell, Lenovo or HP, I thought about looking at custom machines.
I found this outfit called Sager that custom builds some Chinese machine also known as a Clevo. These are gamers, perhaps more than I need but no more cost wise that the brands I've blackballed. I wonder if anyone has experience with a Sager? I've not heard of them until I googled custom laptops.
I wish I could find one on the shelf but apparently 14in aren't that popular. And then none of the box stores seem to be able to get one with right size HD, etc.
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No sense spending more than you need to if you aren't going to game all the time...those machines have serious processing power that isn't necessary to browse the interwebs, write emails, and compose the occasional document...
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John...if you go to www.hpshopping.com and configure a machine, email it to me, and I can get you an employee discount that is usually quite generous.
It will be shipped directly to you...let me know if you find something that fits your needs.
Paul
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No sense spending more than you need to if you aren't going to game all the time...those machines have serious processing power that isn't necessary to browse the interwebs, write emails, and compose the occasional document...
If John got a good gaming laptop, he could start a mining cryptocurrency hobby! :thumb:
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Luap, you live in the Ozarks for goodness sake! Going to see you for a computer would just be a great excuse for a fun ride. :bike-037:
Good point.
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I've had so many issues with these little junk computers.
Before I bought the POS I have now, I ordered a Dell. I suppose it wasn't Dell's fault but the initial load of Win 10 didn't have any user software on it. I didn't want to load a CD player app just so I could use the built in CD player plus drivers and every other app from photo viewer to solitaire. So I sent it back.
I purchased this crappy little HP and it's literally breaking apart, the hinges are breaking out of the plastic case. So stupid me, I ordered another Dell, that one wouldn't charge the battery which my computer guy says is a typical Dell problem. Now I have Lavenco boat anchor that was shipped to me by NewEgg on Wednesday, it won't hook to the internet. And now I learn that Newegg didn't even sell it to me, it came from a 3rd party and now I fighting them to send it back.
All I want is a 14in machine with 1TB hard drive and the usual plugins, slots, media and lit keyboard which can't be found at any retail store. I have no idea what is meant by Gen9 processors an superRAM ....just give me the size I want in a reliable package.
Typing on this crappy HP hoping the screen doesn't break off from the keyboard
You lost me after..
“I’ve had..”
I think I understand POS.
Is that an acronym for “Processor Operating Software”...?
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Austin, he of the KLR from Hell :evil: and G5 is a computer dork. :grin:
Like Luap,
I recommend the Lenovo Ideapad 330s
he recommended I get Dorcia a 330. Nice machine, about $450 from memory.
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I recommend Intel. Stay away from AMD processors like the plague.
Not to hijack the thread, but Luap, why don't you like AMD?
I have an AMD A6-5200 17"HP that I got to do CAD. It's probably 5 yrs old but has performed well for me. I really like their new Ryzen product and was about to look for a replacement soon.
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You lost me after..
“I’ve had..”
I think I understand POS.
Is that an acronym for “Processor Operating Software”...?
Anyway, sounds like I could do with a little “digital enhancement”
you're very close to being correct.
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Not to hijack the thread, but Luap, why don't you like AMD?
I have an AMD A6-5200 17"HP that I got to do CAD. It's probably 5 yrs old but has performed well for me. I really like their new Ryzen product and was about to look for a replacement soon.
Because after doing what I do for over 20 years now, the #1 processor to fail is AMD. They are fine in a desktop with proper cooling. But in a laptop, they tend to run wayyyyyyy too hot and cause failure. If you have one in a laptop, it is imperative to keep it clean inside. Since 1996, I have seen only ONE Intel processor fail. I can't even begin to guess how many AMD's.
But, YMMV :grin:
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https://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-lenovo-14-i5-business-notebooks (https://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-lenovo-14-i5-business-notebooks) BOOM!
Today only, refurbished Lenovo 14" T440 with 1TB drive, $399.
-AJ
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https://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-lenovo-14-i5-business-notebooks (https://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-lenovo-14-i5-business-notebooks) BOOM!
Today only, refurbished Lenovo 14" T440 with 1TB drive, $399.
-AJ
Wow, thanks for the info. am undecided about refurb to be honest.
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I do not doubt that your experience with Dell is real and correct. But I think there is a big difference between the consumer products and the business laptops e.g. of the Latitude 6000 and 7000 series and their successors. These things are built wonderfully (I happen to refurbish my own laptops from time to time). The same applies to Lenovo (the "bigger" ThinkPads are seriously superior to the not-so-expensive consumer´s stuff). That should be considered.
To your opinion regarding hard drive failure and data backup I can happily agree.
I've bought Dell consumer laptops for a while, but my last purchase was disappointing. Hardware quality was really poor. I should have checked consumer ratings instead of trusting Dell's prior reputation.
It's got Windows 10. Not a fan! I'd like to get a Linux laptop, but my wife is the primary user and couldn't handle the idiosyncrasies of Linux.
Joe
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Wow, thanks for the info. am undecided about refurb to be honest.
Refurbished is the only way I have bought my Thinkpads. The only reason I have updated has been outdated processing speeds and required ram with all of the current software and web demands. My 12 year old ThinkPad with the 286 processor is my grandson's play laptop when he visits. I did upgrade the hard drive to a larger one about six years ago, but the processing speeds were so slow it forced an upgrade. Everything still works on it as new. I bought a refurbished X1 carbon yoga 3 years ago and it is been perfect.
Many businesses lease them for two or three years then sell them back to Lenovo who refreshes them and sells them as refurbished.
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Most Linux distributions are able to be test-driven from a USB thumb drive without disturbing your current OS...
the one I use called elementaryOS and is VERY user-friendly...much less complicated than Windows or Mac....
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I'd like to get a Linux laptop, but my wife is the primary user and couldn't handle the idiosyncrasies of Linux.
Joe
What idiosyncrasies are those? I ask because after 10 years as Windows user followed by 11 years as a Mac user, I just got a Linux-equipped laptop and it basically acts the same as the others. I haven't run into anything yet where I have to scratch my head and can't figure it out pretty quick. A few things are in different places but that even happens between versions of the same Windows or Mac OS ... ?
Lannis
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FWIW, I've always been happy with the Samsung products I've had.
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What idiosyncrasies are those? I ask because after 10 years as Windows user followed by 11 years as a Mac user, I just got a Linux-equipped laptop and it basically acts the same as the others. I haven't run into anything yet where I have to scratch my head and can't figure it out pretty quick. A few things are in different places but that even happens between versions of the same Windows or Mac OS ... ?
Lannis
For example, in a Linux conversion I did 3 or 4 yrs ago; the user name could not contain any capital letters. It didn't say you couldn't use them, but if you did, it just resulted in a block with no indications why. Took forever to figure it out.
And other minor stuff like that, but each one was a time wasting "paper cut." Still better than Win 10, but not competitive w Win 7.
Joe
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For example, in a Linux conversion I did 3 or 4 yrs ago; the user name could not contain any capital letters. It didn't say you couldn't use them, but if you did, it just resulted in a block with no indications why. Took forever to figure it out.
And other minor stuff like that, but each one was a time wasting "paper cut." Still better than Win 10, but not competitive w Win 7.
Joe
Well, I didn't set mine up, my son did, so I'm sure that he had to "get used to" the differences, but once the user interface is up and your favorite browser and word/spreadsheet/photo apps are in place, I just can't see how the differences would be visible to the non-technical user like me .... But to each his (or her) own!
Lannis
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Refurbished is the only way I have bought my Thinkpads. The only reason I have updated has been outdated processing speeds and required ram with all of the current software and web demands. My 12 year old ThinkPad with the 286 processor is my grandson's play laptop when he visits. I did upgrade the hard drive to a larger one about six years ago, but the processing speeds were so slow it forced an upgrade. Everything still works on it as new. I bought a refurbished X1 carbon yoga 3 years ago and it is been perfect.
Many businesses lease them for two or three years then sell them back to Lenovo who refreshes them and sells them as refurbished.
Actually obsolescence is one of my main concerns. I have several laptops that take 20 minutes to boot up and barely work. I have some that are broken, some slow, in addition to three I sent back.
I would probably go with something new that I could keep longer. Cost is less the issue than the hassle of replacing this stuff.
I am leading toward a custom laptop. These are apparently Clevo bodies from several vendors with a menu of choices for processors, RAM and SSD. Correct me if I am going down the wrong road. This is just my current thinking. I am not buying anything until I get the refund from the Lenovo.
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Ever since they started using transistors, (and I can remember those old days), it has been downhill ever since.
(https://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/Penderic008/computer%20old%20style_zpsflo82duy.jpg)
:rolleyes:
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Refurbished is the only way I have bought my Thinkpads. The only reason I have updated has been outdated processing speeds and required ram with all of the current software and web demands. My 12 year old ThinkPad with the 286 processor is my grandson's play laptop when he visits. I did upgrade the hard drive to a larger one about six years ago, but the processing speeds were so slow it forced an upgrade. Everything still works on it as new. I bought a refurbished X1 carbon yoga 3 years ago and it is been perfect.
Many businesses lease them for two or three years then sell them back to Lenovo who refreshes them and sells them as refurbished.
I buy lots of things refurbished, laptops, cell phones, tablets, power tools, etc. New items go down an assembly line and testing is only done on a sample size. For refurbished, each one is tested before being sold again. I can't think of anything I've bought refurbished that failed after purchase.
-AJ
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Some stores, such as Micro Centers sell some new items as refurbished. I asked one of the sales people what's that all about, and they told me they are actually new never used, just one generation older or manufacture inventory overflow from seasonal leftovers and such. Not sure if that is the case here, but sometimes refurbished could mean NOS in our motorcycle terms, but can't be sold as new that for whatever internal accounting reasons.
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Ever since they started using transistors, (and I can remember those old days), it has been downhill ever since.
(https://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/Penderic008/computer%20old%20style_zpsflo82duy.jpg)
:rolleyes:
Penderic, transistors are a passing fad. In time they'll go back to vacuum tubes.
Btw, great photo!
Joe
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https://www.ebay.com/sch/shop-arrow-direct/m.html?item=382877089635&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
or go directly to their online store outside ebay.
This company seems to be ok, The $200 hp zbook I bought from them was supposed to have a camera, it didn't. They refunded $25 no problem.
My wife and boy are using refurb 14 inch elitebooks with i5 processor. They are very satisfied with performance.
Make sure to chose a business level machine. Make sure it has windows 10 installed.
No matter what you do, you will have to zap (or ignore) apps that windows 10 automatically add, and then install what you really want and need.
Don
Edit: I will never buy a dell again. If for any reason the laptop loses it's handshake with the power supply they would not charge. Went through a bunch of power supplies that would run the computer fine, but would no longer charge.
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Don, I sent back the 2nd Dell for same reason, would not charge. My computer tech said it was common Dell issue.
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Just an update. I sent the broken laptop back and according to FedEX the seller has had it for 12 days. Newegg just sent me an e-mail advising that the seller has finally confirmed receipt of defective laptop and they were going to approve my refund within 5 (more) business days. So far I've been documenting all of this with Paypal as well as Newegg.
I am still holding my breath for the refund, but at a minimum, it looks like they want to make all the hay they can on the float.
I am thinking about going away from the name brand laptops and considering a custom "gaming" laptop with Clevo chassis. They don't cost much more than the low line "business" name brand laptops.
I'd prefer to get my refund before purchasing a new one but this HP is literally falling apart and the power connection is now going out.
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.... but at a minimum, it looks like they want to make all the hay they can on the float.
There is accelerating use of "float" as a business tactic in many automated areas.
For example, when I use my bank credit card, the "interest" clock starts the second that I use it. However, the status of the purchase shows as "Pending" on my bank website, and it does NOT allow me to make a payment on the card until status changes from "Pending" to "Complete". So the clock has run anywhere from 3 to 5 calendar days before I am allowed to make a payment. I can usually catch it before interest actually starts to accrue, but they make you start 5 days "in the hole" while the "computers" take 5 days to do something.
Or when I "unsubscribe" from some Email distribution list that I somehow got on. I can go to the site and submit a change to "Unsubscribe", whereupon I get a message saying that it may take 8 - 10 business days for the status change to take effect.
The very cats in the street know that this is B. S. of the highest order. If they had an interest in really stopping the Emails, the computers would make the change in literally 50 milliseconds or so. Instead, because it's important to them to keep sending messages out, they take a period of time that is 2,000,000 times longer than necessary, just in order to keep me "on the hook".
You can only take so much of this gratuitous diddling with a smile, which is why I do not use very many kinds of technology that other people consider essential.
You sound like you're on your way to the right kind of computer, though.
Lannis
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(http://graemecowan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Enoughs-enough.jpg)
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There is accelerating use of "float" as a business tactic in many automated areas.
For example, when I use my bank credit card, the "interest" clock starts the second that I use it. However, the status of the purchase shows as "Pending" on my bank website, and it does NOT allow me to make a payment on the card until status changes from "Pending" to "Complete". So the clock has run anywhere from 3 to 5 calendar days before I am allowed to make a payment. I can usually catch it before interest actually starts to accrue, but they make you start 5 days "in the hole" while the "computers" take 5 days to do something.
Or when I "unsubscribe" from some Email distribution list that I somehow got on. I can go to the site and submit a change to "Unsubscribe", whereupon I get a message saying that it may take 8 - 10 business days for the status change to take effect.
The very cats in the street know that this is B. S. of the highest order. If they had an interest in really stopping the Emails, the computers would make the change in literally 50 milliseconds or so. Instead, because it's important to them to keep sending messages out, they take a period of time that is 2,000,000 times longer than necessary, just in order to keep me "on the hook".
You can only take so much of this gratuitous diddling with a smile, which is why I do not use very many kinds of technology that other people consider essential.
You sound like you're on your way to the right kind of computer, though.
Lannis
If you are being charged interest on a purchase immediately, as opposed to end of the month, you need a new card.
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agree
I get 1% back on mine which is 1% cheaper than cash- not counting the float.
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If you are being charged interest on a purchase immediately, as opposed to end of the month, you need a new card.
I looked back and saw I used the words "interest clock", which was confusing. I meant not that interest would actually accrue at that moment, but the time starts approaching upon which interest will be charged, which I never want to happen.
I pay the card off every day before bedtime. Until a specific time or end-of-month point has been reached, interest does not actually get charged. But since you can't pay the balance until they take the "pending" flag off, you check, can't pay it, check, can't pay it etc. Then maybe you go on vacation or do something else, and suddenly the time is up and interest starts accruing. Their "pending" thing causes you to lose almost a week toward not letting that happen.
My card also (as lowryter's does) earns 1% back on each purchase, which I use to pay the balance down every time it hits $100.
The general comment is still valid - when someone tells you that it takes days for a computer to do something in which a human is not involved, you're being snookered.
Lannis
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Lannis, Newegg just e-mailed me that they've approved my refund and I should get it within 3-5 business days.
what a rip off.
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Lannis, Newegg just e-mailed me that they've approved my refund and I should get it within 3-5 business days.
what a rip off.
Sounds pretty good to me! That's where my last laptop came from .....
Lannis
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Sounds pretty good to me! That's where my last laptop came from .....
Lannis
No way will I ever get anything from Newegg again.
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Finally got notice of my refund.
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I decided to order a custom "gaming" laptop. Ordered it over the phone, it's better equipped than Lenovo that failed me for less money. The guy was friendly, knows that I want it tested for sure. Going to be delivered to me on Tuesday.