Laptop Info Please

[ConnerVT]

I'm running AVG and recently received notice it'll no longer be for free as of February, 2007. But Avast (and Zone Alarm) should still be so.

Just so that you do not waste time with an anti-virus you might want to drop in 2 month's time .

The older version of the free version of AVG (7.3) soon will no longer be supported.  You need to upgrade to the new free version of AVG 7.5 (which IMO works at least the same or better).

I've been running AVG for well over a year now.  Used Avast before that, but it seemed a bit 'clunky'.  There are a number of decent free products out there to help keep the viruses, malware, and other nasties at bay.

[tim 360]

Hey Vaugn,  What her usage is will best determine what to go for in terms of a laptop.  I have a few computers and I like a laptop to be a laptop.  Meaning it is a lightweigh and very portable lappy.  Some go for larger screens etc...useage should help determine what you and she choose.  Find something less than 2 years old and look for current features like:

1.  At least 1.6 gig Pentium Centrino,  minimum 512K RAM, DDR2 PC3300 or faster.
2.  60GB hard drive, speed 4200 or higher, built in ethernet and WiFi
3.  Recordable CD/DVD
4.  Windows XP w/ Service Pack 2
5.  6 in 1 flash memory

Thats a beginning.  Right now there are alot of 2 year old Dells and Toshibas coming off corporate lease,  mainly D600, D610, D800, D810, D820, showing up on Ebay and some still have 1 year Gold service contracts and in excellent shape.  And renewable for another year or more.  Dell's Gold is good for guaranteed next day service if not fixed over the phone.  "Mfilm" is a very good seller of these.  I got one for $400 loaded and looks brand new.  Also check out computerforumdotcom on laptops and security.

Security,  Nothing like layered protection.  A NAT Router and Zonealarm Firewall software is hard to beat.  Cheerio, tim360

[SANDRO43]

The older version of the free version of AVG (7.3) soon will no longer be supported.  You need to upgrade to the new free version of AVG 7.5 (which IMO works at least the same or better).

Thanks Conner, I must have missed their upgrade notice. Running 7.5 now.

[jb]

I'm simply amazed at how much computing power you can get nowadays in a laptop/notebook.

As things happen, my laptop went to Russia so that my wife would have something while she's there with her sick mother.  True to form, as luck will have it, a rather big job came up for my little consulting business, and of course, I'll need a laptop.

Yesterday I took off in search of a new machine because I don't have time to shop ebay for a used one.  I was hoping to find a utility computer with the basic features and maybe a few frills.  Then I remembered,,, it's the pre-Christmas madness season.  I usually try to stay far away from the malls in the month of December.   Three speciality stores later I stumbled into Best Buy, half in shock from the crowds, and more than a little worried because all the people in Corpus Christi seem to be getting laptops for Christmas presents this year.  Just like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard , all the shelves were empty. Finally at Best Buy I had found a store where there were still a few laptops left on the shelf. 

Got one~!! 

Conner, what is your opinion of the hp Pavilion dv9008nr?  It has a AMD dual core 64 bit, 1.9 ghz processor, a 100 gig hard drive, a gig of DDR2 SDRAM, 15" wide screen, fully wireless, multi-function media read/write (CD/DVD), XP-Pro OS, chrome wheels and leather seat covers.  I got it for $900.00 and felt lucky to have found a machine at all.

[BillyB]

I'm simply amazed at how much computing power you can get nowadays in a laptop/notebook.

Remember the good ole days of computers? Low technology and high price. Here's the top of the line computer for 1989, monitor and mouse not included. Click on the pic to read the words in advertising.

[ConnerVT]

Conner, what is your opinion of the hp Pavilion dv9008nr?  It has a AMD dual core 64 bit, 1.9 ghz processor, a 100 gig hard drive, a gig of DDR2 SDRAM, 15" wide screen, fully wireless, multi-function media read/write (CD/DVD), XP-Pro OS, chrome wheels and leather seat covers.  I got it for $900.00 and felt lucky to have found a machine at all.

You should of spent an extra $50.  I think the next model up makes a mean cappuccino.   

Seriously, hp makes a great laptop.  A little too much bling for my taste, but most people with hp love them.  My best friend has two (one for him, one for his wife) and he swears by them.  Should last you for some time.

I like Billy's Radio Shack add also.  My first work computer in 1984 was a true 'Blue' IBM PC, maxed out with 640KB RAM, two 5.25" floppy drives, and expansion chassis (the same size as the PC itself!) with a 10MB full height hard drive in it.  Had a CGA card in the main system, and a PGA (IBM Professional Graphics Controller) card in the expansion chassis (as the PC itself did not have a power supply big enough to run it all!).  The PGA was the FIRST graphics card that could put a 640x480 resolution screen up at 256 simultaneous colors (from a palette of 4+ million colors).

I know this, as I worked for the company that built that card.  The card and monitor itself sold for about $5K, the rest of the PC was yet another few grand.

Now, my cell phone does just as well, and several other things too (like make telephone calls).   

[Bruno]

My first work computer in 1984 was a true 'Blue' IBM PC, maxed out with 640KB RAM, two 5.25" floppy drives, and expansion chassis (the same size as the PC itself!) with a 10MB full height hard drive in it.  Had a CGA card in the main system, and a PGA (IBM Professional Graphics Controller) card in the expansion chassis (as the PC itself did not have a power supply big enough to run it all!).  The PGA was the FIRST graphics card that could put a 640x480 resolution screen up at 256 simultaneous colors (from a palette of 4+ million colors).

My first computer was a ZX-81 from Sinclair... 1KB Ram, no drive, simply use my usual cassette recorder, display on TV in B&W...


You can always buy it for 99.95$... at http://www.zebrasystems.com/zebrasystems/zx81/index.html ... in kit 

[SANDRO43]

My first work computer ...

... in 1969 was a true 'Blue' IBM System/3, all of 12 Kb of RAM (expandable to 18 Kb) of ferrite ringlets, four 2.5 Mb disks (2 fixed, 2 removable, affectionately called "frying pans") and the revolutionary 96-colum card !

The 4 dial switches you can see on the CPU permitted to set a RAM address directly, and see its contents on the display just above them, as well as to modify it, a practice reserved to IBM Customer Engineers (affectionately called "plumbers").

http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/rochester/rochester_4008.html

[catzenmouse]

jb,

 Let me know how you like the HP if you wouldn't mind. I've been looking at options here and and appreciate all info from real users.

 Our best to your lady and her mom. Hope it is going reasonably well for them both.

Ken

[jb]

I'm actually liking this new hp laptop pretty good.  The thing I like the most is the full sized keyboard.  My old laptop with it's abbreviated keyboard was a pain in the ass to type on, this is much better.