Slimy38
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 07:59 AM |
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Old laptop reviews
I'm in the market for a new (to me) laptop as my current one is slowly dying. I don't want new, mainly because I'm a CAPP but partly
because I want to stay with Windows 7. I was thinking about taking a look at some reviews from 2-3 years ago and picking a decent one from the list,
but I'm struggling to find old reviews. Even my favourite Toms hardware seems to be very tight-lipped when it comes to older articles.
Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look?
[Edited on 8/5/13 by Slimy38]
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blakep82
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 09:02 AM |
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Windows xp, vista, 7, and even 8 are all the same really, only difference is, in windows 8 you don't get a start menu by pressing the windows
key, but instead a whole start screen by pressing the windows key.
When you think of it that way, its actually very easy.
And you'll need to go on windows 8 eventually, might as well be now rather than just delay it ;-)
________________________
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don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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trikerneil
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 09:31 AM |
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I read there is going to be a major revamp of Win8 soon - apparently people don't like it.
Neil
ACE Cafe - Just say No.
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Slimy38
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 09:40 AM |
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XP, Vista and 7 are the same? Maybe underneath, but they all give very different user views, and I've not yet seen an instance of Vista that is
even remotely usable! 
It's not just the OS that is the restriction though, I'd rather spend the money and get a decent older PC rather than a brand new one.
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blakep82
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 09:52 AM |
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I mean the same as in same general basic layout, which is everyones issue with 8 isnt it?
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 11:09 AM |
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You can fix the completely broken interface that ships with Windows 8 by installing Start8 from Stardock. This gives you something that looks and
behaves just like Windows 7, but retaining the ability to run the stupid "Modern" interface applications if you need to. I've been
running this for about 4 months and it works perfectly.
There is also the free "Classic Shell" that adds a start button etc. but it's not as slick as Start8.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 12:10 PM |
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I still quite like win2000  its like the light weight version of XP....
but seriously just avoud vista and you'll be fine
(of course you can always put win7/8 on a vista machine...)
I'd be more worried about the spec and condition of the hardware than anything else...
stick to decent reliable brands (toshiba and ASUS in my experience, although I know others that swear by dell)
stay well away from anything with a Pentium or Celeron prossesor
find one with a decent amount of RAM - at least 2GB if not 4 or 6 for a 64bit O/S like win7/8
(most laptops can have more added, but its not free....)
disk size is up to you what you'll accept - but I'd say 250Gb min
(again it can normally be changed later - for a price...)
then once you think you've found a likley candidate do a bit of googling for common faults on that model number
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Slimy38
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 01:03 PM |
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I agree with you re Win2000, although I did find occasional hiccups with DirectX at the time. I'm hoping that I don't need to go that far
back to get a laptop within my budget though!
I'm not overly bothered about RAM, as long as the laptop can accept it the cost of RAM is really low at the moment. Same with the hard drive, I
don't mind paying peanuts for a 40Gb drive and then sticking in a bigger one. The main thing I want to get is a decent graphics card (or at
least what was decent a couple of years ago). I'm fed up of Intel graphics, anything remotely intensive and they just give up. I'm hoping
I can get at least an early Nvidia based laptop within my budget. I used to have a Fujitsu Amilo that was really quick, unfortunately despite paying
£1300 for it I still couldn't keep it from frying it's own power connector.
I wouldn't buy another Toshiba, but Asus sounds like a good plan. I believe Acer were also creating some decent kit at the time. I like Dell,
but I think I would get more Asus for my money than Dell.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 01:47 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I agree with you re Win2000
still I have warmed to win 7, it might just be the new 2k
I've only had a couple of wee issues that sorted themself and I've been running it since the last RC version
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I used to have a Fujitsu Amilo that was really quick, unfortunately despite paying £1300 for it I still couldn't keep it from frying it's
own power connector.
I've never seen a decent Fujitsu yet 
I know lots of people that have had them for work (with no choices) and all of them have had issues
I take it you've had a bad experience with Toshiba ?
my mun, brother, aunts and load of folk I know have them for several years without any issues - but they arn't the most demanding users... (I
tend to find they are missing some of the nicer features and top end performance)
personally I like most Asus stuff
the entry level laptops I've seen in the last few years are a bit cheap feeling, but for the price you can't really argue
my old L2000D is still going quite well, its slow and the battery life is a bit short - but then it was the entry level model ~11+ years old 
[Edited on 8/5/2013 by mcerd1]
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Slimy38
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 02:21 PM |
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My Fujitsu was a work one (well, purchased through work) and I wouldn't buy another. The only reason I had it was because it was subsidised, but
it wasn't subsidised enough for the life I got out of it. Same with the Toshiba I bought, it basically cooked it's power connector. I had
one Toshiba that literally went up in flames where the connector was, I'm just thankful I'd not left it on unattended.
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Davey D
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 02:34 PM |
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The main problem with Vista is that it was more power hungry than what was claimed, and the crappy spec machines that it was installed on ( e.g
celeron processors,and 1gb ram)
My work computer has an intel Q6700 quad core, an Nvidia Quadro card, and 4Gb ram with Vista Business, and it runs just fine
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Slimy38
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| posted on 8/5/13 at 02:47 PM |
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I totally agree, in fact my current laptop failed the Vista system requirements check but it runs Windows 7 absolutely fine (albeit with no Aero).
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mcerd1
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 07:55 AM |
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^^ what have you got at the moment ?
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Slimy38
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 08:12 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
^^ what have you got at the moment ?
HP Compaq NC6220. It's been an absolutely spot on laptop, but it has no graphics capability whatsoever and is really starting to show it's
age now. I bought a second one to butcher for spares, but now I'm starting to see failures which aren't worth fixing again. After all, it
is a 2005 laptop...
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mcerd1
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 10:38 AM |
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this one?
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12130_na/12130_na.html
its got a sieral port on it so you'll be able to connect ot ECU's - sounds like a good garage laptop to me 
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Slimy38
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 12:05 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
this one?
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12130_na/12130_na.html
its got a sieral port on it so you'll be able to connect ot ECU's - sounds like a good garage laptop to me
Yep, that's the one, the serial port was a big bonus. No doubt it will get parked in the garage once I have something to replace it with.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 12:28 PM |
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Second hand laptops are buying SEP just -- Somebody Else's Problems
Windows 8 can be tamed by installing Classic Shell which is 100% free and gives Windows 8 instantly a standard Windows desktop and menu
structure.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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Slimy38
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 01:19 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Second hand laptops are buying SEP just -- Somebody Else's Problems
Having only owned two new laptops out of at least a dozen, and both of those failing well before their time, I think I'll stick with used for
now.
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TimEllershaw
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| posted on 9/5/13 at 01:27 PM |
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I would keep an eye on the battery if it is more than a couple of years old.
We have a fleet of Toshiba and Dell laptops at work and we find that they start getting a bit "tired" after a couple of years. We had a
spell where we were replacing a battery (at £75 each ) every week.
Tim.
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
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