Computer specialists, recommend a new computer in this thread (A VN Classic)

#76
#76
volfanbill said:
the market isn't there solely to use Windows though. The market that is there are for people wanting to use both.

You have stated that you are only going to use Windows on it and you don't want to/have the time to learn the OS X. You are also one of maybe five people on earth that don't work for Toshiba yet make claims that Toshibas are better right now than Dells or HPs.

If you are only going to use Windows, there is no reason to get a Mac. However, you can do much, much better than a Toshiba.
Click to expand...

utvolpj said:
the primary reason to get a Mac is for the OS and the feeling you get with the pretty apple on the case. Running windows on it (esp at that price point) would serve no purpose and be a bad investment.
Click to expand...

sweet, so i'm going to buy a Macbook now just so i can run windows on it. thanks for the advice.
 
#79
#79
utvolpj said:
the primary reason to get a Mac is for the OS and the feeling you get with the pretty apple on the case. Running windows on it (esp at that price point) would serve no purpose and be a bad investment.
Click to expand...

exactly. it's like forking alot of money over for an i-phone and not even using the features
 
#80
#80
ksushalovesthevols said:
why two fingers? so egomaniacal of apple to try to change the way people use a touch pad, for no identifiably good reason. i could understand if it simplified the process, or made it more efficient, but this seems inexplicable.
Click to expand...

are you kidding me?

It is 20x easier than pressing the mouse button and scrolling with one finger
 
Last edited by a moderator:
#81
#81
dickens821 said:
are you kidding me?

It is 20x easier than pressing the mouse button and scrolling with one finger
Click to expand...

i misunderstood what you meant. i thought you meant just moving around the screen would also require two fingers. that doesn't seem so bad.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
#82
#82
With Dell you need to buy additional RAM for their mother board from Dell. Plus the software it comes with isn't that great. Instead of Microsoft Word, Excel, etc you get Wordperfect, Quattro-Pro, etc.

Make sure your computer has a good mother board, with extra slots for additional RAM you can add in the future. Thats's important, when your computer begins to run slower, you can add RAM.

Build your own computer and put on the software you want, you can eliminate a lot of unnecessary softwar they put on you will never use and it will run faster with more usuable memory.
 
Last edited:
#83
#83
I always recommend Dells... I know there is a lot of hate for Dells out there though. Personally I have used 6 different desktop/laptop Dells in the past 12 years whether it be personal and/or business. Not one of them was a waste. My type of work requires upgrades at least every two years as the design software releases new versions. I use to personally buy parts and piece mill my PCs together but it got to be such a headache when something went wrong for support. Granted Dell support is not the best group of foreigners to talk to, but out of the 6 I had one hard-drive went bad in my laptop. After talking to someone in India about my problems they sent out one of their territory guys the next day with a HD, and I was up and running like it was the day I bought it. Luckily I backup all my work...

Well that's my 2 cents and my newest is the Dell XPS 420.
 
#84
#84
volfanbill said:
the market isn't there solely to use Windows though. The market that is there are for people wanting to use both.

You have stated that you are only going to use Windows on it and you don't want to/have the time to learn the OS X. You are also one of maybe five people on earth that don't work for Toshiba yet make claims that Toshibas are better right now than Dells or HPs.

If you are only going to use Windows, there is no reason to get a Mac. However, you can do much, much better than a Toshiba.
Click to expand...

Interestingly enough, a study conducted by Consumer Reports indicates that Toshiba's are more reliable (as measured by the number of repairs needed) than Dells, HP's, and Apples. A similar result was also reached by an independent consumer report in the UK. The same report found satisfaction ratings of Toshiba users to be higher than those of Dell and HP users. Yep, I must be an idiot for even considering a Toshiba.
 
#85
#85
The problem with Toshiba laptops nowadays isn't software, or battery life, or anything specific. It's shoddy build quality and cheap components, leading to crummy reliability. It's the same thing almost industry-wide -- it's been a race to the bottom on price, and you simply can't build a $600 laptop that isn't a piece of crap. It's no accident that the only two companies left that make a reliable laptop are the two that don't try to compete on price -- Lenovo and Apple.

I spent 10 years supporting laptops (among other things) in corporate environments. I had the kind of job where I'd get shipments of laptops, 20 or 30 at at time. I used to detest the Thinkpads, too -- I thought they were too proprietary, overpriced compared to others, etc. I changed my mind because I got sick of boxing up the other brands and sending them back. We tried Dells, Toshibas, "Compaqs" (this was after they were absorbed into HP), and something else that I've forgotten, but it was the same across the board -- cheap cases, cheap parts, high failure rate. If I buy 10 laptops, I shouldn't have a problem with four of them in the first two months.

Google up some reliability statistics. There are only two companies who are serious about making laptops anymore. You get what you pay for.
 
#86
#86
I'd like to see a link to your Consumer Reports article, because it contradicts what I found when I last looked into this. As well as my own experience putting Toshiba laptops into boxes and sending them back.
 
#87
#87
From what i've seen and read, XP works seamless with the macpro and macbook. You also have the option of booting up OS X or windows. So you can always give OSX a shot when you don't necessarily need to use windows. Windows might not feel natural and a little inconvenient though..the whole right click issue and not having a windows keyboard.

It's not a bad idea, but you have to keep in mind that you can get a windows system for much less. Unless you have a real need for a MAC, which it sounds like you don't, then I suggest that you don't buy one. You should give it a chance though. You won't be dissappointed.
 
#91
#91
UTvol1fn said:
guess i should have said that it will work like XP but on a better machine.
Click to expand...

The drivers for the wireless and the ethernet port do not work on XP... straight up anyway. You may be able to find a windows version of the drivers somewhere online.
 
#92
#92
oklavol said:
With Dell you need to buy additional RAM for their mother board from Dell...
Click to expand...
I have never had a Dell with proprietary RAM. This used to be the case in the early existence of laptops, but there is now a standard for laptop RAM, being the 200 pin DIMM.

Was this a recent machine you found that in oklavol? I'm intrigued.
 
#93
#93
ksushalovesthevols said:
thanks, this is really helpful. can i ask what types of toshiba machines you've dealt with and what the main problems were? (hardware? software? battery life?)

i've had two types of toshiba's - an ultraportable (with the extended life battery) and two satellites. if i bought a toshiba again, i would probably go for one of these two types of models. do you have any specific experience with these?

thanks in advance for your time. :)
Click to expand...

We had Tecra M-1's. Main complaint was hardware failure. Mostly the touch mouse followed by sound and general keyboard problems. My guess is the keyboard problems were directly connected to the ID10T error and not an actual defect. Many also did not like having to turn the wireless switch on. The battery life was good until the battery got fairly old then it wouldn't hold a charge more than about a half hour. The Dell's batteries were crap from the start and every one I have had the battery was crap. However I rarely use it on battery power so it doesn't bother me that much. On a contradictory note, I have "inherited" one of the Tecra's and after formatting and reinstalling everything it has worked well. I have yet to figure out why the cursor will randomly jump to a new location while typing however, but one of my Dell's does this too. :unsure:
 
#94
#94
superdave1984 said:
We had Tecra M-1's. Main complaint was hardware failure. Mostly the touch mouse followed by sound and general keyboard problems. My guess is the keyboard problems were directly connected to the ID10T error and not an actual defect. Many also did not like having to turn the wireless switch on. The battery life was good until the battery got fairly old then it wouldn't hold a charge more than about a half hour. The Dell's batteries were crap from the start and every one I have had the battery was crap. However I rarely use it on battery power so it doesn't bother me that much. On a contradictory note, I have "inherited" one of the Tecra's and after formatting and reinstalling everything it has worked well. I have yet to figure out why the cursor will randomly jump to a new location while typing however, but one of my Dell's does this too. :unsure:
Click to expand...
The Dell that I have been using for the last year and a half for work had a battery life around 2.5 hours when new. Now it lasts about 2 hours. I make sure to let it discharge about once a week, and do not leave it plugged in when the machine is not in use or charging.
 
#95
#95
I know I've dished a lot of sarcasm in this thread ksush, but I would really like to know if that consumer report study is 5 years or older. The technological changes and lack thereof by so many companies that first broke into the laptop market since around 2004 is mind blowing. Toshiba is one of the many that have not kept up.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#100
#100
droski said:
what's the difference between a laptop and notebook?
Click to expand...

Once upon a time, some of the PC press tried to use the two terms to indicate a difference. Notebooks were basically supposed to be smaller laptops. There wasn't really enough meaningful difference, so the two terms became interchangeable, at least in popular parlance.

These days, there's enough difference to support two terms, but since the words "laptop" and "notebook" are synonyms now, manufacturers have to call their tiny units "ultralight," "sub-notebooks," "netbooks," etc instead. I rather liked the attempted laptop/notebook distinction, but that train has left the station.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top