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**jackson1** · 08-09-2006, 09:49 AM

My experience with Dell laptops both quality and support wise has been execellent over the past 4 years. I got (for free) an insurance (lasting 3 years) and the support included has been totally awesome. I've never encountered such a professional and quick support from anyone in the computer business before. I'm a superuser if that means anything to ya'. That's my impressions coming from Denmark. Check 'em out.

Monitor switch boxes is out there. Both manual & automatic switch boxes (software controlled). Make a search. Good luck.

**micha** · 08-09-2006, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by jackson1

Monitor switch boxes is out there. Both manual & automatic switch boxes (software controlled).

this sounds good. just what I had in mind. I'm gonna have a look for one of those and check out the dells too!
thanks for your input!

is there any difference between laptops and notebooks btw?
I use both terms for the same thing?!
always wondered about that....

**jackson1** · 08-09-2006, 10:12 AM

It describes the same thing - a little fiercy hot brick that sits on your lap and grills your cohones

**Annah** · 08-09-2006, 10:43 AM

I own a Dell Inspiron 9300 and the thing just totally rules. I use it for everything except serious recording, but I play lots of FPS games on it, like Half-Life 2, Doom 3 and CS:S and the thing totally rocks!

My only complaint with Dell is their customer service, which I think is more of a customer annoyance than anything else. All their "associates" seem to be based in India and they're slow and don't understand me when I try to communicate with them. One went so far as to accuse me of not knowing what part they mis-shipped me. Their exchange policy sucks ass. If they send you the wrong part (they sent me a 1.0G flash mem instead of the 2.0G, but still charged me for the 2.0G) then they'll send you the right one, but they'll charge you for it, and you have 5 days in which to send back the wrong one they sent... you send it at YOUR expense, btw, and if you don't send it within 5 days of receipt of the replacement, you're screwed. It's the crappiest thing I've ever experienced with an order.

Aside from that, Dell hardware kicks ass. After almost 25 years of building and programming computers, the Dells I've worked with have all been the best, quality and reliability-wise.

**Inazone** · 08-09-2006, 10:59 AM

I work in IT for a company with many notebook users, mostly our sales force and executives. I don't deal directly with most of them, but from a general support perspective, 90% of the problems we encounter are caused by spyware, downloaded software (DVD players, non-standard MP3 players, CD/DVD burning software), and negligence. Many people travel with their notebooks and bang them around, causing hard drive crashes, screen damage and so on. A notebook that is used for general business tasks and not for entertainment purposes will last much longer and not requireme much maintenance.

We have tried several brands over the years. Our CEO's assistant used a Dell notebook for many years that had little or no issues. IBM ThinkPads (now built in China) have been great except for battery problems. Nearly every Sony Vaio we own has had either a major hard drive crash or memory failure. It's harder to get good tech support for notebooks than for desktops due to the proprietary nature of many components, so I would suggest either 1) buying something that you can get serviced locally or 2) buying something that is NOT "bottom of the line" and not likely to become unsupported within a few months. Many of the inexpensive computers on the market are discontinued as soon as the clearance sales end.

**rjohnstone** · 08-09-2006, 12:44 PM

I've used nothing but IBM ThinkPad T series laptops for the last 5 years.
I currently have a T43 (built by Lenovo in China) and I love it.

**donf** · 08-09-2006, 12:58 PM

Originally posted by rjohnstone

I've used nothing but IBM ThinkPad T series laptops for the last 5 years.
I currently have a T43 (built by Lenovo in China) and I love it.

I need to get another one of those. I had one and got HP instead. What a mistake.

**micha** · 08-09-2006, 03:11 PM

Originally posted by Inazone

It's harder to get good tech support for notebooks than for desktops due to the proprietary nature of many components, so I would suggest either 1) buying something that you can get serviced locally or 2) buying something that is NOT "bottom of the line" and not likely to become unsupported within a few months. Many of the inexpensive computers on the market are discontinued as soon as the clearance sales end.

yeah, that's just what I thought too.
I think I'm gonna pick up one locally. we've got a pretty good dealer over here, about 5km away from where my parents live, and so far, had nothing but good experiences with this guy.
he's fair, trustable and relieable. even though it's a couple of bucks more usually if you buy in his store, but the service is really worth it.
he usually gives two years bring in service, I know the guy who's working in his service point, the brother of a good friend of mine, so I really trust in this store. and I know from further experience, that's he's not one of those who disapears as soon as your warranty is over.

so what do you think of the BenQ there?
I'm right now staring at one of their monitors, and am really satisfied, but building a whole PC is something different...

just to clear that again; I'm not looking for performance. relieability has priority here.
my moms a teacher, so doing exercise sheets in word and writing certificates is really all she does with her PC. but it's quite important she's got something to work with, that's relieable. ya know?

thanks for your help everyone!

**Newc** · 08-09-2006, 04:29 PM

You could also set up the family PC with a Dual-Boot XP/NT4 system, and let Mom do her stuff in NT4. They can crash XP all they want, but NT4 would probably scare them

Plus, with NT's lack of game support, they probably wouldn't care too much for it. Other than that, it operates just like 95, only tons more stable.

I've got an HP laptop (XP Home) that I got in 2003 (2002 Clearance model from local Wal-Mart SuperCenter) and it was great at first, then it started crashing on startup every time. So I replaced Norton AV with the new MS LiveOneCare or whatever it is and haven't had a startup crash in over a month.

I use mine mostly at work (bought it originally to make some technical manuals for work), but it seems to endure the rigors of a factory workfloor environment where there's a fine oil mist that settles on everything. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe I'm sitting on a time-bomb

Anyhoo, while she may not need super gaming performance, more RAM and a better CPU definitely improve the way Office-type products run. I made the manuals I was working on (part/die/fitting listings with diagrams done in Paint Shop) in Quattro Pro 4 (came with it) and had to split one book into 3 pieces because it was choking the computer and crashing the program. The file wasn't that big, it just had so much in it that the CPU and RAM couldn't keep it all together. As well, the 256 MB RAM in it wouldn't let me have two books open at once or it would swap diagrams around (I can tell ya it's no fun going through 200 listings to see which diagrams were swapped

)

**quiksilver** · 08-09-2006, 04:40 PM

Get a MacBook. You'll love it.

**rjohnstone** · 08-09-2006, 04:44 PM

Just remember one thing... you get what you pay for.
When it comes to quality laptops/notebooks, cheaper is not better.
My T-43 is by no means a cheap laptop, over $2,300 US.
But it's tough as nails and works every time.
People who have issues with XP only have them because they set it up wrong and/or fail to maintain it properly.
Remember... you don't have to be an Administrator to surf the internet or work with Word docs. All too many people surf the net while being logged in with an account that has admin privileges. This means any virus or spyware that you launch, intentionaly or not, will be able to do what ever it wants to. Everyone should be logged in with only User privileges for normal day-today stuff. Power User is even overkill for 90% of the people using their PC's.
Admin accounts should only be used for software installs, OS patch updates and account administration.

P.S.
Stay away from anything made by Symantec... their software is evil.

**Newc** · 08-09-2006, 04:54 PM

I tried that approach before (use it only as a User) and kept getting Windows-based errors about needing Admin rights to do any little thing besides turn it on and turn it off. Heck, I still get them even when signed in as Admin

Plus you know how MS is - you spend more time switching between accounts than actually using it because every time you log on you get an update prompt

**sully** · 08-09-2006, 06:32 PM

Originally posted by quiksilver

Get a MacBook. You'll love it.

glad someone else said it before i had to. although i'm glad i bought a pro over a regular macbook, but that's me.

sully

**buzzsaww** · 08-09-2006, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by sully

glad someone else said it before i had to. although i'm glad i bought a pro over a regular macbook, but that's me.

sully

+1 on the Pro

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anyone into notebooks?

anyone into notebooks?

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