The Computer thread

[Emmysaur 29]

Couldn't do without my laptop. I can have it in the playroom while the kids play and in the clinic's waitingroom while my son has therapy! I like using Rockmelt as my browser with the edges, I see right away if I have new emails/ tweets/ my fav blogs get updated.

Recently, I have been unable to shut it down (it stays on the blue swirly screen that says "Shutting Down...." forever, even overnight), so I have to shut down via the power button, which is annoying. Also, sometimes I cannot download photos (neither from an email sent to me nor by right clicking on, say, a FB photo). No other issues, no viruses, no error codes. Thoughts?

It could be caused by a third-party program running in the background. I can't tell you the exact solutions unless I play with your laptop but you can try troubleshooting it. Boot your computer using "Diagnostic startup". To do this, go to "Run" and type msconfig. On the general tab click "Diagnostic startup", click apply and reboot your computer. If it doesn't hang then you can start re-enabling your startup items and services. Do this by running msconfig and go to the "Services" and "Startup" tabs, I suggest you start with "Startup". Enable one item at a time and reboot after each one until the problem re-occurs. Then you can enable everything again except the one that was causing the problem.

As for photo downloads, try downloading your pictures using Internet Explorer since it's already installed in your computer. If it works, then there's something wrong with your browser. You can troubleshoot it, maybe try disabling plugins (a plug-in might have blocked photo downloads).

[Darnell 8,478]

I use a Knoppix CD to retrieve files from a braindead computer on a regular basis. I used to do that for free, then switched to beer. I stopped drinking beer, but still accepted beer. I've got 24 cases of guinness in the garage, prolly time to throw a party soon.

Anyway - having a knoppix cd in yer toolkit can be a godsend, especially if you need to get to files on a braindead computer or set up a temporary samba share for file transfers across an internal network.

I can't believe how easy it is to make a Knoppix CD as well. I'm an old timey linux user - still remember the 135 disks I made for a slackware distro back in 92. sheesz I'm old.

My home office resembles a cross between a trading pit floor and the command deck of the starship enterprise. I've a lot of machines there, with about 20 screens. I munged together some mounting gear with some factory pole stuff from grainger, and a bit of spot-welding with an aluminum welder... [tig wire? i don't remember exactly] .. I've three 42 inch monitors there that I use for video editing and post production work, but most of my rig at home is for boring research/development (boring to most, not me) on database stuff.

My consulting office has 2 less monitors there, but twice the # of machines. Most are servers, handling some other business that I have.

at my day job, i have a dual monitor set up running winders 7...

I do carry a laptop, but only use it when I'm travelling. I used to travel a lot, but these days (since the accident) just shuttle back and forth between my home and the day job. Normally I remote in with the laptop, whatever gear I need to touch.

I rarely buy the latest and greatest gear - I usually buy my stuff 2nd hand or reconditioned (with the exception of two laptops for my wife) - there's great super sales in Dallas on the first Saturday of each month...

I used to be big with user groups, but after my last ISO-9001 lecture, I gave up - it's a lot of extra work. Usually my involvement with user groups was great for direct marketing, always picking up a large client after giving a lecture or presentation, but since I don't run my own 17 man programming shop anymore (that's another story) I just don't have the will to do a stand up these last few years.

If you've never used linux before, and want to - try to get to a 'build event' locally in yer area - find the local user group, make a few meetings, attend a build event. It's actually a lot of fun...

Edited July 16, 2012 by Darnell

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

I am a proud Mac user.

The first step in any addiction recovery is admotting your adiction.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I am a proud Mac user.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Kip, what do you think of these laptops? All of them are Ivy Bridge.

HP m6-1045dx 699.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Pavilion+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Natural+Silver/5608295.p?id=1218672046425&skuId=5608295

Samsung NP700Z5C-S01UB 999.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Series+7+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive+-+Silver/5575679.p?id=1218665501364&skuId=5575679

And the beast. Asus G75VW-BBK5 1249.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+17.3%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive/5176239.p?id=1218621250769&skuId=5176239

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Kip, what do you think of these laptops? All of them are Ivy Bridge.

HP m6-1045dx 699.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Pavilion+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Natural+Silver/5608295.p?id=1218672046425&skuId=5608295

Samsung NP700Z5C-S01UB 999.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Series+7+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive+-+Silver/5575679.p?id=1218665501364&skuId=5575679

And the beast. Asus G75VW-BBK5 1249.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+17.3%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive/5176239.p?id=1218621250769&skuId=5176239

That's a tough call. I mean if your going for battery life then the smaller screen...same if your looking for something small and light. The i7 is nice if your using proggies that utilize hyper threading otherwise the dual core w/hyper threading should suffice nicely.

Myself I use my laptop for a portable desktop so I prefer the larger screen. It's what I use at home to get online and when I travel I take a small extension cord so I can plugin at the airport with np...I can't think of anywhere I go that I don't have access to a plugin. If that's your case this one down below should suit your needs. The Harmon - Kardon speakers sound nice. My wife has those on here Toshiba laptop (Sandy Bridge) and not only do they get loud, their pretty clean sounding.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%26%2334%3B+Satellite+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Champagne+Silver/5559923.p?id=1218660315171&skuId=5559923 $699.99

Toshiba - 17.3" Satellite Laptop - 6GB Memory - 750GB Hard Drive - Champagne Silver

http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/satellite/P870/P875-S7200/ <----- a better look

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i5-3210M-Notebook-Processor.74458.0.html <----- cpu info and benchmarks

Edited July 16, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I've played with all three of the ones I linked to. The Asus is a real beast, 2GB GTX 660M video card, and check out the rear view for the cooling. It looks likes something from a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Matte screen too. I'm sure that the batter life will be measured in minutes, not hours. Or maybe you'd get an hour just surfing. The HP is good bang for the buck and the Samsung is the the thinnest and sleekest looking.

I have to check out the ones you linked to.

[웃 910]

What do you guys think of the Nexus 7 Google Tablet? The price seems very reasonable.

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_16gb

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I haven't kept up with the various Android tablets, but I'm going to read the link you posted. As much as I hate to say it, Apple owns the tablet market right now. There really isn't a worthy competitor to the iPad. The iPad sells more than all other tablets combined. Hopefully that changes later in the year when Windows 8 is released and Microsoft brings their tablet to the market.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Nexus 7 mini review at Aandtech:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6054/google-nexus-7-mini-review

full review at Arstechnica:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/07/divine-intervention-googles-nexus-7-is-a-fantastic-200-tablet/

Both are very reputable sites.

Edited July 17, 2012 by spookyturtle

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Kip, you're slacking. Where is your computer tip of the day?

[Calypso 464]

My fingers have touched different Apple products in the recent years and I have mixed impressions about them.

17-inch MacBook Pro

When I've just arrived in this country, I used a very old HP laptop which model I can't remember and must have been discontinued ages ago.

I'd borrow my husband's company-issued computer, a 17-inch MacBook Pro released in 2009 with nonremovable battery. It was fast but would freeze intermittently for unknown reasons and the fan noise was unbearable. One bright morning, I accidentally spilled a glass full of freshly squeezed orange juice on it. Most of the keys stopped functioning after we wiped the notebook down. A few days later, he took home a brand new 17-inch MBP from the office. I started avoiding it like plague.

15-inch MacBook Pro

I think this was released before summer in 2010, the first MBP to use Core i5 and i7 mobile processors. My husband bought one for himself for personal use. I loved the inertial scrolling that they've adopted from the iPhone and the battery life was so much better than the 2009 17-inch MBP.

Less than a year later, the internal speakers started to fail. We could hear the sound when we insert a headphone or use the Bose speakers but not otherwise and there was a red light appearing from the jack. He had it checked at an Apple Store. They admitted that speaker troubles are actually common and known issues for MBPs. It just spiraled down because they did fix the speakers but replaced the motherboard without our consent when it wasn't the real issue. It kept blacking out since it returned home. After a series of going back and forth to the Apple Store, my husband made an arrangement with them and got a new 13-inch 2011 MacBook Air in August last year.

13-inch MacBook Air

I love this one in ways I can't begin to count. It took me three months of borrowing my husband's 13-inch MacBook Air until I decided to buy one for myself. Luckily Apple was handing $100 discounts for most of their products on Black Friday last year. Until today I still enjoy my own MacBook Air. His work computer (the 2011 17-inch MacBook Pro with quad-core i7) looks awkward near a MacBook Air. It's a smart move for Apple to dump 17-inch MBP models as they start integrating Ivy Bridge this year. I hope that just like in the past few years, my husband's company will follow their yearly reissuing of the latest MacBook Pro so he won't have to carry that heavy behemoth everyday to work.

Edited July 19, 2012 by Calypso

[spookyturtle 9,466]

How about the new 15" with the Retina display? I'll say one thing, the Macs have the best touchpad in the business. I've yet to see another brand equal it.

Edited July 19, 2012 by spookyturtle

[Calypso 464]

I haven't checked out any of Apple's 2012 releases except for the new iPad. I once curiously placed my 2nd-gen iPad (I bought one last year on the very day it was released) beside the new 2012 iPad at an Apple Store. The retina display of the 3rd-gen renders a really sharp and crisp feel not just to images, making my older iPad's display look subpar but that's not enough to make me wish for a new one. I use my iPad mainly to write notes, listen to audio books and read tons of e-books (things most tablets can easily accomplish) so I don't fancy a new tablet for now. I might not even get another iPad unless Apple makes it smaller and builds something quite evolutionary instead of the little tweaks they inflatedly call updates.

Although I'm more particular with the user experience of a device rather than the technical specs since I neither download porn nor play games, it doesn't make sense to me why Apple is producing 11-inch MacBook Air, a glorified netbook, since the iPad itself is already very close to 10 inches and when you use a Bluetooth keyboard with it, the iPad is gonna feel like an 11-inch MacBook Air, minus a few other things that a notebook can do that a tablet can't. They should either produce a smaller iPad or discontinue the 11-inch MacBook Air.

Apple products are remarkable but they are far from perfect. I love most of their designs and of course, a perfect rating for the OS. These two are enough for me to want to use Apple. Some guys are content with ample boobs, killer legs and a little brain. The designs alone of the Galaxy Tab, Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire don't really appear as good or attractive as the iPad.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

I just want to find a suitable carry bag for my iPad.