URGENT - Pls help...pls recommend - laptop purchase

URGENT - Pls help...pls recommend - laptop purchase
**********************************************


I am in the SF Bay Area, California.

My laptop died so I am in need of a new laptop urgently - like today
if poss.
I cannot wait for more than a week or so for delivery etc.
Windows laptop preferably ( not mac)


My main requirements are as follows:
***********************************************
- as fast as poss ( I hate it when it hangs or runs slowly)
- as lightweight as poss


The following are the main programs I use
****************************************************
- gmail, yahoo mail etc
- MS Word or Notepad
- MS Outlook

Typically I have about 6 to 7 Mozilla/ Firefox pages open and MS
Outlook and Word or Notepad open - all day - open all at once- at any
point in time.
So I use quite a bit of resources.


My Budget is as follows:
******************************
prefer around US $1000

But could go as high as US $1300 or so


Simplicity
****************
Since I am not a techie, I would prefer a very simple plug and play
laptop.
Would like a well known branded laptop.


I do not need features for games, graphics, entertainment etc.
Just a fast, lightweight sturdy laptop.


Would any one pls recommend a laptop based on the above.
Which brand ? What model #? Approx price ? Where to buy it ?


Thanks in advance,

Irfan Smith

 

I don't know what you got against Celerons? Two of my Gateways and two
of my Asus EEE PC use them. They run cooler and have great battery life.
And the way I use my computer, it almost never maxes out. So get a
faster processor? Why?

As for getting 2GB of RAM. I have my doubts if many people actually need
that much. As I originally had 512MB on this Gateway and went up to 1GB
later. Then I went up again to 2GB. And my memory use hardly ever goes
past 800MB. And I saw no difference in performance between 1GB to 2GB.

Oddly enough, 2GB caused a problem which I don't care much for either.
As I sometimes get the following error when I try to hibernate now.

Insufficient system resources exist to complete the API.

Microsoft has a hotfix for this problem and I installed it. But it still
happens. And I am seriously thinking of going back to 1GB again. One of
my Asus EEE PC also has 2GB. That is also unnecessary IMHO. As 1GB is
plenty there two. Those other Gateway and Asus still has 1GB in them and
they work just fine that way.

--
Bill
Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ)
MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB
Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD)
Intel(r) 910GML (64MB shared)

 

Well, I'm still trying to chase my memory 'leak' here. It may well be
relevant to the OP.
Almost all my regularly used programs have eventually had to return from
Vista machines to this Lenovo XP. It has 1GB memory. The programs
constantly running include some database software, Skype, Messenger,
Notepad, Thunderbird, another email/news program and Firefox. When I
start the machine it uses about 700megs of memory. As I look at and
leave open tabs on Firefox, memory usage climbs. When it reaches about
1.4GB, the machine is so slow that I have to reboot or close all the
Firefox windows (ie the main window and the Download window). Then we
are back to the original usage.
I think this may have something to do with the way Firefox handles the
pages in the 'forward' and 'back' buttons. I often go to a website,
follow links and then back out from them. I understand that Firefox
keeps some of the linked pages in memory, but I could be wrong.

Any comments would be gratefully received. If the OP uses Firefox in the
same way, maybe he could be hit with the same problem. I haven't yet
tried any other browsers, except for occasional dips into IE where
faulty sites demand it.

 

Yes this is completely normal for Firefox. And Firefox has had this
problem since day one. Thus why I usually don't use Firefox too long for
anything. My favorite is Maxthon 1 (I am not a fan of Maxthon 2) that
uses either the Gecko engine (used in FF) or the Internet Explorer
engine (called Trident).

It isn't all Firefox's fault though. As some web site developers are
very bad about causing these memory leaks. And you normally won't see
these leaks unless you are using a tabbed browser. While Maxthon is a
tabbed browser too, it handles these leaky sites far better. But there
are other browsers out there too that are very good if you were going to
try something else. Or complain to the websites about how leaky their
sites are. ;-)

--
Bill
Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ)
MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB
Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD)
Intel(r) 910GML (64MB shared)

 

Well, using Seamonkey would do you a lot of good. Not the same memory
leak problems, AFAIK and I use it constantly, and it might allow you to
get rid of Outlook.

 

Nope! Still there.

--
Bill
Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ)
MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB
Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD)
Intel(r) 910GML (64MB shared)

 

Hi Frank! This is the one I used:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909095

This one states for SP2, but I don't know? Seems to be application
dependent so far. I have to close Windows Media Player v10 (in the past
before more than 1GB all I had to do is stop it before hibernating) and
Thunderbird seems to need to be closed too. There might be other
applications too that needs to be closed. It doesn't happen all of the
time, but once it does hibernation is gone until you reboot.

--
Bill
Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ)
MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB
Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD)
Intel(r) 910GML (64MB shared)

 

Oddly enough, I tried it right after that post and I only had Maxthon 1
and the Task Manager open and it happened again. I don't think it is
either one of them as I have them always open when I hibernate. So maybe
it is something in the system tray.

 

I believe I am the one who suggested Seamonkey. Let me say that if it
does not run properly on your machine (assuming you installed the latest
version, 1.1.11), a problem is most certainly lying somewhere else. I do
understand you do not want to spend time on this issue, but it will
probably reappear under one form or another.

I suggest you post your precise issue in the relevant newsgroup on
news.mozilla.org.

Best regards

 

It seems that millions disagree with you. As Asus believes that a low
cost laptops running Celerons is what millions needs. And they were
right! Asus is selling EEE PCs by the millions. I now own three of them
myself (plus one spare motherboard). Great little machines actually.

 

Not a full laptop? How do you figure? And all EEE PC *can* run Windows
and they all come with Windows drivers if you want to install Windows
XP. Today it is getting harder and harder to find laptops with Windows
XP installed. Asus is one of the few companies that does. And Microsoft
was worried that they would lose out with millions of EEE PC being sold,
that they cut a deal with Asus and Windows XP only costs $40 per
license. Which is one heck of a deal.

 

Hi Bill,

Even if I keep in mind the act you like to have spares, I wonder why you
need three of those EEE PC (in addition to zillions others!) I will not
fail to discover once I am back in the US next week ...

The key in choosing a machine is determining with a reasonable degree of
certainty one's needs. Although Barry's points are mostly valid for
computer enthusiasts, they fail to take into account the fact that lots
of people could not care less about anything other than browsing,
emails, and a few games, and absolutely do not want in a computer
anything else than a machine which does reliably and simply what they
want. From what I read, EEE PCs seem to fit their needs, and the
corresponding market is probably vastly underestimated, especially in
less developed countries.

I just wish someone had had the genius to recognize the same need in
terms of OS. MS has clearly failed to understand this need. Linux has
kept us hoping for decades ... If someone had, those machines we are
using today which gobble a huge amount of energy and resources before
they have accomplished anything would be dinosaurs.

Regards

 

In John Doue typed on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:42:09 GMT:

Hi John! Well a lot of people believe they need a lot of memory and lots of
CPU power. I believe *most* people doesn't need as much as they think they
do. And most of the computers I see which are really slow, it is usually do
to malware and/or tons of software starting up when booted. And if unless
you like that sort of stuff running on your computer, you don't need a super
computer.

Remember, I want all of my computers to last forever. Although buying
expensive computers isn't really a good buy at all IMHO. The cheaper the
better as long as they will last is a very good buy IMHO. Hardware is always
getting better and better all of the time and spending lots now is never a
good buy. But buying the cheapest you can get by with for now and knowing
that you will buy cheap and often is the best way to go. The difference
between Barry and I, is he thinks *most* needs more than I think they do.

Throughout the history of computers, hardware always had to play catch up
with software. Although for the first time in history, software is in a bit
of trouble. As 64-bit and Vista is having compatibility problems and yet
hardware is still moving forward.

Asus in their wisdom saw a need for low cost and low end hardware that has
WiFi built in with support up to 2GB of RAM. And they made it light and
rugged. You can hold it in one hand and use the touchpad with the other just
like a PDA. Although you don't need a table, lap or anything. Far better
than any PDA I ever used. Yet it will run the same applications that my
desktops and laptops can. Just amazing!

Now I believe Microsoft has made a lot of mistakes in the past and now.
Although I don't follow you when you say "I just wish someone had had the
genius to recognize the same need in terms of OS." As I have seen many OS
come and go in my time and MS has done the best out of all of them. That is
why they are still around. Now they really blew it with Bob, ME, and now
Vista IMHO. But the best OS they ever developed was Windows XP (I didn't
switch over to XP until 2006). It came out in 2002 and I think it will be
around still in 2012. I am not sure how they are going to top that one
really.

As far as Linux, I totally agree with you. But this is the best time for
Linux really. As hardware is doing a great job of keeping up with software.
And Linux has the greatest chance in history to take over the MS market
place. Although MS does a great job when they might become the underdog. And
I have no doubt when the going gets tough, MS can pull it off. They have in
the past and I think they will continue to do so.

Why three EEE PCs? LOL well the deals are getting better and can get better
deals and upgrade for far less money than I originally spent. Remember buy
cheap and often.

 

Agree!

I even wonder if the eePC can be used for other "out of
box" things such as media server for big screen TV in
front room?

Dies the eePC have enough ports to hook up to big LCD
TV and strong enough wifi to "pull" video and audio
files off main desktop PC in other room?

 

Bill I agree with everything you say in your post!

People really don't NEED as much hardware as they
think.

Instead it better to use fast, small, efficient "code"
in my opinion

However, I'm guilty of buying more PC as well. <sigh>

Looking back I really wish id bought an eePC rather
than this nice Thinkpad I have. Don't get me wrong,
Think pad is nice.... BUT smaller is better when it
comes to carrying convenience and even this 14" laptop
is like hauling a brick around1

 

Looks like that Bill makes up in quantity what he does not buy in top
performance equipment :=).

Then, if you have regrets, give me your TP, I'll buy you an EE PC! I do
see your point, especially during my long-haul flights and while going
thru security check points. However, once I get to my destination, I
have no regrets having lugged along my R51 (15.1 display) since I
usually spend most of time working on it while away.

I fully agree with your statement about people's need for hardware. But
the same goes for cars (how long did it take for people to realize how
stupid, wasteful and expensive it was to buy huge moving blocks like
SUV's?), kitchen equipment, TV and the list goes on.

Regards

 

Try playing a CD/DVD, that is also why those stupid MAC air things are
useless as well if you need to do anything other than the basics..

 

Firefox 3.0 has apparently fixed the memory leaks, we use Seamony at work
and I see liitle difference in performance.

 

In typed on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:08:31 -0500:

Yes you can use it as a media server and the WiFi is an Atheros AR5007EG.
With antenna wires running through the top lid. And it works just as well as
any other built in WiFi I ever used. And it plugs into the motherboard
through an PCI-e slot.

 

In typed on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:08:32 -0500:

Yes Thinkpads are great machines. And yes the EEE PC are very small and are
no big deal to haul around. It is the most portable laptop I have ever used.