Time for a new laptop. Maybe...

[Singh]

I just got another business machine, a Dell Latitude with Windows 10 Pro.

I never get civilian laptops. Get a business machine; Better made and no bloatware.

[Grant Lamontagne]

My previous laptop was a Dell Vostro 1000 and it was a business machine.  I agree- there was no bloat on it at all.

Def

[jzmtl]

The ones you get from MS store has no bloat, except the ones that comes with windows.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Nice one!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's that time boys and girls.  My laptop had an unfortunate incident earlier today and surprisingly is nonfunctional after my fist went through the keyboard.

It actually functions well enough, but there's no keyboard and the monitor is having issues, so I figure by the time I get a new keyboard, get a new screen and replace the hard drive I have been wanting to replace with an SSD.... well... I might as well have just bought a new machine.  So that's what I'm going to do is buy a new machine.

I'm hoping to keep it under $500 mostly because I really don't even have that much to spend, but I really can't be without a computer for any length of time.

Any other info not already posted in this thread that I should keep in mind when looking for a new machine?

Def

[derekmac]

You're not supposed to practice your ninja skills while near anything delicate.

Keep an eye on the flyers, and you'll be able to grab something decent for under $500.

[Tomcat_81]

Don't believe all that sensational news about IBM finally converting to apple products because they're sooooo much cheaper on the long run.
First check, why IBM would announce something like that.
Brave new world.

[Grant Lamontagne]

WI hasn't even heard that so I doubt I'll believe it. 

Def

[raistlin65]

Keep an eye on the flyers, and you'll be able to grab something decent for under $500.

Is there a Canadian equivalent of Fat Wallet or Slickdeals? That's how I always find the best laptop deals.

[Grant Lamontagne]

If there is, I've never heard of them.

Def

[chrono]

Do you have a Costco nearby? I love their 90-day return policy for electronic stuffs. Not to mention the holiday season is approaching, so more sale and enough time for you to swap machines if you don't like.

[ryan1835]

It's that time boys and girls.  My laptop had an unfortunate incident earlier today and surprisingly is nonfunctional after my fist went through the keyboard.

It actually functions well enough, but there's no keyboard and the monitor is having issues, so I figure by the time I get a new keyboard, get a new screen and replace the hard drive I have been wanting to replace with an SSD.... well... I might as well have just bought a new machine.  So that's what I'm going to do is buy a new machine.

I'm hoping to keep it under $500 mostly because I really don't even have that much to spend, but I really can't be without a computer for any length of time.

Any other info not already posted in this thread that I should keep in mind when looking for a new machine?

Def

i wonder how much second hand toughbooks are  i had one at my old job and and an engineer ran his over in his van and it was fine

[dks]

make sure the its colour matches the colour of your eyes 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Do you have a Costco nearby? I love their 90-day return policy for electronic stuffs. Not to mention the holiday season is approaching, so more sale and enough time for you to swap machines if you don't like.

There are three of them within a 15 minute drive of my house.  I have been thinking of checking them out and seeing what they have.  Anything I get I will keep, even i it isn't the right thing.  I only return things if they are broken.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's that time boys and girls.  My laptop had an unfortunate incident earlier today and surprisingly is nonfunctional after my fist went through the keyboard.

It actually functions well enough, but there's no keyboard and the monitor is having issues, so I figure by the time I get a new keyboard, get a new screen and replace the hard drive I have been wanting to replace with an SSD.... well... I might as well have just bought a new machine.  So that's what I'm going to do is buy a new machine.

I'm hoping to keep it under $500 mostly because I really don't even have that much to spend, but I really can't be without a computer for any length of time.

Any other info not already posted in this thread that I should keep in mind when looking for a new machine?

Def

i wonder how much second hand toughbooks are  i had one at my old job and and an engineer ran his over in his van and it was fine

I love the idea of a Tough Book, but they aren't cheap, even second hand.  I can destroy a lot of regular laptops before I come close to the price of a Tough Book.

Laptops are actually a decent investment for me.  I usually get at least 5 years out of them.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

make sure the its colour matches the colour of your eyes

Funny you should mention that- color is a bit of a thing for me.  Usually with most things I don't really care, but I can't type properly.  I hunt and peck as fast as most people type, but I do it while looking at the keyboard.  If it's dark and the keyboard/body of the computer is also black then I have a problem typing.  I actually have a gooseneck LED light somewhere that I had bought for my old Dell for just that reason.

So, while it may not need to match my eyes, the keyboard needs to be silver or white or backlit.

Def

[Whoey]

I'm also hunt and peck for the most part, but I don't need to look at the keys as much these days.

That being said I can't imagine life without a backlit keyboard. I love my g15 on my desktop, and my lenovo laptop also has backlighting.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think I am going to try and use my HP Split for a bit and maybe pick up a laptop closer to Christmas or after when everything is on sale.

Assuming this poor little machine is up to the task.  It is remarkably underpowered. 

Def

[16VGTIDave]

But it was cheap, right?...

[Grant Lamontagne]

It was indeed. It didn't cost me a thing.

Def

[jzmtl]

If there is, I've never heard of them.

Def

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/hot-deals-f9/?c=5120

Don't think now is a good time to buy though, sorta between the back to school and black Friday/Christmas sale season.

[sLaughterMed]

Grant, since you are looking at a completly new Laptop here is my suggestion:

Whatever you do, don't buy a laptop with an SSD preinstalled. There is a massive markup on laptops with fairly unimpressivly sized SSDs. My suggestion is to find a laptop with a large HDD (1TB is pretty standard nowadays, and cheap), and a removable (by disassembling the laptop) Optical drive. Replace the Optical Drive with a Hard Drive Caddy and SSD, and install Windows to the SSD using a USB installation media (use the copy of Windows your computer comes with to create the installation media. This gives you a fresh install, without the extra bloat that most laptops come with). You might have to play with the boot order to format the HDD without completely removing it. But with both the SSD (for your OS, and important programs), and the HDD (for general file storage), you get the best of both worlds.

I realize now that i've written this that it's probably more involved than you might want.... I promise it isn't as hard as it seems. I'll even send you some links to some how-to's if you are interested.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That does seem a bit involved, but I could probably manage it.  I noticed that many of the laptops I was looking at with SSD's had remarkably small ones.

I have to say though, this teeny laptop-ette that I have been using is somewhat more functional than I had originally expected.

Def

[Whoey]

just a guess but there's likely to be more hybrid drives now? (part SSD and part traditional platter for storage)

[sLaughterMed]

just a guess but there's likely to be more hybrid drives now? (part SSD and part traditional platter for storage)

The problem with those is that he SSD part of the drive tends to be very small, and the drives are still very expensive

[JP]

Go Furbie, ReFurbie

www.dellrefurbished.ca

[JP]

Go Furbie, ReFurbie

www.dellrefurbished.ca

And maybe put it in a hamsters cage so you can still type but the cage roof prevents HammerFist to Keyboard

[jzmtl]

Go Furbie, ReFurbie

www.dellrefurbished.ca

I've looked at those since I need a new desktop, they all come with win7 which already lost mainstream support and will lose all in 4 years, at which time other software makers will abandon it as well. Might have worked when there was free update to win10, but not a good deal now (price wasn't that good for used electronics to begin with).

[Fortytwo]

just a guess but there's likely to be more hybrid drives now? (part SSD and part traditional platter for storage)

The problem with those is that he SSD part of the drive tends to be very small, and the drives are still very expensive

I also heard that it could be problematic if/when it crashes. Supposedly since the way it allocates stuff to either the SSD or the HDD parts makes it much harder to extract info if that becomes necessary.

[Whoey]

everything fails... that's why backups are important.