Better Than Consumer Reports - Laptop Buying Guide And Shopping Notes

Laptop Buying Guide - Better Than Consumer Reports...


Video provided by - techtomorrow

.........................................................................................................................................


Here are just a few notes I was working on while researching the Top Ten computers of 2012.

And, as I was creating this list, it dawned on me that - REALLY - there is no single "top ten" list of computers that could satisfy all users because of price range, use, features, size, etc. Think about it. If you're a mom (or dad) and all you do with your computer is pay bills online, type, Skype, check emails, and surf the Net to research products you're interested in buying, why would you care about ten computers or even eight computers that are over your budget and aimed towards business moguls, music producers, and gamers?

So, I'm going to do a little more exploring before I create a top ten list of anything.

And, now for the notes!

WARNING:
Before you buy a computer, remember that processor makes a huge difference. There are some processors out there adequate for light duty, but there are also some processors out there that are shitty as hell and ain't worth a butt-naked nickel. Make sure to do your due diligence of research and testing before you buy. And if that processor ain't worth a crap, take it back.

Now... Consider your computer habits.

What's your Primary Use? By the way, numbers in parentheses list the minimum gigabytes you should want without having to hook-up an external drive. Solid State Drive computers are the exception since they're pound-for-pound faster than a hard drive (HDD) computer. Right now, a lot of the solid state drive computers start off with 128 gb drives. But, you can always add more. In most cases, you will find MORE horsepower and trunk space than what I have listed - unless you buy your computer used or receive a blessing from a friend. And, remember! The processor is important if you hate lag time and stalling.

Anyway...

Light Duty (1gb RAM/120gb HDD) - Surfing the Net; Checking emails; Skype; Typing; Writing; Reading, Research, Creating spreadsheets; Uploading and saving pictures; Creating flyers, business cards, forms, Downloading small files/apps; Storing small files (resume; letters; emails; notes), Watching Videos and movies; Listening to music

Medium Duty (2-4gb RAM/250gb HDD) - Lot of travel; Fast and easy Internet Connections; Quick-start-up and response times; Streaming movies and Video; Downloading 100+ MB size files; Mobile Wireless Reception Important; Watching TV or Movies

Heavy Duty (4-6gb RAM/500-750gb HDD) - Creating and Editing Videos; Creating and Editing Music; Simple to Medium Video Games; Graphic Arts and Design; DJaying; Linked to Company System

Super Duty (8gb RAM and up/1tb (terabyte) HDD): Extreme PC Gaming Software; Video Studio; Music Studio; Movie Production

Also consider Routine Maintenance: 

Defragmenting

Disk Clean-up

Updates (Updates have made me thoroughly sick and tired of getting free software stuffs. I'm so sick and tired of updates that I wish I had an update that would block the need for all those updates forever. Luckily, you can turn automatic updates off and on. The more software you install, the more "update" maintenance your computer will require. This is not a very bad thing, but the process can be annoying sometimes.

Dusting (If you keep your computer in a bag, you probably won't have to do as much dusting - but, it still depends on how long you use it.)

Working Environment:

Bedroom (desk), Bedroom (bed), Couch, Lobbies, Plane, Table, School, Home, Work, Wherever you can find a spot

- No matter what your laptop computer habits are, size and weight are important factors because of pricing and mobility. If you travel a lot, you might not want to lug around a big six pound 17 inch screen computer. You might want to go with a 14 inch or lower - and, save yourself money and the extra burden. Even if you don't mind the "workout", simply trying to fit the other stuff you need inside of your bag (without scratching up your computer) is a hassle.

Fifteen inch laptops are probably the most versatile because you get a size screen for viewing, the keyboard is the ideal size, and it's not as bulky as a 17 inch laptop. But, still be aware of the weight because some of those 15 inch laptops are also heavy as hell.

- Here, the running temperature of the computer is important. You don't want a hot computer on your lap. It's just uncomfortable. You can buy cooling pads but most are not shaped to rest on your lap. Cooling pads also add to the weight of the computer. Cooling pads are also great for keeping your computer cool and operating at optimum performance.


- Battery life should also be a major concern here - especially if you travel a lot with your computer and have to use it a lot. Invest in a second battery rather than hoping you'll get lucky and find a power source - unless you know the places you frequent have power supplies readily available to you.

- Mobile Internet Service pricing should be a concern if you need to (or want to) stay "connected". WiFi or Super WiFi is great if it's available. But, some places restrict logging on to certain sites. Some WiFi owners don't allow others to "piggy-back" on their WiFi without authorization, so you might end up paying 25 to 50 dollars a month for mobile wireless. I pay $50 a month for Clearwire "unlimited". They are now running specials at $35 per month. The connection time and Internet speed sucked like hell until I upgraded my Ram Memory. So, even if you get a low-budget or "light-duty" computer, consider upgrading the Ram. I get a little lag with large files (on my Acer Netbook), but now, I NEVER have an issue connecting or staying connected.

Warranty, Guarantees, and Service

- Check references.
- Read reviews
- Be aware of the return policy so that you can take that crap back to the store as soon as it starts acting up.

And, be prepared to contact the CEO or district manager if you can't get no satisfaction.

Well, I had more notes, but it looks like I got a little carried away so, I'll save the rest for later.

In the meantime, check out some of the reviews on the Web AND find out which laptops/ notebooks are the "best selling laptops" or "best selling notebooks" right now. That will definitely give you some ideas of what to buy.

Let me take this moment to say "Damn Best Buy" and "Damn Toshiba"...

My Toshiba Satellite is out of commission Again!

In fact, it's laying over there in my "dirty clothes" basket as I'm blogging...

Don't even ask me what the problem with it is. All I can say is "piss on that piece of crap" for right now. I don't have time to fool with it. I have a four-day weekend and I have to kill weeds and grass, fight and exterminate cockroaches, clean my room, and figure out a way to make a million dollars so I won't have to go back to work on Wednesday. So, Piss On That PC.

Anyway...

I've been on a quest to find a newer better laptop. But, I'll talk about that later. Right now, check out these tips and tricks (if you don't already know about them) and relieve yourself of some undue stress.

If you're already using these "basic tricks" to improve the performance of your computer, then just hold tight and stay tuned for the next post: "Checkin' Out The Computers And Hot Booty In WalMart".

And, did I mention that I upgraded the RAM in this little Aspire One? If I haven't, that's something else we'll have to discuss. I'm feeling good about it.

And, if You haven't upgraded yet, do it. If nothing else, it will stop that aggravating "low on virtual memory" bubble and give you piece of mind. You'll be glad you did and the Great Cyber Gods will bless you for doing it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How To Speed Up Windows 7 (Tips and Tricks)

(If you don't see the video, click on this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMIr_-daxAs&feature=related )



Video provided by - technologycrazy

Peddle To The Medal - Ram Memory Test

If you've ever thought about adding more Ram memory to your computer but have been on the fence about whether or not you should get it because you weren't sure if it was a real benefit or if you were capable of installing it, then stop waffling and debating with yourself about it. Get it.

Last night, I upgraded my Toshiba Satellite from a 4GB Ram system to an 8GB Ram system by installing two 4GB Ram modules in that bad boy. And it only took me about two minutes! And that included opening the packages! 

Now, some installations require a little more work, but after reading some of the forums and comments online, I've come to realize that there are a bunch of damn amateurs out there installing Ram modules and telling other people how to do it! lol. Everybody's a computer pro these days. Hell, look at me! I'm an amateur and I'm telling You how easy it is.

But, it's true. It was easy as pie.

And, you can do it too. Just go online and research "how to install ram memory" in your particular computer. I'm sure somebody has a video. Also, you can google "how to install ram memory" in your computer and find some how-to info that way.

I went on YouTube days before and watched a few videos on how to install the modules, so that helped. Plus, I made sure I had the right tools (a Phillips screwdriver) ahead of time and handy so I wouldn't stress myself out hunting for "something that might work" as a makeshift tool.

Anyway, after I got the modules installed and the system up and running again, I didn't really notice a major difference as far as speed was concerned.

But, after loading a multitude of apps which included two video programs, MS Paint, twelve webpages, Solitaire, a word processor, the calculator, some pics, various YouTube videos, and saving a 1.35 GB file in under 10 minutes, I could see the difference.

There was no lag or hesitation at all. No pop-ups warning me that I was low on memory. No crashes or anything.The system ran smooth. And, I didn't even touch the virtual memory!

And, I should've kept my hands off of it. But, I couldn't resist.

According to Microsoft, if you have a PC (I'm not sure on the Mac), your virtual memory should be set to one and a half times whatever your Ram is.

2gb Ram = 3000mb virtual memory
4gb Ram = 6000mb virtual memory
6gb Ram = 9000mb virtual memory
8gb Ram = 120000mb virtual memory

etc.

Hell, although I now have 8 gigabytes of Ram, I tried everything.

I went all the way down to 2000mb (2 GBs of virtual memory) and as high as 12000 megabytes (the proper setting) but, I settled for something in between. I'm not tellin' you what it is until I've had a chance to test drive the settings a little more but it seems to work fine.

In fact, so far, it works just as well as what I had it set on before the upgrade and better than the setting suggested by Microsoft - which allowed the Roxio program to freeze my system. I had to unplug and remove the battery to get going again.

Right now, I have six YouTube videos playing, a streaming app (Scottrade), MS Paint, and this blog, and there is stuttering only on one of the videos. It's playing faster than my system can load it. But, it's still a lot better than what I'm used to on my Acer or Dell.

Normally, I don't watch six videos at a time. This is just a test.

There are other ways to test the Ram which may include downloading some software online but I'm not putting that crap on my computer just yet. As long as it does what I need and want it to do, I'm satisfied. If not, I'll find something else to boost performance.

 Anyway... get the Ram modules. I think you'll be glad you did.

Hyperspace jump

Video provided by - SHISCO1
 

About Me - My Computer Habits and Interests

I hate these "About Me" pages... But, I think in this case, it might behoove you to know that I'm no expert when it comes to computer use or upgrading so, you won't get a lot of "Professional" technical advice from me. And, this is the first Toshiba I've ever owned, so I don't have a lot of tips and tricks to share with you in order to help you "pimp" or "trick-out" your computer so that it will look better, run faster, or make your life more efficient...

"Well, why in the hell am I on this stinkin' blog then?"

Well, hold on a minute and I'll tell you. Just relax and settle down...

This blog will benefit you because you will be getting the opinions and suggestions of an "average" (or intermediate) user and this will help you choose your next Cyberspace vehicle with care and precision.

I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did when I bought my first laptop computer which was a refurbished Compaq Presario that was only good for checking emails and typing letters. I got the computer cheap, but I could've put another hundred bucks to the money I spent and got a brand new computer with more horsepower (2 GBs of Ram) and a larger trunk space (320 GBs of Memory). But, I didn't know any better and I ended up with THAT piece of crap.

That Compaq probably only had 7 GBs of memory. Later, I bought a secondhand Dell Latitude D800 with a 40 GB hard drive (and I still have it) but the memory kept filling up quick and slowing me down since I save a lot of articles, pics, and have uploaded a lot of my music now - not to mention that the Dell was heavy as hell and crushed my pancreas whenever I was lying in bed surfing the Net.

But, I was dumb as hell and just wanted a laptop so I could "go mobile".

I didn't have an Iphone, Droid, tablet, or any of those fancy gadgets at the time - and, couldn't afford any of that stuff - so, I just wanted a laptop I could take with me to do research and work on my book whenever I had spare time. I didn't plan on my other interests being a factor in my purchases.

Don't ask about the book. It sucked like hell. And, I never finished revising it or editing it and I've moved on with my life.

These days, I enjoy surfing the Internet - researching and looking for useless information. I'm also a YouTube addict. I love surfing YouTube and watching music videos and "how-to" videos on personal development, spiritual development, and everything else. Sometimes, I might spend more than 18 hours on YouTube in a single day.

I used to play a lot of online poker and I may get back into that one day. I just hate to be obligated to spend $20 per month for the service right now. But, in the future, I'll need a computer that won't continuously freeze on me while I'm playing online like my old Compaq used to do. My Dell Latitude used to freeze up also, bu never as much as the Compaq.

I also have two Kodak PlaySport video cameras and I like taking pictures and making short videos of friends, events, and random things (like uptown Charlotte and plants and things) so, I definitely need a computer that can handle photo and video editing.

Every once and a while someone will need me to make a flyer or design something (or I'll get a bright idea to design something) so I need an "office" suite also.

And, of course, I watch DVDs and streaming video.

Most of the time, I'm using my computer while in bed but sometimes I put it on the coffee table or in the kitchen and watch a movie or videos while I'm cooking, eating, cleaning, or just chillin', so I a computer with long battery life is a plus. I don't like carrying power cords everywhere I go.

And, I don't know if I'm ever going to be an online gamer or not but I'll share that experience with you too if I decide to join "Need For Speed World". I'm interested in other computer games but Need For Speed Underground is by far my favorite.

So, those are my computer habits and interests. And, I like high-speed computers with a lot of memory.

Anyway...

Read this blog. Don't throw away your hard-earned money like I did. Don't buy these junk computers or waste your money on hardware and crap you don't need or get involved with these stores that don't give a damn about giving you good customer service. Let me be the guinea pig and do the research and sacrifice so you won't suffer the frustrations of dealing with the crap and headaches out there that other folks are going through. You already have enough to deal with everyday and your time is too valuable to waste chasing computers. 

Besides, I work in retail, I'm an Aries, and I don't owe anybody anything, so any "battle" or opposition that comes my way makes no difference to me.

The most important thing you should know is this: My first major laptop purchase is this Toshiba Satellite ,which I'm using right now, and most of my initial posts will be centered around my experiences with it. So, if you're thinking about an "entry level" computer - or, not sure if you should buy a Toshiba Satellite - then this blog with definitely help you in your decision.