oh, well ...you got a Dell [notebook]
My mom had mentioned a week or two ago that she was having some problems with her Dell notebook. She wondered if I could take a look at it.
While visiting yesterday, I did just that.
Both hinges on the Dell notebook computer were broken; a flat, plastic-tape encased, multiconductor, ribbon cable looked compromised/damaged; and wide copper strips that went through the hinge area area dimpled with a couple one half centimeter in diamter and 1-2 mm deep depressions.
All of this was exposed to the eye.
How old was the notebook?
About 6 years old.
How much did the notebook cost to buy?
Thousands of dollars?
What
A worn-out hinge.
I do not know about you, but to me, it seems rather silly that what what ultimately ends the life of an expensive computer system is something like a hinge.
I generally recommend that people who plan to only use their computer at home, generally in the same spot, do not get a notebook computer.
The parts cost more, the system has less capacity, has more weird ways to fail (try to even find a hinge on your desktop computer sometime), and probably has a weaker Wi-Fi receiver than a desktop computer. Batteries have to be replaced every 3-5 years because they wear out too. And, let us not overlook the obvious: their keyboard's suck!
Notebooks probably have even more problems that I have not mentioned.
My point is this: if you really do cruise coffee shops regularly with your notebook, go visit clients and show them your portfolio or work you have done for them, do sales/tech/marketing/tradeshow presentations, or are a student working on a 4-year degree - then, okay, yeah - you are probably
But if you are not one of those things and maybe just want to use your computer in a different room of the same house a couple of times per year - do not buy a notebook.
By not buying a notebook you will save money on the purchase price of your system, slash the price your extended warranty/support contract in half and at the same time extend its lifetime, get a computer with a slightly longer life, have a much nicer keyboard, enjoy faster-running software on a computer with more memory and disk capacity, have an easier time getting upgrades, get cheaper upgrades.
Yes, there are trade-offs. For most people, everything goes in favor of buying a desktop computer.
For everyone else, it is obvious your lifestyle/vocation demands you need a notebook so do not sweat it. Buy the notebook and accept its shortcomings/expenses. You can always buy an inexpensive Linux/Windows/Macintosh computer to keep on your desk at home or the office so you do not expose your notebook to excessive
Like opening and closing it.
You probably thought I was going to make a nasty crack about Dell. Not so. This time the lesson learned is avoid notebook computers if you do not really need them, and beware that they are not as durable/powerful/affordable as their desktop-bound big brothers.
So-called desktop computers these days weigh only a few times more than notebook computers. Gone are the days where you had a carry a 30 pound CRT screen around. Now you have a light-weight LCD screen.
Computers now weigh only 10-20 pounds and are very small compared to what was being sold 5-20 years ago. You can lift one and move it because, unless you are a little kid, they do not weigh much more than your two arms.
Personally, I would not move a desktop computer around every day or every week, even. But, just do not buy a notebook computer because every once and a while you will want to use your computer in a different room.
My mother's new computer is an iMac with a 20-inch LCD screen. It is fast and has a gigabyte of memory in it. The keyboard is wonderful and she has 3 available USB jacks, not counting the ones used by the mouse and keyboard.
For most people, that iMac is the kind of computer you should be looking at for your home or office.
One more thing, as Steve Jobs often says.
You have read about all those reports in the news for the past year where a notebook computer containing valuable, sensitive, private information was stolen out of someone's home/car/office, right?
When was the last time you heard a national news report of someone's desktop computer being stolen?
Think about it.
While visiting yesterday, I did just that.
Both hinges on the Dell notebook computer were broken; a flat, plastic-tape encased, multiconductor, ribbon cable looked compromised/damaged; and wide copper strips that went through the hinge area area dimpled with a couple one half centimeter in diamter and 1-2 mm deep depressions.
All of this was exposed to the eye.
How old was the notebook?
About 6 years old.
How much did the notebook cost to buy?
Thousands of dollars?
What
took it out, as they say?
A worn-out hinge.
I do not know about you, but to me, it seems rather silly that what what ultimately ends the life of an expensive computer system is something like a hinge.
I generally recommend that people who plan to only use their computer at home, generally in the same spot, do not get a notebook computer.
The parts cost more, the system has less capacity, has more weird ways to fail (try to even find a hinge on your desktop computer sometime), and probably has a weaker Wi-Fi receiver than a desktop computer. Batteries have to be replaced every 3-5 years because they wear out too. And, let us not overlook the obvious: their keyboard's suck!
Notebooks probably have even more problems that I have not mentioned.
My point is this: if you really do cruise coffee shops regularly with your notebook, go visit clients and show them your portfolio or work you have done for them, do sales/tech/marketing/tradeshow presentations, or are a student working on a 4-year degree - then, okay, yeah - you are probably
notebook guy(or gal).
But if you are not one of those things and maybe just want to use your computer in a different room of the same house a couple of times per year - do not buy a notebook.
By not buying a notebook you will save money on the purchase price of your system, slash the price your extended warranty/support contract in half and at the same time extend its lifetime, get a computer with a slightly longer life, have a much nicer keyboard, enjoy faster-running software on a computer with more memory and disk capacity, have an easier time getting upgrades, get cheaper upgrades.
Yes, there are trade-offs. For most people, everything goes in favor of buying a desktop computer.
For everyone else, it is obvious your lifestyle/vocation demands you need a notebook so do not sweat it. Buy the notebook and accept its shortcomings/expenses. You can always buy an inexpensive Linux/Windows/Macintosh computer to keep on your desk at home or the office so you do not expose your notebook to excessive
stress.
Like opening and closing it.
You probably thought I was going to make a nasty crack about Dell. Not so. This time the lesson learned is avoid notebook computers if you do not really need them, and beware that they are not as durable/powerful/affordable as their desktop-bound big brothers.
So-called desktop computers these days weigh only a few times more than notebook computers. Gone are the days where you had a carry a 30 pound CRT screen around. Now you have a light-weight LCD screen.
Computers now weigh only 10-20 pounds and are very small compared to what was being sold 5-20 years ago. You can lift one and move it because, unless you are a little kid, they do not weigh much more than your two arms.
Personally, I would not move a desktop computer around every day or every week, even. But, just do not buy a notebook computer because every once and a while you will want to use your computer in a different room.
My mother's new computer is an iMac with a 20-inch LCD screen. It is fast and has a gigabyte of memory in it. The keyboard is wonderful and she has 3 available USB jacks, not counting the ones used by the mouse and keyboard.
For most people, that iMac is the kind of computer you should be looking at for your home or office.
One more thing, as Steve Jobs often says.
You have read about all those reports in the news for the past year where a notebook computer containing valuable, sensitive, private information was stolen out of someone's home/car/office, right?
When was the last time you heard a national news report of someone's desktop computer being stolen?
Think about it.
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macintosh, apple, dell
posted by John Collins | 11:54 AM
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