I mentioned a while back that I?d been looking at getting a new laptop, but with so much choice on the market I wasn?t quite sure where to go and what to buy. I use my current laptop for everything but it?s now quite low-end and I?m getting quite a few problems with it, so a new PC is in order, but the thing is that as laptops aren?t really made to be upgraded, I know I?d just have to invest in a new one as time went by and the specs were superseded by better technology and the programmes I use need more power to run.
Laptops are cool, but if I?m being honest, I use mine mostly indoors (partly due to its crap battery life), and because of this do I really need a laptop? If I want a very powerful laptop I will have to pay a fair bit so what?s stopping me just getting a new desktop PC? I guess part of it is that they?re not trendy enough, but my hand has been forced and I am now in possession of a fairly good PC.
Back in the day, I used to build PCs, and was always tinkering and upgrading, but as mentioned this isn?t really possible with laptops as space is at a premium and parts are quite expensive or hard to get hold of. Tom works in IT and mentioned that his office had been upgrading and were getting rid of some PCs and wondered if I wanted one?.. and yesterday he dropped around a Dell Optiplex GX280, which is around three years old. It?s got a 3.0GHz Pentium 4 processor, which is more than I could ever get in a laptop (mine is currently 1.13Ghz) which is the important bit, and came with 512MB RAM and a 40gig HDD.
I need more RAM and a larger HDD, and so I?ve ordered 2gig RAM and a 500gig SATA HDD off ebuyer and will be pimpin? up the machine hopefully by the end of the week. It?s all pretty easy to do, and so after transferring some files and installing new programmes I?ll be a desktop PC owner again and will pack the dodgy laptop away.
If all goes well I?ll be buying a new 19? TFT monitor too?.. woo hoo!
Cheers Tom.
It?s always helpful when you know people in IT isn?t it!
.
Good idea, though, with regards the upgrade. It certainly sounds like it will be much more powerful then your current laptop!
laptops are only really suitable for people who want to look cool or travelling businessmen. You?re not really either so I wouldn?t worry about that. Boxes are cool.
Still, I?m saying this from my laptop (the box is humming away in the lounge) which I guess is pretty low end these days; 1.4ghz, 512ram, 80gb hd. It used to really drag but I injected some new life into it by switching to ubuntu. Whips along nicely now
I was about to mention doing something with a perfectly functional, albeit outdated computer.
Ubuntu Linux is one of the best things to do for a second PC. Linux doesn?t need anywhere near the power that windows does.
Whereas I?ve been thinking about getting a second laptop (the one I?m using now I bought for my husband) and donating my desktop to a charitable organization. Though- like you- I only use the computer indoors, my desktop is in an isolated part of the house and I?d rather have more mobility. I put my Microsoft Office software on it because I didn?t want to eat up all of the space on my husband?s laptop, but I?d rather be able to use the program wherever I feel like working on projects.
Cheers to Tom for giving you this one! :0)
It feels like Christmas!! I?m waiting now for the parts to get delivered and then I can play!
I think I?m going to do what Aidan?s done, and have a dual boot between Windows and Ubuntu.
That way I can have a proper play and get to grips with Ubuntu but I still know Football Manager will work!
Cool, good to see you trying Ubuntu.
If I am perfectly honest I have been using Windows an awful lot over the past few weeks? Not sure why though lol.
Oh and it is extremely important that FM works. Where would any football fan be without that!?!
And the new version is out next month too!
I changed from a PC to a Laptop which to be honest short term has been a big mistake. I had visions of rejoining the family in front of the tele.
But the ambience is all wrong, I?m just frightend that any day know Mrs Me will want to know what the hell I?m upto and stop me blogging.
I?m using both laptop and PC which
is not ideal.