Question:
Looking for a nice machine, wide screen, big keyboard, 2GB
memory, 250GB disk, nice sound.
Warranty and service availability important, will be in
Europe a lot.
Leaning strongly to HP/Compaq, maybe Dell or IBM, no Acers
please.
Would prefer Linux/Windows dual boot config. Should I avoid
Vista?
Answer:
Nobody can avoid Vista as it is the only system offered by Microsoft today,
wake up a bit. One can still get a copy of XP but only until the store
shelves empty like all earlier models have come and gone every three years
or so. No mainstream builder offer it as it's part of the multi volume
license agreement with Microsoft. I got Vista ultimate in my machine and I
have yet to have a real issue. My guess is your not good with your machine
and using the 64 bit in a 32 bit machine or something. Mine isn't slower nor
is it faster as the action of a button click happens before my finger leaves
the button, that is plenty fast enough for anyone. Right now the only
drawback to using Vista is there is not many software packages able to use
the OS to its fullest but in a few years that will come. Some programs of
the very old type might not work as the drivers for the hardware are not
being written as some companies have gone out of business. Remember those
windows 95 and 3.1 programs and they wouldn't run on XP along with cards
that were no longer around.
Panasonic Toughbooks are the most expensive laptops on Earth because they
are tough and used in police cruisers, tanks, ships and oil field operations
where money is not an issue. The cheapest one you can get in Canada is one
penny of $3,700.00 and it a medium quality machine (1.8GHz w 2MB cache
677MHz FSB/ 80GB HDD/ 13.3" touchscreen that's dim/ 128MB on board video/
9hr battery life with small dim screen) that DeLL only sells for around a
thirteen hundred bucks with better warranty. They are so hard to sell that
if you find one I bet it's so old that it has XP still in it to boot. Try
get Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.) to warranty anything. I
never had any luck on my car stereo.
Yeh get a business class DeLL and drop it on a foot and see how it breaks
the foot. My C600 has fallen a few times with no issues and dam well hurt
when it landed on my workboot. I use that one in my hanger though so it get
a bit of abuse. What would you need such ruggedness for in a laptop if I
might ask.
Owww ouch... sorry to hear that I think the furthest mine ever fell was from
an engine nacelle on a lower port engine on a Boeing 727 at work about 12
ft.. I still got three white scratch marks on the lid and one DVD drive had
to be replaced but other than that she was fine.
You should check out DeLL's Latitude ATG if you want kick ass machine that
takes shit and what ever shit it woun't take they will replace it. Check out
the warranty on this machine it just unreal for a computer. Right now I'm in
my hanger typing to you on a DeLL C600 Latitude the same family of machines
it just mine's a few years old. Going strong even after all the years of
shit and abuse I gave it over the years.
