I've been a happy Pc-er for the last couple years. That is, until a few months ago when my AVG failed me and my pavilion got all virused up... Twice. Ultimately I had to d-ban the poor thing. Since I was only 'mostly sure' I still had the original operating system disks, I have since been using my mom's mac. While I've been slowly getting used to the system (on a casual basis, no work yet, just internet) I still miss the windows format. My old tower is past it's prime, even with a new system. I'm about to become a student in English and am highly discouraged by previous Windows failings. Should I release the ghost and go with the more 'secure' mac? Or stick with my roots? I would like some advice on my next computer purchase. I'm looking for a laptop that can handle a students workload for the next... lets face it, many years, with minimal extras. The only thing it needs, is to be fast. I break things that go slow. I'm not looking to game (much) or download + store music (at all), I just need to research crap at high speed. All suggestions are greatly appreciated. Cheers!
posted by Miss Mitz on Nov 24, 2009 - 39 answers

Will my developer laptop be able to handle the current crop of RPG games? Specs after the jump [more inside]
posted by askmehow on Nov 10, 2009 - 15 answers

Do I 'need' a gaming laptop to play MMOs? [more inside]
posted by Kurichina on Nov 9, 2009 - 9 answers

Trackpad suddenly stopped working - any solutions? [more inside]
posted by IAmBroom on Oct 31, 2009 - 6 answers

My Inspiron 1545 thinks I'm pressing ctrl and I don't know why. [more inside]
posted by Pope Guilty on Oct 27, 2009 - 5 answers

My good friend just purchased a $3k Apple laptop, which she received today. I spent four hours this afternoon installing software and setting it up for her. Once we were all done, and ready to go out and celebrate good times, new laptops, and Friday nights, we high fived, and I shut the laptop gently...with the tiny, clear, flexible, plastic charger cap unknowingly inside. Now the screen is completely cracked, fractalled, damaged, and very sadly colorful. What can I do? [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Oct 24, 2009 - 29 answers

Which Mac laptop should I buy? Needs and specs inside. [more inside]
posted by misha on Oct 20, 2009 - 19 answers

Help me build a laptop puppet [more inside]
posted by Doctor Suarez on Oct 20, 2009 - 2 answers

Is this computer hot? [more inside]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker on Oct 10, 2009 - 12 answers

The hinge on my partner's new unibody MacBook Pro is just-loose-enough to make using it in bed annoying. Solutions, cases or a hack welcomed. [more inside]
posted by lonefrontranger on Sep 19, 2009 - 24 answers

Best time to buy a MacBook Air between now and mid November? Are there any speed bumps or price reductions on the horizon? [more inside]
posted by mosk on Sep 10, 2009 - 15 answers

My four year old Mac PowerBook suddenly (after behaving perfectly for this long!) won't run any programs--won't even open up system preferences or terminal. Help! What should I do？ [more inside]
posted by soviet sleepover on Sep 8, 2009 - 10 answers

I bought a MacBook Pro in June 2007. Since then, its needed a new hard disk drive, right cooling fan, and DVD read/write drive. Is this normal wear and tear? [more inside]
posted by uaudio on Aug 31, 2009 - 38 answers

Quick! I right at this fleeting moment have remote access to a stolen laptop of mine that had logmein installed. what files can i copy over from it that might hold any type of identifying information? i can see that the thief uses firefox, so are there firefox logfiles that would track what websites he's visited, even his online email account or something along those lines? any other useful files anyone can think of that can help me track this guy down? [more inside]
posted by grammalvsu on Aug 24, 2009 - 22 answers

The left CTRL key popped off of my ThinkPad T43, the casualty of a RAM upgrade. The blue nipple seems to have come unglued from both the keyboard and the key. Is it safe to glue onto the keyboard? Googling reveals warnings of not using superglue and using superglue. Would a silicon adhesive be safer? Better?
posted by puckupdate on Aug 18, 2009 - 6 answers

Hardware Filter: Currently a Mac household, with both an iMAc and a macbook (which mainly runs the entertainment unit and comes on the odd holiday). There is a slight chance I will be getting a FIFO job to a pretty extreme part of the world. There should be a reasonable internet connection, but there will be lots of travelling there, and lots of dust once there. Will a Mac laptop hack it, or would I have to consider one of those poncy looking 'hardcore Indiana Jones' shock-proof laptops? I won't be bouncing around in a landrover or anything, just lots of travel, and as I mentioned, the dust.
posted by Megami on Aug 13, 2009 - 11 answers

I recently disassembled my father's laptop to clean the heat sink. After reassembly, I'm now having trouble turning it on. [more inside]
posted by AngryTypingGuy on Aug 9, 2009 - 7 answers

I like small mice and I cannot lie... Help me find the ideal mini mouse for my laptop. (WARNING: Mouse geekery contained within!) [more inside]
posted by agentmunroe on Jul 30, 2009 - 11 answers

What must-have programs do you use on your laptop for work? And travel? [more inside]
posted by raisingsand on Jul 27, 2009 - 26 answers

The hivemind is usually great at this - please help me find or recommend me the perfect laptop replacement for my much loved but dying Acer. [more inside]
posted by tumples on Jul 24, 2009 - 7 answers

I recently logged onto my computer (Windows XP), and it said "profile not found". Help, please! [more inside]
posted by too bad you're not me on Jul 23, 2009 - 6 answers

LaptopSetUpFilter: Between my wife and I, we have two laptops that spend unequal amounts of time in different rooms. We can't seem to figure out a system where laptops and cords and everything else get strung around between two rooms. Advice/personal experiences requested. [more inside]
posted by SNWidget on Jul 23, 2009 - 21 answers

Powerbook G4 won't boot up. I hear the chime, get a gray screen, but NO apple logo or spinning wheel. [more inside]
posted by DiscourseMarker on Jul 20, 2009 - 17 answers

What would make my laptop sporadically lose visibility of all wireless networks? [more inside]
posted by thoughtless on Jul 14, 2009 - 13 answers

How can I get a 12v fan to run off of a USB port? Alternately, how can I make my laptop not overheat and die? [more inside]
posted by Chionophilia on Jul 9, 2009 - 10 answers

Today my laptop's backlight stopped working. The screen is visible, but very dim. I can't repair it immediately (if it's even worth it). Does anyone have any tips for lighting the screen to make it more visible? Shining a penlight didn't seem to help much, because the screen is so reflective. [more inside]
posted by Charmian on Jul 5, 2009 - 11 answers

Which MacBook should I get? [more inside]
posted by joshuaconner on Jun 29, 2009 - 25 answers

Help me replace my laptop (UK) [more inside]
posted by ninebelow on Jun 29, 2009 - 14 answers

Please help me find the best laptops for our teens! Specifics inside. [more inside]
posted by misha on Jun 16, 2009 - 16 answers

Tomorrow I'll list my ACER Aspire 3680 for sale on eBay. I want to be as sure as I can that there the lucky buyer has as little chance as possible of seeing passwords/pics/personal info. Normally, I would just format and do a clean install of XP. But I've moved house and my install disk is one of 19 packing cases stored 2500km away, so that option is out. I've listed what I've already done after the jump, but I'm hoping a more tech-savvy mefite might spot a hole in my erasure efforts. [more inside]
posted by t0astie on May 6, 2009 - 10 answers

Laptop rain cover/bag... does such a thing exist? [more inside]
posted by asterisk on Apr 22, 2009 - 12 answers

Which is better, one 4GB stick, or two 2GB sticks of DDR2 RAM in my Laptop? [more inside]
posted by brenton on Apr 20, 2009 - 8 answers

How do I secure a FireWire ExpressCard/34 that jiggles around inside an ExpressCard 34/54 slot? [more inside]
posted by frenetic on Apr 12, 2009 - 3 answers

Built-in MacBook microphone records an annoying buzzy/overloaded tone on loud vocals- is there a cheap fix? [more inside]
posted by pseudostrabismus on Apr 2, 2009 - 7 answers

Can I run an Intel based Mac application on my PowerPC mac laptop? [more inside]
posted by alice ayres on Mar 30, 2009 - 5 answers

What has caused a sudden failure of my wife's laptop? [more inside]
posted by gene_machine on Mar 23, 2009 - 5 answers

Is there any specific time during the year that laptops or computers seem to be cheaper. I have heard of this occurring when it comes to car prices in the winter (I don't know if even this is true though), and wondered if it applied to computers too. I will be looking to buy a new laptop in the few months post Windows 7 launch, but would wait for a cheaper season.
posted by tumples on Mar 13, 2009 - 12 answers

Weird glitch in Internet Explorer: certain blogspot blogs won't display on one computer only (post wifi browsing session?) [more inside]
posted by nanojath on Feb 2, 2009 - 5 answers

Warranty filter: My HP laptop is covered under an extended warranty for a host of known problems with wireless cards, power issues, etc. Now my laptop is having problems with these issues and HP has authorized me to send it in for free repair. The original a/c adapter was broken and replaced with a generic one. Instructions for returning the laptop say to include the a/c adapter if having problems with the computer starting with battery only (I am). My question: Will returning it with a generic a/c adapter instead of the original one void my warranty and lead to HP not making this free repair? Would it better just to ignore the instructions and NOT include the adapter and hope they will fix it anyway?? Thanks for any light you can shed!!
posted by SweetTeaAndABiscuit on Jan 26, 2009 - 6 answers

I've connected a VGA-cable from my old Packard Bell Easynote (Windows XP) laptop to my Samsung HDTV but it doesn't display anything and the tv detects no input from the computer at all. [more inside]
posted by kampken on Jan 23, 2009 - 8 answers

I have a 5400rpm SATA 3.0Gb/s & 7200rpm SATA 1.5Gb/s drive. Wondering which one to put in a laptop (which one would give better performance, if noticeable). Thanks! [more inside]
posted by Upal on Jan 5, 2009 - 13 answers

HP laptop video card issues filter: Video problem with my HP dv6000 (dv6810us) - artifacts appear then increase while watching Hulu, after 30-45 minutes the computer freezes then restarts. Pausing the video then letting the computer sleep for a couple minutes resolves the issue for another 20 minutes of video watching, then it repeats ... bad integrated video? Bad VRAM? Evil monkey? [more inside]
posted by unclezeb on Dec 29, 2008 - 12 answers

Backing up an HP laptop for the ignorant. Halp? [more inside]
posted by CwgrlUp on Dec 6, 2008 - 7 answers

Should I buy a new laptop battery or a new laptop? [more inside]
posted by bluefly on Nov 15, 2008 - 15 answers

Can I damage my laptop by using a power adapter that has a slightly higher wattage than the original adapter? The original adapter was 65W, and the aftermarket one is 70W. The voltage is switchable. My original adapter had a voltage of 18.5V, this one says that if I need 18.5V, I should choose 18V. Any chance of damaging the computer by using this one? [more inside]
posted by leticia on Nov 13, 2008 - 8 answers

My Lenovo T60p gets very hot at the bottom, under the area where the fan exhaust is. So hot I worry that it might burn something. So hot that my computer occasionally shuts down with no warning. I contacted my company's help desk, and they send me a replacement -- all i retained from the original was the disk drive and the CD drive (which i rarely use). Problem solved... for a month or so. But now i am having the same problem again. Is it possible that the disk drive could be getting this hot?? Can anyone suggest other alternatives?
posted by ubiquity on Nov 9, 2008 - 11 answers

The PageUp and PageDown keys on my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop have started acting weird. Sometimes they act correctly (rarely), sometimes they take me directly to the top or the bottom of the current page (now and then), and sometimes they don't work at all (often). I'm seeing this mostly in Firefox, haven't check other apps yet. This started about a week ago, a few reboots and cold starts since it first occurred...not seeing any improvement or further degradation. Do you know why this is happening, how I can diagnose the issue, and/or how it can be fixed? I use those keys often and this is really hampering my use of my laptop.
posted by Exchequer on Nov 6, 2008 - 9 answers

Can I make my Dell laptop keep running when it is closed? [more inside]
posted by trip and a half on Oct 31, 2008 - 12 answers

I might be in the market for a new laptop. Should I bother trying to get a new laptop, or should I just buy a third battery for a current laptop and switch the batteries out mid-class? [more inside]
posted by flibbertigibbet on Aug 31, 2008 - 14 answers

I need a durable waterproof laptop bag for under $100, and I need to buy it in the Boston area today. [more inside]
posted by genefinder on Aug 21, 2008 - 10 answers