About a year ago I bought a refurbished iMac. I now totally regret buying a desktop computer and really wish I had a laptop instead. Is there any way for me to trade in my still perfectly-functional iMac for a Mac laptop? (In NYC if it matters)
[more inside]
posted by showbiz_liz
on May 21, 2013 -
5 answers
My laptop overheated, I took it to get cleaned, now it's having Internet connectivity issues. I think the repair place may be at fault. What do I do now?
[more inside]
posted by Put the kettle on
on May 20, 2013 -
5 answers
Can I simply physically replace the 1366*768 LCD in my HP EliteBook 8440p with the
1600*900 part and have the laptop autodetect the new screen and show the proper resolution? Or is there extra logic or connectors or dongles or whatever in the main body that must also be modified in order for the display to work, (or maybe it Just Won't Work)? Put simply, is HP 594090-001 plug-and-play?
[more inside]
posted by laconic skeuomorph
on May 19, 2013 -
5 answers
I want to be able to watch Netflix from my laptop on my very old tv. Is this possible? What cables would I need?
[more inside]
posted by the twistinside
on May 17, 2013 -
13 answers
I'm looking for a way to transfer files more quickly from my laptop to an external drive. Currently, I'm using USB 2.0 ports & a USB 2.0 hub. However, my HP HDX18 laptop does have an eSATA port & an ExpressCard 54 slot (Gen 1.0). Using Windows 7 64bit operating system.
[more inside]
posted by briar0rose
on May 16, 2013 -
7 answers
My brother is starting college in a few weeks and needs a new laptop. His only requirement is that it run Windows 8. My requirements are that it is under $800 and can withstand manhandling by an 18-year-old. I'm leaning towards a Dell because of their perceived good reputation - is this accurate? Any recommendations for Dell models or other brands? Bonus: he will click every suspicious link, download any fool thing, and therefore infects computers with viruses instantly. What can I do to prevent this? His favorite line is "Norton anti-virus IS a virus!"
posted by tatiana wishbone
on May 16, 2013 -
34 answers
I'm looking to buy a laptop that meets a few simple requirements. Does this describe your machine?
- Customizable before purchase -- it's essential to me that the factory install e.g. the SSD and the CPU that I specify
- 17" screen
- Trackpad is responsive, ergonomic, satisfying to use
- "Home", "End", "PgDn", "PgUp" and "Delete" keys are all clustered together, not strung out in a row
- High-end
- Not made by HP
[more inside]
posted by foursentences
on May 11, 2013 -
14 answers
Today, my bank's fraud detection department gave me a call - apparently, somebody had attempted to use my debit card for a purchase in Colombia. I live in London, UK. This is an annoyance, but it's particularly worrying because something similar happened less than two months ago - they called me up and said that although my card hadn't been used, they had information that it may be compromised. The card that was used in Colombia today was the replacement, which I've had for only a few weeks.
My money is safe and my card has been cancelled (again). But my main concern is HOW this has happened - keylogger? Dubious, but legit-seeming site? Compromised wifi? And how do I keep myself safe in future?
[more inside]
posted by Ted Maul
on May 5, 2013 -
15 answers
I have an old laptop I'd like to send to my relatives in Poland. How would I go about this? Does this even make economic sense?
[more inside]
posted by echo target
on May 3, 2013 -
8 answers
I was wondering if having a dead cooling fan in my Dell Vostro 1500 laptop would make the screen go wonky ?
I purchased a new cooling fan, but I have no idea how to install it.
posted by therealshell
on Apr 29, 2013 -
3 answers
Hi everyone! I need to buy a small, inexpensive laptop that runs Windows 7. The thing is, I need one with a clean install (i.e., no crapware), and which comes with an install disk (or which lets me burn an install disk) that lets me re-install a clean copy of Win 7 when/if needed. Bonus points if it lets me install and dual-boot Ubuntu or other Linux distro!
[more inside]
posted by Alaska Jack
on Apr 25, 2013 -
7 answers
My work computer is a laptop running Windows 7. I am working far from my office this week (as I often do) and I connect to my work server through Remote Desktop Connection. Typically this is pretty much problem-free, but for the last two or three days, when I log in to the server, I am seeing the server's desktop not as a full screen, but in a window about 10" wide on my 17.3" laptop screen. As well, while the laptop's screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, the window looks to be 4:3. Attempting to resize the window through the Maximize/Restore Down icon avails me naught: I can mouse over the edges of the window and drag it to a new size, but it maxes out at the size that I mention, which covers maybe 60% of the screen's real estate. Numerous reboots and resets have not rectified it and I am at a loss as to how to proceed.
[more inside]
posted by ricochet biscuit
on Apr 24, 2013 -
6 answers
Interested in a Netbook or lower power laptop that runs cool (doesn't require external cooling like
this) and has long (6-8 hour) battery life. Would like to run Windows 7 so Chromebook is not a good candidate for me. And of course want to come in around $200. I know there a lot of candidates here but would really appreciate user's real life experience. Thanks.
posted by gilast
on Apr 23, 2013 -
6 answers
Is it possible to upgrade the GPU in any recent Dell Latitude laptops using the Express Card slot or other non-soldering techniques?
[more inside]
posted by lattiboy
on Apr 19, 2013 -
2 answers
Hi there,
I have a mid-2009 MacBook Pro, which is getting noticeably slower, the battery needs replacing and the fan is extremely noisy. All this has lead me to believe that this laptop is coming to the end of its "natural" lifespan and I will soon be due an upgrade (however I accept I may be wrong here).
Coupled with this, I am about to move into a new place, meaning I will have a lot less need for a portable laptop, since I will be working from home most days. With this in mind, I was thinking about getting a desktop iMac as my "main" computer and using my old MacBook as and when I needed to.
So my question is, should I...
A) Attempt to prolong my MacBooks life by having it serviced / refurbished, and buy a desktop monitor to plug it into when I work from home.
B) Buy a
new MacBook Pro, and a desktop monitor (because this would be cheaper than the third option, which is to...)
C) Buy a desktop iMac, and continue to use my old MacBook as a spare / portable option.
Thanks.
posted by FuckingAwesome
on Apr 14, 2013 -
15 answers
So I stupidly dropped my laptop and whilst the data on it was thankfully recoverable (teach me to back up more often!), the machine itself is done for. I'm more technologically minded than a lot of my friends but it isn't really my area and I always take forever to investigate and weigh up the options, but I really need to order it quickly since I go back to university next week!
So please, some recommendations or pointers to help me make a quick and sensible choice.
(Some basic personal requirements/details below.)
[more inside]
posted by an opinicus
on Apr 13, 2013 -
3 answers
I need a backpack that can hold a 15" laptop and also have a great area for a DSLR camera, flash, and a couple of lenses. Do you have suggestions?
[more inside]
posted by arniec
on Apr 9, 2013 -
15 answers
How do I speed up my old laptop? I cancelled my cable and I want to use it for streaming TV shows and Windows gaming.
[more inside]
posted by DoubleLune
on Apr 1, 2013 -
8 answers
I recently bought an asus zenbook UX32VD-R43317, and I would quite like to replace the hard drive in it, reinstalling windows in the process, but I don't seem to have any way of doing so.
[more inside]
posted by theyexpectresults
on Mar 31, 2013 -
3 answers
Help me find the perfect laptop. Video/Windows 7/Video+photo editing/Reasonably speedy/SSD+Hard Drive/Bulletproof
[more inside]
posted by sully75
on Mar 28, 2013 -
5 answers
I've gone to some of those sell-your-laptop websites and I always get a quote for half the original price of my Macbook Pro.
[more inside]
posted by Cybria
on Mar 21, 2013 -
10 answers
My Windows 7 laptop frequently goes to 100% CPU usage and becomes unusable. I've discovered that if I put it to sleep and immediately wake it up, the CPU usage goes back down to a reasonable level (10% ish) and stays that way, but this problem recurs at least daily. How can I diagnose and fix the cause of this issue?
[more inside]
posted by PercussivePaul
on Mar 18, 2013 -
15 answers
I'm in the market for a new computer, and I'd like to find one that can handle some of the RTS and city building games I've missed out on in the past 5 or so years. I'm on a budget and I don't really understand computer hardware requirements. Can you help?
[more inside]
posted by el chupa nibre
on Mar 18, 2013 -
3 answers
Is the quality of the ThinkPad Edge worth the performance hit? Critique my nearly-made laptop purchasing choice!
[more inside]
posted by Busy Old Fool
on Mar 13, 2013 -
8 answers
Computer froze up, only letting me access the recovery manager. Burned 6 recovery disks, then reset to original factory settings. Reinstalled the recovery disks, the program said it was successful, but the files are nowhere to be found. What next?
[more inside]
posted by dorey_oh
on Mar 12, 2013 -
7 answers
My wife has an old MacBook that she is writing her Masters thesis on. I'm not exactly sure how old it is, but it is one of the white plastic ones with a smaller screen, probably 13". Regardless. She was using OpenOffice, but she said it kept crashing on her. The research I did said that LibreOffice is more stable, so I installed that on her machine, but that is also crashing on her. She is constantly afraid of losing her work, and is saving when she remembers, but sometimes it will just freeze up on her in the middle of typing and if she hasn't saved, she's fucked. I'm not really sure what to do.
[more inside]
posted by starvingartist
on Mar 11, 2013 -
38 answers
I'm sick of carrying around a heavy full-size laptop. I could replace it with a new shiny ultrabook or something, but I don't want to spend that much. Is a Nexus 7 + a bluetooth keyboard a bad solution?
[more inside]
posted by vogon_poet
on Mar 9, 2013 -
14 answers
My friend Paul Salopek is walking across Eastern Africa and needs to stay connected. Power from his solar panel passes through an inefficient AC inverter. He's not getting enough power to stay connected. Can you advise?
[more inside]
posted by honest knave
on Mar 7, 2013 -
11 answers
I have an ASUS UX31 laptop - just under a year old. In the last couple of days it has started making a clicking sound. Specifically what I hear are quiet pairs of clicks. The clicks are separated by about a quarter of a second and the pairs of clicks repeat every 3 seconds - it sounds a little like a relay opening and then closing. Any ideas?
[more inside]
posted by rongorongo
on Mar 6, 2013 -
11 answers
My job is transferring me from Chicago to London in the spring. I've certainly got a lot to figure out between now and then (much of which this forum has already been a big help with), but one specific question I have involves the purchase of a new computer. My current MacBook is definitely due to be replaced -- it's six years old, so move or not, I was planning on getting one sometime this year. Does it make more sense to buy one before the move or after?
[more inside]
posted by mattstan
on Mar 3, 2013 -
8 answers
This could be a Dell tech support question, but I think it may actually be
easier to get answered here. I have a
Dell E-Flat Panel Stand and I'm trying to disconnect the riser from the base of the stand. The
diagram is no help; it only shows how to put them together (see diagram 1). I've had no luck with Google or the Dell support site. I don't see any release button/unlocking switch. Help!
posted by trillian
on Mar 1, 2013 -
3 answers
I want a new Internet provider. I have a new laptop. I am not froze to the idea of using this laptop if a new different laptop will serve me better. I want to run Ubuntu linux and I want decent speed and bandwidth caps. Currently I am accessing the Internet through a six year old IBM Thinkpad running Windows XP and I have an ISP account with Verizon. Please tell me your favorite low maintenence solutions.
[more inside]
posted by bukvich
on Feb 25, 2013 -
4 answers
I have to go down to Las Vegas for a tradeshow at the Wynn, but the first two days I have a LOT of downtime. There's not a lot I'm interested seeing in Las Vegas, but I do have a fair amount of work I need to get done. Is there a nice or interesting place to squat and get work done? The Las Vegas equivalent of a nice coffee shop for remote workers?
[more inside]
posted by thomsplace
on Feb 25, 2013 -
3 answers
I leave for a two week stay in China (Beijing), on Friday. I would like to take a laptop with me. I have heard however, that there is a significant risk of becoming infected with malware or spyware. Is this true? I will not have the laptop on me at all times.
[more inside]
posted by oddman
on Feb 25, 2013 -
4 answers
I backed up the contents of my ASUS UL50VT laptop in 2011 to my Seagate external hard drive using their Memeo software. In 2012, I connected the Seagate again and ran a second backup, and it created a separate folder where it stored all the new files I'd gained since the previous time. So far, so good.
Now when I try to back it up again, it has started from scratch--duplicating the entire contents of my 450 GB laptop to a third folder. I'm gonna use up all my hard drive space this way, stat. Any way to make it back up only the new files again, like it did before?
posted by manzanita
on Feb 23, 2013 -
2 answers
My Macbook Air was stolen this afternoon, with my gmail accounts open in browser windows. I logged out of all locations and changed passwords, requested a new credit card, and am planning to open new bank accounts (because I'd downloaded bank statements on a couple of occasions). What else should I do? Is there anything I can do remotely to track or wipe the computer if I (stupidly) hadn't installed anything to do that? What should I do to protect my work computer from the same fate? Thank you for your help!
posted by three_red_balloons
on Feb 15, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm getting a new laptop. A new variant of the ASUS UX32VD Zenbook (model: UX32VD-R4010P) seems to tick all my boxes. But I'm good at talking myself into things, so please help me sanity-check my choice. Many details inside.
[more inside]
posted by pont
on Feb 12, 2013 -
8 answers
Should I get a new iTouch? Or ditch iTunes and start fresh with something else? Get an Android tablet? New phone? Plus a new OS for my laptop? Feeling overwhelmed!
[more inside]
posted by wannabecounselor
on Feb 11, 2013 -
5 answers
Time for a new (to me) laptop! I know this isn't that complicated, but I hate computer shopping. Please give me your wise advice on what to get and where to get it.
[more inside]
posted by aka burlap
on Feb 11, 2013 -
16 answers
Trying to set up a new wireless network and running into all kinds of strange problems. Connections dropped every few hours! Some machines work, some don't! Can connect to internet,
can't connect to
router! DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER
(literally). Please help.
[more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Feb 7, 2013 -
10 answers
I would like to save up for a new laptop. My current laptop is an original (2006) black MacBook. Should I save up for a new/refurb MacBook [Pro/Air], or are there less expensive but high-quality PC laptops out there?
[more inside]
posted by WasabiFlux
on Jan 26, 2013 -
13 answers
Is anyone still manufacturing high-end laptops with 1920x1200 (not 1920x1080) screens? I'm looking for a luggable/7.5 to 8 pound size, 17" screen laptop, Ivy Bridge based Core i7 CPU with a serious dedicated GPU and 1920x1200 screen. Everything I can find uses 1920x1080. Battery life is not a concern, this would be used in a role like an occasionally relocated, folding desktop PC.
posted by thewalrus
on Jan 25, 2013 -
7 answers
I have an Acer laptop with an i3 chip and the standard amount of RAM, probably 4GB that I bought in 2011. Just over a year after I bought it, and just weeks after the end of warranty, the hard drive died.
I'm wondering how hard it would be to buy a new hard drive and install Ubuntu or something like that. Is it possible?
If so, how much of a pain is it to set up drivers? Would I have to manually install drivers for nearly everything (USB ports, wireless receiver, etc)?
posted by KokuRyu
on Jan 10, 2013 -
13 answers
I have a Dell laptop with Windows 7 32-bit on it and I'm having the weirdest issue with it. The "Devices and Printers" control panel window hangs every time I open it. It gets to about 90% of the way, according to the progress bar, and then stops. I can manage my printers using the Admin tools but everything else is unreachable. Is there any way to fix this short of a Windows re-install? This is a work laptop and I'd rather not have to go through our IT service department since they'll nuke everything on it that wasn't there when I got it.
posted by tommasz
on Jan 4, 2013 -
8 answers
