I think a laptop would be handy so that I could use it when DH is watching TV. WOuld appreciate hearing from those of you who are happy with recent purchases.
Jeanette, I got one not long before Christmas, for two reasons. First, we made two close together trips to Michigan (my FIL was very ill and then passed away). We stayed in a motel and the first trip, I tried to check my e-mail when I was somewhere that there was a computer. Got it before the second trip and just set it up on the table in our motel room and it was great. Second, my DH lays down for 2-4 hours in the afternoon and he wants me somewhere near him on the couch. I fought it at first, but then decided I liked to watch two hours of soap operas anyway, so what was the harm. Now I keep one eye on the soaps, one eye on my laptop and am still near DH. We already had a wireless router for the extra computer in the bedroom that DH plays his games on.
I think what Jeanette wanted to know was what make and model laptop. I have a basic Dell that is five years old and it is more than suffucient for web browsing. My main computer is an i Mac and I prefer it but macbook laptops tend to be a tad expensive.
Oops, mine is an Asus - way too expensive. I made the mistake of not insisting on what I wanted and this is the one that DH wanted me to have. I really think The Notebook is sufficient for what you want it for. (I wanted an HP.)
Mine is a Toshiba Satallite, but I wanted it for more than accessing internet, etc. The keyboard and screen are larger, which I like but not too big for lap use. No problems at all with it and it's about 5 years old!
Get a MAC.I have had both PCs and now graduated to MACs and love them. I got my firstMACBook Pro 3 years ago ( almost) for photography projects. My old PC was getting full..only 46% free space and pics take lots of room. Then a year ago, I got a MACBook to use to back up photos and to check email. I use the small one all the time since I can sit in the tv room and search topics and read and still be with the DH ( until he starts the surfing and the volume gets too loud even for cotton in the ears). Then later last year I got a big iMAC for more intense work with photos and it is near the tv room so I am still with him.. Nice thing about MACs you don't have to worry about the virus thing as you do with a PC. If you get a MAC be sure to invest in Apple Care to extend warranty. If something goes wrong in the 3 years the parts and service is free. I had a hard drive crash on the iMAC and it was 2 days and I was up and running again thanks to our local Apple Resale Store (Mac Superstore) where I get all the tech support I need. Also with Apple Care you can call the 800 number and get all sorts of answers and help when needed. I would go for it. Oh, make sure to go wireless( you will need a router for that and security) so you can use your computer from any room in the house. Also I have a Verizon access card to use when we are away from home..I don't use those hotspots..security reasons.
I've been a Mac user from the get-go. (The get-go being 1988, in my case.) I only use my MacBook Pro these days...never a desktop. Actually, I'm eye-balling even smaller things, since I write a lot, and would love an easy way to carry my word processing around with me. Hence, I will be admiring the new iPad, but waiting to see how the first generation fares. I have also looked at those dinky little netbooks, but that would take a platform switch. We'll see.
Computers: someone her got a HP Touchsmart but I can't remember who it was. Was wondering how you like now that a month has gone by. Am looking at it or an Acer computer. They seem to get good reviews. And who knows when I will have the money again to buy one.
I currently have a compac presario which is about 7 years old. The speed and graphics is too slow for playing games in Facebook. It is fine for pogo games but Facebook games take more.
I had a desktop before but knew we were going to be moving into the RV so needed something portable. I have debated whether to get a desktop or stay with a laptop. I like the portability of a laptop and they are making them better - more like what you have with a desktop. The exception is that working on them is harder and more expensive (unless you know what you are doing). Heading to Costco in Portland to see if they have the Acer computer I found online that has good reviews. In Portland I won't have to pay sales tax. Who knows when I will have the money again to buy one.
I have an ASUS Netbook, 10" screen, very lightweight, about $300 and I can use it in the living room because I put in a router on the 'real' computer. n No sales tax and free shippin from Amazon.
I lucked out. Medicare paid for a MacBook for Charlie with a speech program on it when he first started losing his ability to speak. Once when speaking with a tech about something I had messed up, she had me go on line so she could work directly with my computer. When I told her I didn't know we could use it for anything except the speech program she told me that we couldn't. Since it was sold for medical purposes that it was locked. Called the company back when he could no longer use it and they unlocked it for me for free. I have a regular PC but find myself using the Mac more and more. For those of you who's spouse is unable to speak but may still be able to read and understand, I highly recommend the speech program by Lingraphica. It was great.
Jeanette--I got a Toshiba laptop several years ago so I could use it while sitting with my husband with the TV on. It's fine for regular Internet use--I don't do anything fancy, but it's great because I can be with him and online at the same time.
Bought the Acer and so far love it. Wasn't able to download pictures from my camera but will work on that tomorrow. I do wish the screen was more square but I will try to figure out how to put the bars on the side which will hopefully open up the length some. That is another day.
I have several. I bought an acer netbook for sitting with my wife and watching TV. It it is very small thin and lite. Walmart had it on sale after xmas for $228.00 a deal. The netbook has built in wifi and I can use it anywhere in the house. I like the 10" screen. If you do not load it up with a bunch of software and keep it just for internet use I think it will be fast enough. Once you start loading a bunch of programs that run in the background you will need a faster machine.
I have used laptops for years. I love them. I can do anything on my laptop that can be done on a desktop. I also used mine for sitting with husband, I do genealogy so that was my only time to take a mental break. I am on my laptop for hours every day...genealogy, the spouse, banking, emailing.
My sugestion is to evaluate what you are going to be doing and buy with the future in mind. Some of the very inexpensive laptops are bacisally good only for emails. You may find you want a little more robust laptop. They have come down in price quite a lot.
I have a HP. fully functioning laptop. 17 inch screen, 400 mg of RAM and 250 gig hard drive. I also have a desktop that was my husbands that sits idle. You will love the ability to use a laptop anywhere...motels, hospitals, kids house etc.
Granny-you had me very concerned for a minute there! I have a 17" hp laptop that I love. Use it anywhere I like to pop in a movie disc, chat and research. I will never go back to a PC. It is a bit heavy for travel. I put all my favs on a flash drive and if I go to my kids I plug it in and voila-everything I need is there.
I agree, I will never go back to a desktop. We may have the same laptop. But I totally use my constantly, in my recliner, with my iced tea at my side. I also have my printer in my den with me...just in case. I am wanting a new wireless printer, so I am researching that now. My new laptop has Windows 7 and is 64 bit, so I want to be sure. I have to drive 87 miles to purchase one so that makes returning hard. Have you heard much about the new wireless printers? Lots less cables etc. Wouldn't 400 mg of RAM be something ;0) I love computers and mine especially!
I have a Toshiba laptop and also a small Acer notebook. I like both of them but find that I'm using the little Acer more often. It's more like holding a small book in your lap. When I had the desktop back in my office, I always felt that I was neglecting DH. Now with the laptop, we can be in here together with me on line while he's watching TV.
After much research I bought the SAMSUNG NC10 netbook which I love! My brother bought one after he saw mine and is also very pleased. I virtually never use my desktop now because I'm so spoiled with this little netbook. Surfing the internet is a breeze, the keyboard is is the same as a regular keyboard which is one of the best features of this as you don't have to learn weird placement of certain keys as in some of the other netbooks. It has 3 (or 4?) USB ports which I use frequently for uploading pics from cell phone and camera. And believe it or not the batterly life is about SEVEN hours. I understand some of the newer ones have longer.
Check keyboard size, screen size, and battery life before you purchase. Once you start using one of these little lightweight things you'll never want to use your desktop. CNET is a good place for review plus the amazon customer reviews. I think mine was about $100 more than the Acer but since I'm a fast typist I really wanted the larger keyboard and the 10" screen. I use the wireless connection in the house and tote it around with me frequently and don't usually have a problem finding WiFi spots around esp. in coffee shops.
Oh, and check Youtube. I was surprised to accidently find a "tutorial" on mine there by a guy in the UK who was crazy about his.
I bought mine about a year and a half ago so this may be newer version, not sure, but it's $285 on amazon. I paid a bit more but the prices have come down. I purchased a white one for nearly $100 less than the black one they had at the time. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NC10-13GB-10-1-Inch-Blue-Netbook/dp/B002JVWCS6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1266645377&sr=1-1
I switched to a macbook pro a couple of years ago and love it. I had a 19" flat screen with my previous Dell, and hooked the laptop up to it, got new wireless keyboard and mouse, and use it as a full sized computer unless I need to take it somewhere, then it unplugs and goes quickly.