Remembering back to pre-2002 or somewhere thereabouts, in the Army, we were issued those Panasonic Tough Books. Tech was of course that era, and not so uppity as today. Memory was in MB and it was considered fantastic. I still have mine and I think it still works. I remember it had something like a metal device that slid into the side and you attached a phone cable and you were on the OMG! internet. You could open them and see inside them, I don't probably know what I was looking at though. It would qualify as a good doorstop today, but it was pretty hard (even for me) to break. I still have the instruction manual (written in armynesse) and the case and metal deal that hooked to the phone. I supose they still make them only with all the upity stuff of today in them.
Laptops that last?
I have had both Thinkpads and Fujitsu laptops. I can recommend both, but Fujitsu produces at a lower volume, and therefore is less serviceable. But it has a nice metal bottom, and has lasted me 6 years (after purchasing it used).
Hard drives: they will eventually fail. Thinkpads add some protection here (accelerometer detects if the laptop is falling and will stop the HD before crashing), but it's something you should plan for anyway. Anything with a motor (HD and fans) will likely fail first. But in a serviceable laptop, both are user-replaceable!
Motherboard: Properly made -- and properly cooled -- these can last a very long time. Still have a Thinkpad 560 running 24/7... decades after manufacture. One tip might be to not buy the larger laptops (17"). Users have a tendency to pick up their laptop with one hand from the corner of the case; this scan cause motherboard flexing and premature failure. Smaller laptops can be more rigid, in this sense.
Sidenote: I can get discounts on new and used Thinkpads; PM me if you're interested.
Hard drives: they will eventually fail. Thinkpads add some protection here (accelerometer detects if the laptop is falling and will stop the HD before crashing), but it's something you should plan for anyway. Anything with a motor (HD and fans) will likely fail first. But in a serviceable laptop, both are user-replaceable!
Motherboard: Properly made -- and properly cooled -- these can last a very long time. Still have a Thinkpad 560 running 24/7... decades after manufacture. One tip might be to not buy the larger laptops (17"). Users have a tendency to pick up their laptop with one hand from the corner of the case; this scan cause motherboard flexing and premature failure. Smaller laptops can be more rigid, in this sense.
Sidenote: I can get discounts on new and used Thinkpads; PM me if you're interested.
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HeOfTheMountains
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:23 pm
I stopped chasing the hardware and software evolution. It's going insane. They develop video cards that are far superior than the games developed today so i stopped caring.
But i think i'll second the rcamp suggestion of a desktop with mini-itx boards. Small, strong and durable with it's upgrades. Boot up some linux and you're good to go.
But i think i'll second the rcamp suggestion of a desktop with mini-itx boards. Small, strong and durable with it's upgrades. Boot up some linux and you're good to go.
I had a Fujitsu lifebook that was an absolute tank... As someone who has taken apart 10-20 laptops over the years, that one was in a league of its own.
I need processing power for my job. I really enjoy it for my hobbies too. And I HATE laptops because of their inability to be upgraded... A laptop feels like a toy compared to a desktop.
I just upgraded my almost 10 year old Antec case and 6 year old PC Power & Cooling 750W PSU with a new i5 2500k CPU, LGA1155 mobo, 16GB DDR3 1600. Total cost: about $250 (thanks Microcenter) and I'm good for another 3 years on the cutting edge.
$250 in a desktop will give me about 3-8 multiples of the benchmark of the most powerful $3000 laptop you can buy... And greatly reduced risk, increased return. IE: Any laptop manufacturer repair out of warranty requires specialty part(s) that often (usually?) rival the cost of replacement.
I know that laptops are sexy, and the only solution for today's go-go-getters writing business plans in coffee shops but 85% of their use seems to be people crouching over them awkwardly on a table... IMO, most people would be better of with a desktop.
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That all said, I'm looking for a laptop myself... I know that for professions that require calcs, Sager and Clevo has a good reputations. But they are ridiculously expensive.
I'm thinking the best way might be to just get a good deal on a researched, fairly well reviewed $400-600 machine. Then hope for the best... Some will last years, some might last months, others might crash as soon as the warranty expires. Here's a list to start with maybe: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop ... ility-1109
CPU footprint sockets do not change so rapidly as to make upgrading impractical... My observation has been 1 socket should be good for at least 2 CPUs (1 upgrade) and 4 years min... Just take care to avoid sockets already on their way out. ll55 should be good for at least another 3 years for top of the line. Many casual users are still doing great on P4 775.
Why is there no standard laptop platform? It's might have something to do with the obsession with thinner and thinner electronics. Or maybe it's just too profitable keeping them as disposable consumer goods. Standardize some laptop parts for pity's sake already.
I need processing power for my job. I really enjoy it for my hobbies too. And I HATE laptops because of their inability to be upgraded... A laptop feels like a toy compared to a desktop.
I just upgraded my almost 10 year old Antec case and 6 year old PC Power & Cooling 750W PSU with a new i5 2500k CPU, LGA1155 mobo, 16GB DDR3 1600. Total cost: about $250 (thanks Microcenter) and I'm good for another 3 years on the cutting edge.
$250 in a desktop will give me about 3-8 multiples of the benchmark of the most powerful $3000 laptop you can buy... And greatly reduced risk, increased return. IE: Any laptop manufacturer repair out of warranty requires specialty part(s) that often (usually?) rival the cost of replacement.
I know that laptops are sexy, and the only solution for today's go-go-getters writing business plans in coffee shops but 85% of their use seems to be people crouching over them awkwardly on a table... IMO, most people would be better of with a desktop.
---
That all said, I'm looking for a laptop myself... I know that for professions that require calcs, Sager and Clevo has a good reputations. But they are ridiculously expensive.
I'm thinking the best way might be to just get a good deal on a researched, fairly well reviewed $400-600 machine. Then hope for the best... Some will last years, some might last months, others might crash as soon as the warranty expires. Here's a list to start with maybe: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop ... ility-1109
CPU footprint sockets do not change so rapidly as to make upgrading impractical... My observation has been 1 socket should be good for at least 2 CPUs (1 upgrade) and 4 years min... Just take care to avoid sockets already on their way out. ll55 should be good for at least another 3 years for top of the line. Many casual users are still doing great on P4 775.
Why is there no standard laptop platform? It's might have something to do with the obsession with thinner and thinner electronics. Or maybe it's just too profitable keeping them as disposable consumer goods. Standardize some laptop parts for pity's sake already.
JohnnyH: I have also been quite pleased with my Fujitsu laptop (bought used). Still, if I were in the market today, I'd be looking at Thinkpads. Lenovo is one of the few that still publishes service manuals for their laptops, allowing for easy repair. And while replacement of proprietary components may be expensive, there is a large supply of parts for Thinkpads on eBay. I have gone Frankenstein on several old Thinkpads, with good results.
Even given that, I still like having a desktop, for the same reasons you stated.
Even given that, I still like having a desktop, for the same reasons you stated.
Just to throw something else out there:
If you have access to a PC already (e.g. a public library computer), but what you really want/need is to have your own secure operating system with your own apps on it, AND if your primary usage scenario doesn't involve gaming, then I would recommend seeing if a live USB stick would work for you instead of a laptop. (This is when you install an operating system of your choice onto a USB drive, then plug it into a PC and use the USB's operating system for your work instead of the PC's operating system.)
It's far less expensive than a laptop but it has most of the same functionality. In addition, you can make copies of your entire "computer" quite easily, and you don't have to worry as much about it being stolen or destroyed.
If you have a smartphone with a large SD card in it (8 GB or more), it's even possible to turn that SD card into a live USB.
If you have access to a PC already (e.g. a public library computer), but what you really want/need is to have your own secure operating system with your own apps on it, AND if your primary usage scenario doesn't involve gaming, then I would recommend seeing if a live USB stick would work for you instead of a laptop. (This is when you install an operating system of your choice onto a USB drive, then plug it into a PC and use the USB's operating system for your work instead of the PC's operating system.)
It's far less expensive than a laptop but it has most of the same functionality. In addition, you can make copies of your entire "computer" quite easily, and you don't have to worry as much about it being stolen or destroyed.
If you have a smartphone with a large SD card in it (8 GB or more), it's even possible to turn that SD card into a live USB.