Re: using a laptop as a main machine

On Fri, Nov 08, 2002 at 09:25:44AM -0500, Brian T. Schellenberger wrote:
> 
> THE most important feature on a laptop BY FAR is a good warrenty.

Warranties are probably a good thing.  However, I have had no service
issues with my two year old Toshiba.  It's probably time for a new
battery but that is the extent of my hardware problems.  I don't use a
desk very often and spend at least six hours a day, every day, on the
thing.  It's a laptop so I keep it in my lap.

If it dies, I will be better off spending the extra waranty money on a
replacement.  After reading your message, I *know* my replacement will 
*not* be a Dell.  :-/  I don't care how good their service is.  Doing
without my laptop, even for a weekend, would be nerve-wracking.
 
> I insist on a three-year warrenty, which is why I buy Dells.  Their
> service is excellent.  I didnt get "on-site" service, but they pick up
> and deliver via Airborne Express, and if I ship it on Friday I have it
> back by Tuesday morning, so never without it for more than three days.
>
> If you use your laptop -- really use it, and I carry mine everywhere;
> in and back to work every day, on my lap with the wireless card
> outside while watching the kids play, in my car while waiting for
> people; I even carry it around the house with me from room to room --
> then it *will* require service.

Not in my experience.  And I'm famous for breaking solid steel cubes.
 
> - Display.  It should be high-resolution (at least 1400x1050 at this
> point) and large.

I would like more resolution but 1024x768 is still doing it for me on
my 13.1" screen.  I would want a physically larger screen to go with a
higher resolution.

> - All the features of a desktop (CPU, memory, etc).  Do not go
> backwards on anything no matter how tempting for other features or you
> are almost certain to dislike it.  (Well, ok, if you have an 80G drive
> that's never been more than 50% full you could probably drop back on
> that . . .)

When I bought my laptop I installed more disk and RAM than all but one
of my ISP servers.  It already had more CPU than all but 3 of the boxes.
(2 years ago, small, 20,000 user ISP) It still builds world on 4.7 in 66
minutes.  The additional RAM was a good idea.

-- 
Scott Lambert                    KC5MLE                       Unix SysAdmin
[email protected]      

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