Moving Away from PC

[SalixIncendium]

When I turned in my work laptop, I dusted off my 5 year old Dell laptop and used it for the last couple of months, but I became quite frustrated by how slow and laggy it was. I had considered buying a new laptop or a new memory card for the Dell, but decided to try something else instead.

Having a Bluetooth keyboard lying around that I bought a while back, I paired it up with my iPad mini. I’ve been using this combination for the last week and while the screen size is a bit small for my liking (I bought the mini because I use the Kindle app for reading books quite a bit), it was workable, but I found myself not liking having to touch the screen to select text and scroll.

So I bought a Bluetooth mouse on Amazon for $10 and it works quite well, though the scroll wheel is backward from what I’m used to.

So I think I’ve found a alternate solution to buying a new PC. It’s every bit as fast, if not faster than my work laptop is, and if the size becomes an issue, I can just buy a standard size iPad and still spend significantly less than I would on a new laptop.

So I’m exclusively iOS, at least for now.

 

[Revoltingest]

When I turned in my work laptop, I dusted off my 5 year old Dell laptop and used it for the last couple of months, but I became quite frustrated by how slow and laggy it was. I had considered buying a new laptop or a new memory card for the Dell, but decided to try something else instead.

Having a Bluetooth keyboard lying around that I bought a while back, I paired it up with my iPad mini. I’ve been using this combination for the last week and while the screen size is a bit small for my liking (I bought the mini because I use the Kindle app for reading books quite a bit), it was workable, but I found myself not liking having to touch the screen to select text and scroll.

So I bought a Bluetooth mouse on Amazon for $10 and it works quite well, though the scroll wheel is backward from what I’m used to.

So I think I’ve found a alternate solution to buying a new PC. It’s every bit as fast, if not faster than my work laptop is, and if the size becomes an issue, I can just buy a standard size iPad and still spend significantly less than I would on a new laptop.

So I’m exclusively iOS, at least for now.

I've tried posting from a phone & a Chromebook.
Yuck.
Laptops suit me best. But I've discovered that I
must pick replacements with compatible key
layouts, lest it take months to re-train me digits
to find the right keys. (I can't even see what
letter is on top of'm cuz I quickly wear them off.)

BTW, I don't concern myself with cost. A mere
$1000 will buy an acceptable PC. And @Wu Wei
is glad to supply me with his filthy (but greatly
appreciated) lucre.

 

[Windwalker]

If it's only five years old, and it's sluggish, try reinstalling the OS. Things typically tend to snap right back to their former selves after that. That, and if you have a mechanical HD in it, replace it with a solid state drive.

There's really not much a reason to have to buy a new computer if it's just running crappy. A fresh OS install is usually the easiest, and cheapest approach. Unless you care to find which things are affecting it. Some garbage that got installed, and such.

 

[SalixIncendium]

If it's only five years old, and it's sluggish, try reinstalling the OS. Things typically tend to snap right back to their former selves after that. That, and if you have a mechanical HD in it, replace it with a solid state drive.

There's really not much a reason to have to buy a new computer if it's just running crappy. A fresh OS install is usually the easiest, and cheapest approach. Unless you care to find which things are affecting it. Some garbage that got installed, and such.

It needs more memory. It only has 8 gigs. In looking at the task manager, the memory consistently runs at 100%.

 

[Windwalker]

It needs more memory. It only has 8 gigs. In looking at the task manager, the memory consistently runs at 100%.

Can you identify which process is causing that? It should not be running that hot. And 8 GB is plenty for most things.

I'm running an intense 2-D heavy crunching real time application for music recording, and my system only had 8 gb and could handle it. I didn't upgrade to 16 recently, but that was just a nice to have, as I was upgrading a few others things at the same time on it. If something is pegging you at 100% like that, you're either running a SQL database, which will take what you throw at it, or something is wrong. That something wrong, will eventually show up on your new system too. Just throwing memory at something, may not always be the solution. Sometimes it is, but it depends on the application itself, not your hardware.

What sort of apps do you run on it? I've done IT work for the past 20 years.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Can you identify which process is causing that? It should not be running that hot. And 8 GB is plenty for most things.

I'm running an intense 2-D heavy crunching real time application for music recording, and my system only had 8 gb and could handle it. If something is pegging you at 100% like that, you're either running a SQL database, which will take what you throw at it, or something is wrong. That something wrong, will eventually show up on your new system too. Just thrown memory at something, may not always be the solution. Sometimes it is, but it depends on the application itself, not your hardware.

I've done IT work for the past 20 years.

I’d have to start it up to look at it, but if memory serves (no pun intended) Norton seems to be a memory hog. I’ve killed everything else from the startup menu, but I’m sure there is some Dell bloatware that is contributing to the memory usage, but I have reservations about killing those for fear of breaking the system.

I never liked this laptop. I had the blue screen of death once already and had to reload the OS on a new partition.

 

[Revoltingest]

If it's only five years old, and it's sluggish, try reinstalling the OS. Things typically tend to snap right back to their former selves after that. That, and if you have a mechanical HD in it, replace it with a solid state drive.

There's really not much a reason to have to buy a new computer if it's just running crappy. A fresh OS install is usually the easiest, and cheapest approach. Unless you care to find which things are affecting it. Some garbage that got installed, and such.

I never notice mine slowing down. It's an accumulation
of little things....keys with no letter, power supply failure,
power cords breaking, plastic housing breaking, hinges
breaking, keys coming loose, bacon bits stuck in between
the keys, etc, etc.

 

[Windwalker]

I’d have to start it up to look at it, but if memory serves (no pun intended) Norton seems to be a memory hog. I’ve killed everything else from the startup menu, but I’m sure there is some Dell bloatware that is contributing to the memory usage, but I have reservations about killing those for fear of breaking the system.

I never liked this laptop. I had the blue screen of death once already and had to reload the OS on a new partition.

which model of Dell is it?

 

[Windwalker]

I never notice mine slowing down. It's an accumulation
of little things....keys with no letter, power supply failure,
power cords breaking, plastic housing breaking, hinges
breaking, keys coming loose, bacon bits stuck in between
the keys, etc, etc.

What the hell are you doing with your system? Having rough sex with it?

 

[SalixIncendium]

which model of Dell is it?

It doesn’t say on the outside. I’ll have to start it up and look. Hang on.

 

[Revoltingest]

What the hell are you doing with your system? Having rough sex with it?

You've seen how I post.
Any more questions?

 

[Secret Chief]

When I turned in my work laptop, I dusted off my 5 year old Dell laptop and used it for the last couple of months, but I became quite frustrated by how slow and laggy it was. I had considered buying a new laptop or a new memory card for the Dell, but decided to try something else instead.

Having a Bluetooth keyboard lying around that I bought a while back, I paired it up with my iPad mini. I’ve been using this combination for the last week and while the screen size is a bit small for my liking (I bought the mini because I use the Kindle app for reading books quite a bit), it was workable, but I found myself not liking having to touch the screen to select text and scroll.

So I bought a Bluetooth mouse on Amazon for $10 and it works quite well, though the scroll wheel is backward from what I’m used to.

So I think I’ve found a alternate solution to buying a new PC. It’s every bit as fast, if not faster than my work laptop is, and if the size becomes an issue, I can just buy a standard size iPad and still spend significantly less than I would on a new laptop.

So I’m exclusively iOS, at least for now.

I'm a total convert from PC to iOS. It's by far the best for creative stuff.

 

[SalixIncendium]

@Windwalker, it’s an Inspiron 5559.

And yeah, it took that long to start up and open system information.

 

[Wu Wei]

I've tried posting from a phone & a Chromebook.
Yuck.
Laptops suit me best. But I've discovered that I
must pick replacements with compatible key
layouts, lest it take months to re-train me digits
to find the right keys. (I can't even see what
letter is on top of'm cuz I quickly wear them off.)

BTW, I don't concern myself with cost. A mere
$1000 will buy an acceptable PC. And @Wu Wei
is glad to supply me with his filthy (but greatly
appreciated) lucre.

PC, Mac, MacBook, Laptop...I use them all......and you can't have any of them..... I am going to be testing a ChromeBook soon....mostly for professional reasons....but I will see how that does too...and you can't have that one either

 

[Revoltingest]

PC, Mac, MacBook, Laptop...I use them all......and you can't have any of them..... I am going to be testing a ChromeBook soon....mostly for professional reasons....but I will see how that does too...and you can't have that one either

I want only your money.

 

[Wu Wei]

I want only your money.

Enjoy it while you can ya dastardly, dilatory, deadbeat....I will retire soon and then I shall both giveth....AND taketh away

 

[Revoltingest]

Enjoy it while you can ya dastardly, dilatory, deadbeat....I will retire soon and then I shall both giveth....AND taketh away

Once you retire, & slop at the government trough like the rest
of us geezers, you'll still be paying taxes on that slop income.
You are my never ending fount of largess.
Thank you for your service.

 

[Windwalker]

@Windwalker, it’s an Inspiron 5559.

And yeah, it took that long to start up and open system information.

the other way with Dells is look on the bottom of the laptop, there is a Dell service tag number. You just enter that in on Dell's site and it tells you what your system is, when you bought it, etc.

 

[Wu Wei]

Once you retire, & slop at the government trough like the rest
of us geezers, you'll still be paying taxes on that slop income.
You are my never ending fount of largess.
Thank you for your service.

Like I said...I will both giveth and taketh away....you will be supporting me too.....BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA....or...I could skip town and move to Canada....I have a place there now too...BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Revoltingest]

Like I said...I will both giveth and taketh away....you will be supporting me too.....BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA....or...I could skip town and move to Canada....I have a place there now too...BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Actually, I already support you.
All those federal taxes, & tolls on NY roads.