Buying a new laptop

[Liesje]

Theoretically it should be OK for a netbook, but the problem is the cheapies don't usually have dedicated graphics which means the graphics card is using the RAM too and *that's* why those things are so dang slow.

[jocoyn]

For a cheapy sounds pretty good though. Does he have to upgrade from Win 7 Starter?

I will have 8GB RAM on the next laptop and 3GB RAM on a dedicated graphics card. For me, I think 16 would be overkill but the computer board can go to 32, the OS - Win 7 Home premium can go to 16.

[Liesje]

Depends on use, for me that computer is almost worthless but I won't look at anything without dedicated graphics and HDMI, even netbook or ultrabook.

How much RAM is best depends on your processor. I only have 4 right now but should have 16 as I have a quad core processor so 8 threads and you want 2GB per thread.

[Doc]

Once you go Mac, you never go back

[Liesje]

OMG I hate my Mac (and I swear it hates me)!!! I use both at work (because I support both, equally) and have very little use for over priced Mac systems.

[jocoyn]

Originally Posted by Doc

Once you go Mac, you never go back

If I got a MAC I would have to create a Windows Partition because some of my programs dont run on Mac. One is a specialty mapping program that does not have an equivalent non Mac option.

For over twice the price I would be forced into a 15 inch screen instead of a 17 inch, one SSD or HDD ( I will be getting an SSD to run my OS and programs and an HDD for storage, with the option to add a third drive later because I opted out of an internal DVD), and less powerfrul CPU and GPU.

Not sure I am seeing the benefit......I know folks with Macs....

[msvette2u]

He just needs one to tinker on, I think he can do some programs at work. I agree Lies, I'd never have dreamed we'd GET it or I'd have never bid!!
But it was under $200 which I paid $198 for my Vizio tablet, so I figured, heck, it was cheap enough.
Dell doesn't make a mini any longer, either. It has a 132 gig h/d so we can load a few tunes on it for travel.
(trying to make the best of this, yanno)

Lies, I'm definitely going to hit you up when I'm ready to upgrade my XPS system!

I think it's plain windows 7, jocoyn, not a starter one? The guy who refurbed it was there last night and said he'd answer any questions we had.

It had avast pre-loaded, I was impressed. I just switched to that from AVG free...

[jocoyn]

This is the CPU I am getting

Intel Core i7 3740QM Quad-Core 2.70GHz (3.70GHz TurboBoost), 6MB Cache

To add 8 more GB of RAM would cost $64 at the vendor but it would cost me $45 at Amazon with free shipping (Corsair Vengeance 1600 MHz DDR3)--on my current laptop the RAM is easily accessible and the new one is coming with 2x4GB so it should be pretty easy to add RAM later if I find I needed it? I could check by running full out and looking at my task manager?

[Liesje]

That's what I do. My laptop turns three next week and I always intended on immediately upgrading from 4GB to 16GB and doing it myself (much cheaper) but three years later, I'm still plugging away with 4GB! I always order the minimum (same with hard drives) and upgrade for cheaper on my own. The only thing to take into account is how it's divided. So say I wanted to go from 4GB to only 8GB, I still need to replace both sticks because I have 2-2GB sticks and 2 slots total, if that makes sense? I want to get 2-8GB sticks but the money has always gone to more pressing things of course!

[jocoyn]

This looks like there would be no loss --- it comes with 2-4GB sticks, and the laptop can take up to either 4-4GB sticks or 4-8GB sticks. [but putting 32GB in Win 7 Home Premium would be pointless]