tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post5169142125506842778..comments2024-03-13T16:06:11.396-05:00Comments on the anti-soma: Update on computer issuesHeroditus Huxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049569750742829144noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-23380298685483171252015-07-31T13:05:23.398-05:002015-07-31T13:05:23.398-05:00I'm planning to see if replacing the internal ...I'm planning to see if replacing the internal power supply solves the problem, but I'm not really hopeful. If it does, I'll clear it and hand it over to the kids (4 and 6) for educational games. <br /><br />By built-in card reader, are you talking about like ID cards, or memory cards?Heroditus Huxleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049569750742829144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-53790676131870032172015-07-31T11:43:53.112-05:002015-07-31T11:43:53.112-05:00I've been keeping one Aspire alive since 2008....I've been keeping one Aspire alive since 2008. It had the hard drive die in 2011, so my wife told me to buy a new laptop, which was another Aspire that I'm typing on right now. The older one got a new hard drive and sent to be the "kid's computer" which they promptly destroyed the keyboard. So I fixed the keyboard, doubled the RAM, and installed a new battery, and it's still going although it is getting to be less than stable. 7 years of service is a lot to ask of a laptop.<br /><br />A friend of mine had an older Alienware (gently used) in the "microbook" size, which I purchased (gladly) but it was too small for me, and just right for the wife. So I purchased an HP refurb off of newegg.com (a former US Gov model, you can tell by the built in card reader) which will replace the one I'm currently using (two deployments to Afghanistan caused the case to crack around the trim ring). If I wasn't in the Army I would have gotten another Aspire, but having a built in card reader is just too handy.SordidPandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657526230826604643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-3391974882931195542015-07-31T10:47:40.151-05:002015-07-31T10:47:40.151-05:00Thanks for the info. Not sure if that would work ...Thanks for the info. Not sure if that would work with what's going on with the old laptop, but if another one dies in a different way, that could be really handy. Heroditus Huxleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049569750742829144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-54537605239278212432015-07-31T10:30:24.344-05:002015-07-31T10:30:24.344-05:00When the last laptop died suddenly I did a little ...When the last laptop died suddenly I did a little online research and bought an adapter that allowed me to read the deceased laptop's hard drive as if it was simply a backup drive. All photos and documents were safely transferred.<br /><br />It was something like this, although you may have to research the type of connections.<br /><br />http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002John in Phillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16196033252818387245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-19372117294012629202015-07-31T07:58:50.449-05:002015-07-31T07:58:50.449-05:00I use an Acer Aspire. You can get them from netbo...I use an Acer Aspire. You can get them from netbooks (which I've had, and had little complaint with, are capable enough for students, but suck for much more than that) all the way up through the monsters designed as media machines. I've never had an unstable Acer until I've used the absolute hell out of it. Netbooks are a lot less expensive than the bigger laptops, and are easier to carry around, thanks to being only the size of a hardback novel or so, and about a pound or two. My netbooks tended to last about two years (I had two), but the laptop that has just died on me is about four years old. <br /><br />Really, it kinda depends on how much she'll be transporting it around with a load of huge books (i.e., back and forth to libraries) vs. how much capability you want it to have. If she's going to be using it only at home, it matters a lot less, and a 15.6" or larger has a nearly-full size keyboard, complete with separate ten-key number pad, which is a selling point. Especially if y'all are doing math on the Khan Academy site. <br /><br />The one that died had that, my husband ordered one for himself when he went back for his accounting degree, and the new one I've ordered for myself is just exactly the same, only a different color so we can tell his from mine. <br /><br />Sorry if this is a bit disconnected and rambling--I've not had coffee yet.Heroditus Huxleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049569750742829144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-21789331696450365542015-07-30T21:13:17.383-05:002015-07-30T21:13:17.383-05:00I need to get my daughter a laptop for homeschool....I need to get my daughter a laptop for homeschool. I'd be courious to know make and model if you would be willing to share. North Texanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03738052124524337884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-30141729842723257402015-07-29T22:40:08.321-05:002015-07-29T22:40:08.321-05:00Most internet sales aren't taxed unless they&#...Most internet sales aren't taxed unless they're done through a store in your home state, so no sales tax with Amazon, despite the continuing attempts to change that by various gov. entities. Any purchase over a certain dollar amount is free standard shipping (5-8 day), but Amazon Prime is free two day shipping. That, plus the movies, TV series, and music available for free streaming makes the $100/year worth it to us (a lot cheaper than cable), but your mileage may vary. <br /><br />It is awful nice to get new books in your mailbox within two days of ordering them, though. And very nice to not have to wait on new books until you've got a big enough order put together.Heroditus Huxleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049569750742829144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-89986992155416798852015-07-29T22:23:14.004-05:002015-07-29T22:23:14.004-05:00Are you sure there's no sales tax if you have ...Are you sure there's no sales tax if you have Amazon Prime? If so, I'm in.Harry Flashmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05071021900005041592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-42745967848671424282015-07-29T15:29:23.272-05:002015-07-29T15:29:23.272-05:00Got one, just need Odysseus to show me how to back...Got one, just need Odysseus to show me how to back computer up onto it. I mean, I'm not entirely sure what to even look for. <br /><br />I am a barely competent user on the few programs I use (Word, some Firefox surfing, Blogger, emails, parts of the class site platform, Wordpress, a few games...really not much else). Where things like that's concerned, I'm useless. <br /><br />Maybe I'll just hold my nose and do Carbonite, or something, and let my computer keep constantly backing up without my input.Heroditus Huxleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049569750742829144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7529212130092758272.post-67355152960824232212015-07-29T15:16:18.223-05:002015-07-29T15:16:18.223-05:00External hard drives are your friend... Just sayin...External hard drives are your friend... Just sayin... And hope you salvage everything you need.Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.com