laptop recommendations?
Orlando Enrique Fiol
processing, web surfing and possibly audio recording. Which brands have any of
you tried in terms of keyboard comfort and simulation of the numpad keys? There
is also the issue of an operating system: 32 or 64-bit Vista? XP Pro?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received,
Orlando
Mike Russell
I'd stick with 32 bit for the functionality you are after. 54 bit would be
overkill, and would add significantly to the cost.
Notebook audio is fine for Skype, but as a rule are too noisy for good
audio. You may want to consider an external USB audio box if quality is an
issue.
Vista is now mature enough that I recommend it over XP, particularly for a
notebook where there will be no hardware upgrade issues. Do make sure all
your important software will run on Vista.
I can't speak to keyboard comfort - this is such a matter of personal
preference.
All the best.
--
Mike Russell - http://www.curvemeister.com
J. P. Gilliver (John)
>Hi all. I'm thinking of purchasing a laptop mainly for document storage, word
>processing, web surfing and possibly audio recording. Which brands have any of
>you tried in terms of keyboard comfort and simulation of the numpad
>keys? There
>is also the issue of an operating system: 32 or 64-bit Vista? XP Pro?
. I'd agree with Mike about going for Vista, certainly if buying new,
and also making sure software runs on it. Also about an external audio
box - if only because the input socket on most laptops is for a mono
microphone, rather than a stereo line-in (in fact many external USB
sound boxes have this problem too). ..
. However, I'm assuming you're visually handicapped since you're posting
here - in which case, the web surfing you'll want to do probably doesn't
include the sort of website that gives problems with older systems, so
you might consider a much older system - such as a Windows 98 system.
These, _if_ you can find them, are available for much less. ..
. You might, alternatively, consider a netbook - these are very
portable, and you have the choice of XP or Linux. The very small models
(the 7" screens) might come with a keyboard you can't get on with,
though, especially if you're going to be doing a lot of word processing
or have large fingers. .
. The simulation of the numpad keys is, in my experience, pretty
hopeless, even as a sighted person. However, with the advent of
widescreen models, you can get a true numeric pad even on some 15"
laptops these days (though the sixpack and arrow T aren't usually in the
normal arrangement). An alternative, if you want the smaller size
computer (netbook or laptop), is an external numeric pad - these are
very cheap, and often come with other accessories such as a USB hub).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **
Behind every successful organisation stands one person who knows the secret of
how to keep the managers away from anything truly important.