Sure; I was just offering work-arounds to those already stuck with these issues.
my older ibm thinkpad has a full-sized keyboard, and a "popout" from a bay numeric pad (they don't make it any more), and I love the full-sized keyboard; however, it weighs 3 pounds more than my Dell, and can be a shoulder killer, and only gets slightly over 2 hours on a new battery, where my Dell gets over 4, so there's a price to be paid at times to get the perfect keyboard. Chip -----Original Message----- From: David [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 9:40 PM To: Chip Orange; [email protected] Subject: Re: Laptop recommendations Yep. your suggestions are fine. And in fact, the dymotape was the solution I landed on, some days ago. But if you, from the starting point, could choose a laptop that has the keys grouped, and has a touchpad, that you dont conflict with all the time; I do hold it is a better choice. no need to buy something, just to go home, unpack, and start repair it (or modify it), all before you can start to make full use of it. At least, if you can avoid it. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chip Orange" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 01, 2010 3:04 AM Subject: RE: Laptop recommendations > Hi David, > > all very excellent points. > > here are two tips which may help with laptops: > > * I have the 12 function keys all in a row, so I've taken dymo tape and > placed a digit (I had to cut it down to fit of course) on the 4 8 and 12 > keys. I believe the mail order shops for the blind would carry > adhesive-backed dots if you don't have a dymo gun, and they may even work > better. > > * as for the touchpad: you can either inactivate it, or I think better, > mine > has a setting to automatically inactivate it if another mouse is present, > and the window eyes mouse control driver qualifies as another mouse, so > whenever window eyes is loaded, my touchpad goes inactive. it's a dell, > and > the utility which does this is one of the Dell ones (quickset maybe). > > hth, > > Chip > > > -----Original Message----- > From: David [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 8:05 PM > To: Chip Orange; [email protected] > Subject: Re: Laptop recommendations > > Another thing to be added on here, is the layout of the keyboard. Yes, > size, > and the difference between a 88-key, and a 102-key keyboard, is one thing > to > be considered. But even two 88-key laptops, will differ in the actual > layout. The main keys (the qwerty keyboard) itself, will be the same. But > keys like the arrow keys, Insert, App key, and so forth tend to 'move > around' from one computer to another. The keyboard I am on, at the moment, > does only have one Win key, causing quite a bit of fingerwork with certain > combinations. It also has all the Function keys (F1-F12) in one contigious > long row. This is complicated, when you want to quickly hit F5, or F10, as > you have to count your way through the row. And this is even on a desktop > keyboard. My HP 6515B laptop has its function keys grouped in 3 x 4 keys, > and is far more easy to operate. > > Further you might have to consider things like how many USB ports do you > want. Do you need a PCMCIA slot? and is it important for you to have > things > like FingerPrint protection on the computer. > > Also, beware that many laptops have their touchpad placed, so that you > will > have to reach cross it, to operate the keyboard. The actual size, and the > distance between the touchpad and the keyboard, might affect how often you > happen to rest your hands right on the touchpad, and thereby causing the > mouse to go heywire on your system. A few touchpads, I find have their > keys > that openly situated, and only a light touch of the key will make it do > its > job. This again, will make your mouse click all the time, and can be > rather > wearisome for you in the long run. > > Then, is the speakers. Some laptops do have a rather good sound, from the > built-in speakers. Others, I have been told, have sound that might be OK > for > one or two hours, but would make your ears fall off, if you were to > operate > the computer all day. > > Don't let yourself be fooled by sellers who tell you all the software that > is loaded on the PC, from the manufacturer. Usually, the only thing, that > really is there, and will still be there in a few months, is the Windows > itself. The rest of the stuff - Office, antivirus and all sorts of other > stuff - often prove to be trial versions, that you end up having to pay a > load of money for, in three or four months. I have seen a load of new PCs > advertising they are preloaded with Norton AntiVirus, or Mcafee, which > only > will have to be uninstalled immediately, due to the accessibility issue. > If > you can get a computer, where you don't have to do a ton of uninstalling > and > fooling, before you can actually start using it, it might just be worth a > few dollars more. > > I do agree, with one of the others in this thread, if we are to give > specific advice, we need more facts as to what you are looking for, and > what > use you are going to make of your PC. Just knowing the brand of a > computer, > might tell you very little. One IBM model might be nice an functional the > one year, and next year it changes its outlook, and noone likes it > anymore. > If we really want to talk brands, we could mention quite a few of the big > names, but that only is half the story. One HP model is nice, the other is > not. One Acer will do the job, another won't. > > And just one small note at the end: If you get a chance to be close to the > computer in a rather quite environment, make sure of the fan noice. My HP > is > wonderful, as it only has a whispering fan. A year ago, I had an Acer > laptop, and it was aweful, as the fan was rather loud, and almost did run > all the time. If you are a bit sensitive to noice, this might be of > interest > to check out. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chip Orange" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, January 01, 2010 12:46 AM > Subject: RE: Laptop recommendations > > >> Hi Andy and Johnny, >> >> I agree with all you said Andy, but I wanted to add a couple of points: >> >> one is that sometimes portability doesn't mean easily carrying it around >> with you all day; it often means being able to move it to the bedroom, or >> the living room easy-chair, or where-ever suits you at the moment. >> that's >> actually how almost everyone I know uses their laptop, and why they >> bought > >> a >> laptop. oh we sometimes put it in the car to go somewhere else, but >> you're >> right; if you're going to want to use this on the bus every day, you >> should >> look at netbooks, and the ultra small laptops that weigh under 3 pounds, >> but >> which are definitely laptops and not netbooks. >> >> myself, I've seen too many complaints about the speed of netbook >> processors, >> especially trying to deal with synthetic speech, screen readers, and some >> large program like MS Word, to ever think of a netbook as anything but a >> secondary computer, bought after I bought my main computer. >> >> Johnny I know you want brand names, and I have a Dell, and before that a >> Thinkpad, and my next one is likely to be a Thinkpad again, but it's >> because >> they have the features I want, and perhaps at the price I think is good, >> but >> it's not really because of their brand name. >> >> so, I'd spend time thinking of features, after you make the broader >> decision >> of netbook, laptop, or desktop. >> >> my own prejudices: I'd say you should buy a laptop not a netbook or a >> desktop, and you should get wifi and bluetooth and a dvd burner. you'll >> pay >> more for less weight, but do so if you have to carry it a lot, and put >> one >> of the extended life batteries in it and at least 4 gb of ram, even if >> you >> end up with a 32 bit system you'll be able to use mostly all of the ram. >> >> that's a big decision point: do you want to avoid the 64 bit systems >> (maybe >> buy 32 bit windows 7 even if you get a 64 bit processor)? >> >> some people think that's better because it will certainly run more >> software >> right now, and the extra speed of 64 bits (for the same dollar value) is >> hardly noticable. >> >> I don't know how I feel about this; some of the answer depends on if you >> have very specific hardware or software you just have to be able to use; >> if >> so, you'll need to check out if they will work under 64 bit. >> >> hth, >> >> Chip >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Andy Baracco [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 5:19 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: Laptop recommendations >> >> Well, this is a difficult one, without more info about what your needs >> are, >> and what is important to you. How do you plan to use the laptop? why a >> laptop and not a desktop. The main advantage of a laptop is portability. >> But if you want a large screen and a full keyboard, you will have a >> machine >> that is so heavy and bulky that you won't find it to be very portable. >> True >> portability and light weight will mean a smaller screen and a keyboard >> that >> has fewer keys, and smaller keys. So it's really a tradeoff. 3 years >> ago, >> I bought a Dell laptop with a 14 inch screen. it weighs about 5.5 >> pounds. >> i purchased a USB numpad so I would have basically a full keyboard. It >> didn't turn out to be as portable as I liked, so I bought an Asus >> netbook. >> it has a 10 inch display and weighs about 3 pounds. The keys are >> smaller, >> and i have never felt really comfortable with the keyboard. But it is >> portable, and will fit nicely into my briefcase. So my best advice would >> be >> to go to a computer store and put your fingers on some machines and see >> what >> feels good to you. Remember that it will be wasted money if you don't >> like >> the feel, and thus don't use the machine. >> >> Andy >> At 12:41 PM 12/31/2009, you wrote: >>>Hello list, >>> >>>What works best with WE? >>> >>>Please be so kind as to let me know what you have decided on in a >>>laptop. Please! I am not wishing to start any kind of debate, I'm >>>mearly wanting to know what folks are personally settleing on in a >>>laptop, not a netbook. Give me brand name and model number if you can. >>>Specific additional specs like which processor, or how big of a hard >>>drive you got is not important at this time. If you wish to tell me >>>more, please save the list and write to me personally. >>> >>>Thanks so much, >>> >>>Happy New Year 2010 to one and all! >>> >>>Blessings, >>> >>>Johnny Chilelli >>>Piano Tuner/Technician since 1977 >>>Making Pianos Smile Everywhere! >>> >>>If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original >>>sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your >>>message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your >>>message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >>> >>>All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and >>>can be searched through and sorted using the search form at the bottom >>>of the page. >>>If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to >>>[email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body of the >>>message. >>> >> >> >> If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender >> only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is >> related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to >> [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >> >> All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and >> can >> be searched through and sorted using the search form at the bottom of the >> page. >> >> If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to >> [email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body of the >> message. >> >> If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original >> sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and >> your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending >> your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >> >> All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and >> can be searched through and sorted using the search >> form at the bottom of the page. >> >> If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to >> [email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body >> of the message. >> > > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original > sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and > your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending > your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. > > All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and > can be searched through and sorted using the search > form at the bottom of the page. > > If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to > [email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body > of the message. > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and can be searched through and sorted using the search form at the bottom of the page. If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to [email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body of the message. If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and can be searched through and sorted using the search form at the bottom of the page. If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to [email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body of the message.
