New Laptop Cost

[jkrubi12]

Bought my first MacBook Pro in 2006, now I'm using my third, acquired in 2020. Built my own PC's prior to that, mostly for gaming. Built 4 PC's and all of them are still sitting unused in my spare bedroom! They were rocket ships in their day though....

It was somewhat of a re-learn to start using the Mac, but I'd never go back to a PC after my Apple experience. I do experience rare situations where my Apple computer doesn't jive with some manufacturer's website, usually it's no Apple-compatible software developed yet. But that's very uncommon, and I could even run Windows on my MacBook Pro if I really wanted to.

The sheer size of the Windows OS became evident once I got familiar with the Mac OS. I know Windows is run on something like 95% of the computers in the world, but I found myself downloading massive 'patches' all the time, as well as adware removal 'updates' and it just got to be too much.

I found the Mac to be so intuitive and easy to use and would highly recommend it to anyone. It's very stable and practically trouble-free (in my experience).

@GeoHorn, are you an iPhone user? If so, how does the I-Pad Pro work in comparison to an iPhone? I'm trying to become more iPhone 'productive' and considered getting an iPad Pro to help get me there.

Just my $0.02

 

[dlsmith]

Surprised no one has mentioned building their own... it's a fun hobby and plenty of resources available on the web to help with.

I've built several over the last few years and it's always a rush when it actually boots up.

You can build one to match your needs. May not be the cheapest way to go but certainly the most satisfying - much like tractors.

That's the only way I do it any more. I bought a new IBM PC when they first came out, never bought another pre-built computer for myself since then. Not as cheap, but it has what I want in it and in the case I want.
Recently built a Ryzen 7 system with a 2TB M.2 NVME SSD that is wicked fast loading Windows 10, working on getting it configured just the way I want it, before I switch over to it. Still using an AMD FX8350 system with a couple of WD 500GB SATA SSDs I built in 2014 running Win7 Pro for my daily driver though. It's kind of like a comfortable old flannel shirt.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm 'building their own'.
for me that consisted of wirewrapping, programing PALs to interface TM503s to Z80 systems,then cutting assembler to get an 8 bit IDE video card to actually display data as 640x480 VGA.

 

[GeoHorn]

…

@GeoHorn, are you an iPhone user? If so, how does the I-Pad Pro work in comparison to an iPhone? I'm trying to become more iPhone 'productive' and considered getting an iPad Pro to help get me there.

Just my $0.02

I don’t use an I-phone so cannot help you there. (Android user)

Never paid a dime for software upgrades with any of the PCs I have just to keep them connected. Sounds like you might have been scammed.

I wasn’t scammed any more than everyone else who uses MS Office products. When Office 2000 no longer worked without paying for an upgrade …. and when Windows-10 got so “glitchy”….I bought an I-Pad Pro and never looked back.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

It's all about sucking coins out of your pocket...
'They' cut a new fancy program, that forces you to upgrade your hardware (the box) ,so that you have to run the new OS, to run the 'must have ap'. A vicious circle all designed to force you to spend more money.
I haven't upgrade with Win10/WIN7 machine in years, ZERO updates aside from virus database and browser( Firefox), runs just fine....
First wordprocessor was 4KB in size, still does what I NEED it to do ( create letters...) though not PC based.
First spreadsheet was, of course, Visicalc . Still have it on another machine( 1977) and it works.
Don't have Linux as the ONE engineering program I run doesn't have a Linux version yet.
I do miss running QB45 and having DIRECT access to REAL comports.......

 

[TheOldHokie]

Google ruined the Internet by probing every nook and cranny for data and monetizing it, then with Android, they went off the rails and decided they owned all your data. Microsoft followed suit with unauthorized (but likely "agreed to") forced updates to Windows 10 - the other spyware OS - they paid someone $10K after she sued them for forcing the update and disrupting her business. Apple pretends to be better, but they are not, they are just more polite and quiet about all their snooping. All their operating systems suck compared to Linux IMHO, but I understand what's happening under the hood better than most computer users, which is not saying much.

Apple sucked a lot less when they moved to unix (system 10?) under the hood. They focused on productivity. Make the computer do the work. Since their os and apps all meet EXACTING STANDARDS in order to be considered for approval/distribution/installation on their OS they get predictably reliable performance. I liked their graphics platform. Microsoft still suffers from rolling their own os and providing a platform where anyone can create and install nearly anything. Chrome proves simplicity is king when it comes topl productivity. They've all lost my confidence and I'm not interested in giving all my personal private information for their gain. Y'all will just have to work harder to get it

I get used computers from some of my clients when they've decided to waste/spend money on new. Just like auto owners who trade in every few years for new. They're convinced they needed it for something. I found I only need to buy - nothing with Linux and all the excellent apps. I too need to be compatible with Winders 10 from time to time so I dual boot or run Wine (a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow application software and computer games developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems) on Linux. I can run my Windows 98 games on it and that is what really matters!

Linux is free to download and easily installed and it runs on older computers just fine. Open Office, Libre Office, GIMP and thousands of other applications are available for free on Linux. They are as good and sometimes better than their paid counterparts. No need to continue supporting Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc if you want.

LMAO.

The only reason the INTERNET exists is because people figured out how to monetize an open source military networking experiment. It was ruined the minute the general public got connected.

A couple geeks named Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson were working on early internet protocols and decided to "roll their own OS" and called it UNIX.

Another geek named Linus Torvalds decided to "roll his own" version of UNIX and he humbly named it LINUX.

A couple half assed DOS programmers named Bill Gates and Paul Allen needed an OS for their crazy personal computer idea so they decided to hire some disgruntled Digital Equipment developers and "steal" the canceled rewrite of DEC's VMS operating system. In a typically geeky attempt at not so subtle humor the Digital "gang of seven" dubbed it WNT.

In the last 50+ years I have been deep "under the hood" of many different operating systems and seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of all of them. Just like the network wars the OS wars will be settled by where the money goes and right now Windows is winning.

Anybody want to talk about engine oil?

Dan

 

[Biker1mike]

clipped

I get used computers from some of my clients when they've decided to waste/spend money on new. Just like auto owners who trade in every few years for new. They're convinced they needed it for something.

My oldest and her hubby are BIG time gamers. I once asked why they upgrade their systems so often. The reply was a pure capitalist one: Because we can !

Neither one is in IT. They just want the latest, greatest, and fastest.

 

[dlsmith]

Computers are complicated.

Yeah, sometimes when I consider all the billions of transistors and gates in the CPUs, RAM and support chips, that it amazing they work at all, for as long as they normally do.
One thing I do is leave the computer on 24-7, as I believe that the thermal stress of cooling and heating cycles are minimized that way. I do reboot about once a week though.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Yeah, sometimes when I consider all the billions of transistors and gates in the CPUs, RAM and support chips, that it amazing they work at all, for as long as they normally do.

Anybody seen my soldering iron?

Dan

 

[The Evil Twin]

I just want MySpace back

 

[Biker1mike]

Yeah, sometimes when I consider all the billions of transistors and gates in the CPUs, RAM and support chips, that it amazing they work at all, for as long as they normally do.
One thing I do is leave the computer on 24-7, as I believe that the thermal stress of cooling and heating cycles are minimized that way. I do reboot about once a week though.

The tools that make those chips run large workstations or small servers that run 24/7/365.

 

[OrangeKrush]

Over the years I've used many frustrating laptops for target practice.

THAT has been the upmost satisfying activity I've ever had the pleasurer of experiencing with a laptop. Bar none.

If you've never had that sort of pleasure, you may experience it vicariously by watching the printer destruction scene from "Office Space".

This is a good idea.. I've got a few laying around that need to be disposed of safely but securely. I think this will work!

 

[GeoHorn]

Not here, on this thread, but there are -all the others- you might take a look at. The beauty of these off topics on a tractor forum is those reading/responding are here for their tractor stuff. I'll take the opinion of a tractor owner over a non-tractor owner every time! Just look at how resourceful many here are. Having the opportunity to get feedback on a public forum from practical people is priceless. That goes for the haters/trolls/donkeys (me?) as well.

Hokie was entering a bit of sarcastic humor…not seriously introducing that ridiculous topic.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I've taken 100s of hard drives apart (most need a T9 bit.....),remove the magnets (dang POWERFUL !) then use a 'bulk tape eraser' on the platters. There is NO way anyone can retrieve the data....it's all gone,forever.

The quicker method... secure HD in a vice, drill 1,2,3 or more 1/4" drills thought the platters. One is enough but 3, 120* apart looks neat !

 

[OrangeKrush]

LMAO.

It was ruined the minute the general public got connected.

Yes ..and vise versa!

The internet is great when properly used but in my opinion .. Has ruined society, and our generation (elders) know how well off we were without it, at least I do!

If phones And camera phones would not have been integrated into the internet this world would be a much better place.
Look back🫣 My .02

 

[OrangeKrush]

I've taken 100s of hard drives apart (most need a T9 bit.....),remove the magnets (dang POWERFUL !) then use a 'bulk tape eraser' on the platters. There is NO way anyone can retrieve the data....it's all gone,forever.

The quicker method... secure HD in a vice, drill 1,2,3 or more 1/4" drills thought the platters. One is enough but 3, 120* apart looks neat !

Since I have no idea what's what in a computer.. I think the vice and drill bit would work better for me.

Can you just take a sledge to the whole thing and make it info ir..retrievable??

 

[GeoHorn]

I've taken 100s of hard drives apart (most need a T9 bit.....),remove the magnets (dang POWERFUL !) then use a 'bulk tape eraser' on the platters. There is NO way anyone can retrieve the data....it's all gone,forever.

The quicker method... secure HD in a vice, drill 1,2,3 or more 1/4" drills thought the platters. One is enough but 3, 120* apart looks neat !

A shot-gun and toss it into the burn-hole.