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Getting a new laptop, but I hate the little pad you rub your finger on to move the cursor. Which laptops have the little joystick in the keyboard? Or do any have a little ball to control it?
I currently have an older Dell Latitude with the little joystick above the B key. Not a bad computer but its getting weaker by the day.
The computer will be used mostly for downloading and sharing music and photos, mainly photos though.
My son is a year old and my wife has taken like a thousand pictures already.
Second the wireless mouse. All you do is plug in the USB stick and off you go.
Microsoft's wireless mouse has a slot in the back to store the stick. I have used one for a year or so and its pretty neat. Even if sitting on the couch watching TV with the laptop on my lap I can use the mouse on the seat beside me with no issues.
Best Buy sells a Toshiba that does not cost a lot and the only complaint I have is the mouse pad so if your going to go wireless this should not be a problem.
Have a older gateway with my programs on it for back up and used HP's before and the pads on those are 5 times better than the one Toshiba used on this one. For under 4 hundred dollars its hard to beat and its been bouncing and shook for over a year without any problems so its not a bad buy for the money and unless your a season pro, it will do everything you need it to do.
Like the two year service plans best buy has and if they can't fix it and something happens to it on the last month they credit all the money you paid on that one to a new one. You have to pay the difference but thats hard to beat...
__________________ Fountain 31TE...... Hydra Sports 21 Bay...... Dodge 3500 Camping unit "Gone Fishing"..... Tinker Toy..... Sunset Point Nixonton NC
We use the laptop on the couch so the mouse is a pain in the ass. And the computer will be used for internet web surfing like THT so the iPad probably won't work either.
We use the laptop on the couch so the mouse is a pain in the ass. And the computer will be used for internet web surfing like THT so the iPad probably won't work either.
So only the Dell and IBM?
If you really are looking for a couch surfing device - the ipad is great. However, it's not a replacement for a computer. I am much happier with the ipad as my coffee table device and a real PC in the home office, than using a laptop around the house.
I have had three IBM Thinkpads and they were excellent machines. I am pretty sure Lenovo bought out IBM but the machines are the same. Mine have been excellent for work but the screens are not as good as others.
I had a Sony but it was fragile.
My wife's Toshiba has a killer screen but internal hard drive issues (they have replaced it three times).
The HP I have now with the mouse pad (I hate them too but this one works well) is the best screen I have ever used. The paqd itself is pretty large and it allows you to move from one side of the screen to the other wihout picking up your finger.
Get a local geek to build you one. You can get exactly what you want without all the BS software that comes on the "name" brands.
__________________ The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Again, no mouse. This computer gets used on the arm of the couch, no place for a mouse. And I want a computer for all the capabilities it has so I'm not interested in the iPad.
I guess I'll have to go without the joystick. Geez I hope the cursor pad on the newer lap tops are better than the one on this Dell Latitude D610.
Lenovo (formerly IBM) and some dell models are going to be the only one's with the eraser type mouse. Any specifics on screen size, or any other features that you may want? I can try to help you pick one out.
Thanks,
David
__________________ Boat in progress: 1972 Boston Whaler Cohasset (In the restoration process).
You want the Lenovo and Dell laptops if you have to have the eraser mouse. In addition to features, you need to indicate price. The more highly recommended machines will be the business level units as they are built better, but you will pay a good bit more from them.
On the features side, a primary consideration is whether you will either game or otherwise require substantial graphics capability, as this will affect whether you need a dedicated graphics card or not. It doesn't sound like you have graphics needs.
A second major consideration is battery life. If you can live with 3-4 hours before needing to plug in, you have a lot of options. If you HAVE to have more, your options will become more limited and more expensive.
The third major consideration is portability. Do you require something very portable (10-12" screen), something pretty portable (13-14"), or is portability not a concern and maybe you even prefer a larger screen (15-17").
I suggest you allocate enough budget to get a Core I-5 CPU and 4G of RAM. You also probably want a 300G-500G hard drive as photos and videos if you go that way take up a lot of hard disk space.
For what it is worth, if I were buying I would get a 13-14" screen, live with 3-4 hours of battery life (I am generally around an outlet), and I would get some graphics power such as mid-range power with some memory dedicated to video but not necessarily a separate video card, plus the Core I-5, 4G, and 500G hard drive.
Provide a budget and your thoughts on what else you need and recommendations can be make. For a budget, do you need to stay in the $700-1,000 range or can you go to $1200-1500?
Again, no mouse. This computer gets used on the arm of the couch, no place for a mouse. And I want a computer for all the capabilities it has so I'm not interested in the iPad.
I guess I'll have to go without the joystick. Geez I hope the cursor pad on the newer lap tops are better than the one on this Dell Latitude D610.
They aren't. I'm an eraser mouse guy and I hate the trackpads. There is nothing wrong with lenovos - they are excellent machines. They just don't have the "wow" factor of some more consumer-focused laptops. (lenovos have typically been a corporate device)
Btw lenovo made thinkpads for years - first they said IBM, then they said IBM by lenovo, now they just say lenovo.
My current laptop is a lenovo, not counting the hp I hate and never use, my next will be lenovo or apple. (if I can deal with the pad, they prob have the best)
Oh and my lenovo is currently in the office, I'm typing on the couch from my iPad.
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Need new laptop, need guidance... 
