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So the graphics card on my ancient Dell Latitude D820 finally gave up the ghost. It was a beautiful machine, I'd give it a Viking funeral if I could scrounge up the wood. Now that I need to upgrade, I've got an opportunity to snag Sony machines for cheaper (got a family member with an employee discount I can rely on in a pinch). I read in the OP that Sony laptops are reliable enough but have lackluster driver support; how would this hinder performance over time? I don't think the video drivers for my Latitude were ever updated and, while obviously I couldn't play games for poo poo as the tech sprinted further and further ahead of the laptop's capabilities, I never noticed much in the way of instability. Would the lack of driver support be worth the potentially reduced cost? And if so, any decent mid-priced machines people can recommend? I'm not looking for a laptop that can outdo my 360 performance-wise or anything, just something that'll be moderately future-proofed for lower-end games for the next few years or so. Also screen size - my Latitude had a 15.4" and I'm used to stuff in that range, if possible.
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Jun 13, 2013 15:52
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 06:16 |
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shrughes posted:I haven't had any driver problems with the Sony laptop I own. It's not like the hardware stops working when the clock hits 2014 and somehow magically needs a new driver. But also I have not wanted to upgrade that laptop to Windows 8 (and wouldn't, because of driver support). Oh right, I forgot how big a range laptop prices have. Something in the $1000 range tops was what came to mind. The OS has been at the back of my mind, because I've been using XL all my life. Stupid question probably, but is it possible to get XL on one of those newer machines if you still have the install discs, or would be silly/not worth the hassle?
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Jun 13, 2013 16:44
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Yeah, I thought as much. Nix that idea, then. I'll look into the Vaio S as recommended. Thanks for the quick responses.
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Jun 13, 2013 17:21
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What's this thread's opinion on extended warranties? I basically treat my laptops like a desktop - my last one was actually moved only 5 or 6 times in as many years, not counting when I put it aside to dust around it - and handle the things like they're made of Faberge eggs and spider silk in any case. Is a warranty past the basic manufacturer's worth the expense given that kind of treatment?
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Jun 14, 2013 14:25
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DrDork posted:Extended warranties are very much a personal preference and should be bounced off how reliable you expect the machine to be, and how much abuse you intend to put it through. A ThinkPad that stays on the desk all day? Probably wasted money. That ASUS you plan on backpacking through Europe with? Probably money well spent. That said, note that most of the warranties unless they explicitly state otherwise do not cover the battery wearing out, nor do they cover accidental damage. Battery warranties are almost all useless, as they usually cost as much (or more!) than just buying a new battery anyhow. Accidental damage plans are a decent idea if you expect to be banging the laptop around a lot. Perfect. That's a "no" on this system, then. I'd rivet my laptops to my desk if it didn't make them harder to clean.
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Jun 14, 2013 17:54
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Mega Comrade posted:Mind if I ask why you don't just get a desktop? If you plan on never moving it you are pretty much throwing away money by buying a laptop. Short story is that my living space doesn't really allow for it.
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Jun 14, 2013 19:09
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InstantInfidel posted:Something along the lines of "You can only use drivers we release and absolutely nothing else" and then they go months without actually releasing anything. Terrible isn't really a harsh enough word for that kind of poo poo. Stupid question, but what does "poor driver support" actually amount to? My last laptop's video drivers stopped updating, ooh, call it 2008, so I was never quite sure exactly what updated drivers did aside from help your system stay stable.
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Jun 24, 2013 13:26
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New laptop's coming today. Obviously it's going to have bloatware on it - are clean installs generally recommended whenever you get new machines, or would uninstalling the bloatware program-by-program suffice?
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Jun 27, 2013 14:15
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DrDork posted:Depends on what laptop you're getting. Apple? You're fine to leave it as is. ThinkPad? A few things here or there you don't need, otherwise largely fine. Pretty much anything else? Be prepared to spend awhile de-loving the bloatware bombs. For most laptops it's not really required to do a clean install, but the time/effort may be lower by going that route vice trying to pull all the crapware out. If you do decide to do a clean install, just ensure you've already downloaded the network drivers onto a USB drive or otherwise have a copy, just in case Windows doesn't pick them up correctly by default. Sony Vaio S, Series 15. Going to take a wild leap and assume they're on the more troublesome end when it comes to poo poo you don't need, since one of their "upgrade" options was a computer with no additional crap installed on it.
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Jun 27, 2013 15:32
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WHERE MY HAT IS AT posted:Yeah, you'll want to do a clean install. Sony is the worst for that. Expect your first boot with a factory system to take around twice as long as your first boot after you reinstall, if not longer. When I got my vaio a few years ago there were ~30 pre-installed sony apps I figured. So how/where do I find network drivers in order to back them up? This is my first time with this process and my google searches aren't being very useful. This laptop's got Windows 8 pre-installed, if that helps.
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Jun 27, 2013 17:26
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Screwed-in batteries are weird to me. I popped the battery out of my Latitude D820 when it died for good (about eight months after I bought it, hahaha, Dell batteries were not too great), and kept the laptop on AC power for the rest of its lifespan. Reduced weight, too! Though the weight was no longer evenly distributed, which bugged me.
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Jun 28, 2013 22:19
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 06:16 |
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My five-year old Vaio looks like it's finally poo poo the bed - the screen becomes faded and corrupted after about fifteen minutes use, probably an issue with the panel or the GPU. What's a better model of bare-bones laptop these days? I only need Internet and a word processor. Good-quality panel would be nice too, the Vaio spoiled me. Oxxidation fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Jul 21, 2018 |
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Jul 21, 2018 17:10
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