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Thread: laptop upgrade

  1. #1
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    laptop upgrade

    my new laptop came out with windows 7 pro 64 bit...i 5...4 gig ram...500 gig hard drive...would there be a reason why i should upgrade or need to upgrade to windows ultimate?

    bit disapointed in the laptop screen...but i plan on taking out the battery and using in my office where i have a monster hd screen which has a brilliant picture ( because i am as blind as a bat and getting worse)...unless i need it on site for any reason or if i work in the house...i know some of you are gona ask so why the laptop...welll for what i got in the laptop i couldnt find on a desktop...3 years ago you could get a top of the range desktop for the price of a bottom of the range laptop...the cap seems to have closed.



    the other question is office 2010....i have loaded window live messenger...which looks very similar to outlook...but the bonus is that i can now download my emails from any computer.

    i am an idiot when it comes to this new technology...i still file my invoices and visit shops when i want to buy stuff...so i need some advice from some of you hi tech fundies or should i ask my 3 year old

    i am considering just getting office 2010 basic...for xl...word and thats about all i need...going for around R600

    i cannot see why i would need outlook on my laptop at R1000 more than the basic...once again i dont know any better.

    i spoke to a person today who informed me that the windows 7 ultimate can see more video files and graphics and stuff....but i am clueless so i need help.


    how easy is it to upgrade from windows 7 pro to ultimate?

    my computer needs

    i run a small bussiness

    i have a small network with
    2 printers
    1 desk top (home use linked to the network)
    2 laptops
    1 netbook
    7 " notepad
    3 cellphones
    dvr for the cctv cameras
    all linked to an adsl router (telkom) some wireless and some with cables

    in the near future i will be linking a TV in the house and in my workshop to the network

    and in 2012 will be looking into connecting my alarm system and making the whole system accessable from any location on or away frorm the property via the network

    i will also be installing a big mother size ac unit in my workshop so i can work and watch movies...link onto the internet using the TV screen or watch yotube articles when i make stuff...like step by step instructions.

    and at the rate i an going looks like i will be needing a 4 meg telkom line...my mate reckons i should get an mweb uncapped...unshaped...conections

    he also advised me to get linex and ubuntu...only problem is i believe i need the xp program to run my work equipment software...hence the reason for me using virtual xp pro in windows 7

    let me leave it a tthat for now before i confuse myself

  2. #2
    Email problem daveob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by murdock View Post
    he also advised me to get linex and ubuntu...only problem is i believe i need the xp program to run my work equipment software...hence the reason for me using virtual xp pro in windows 7
    As far as I know, VirtualBox will run on linux as well, so you can run Win XP on the virtual drive, irrelevant of what your boot up operating system is.
    Watching the ships passing by.

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    Gold Member twinscythe12332's Avatar
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    windows ultimate isn't really necessary unless you've sought out a feature it has that pro doesn't. Your set-up sounds fine.
    windows live messenger is a chat program, hotmail or windows live mail is for mail.
    If you only use excel and word and don't want the shiny new outlook 2010, then you'll be fine with basic ^^
    what the person is probably reffering to is dreamscene. you can play videos as your wallpaper. There are also more games if I remember correctly.
    right click my computer and go to properties. It should have something to the tune of "upgrade windows" somewhere there. So fairly easy.

    He has advised you to get linux/ubuntu... did he mention what for? If there is no specific reason, then why bother.

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    Quote Originally Posted by twinscythe12332 View Post
    windows ultimate isn't really necessary unless you've sought out a feature it has that pro doesn't. Your set-up sounds fine.
    windows live messenger is a chat program, hotmail or windows live mail is for mail.
    If you only use excel and word and don't want the shiny new outlook 2010, then you'll be fine with basic ^^
    what the person is probably reffering to is dreamscene. you can play videos as your wallpaper. There are also more games if I remember correctly.
    right click my computer and go to properties. It should have something to the tune of "upgrade windows" somewhere there. So fairly easy.

    He has advised you to get linux/ubuntu... did he mention what for? If there is no specific reason, then why bother.
    my mistake its windows live mail...looks just like oulook mail...calender etc...what can oultook do which windows live mail cant do?

    the advice about linux was if i purchased a desktop and it didnt come with windows...or if i decided to build up a desktop...box...boards etc...then i should look into linux/ubuntu...or even just install it and try it out...he is using it for a year already and only has good things to say about it...i have also noticed there are a few memebers on this forum who use it....one of the advantages he mentioned was never having to load a virus protection package...because you just dont get viruses...he also mentioned that he has not had to reformat his hard drive since using the program...before when he used windows...he would have to reformat his hard drive on occassion to clean it out and get it to function properly...my wording might be incorrect but i am sure you understand...my plan is to format my hard drive of one of my spare laptops...load linux and try it out.

    one thing i have to say about outlook is man it is frustrating sometimes...on one of my other pcs it...hangs...drop out for no reason...i have tried doing the check/test but it indicates there is no fault...the other bonus with live mail...you can setup your telkom mail to download automatically as soon as you log on...i am sure there are many other programs which will do it...but for now...it works for me.


    this new laptop has become like having a jumbo 747 on and aircraft carrier...all the bells and whistles...just not enough runway to take off and fly...being my restricted knowledge.

    however in saying that i do believe when i get into the swing of things and figue out how and what to do with it...its gona be fun...one of the biggest improvements so far is the speed things happen...i just dont have coffee breaks anymore with the other pcs...i switch on the pcs...and the keetle and while i am waiting for everything to load i get to make the coffee and while waiting for programs to load or websites to load i get to drink my coffee...not with this new one.

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    so i needed a small external hard drive and i need to make a decision about office...which version.

    mmm now thats where it gets interesting...i decide to take some time off work and visit computer shops...wont mention names...but...wow... beware not to ask different people in the shop the same question...talk ablout conflicting answers...

    when i enquired about which version to select and what if i decide to upgrade in a month or 2...i got 2 completely diffrent answers...one person (sales) tells me that i i take the entry level package and decide to up grade in a months time i would need to buy the whole new package to upgrade...i also enquired abotu the diffrence between proffessional and ultimate...other than what was illustrated on the paphlet he had a mouth full of teeth...(just so you know i spent 4 hours last night doing some research so had an idea what i was looking for but needed to verify some stuff.)

    i then decided to go ask the technical department the same questions...honestly i dont think the technical fella was tooo clued up on office 2010..but i wanted to hear what his thoughts were...i ended up leaving the shop and made a few calls to some mates who seem to have a better idea.

    another question just to verify information...if i upgrade my old laptop to 2 gig ram...is it better to fit 1 2 gig chipset or can i fit 1 x 2 gig chipset and leave the 1 x 512 ram in the machine?

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    Rather than getting Office 2010 basic, why don't you download Open Office for free? I have been using it for years and never have a problem opening any MS Office documents. You can save your documents in MS Word and Excel format and export anything into PDF format as well. I love it.
    Sometimes the only transport available is a leap of faith

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    Gold Member twinscythe12332's Avatar
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    NewRetailer does have a point about openoffice.
    One of the major irritations with 2010 is the office ribbon became the standard and they completely removed the older style menu (in 2007 you could press alt to bring up the old file,view,edit, etc options menu). However, I don't find the problem with opening office documents so much as composing them. They look a little different in open office, and while you can definitely open the MS office documents, not all of the formatting comes through all of the time.
    if the RAM has the same frequency, it shouldn't be too much of a problem slapping the 2 sticks in together. I removed a third of my gran's laptop memory to put into another laptop which I ended up giving them and she actually said it was running faster (the difference in frequency meant one stick was throttling the other).
    As for your Outlook issue (if you're still using it =P) look at the auto-archiving settings. Your mailbox may be getting a tad big.

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    thanks for the replies

    i will be looking into open office...it has been highly recommended by people who use it for personal use...i will do some research and find out more about it...

    my plan is to format or replace my old hard drive on the old laptop 5 years + old already...at which time i will look into loading open office and try it out on that laptop becfore i introduce it into my office.

    i managed to find 2 gig ram 800 mhz ...x 1...i was told at the first pc shop that i could not install it...so i went to a different pc shop where i removed the ddr 2..667 mhz x 2... 512meg cards and replaced them and switched on...walla i now have 2 gig ram and it shows up in system...

    just need to finalise a few things with the new laptop...make sure all systems go for next week.

    i also managed to find an HD multimedia player (HD Apacer AL 670) for all my avi files...was on special for R499 but the special is finished so i paid a little more...plugged it into the tv and bingo we can now watch avi files without having to convert to watch on the dvd player...just plug flash drive or external hard drive...it has a network facility...hdmi...usb...lan...and best of all it has a composite output to view on my old tv...i was going to get a new tv but decided to wait until end of feb or march...when the prices come down even more and hopefully all the customers would have got over their holiday and paid up.

    will also look into the archive settings.

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    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    I wouldn't change your version of windoze unless there's a very good reason. If you're not particularly computer literate I wouldn't install linux either. Open Office is a good suggestion and it will save you some money if you were going to buy M$ Office.
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    Gold Member irneb's Avatar
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    +1 on the Open Office. Though since Oracle bought out SUN the Open Office was a bit in a dilemma (there was a branch-off called LibreOffice which is supposed to be further developed than Open Office with better compatibility to other office suites). I'm using Libre Office 3.4 at the moment, not too bad at all, but still some probs with MS files' formatting (especially when opening DOCX / XLSX files, DOC/XLS is near perfect). Though in the same breath, my Office PC has MS Office 2007 on it and when I send DOC/XLS files to someone with an MSO 2003 the formatting there becomes corrupt as well. Of course this only tends to be a problem with non-standard formatting (like multiple columns with tables and pictures placed inside. On the other hand Open office and Libre Office both come with a full complement of programs (i.e. Write, Calc, Draw, Impress, Base, Math, etc.) Whereas MSO only comes with the basics if you don't go with the pro version or higher (i.e. Word & Excel). OO/LO doesn't have any form of email though, unlike MSO Pro with Outlook.

    As for Outlook / Live Mail ... you can see Live Mail as similar to the old Outlook Express you had installed in an XP installation. It's a decent mail app if you simply send & receive emails without too much formatting or "specials" involved. Outlook becomes necessary when you have something like an Exchange Server and its calendaring is a lot more involved. Allowing for things like coordinating meetings online by computing free times between all the participants - though only if their calendars are shared to you through something like Exchange. If you want the added features of Outlook but don't want to pay for them, then perhaps look into Mozilla's Thunderbird (though it needs some addons to be a "proper" email, contact & calendar manager). One program which is based on Thunderbird but extends to become even more than Outlook is is called Zimbra (search google for it). From it you can even get an Exchange-like experience, yet also add things like document management & file sharing - all free if you want to use their open Source and set it up yourself (otherwise you pay for their pre-packaged versions).

    Win7 Pro/Ultimate is basically the same thing. There's not a lot of extras for the average guy in Ultimate over Pro. Mainly stuff like allowing you to use other languages as the base language for windows. But you've mentioned one (the extra media formats) which I don't actually agree with. If you have any Windows system (including even the absolute basic - starter edition) you could still install something like K-Lite codec pack and be able to play a LOT more than even the so-called "extra media" which Ultimate gives you ... FOR FREE! So I can't see that as being any sort of reason to pay up for the extra on Ultimate. IMO you have extremely strange requirements if you need to have Ultimate. Pro should be adequate for nearly every possible scenario. Premium or below has some problems with networking - so with multiple PC's around I'd highly recommend Pro.

    As for Linux ... uhm ... I'm all pro-linux to a degree. I'd say for most people there's not much point in staying away from Linux (especially some of the distros made for Desktop use such as Ubuntu / Fedora / etc.) Where you have trouble is when you can't get your "special" programs running on Linux. Usually you hear about things like Wine & Coco to be able to run windows programs and DotNet programs directly on Linux, but my experience with these are less than stellar. You could of course install VirtulaBox on any Linux and then any other operating system inside that (even Win95/98/2k/ME/XP/Vista/7 if you so wish) - just remember a Virtual Machine won't have all the hardware performance you'd get from a "bare-bones" installation (especially graphics performance). So I'd not recommend a VirtualBox installation of XP so you can run a 3D game in it, but if your program(s) are mostly text / 2D imaging then I can't see a problem. If you do go with a VirtualBox (no matter what host OS you have - Linux / Win7 / OSX / etc.) then make sure you've got enough RAM for both to run reasonably. Remember that the Virtual Machine uses a portion of the RAM, thus the host will have less available to it while the Client OS is also running.

    If however you were suggested Linux for use as some form of Media and/or File Server, then I'd wholeheartedly agree. There's nothing as great as a Linux/BSD Server when you start looking at prices as well. As an example, I've got an Iomega iConnect which can link to a 1G LAN and / or 300N Wireless with 4 USB2 extension ports (2 of which can be used as printer servers). And more than that it can be connected to LAN compatible TV's (and other) through its feature as a Media Server. So it doubles for me as a central File Server, Print Server & Media Server to work with any other PC/Player/Phone/Tablet which can connect to my LAN / Wireless. And guess what? It runs Linux Debian as its built-in operating system, you simply start it connect your external discs / printers to its USB ports and connect to it through the LAN/Wireless from your PC/Phone/Tablet/TV/etc - all shared to multiple PC's/Laptops/Phones/TV's/etc all at the same time. That's an example of a pre-packaged Linux server, you could use an old Desktop and breathe new life into it by installing a Linux Server to use it as the same type of thing - though you'd need some time to figure out how to go about such. Basically you'd be creating a NAS server with some extra features.

    But seeing as you've already got a Multimedia Player its features seem similar to my iConnect. Where mine has 1GB/sec LAN and Wireless yours only has 10/100MB/sec LAN. But then yours has component and HDMI output, mine doesn't. I'm not sure if you can use your's as a File / Print server as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if it could do that too. I'm willing to bet it also uses a Linux operating system itself ... so without you even knowing it you're already using Linux ... or possibly BSD.

    PS: The slowdown in Outlook is most likely due to size / content of the PST files. Using the Archive could alleviate that. Try to keep all PST files below 2GB in size, otherwise Outlook becomes a snail - one that crashes all the time as well. This is probably the major reason I like Thunderbird above Outlook. My TB's mail folders are currently running in the size of 25GB with 5 email connections (IMAP/POP) and in the order of around 2 million emails (throughout 10 years). As long as I organize each folder to not have more than 2GB I have no problem at all as each folder is a separate file - no need to recreate a PST file to see as a new email group.
    Gold is the money of kings; silver is the money of gentlemen; barter is the money of peasants; but debt is the money of slaves. - Norm Franz
    And central banks are the slave clearing houses

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