replacing computer

[Zoe Girl]

sigh, I got some water on my mac book, I bought it used a few years ago. The letters w, s and number 2 have not worked since then. I finally took it in and they told me that the repair they wanted to try should be about $350, with no guarantees. Good shop, very honest about it. So I have to decide to try this on a computer I paid abotu $1,000 on, replace it, replace it with a mac or a PC, argh!!. I have my work laptop which is a Dell and has worked fine for 3 years. I would be fine with something like that and there are plenty of cheap ones. The mac was okay but I didn't have this total love like some people do for all things apple. My phone is a windows phone if that matters. What is important is portability, I don't stay in one place to use my computer very often. And I watch movies on my laptop, we only have one TV so often my laptop is in the kitchen with me providing entertainment.

Of course this is not my only expense, I have a retreat in January and one more car repair in the $300 range. I am going to pick up the mac book and think about it more

[pcooley]

We bought our kids Chromebooks, and they were about $250 each. They're great for homework, and a little too good for surfing the web, but of course, you're tied in to the Google Behemoth, and they only really work if there is a wifi connection. They have stood up to the abuse of kids in their early teens for a year now - that's a pretty good value for less than $25 a month.

[Zoe Girl]

I looked at some of those, pretty cool. I talked to the repair shop and I can buy exactly what I have online used for about the same as the repair, and a little more than the chromebooks. I am willing to pay more so I can watch movies since that is a big deal. Meanwhile I can get a USB keyboard and make it last longer.

Thanks!

[ApatheticNoMore]

Wait why do you have to do any of those things? Why can't you just attach an external keyboard to it? I've never used a MAC but I've had the keyboard on laptops die and that's what I do, though I suppose that's not quite as easy for portability.

[rodeosweetheart]

Would it work okay with an external keyboard? They are very cheap--I love my Wave one, helps with my carpal tunnel

[bekkilyn]

I bought an Asus Vivobook http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VivoBook-X202E-DH31T-PK-11-6-Inch-Touchscreen/dp/B00B7JQQQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418428941&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+vivobook+pink a few months over a year ago for about $500. (They have newer models out now.) It's not a netbook, so you don't have to be online for everything, but it's small, lightweight, and portable like a netbook. I can do practically everything on it except for the most graphic intensive games. Streaming movies is very smooth too. For my really graphic intensive games and programs, I use my desktop as I don't really like laptops for those since upgrades are more difficult and expensive.

This little laptop has been perfect for me to take to school. Not any heavier in the backpack than packing a normal-sized textbook if not lighter.

Unless you have a specific need for a particular laptop, such as a Macbook, there are a lot of good laptop options out there for a *lot* less price, and you can get as much power or more than you would on the Macbook.

The Chromebook may end up being exactly what you need, though there are also some non-netbook, full laptop options that do cost more but still far less than a Macbook. IMO, the only reason to spend money on a Macbook is if you just must have a Mac.

[Blackdog Lin]

I hope this discussion continues - appreciating the guidance. My 'puter is getting balky, I am so tired of the rats nest of cords on the desk, and it's time to upgrade both my 'chine and my access speed. And I can't see upgrading my connectivity without going wireless too. It's time to learn something new. And stream stuff. I just keep putting it off because of having to do all the research I need to.....

[JaneV2.0]

I just hooked up my wireless router a week or two ago; it's been sitting gathering dust for a year or more. I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. There's no time like the present--just jump in!

[ToomuchStuff]

If your able to get by using a replacement keyboard, let me ask, is the keyboard used in one place in the house?
If you only use it one place, why not consider a desktop option? (can be had for a greater price range, more upgradeable/repairable)
There has been some incorrect mixing of terms by bekkilyn. A netbook does NOT require you to be online at all times. Chromebooks do have limited functionality without network access, but a netbook is just a lower powered computer. (I have one as well as one that was sold as a notebook but has netbook specs) I also use Linux on them, which gives me a greater choice of options, when it comes to software and useability. (a choice, no different then Windows or Mac)
Realisitcally if you wanted to get by with a Chromebook then you might even look at a tablet with a bluetooth keyboard.
Personally I see those as non primary devices (but some people even use a phone for their primary computing device).
I've even talked to some online, that are trying to use a SBC (single board computer) as their primary device. (as an example Raspberry PI, Odroid, Cubieboard) I think eventually with ubiquitous computing, that may happen, but we are not quite there yet.

Somethings to think about:
1. Are you affraid of change? (doesn't sound like it, since you use a Mac at home and a PC at work)
2. List your current software (brands and needs). Are these available on both platforms?
3. List what you need the hardware to do. (do you need a cd/dvd drive, do you want to store stuff on your system, or in the cloud)
4. Do you have stuff required for work and how often do you upgrade?

[SteveinMN]

My thoughts:

I've used and supported computers of all stripes, primarily Windows, for 30+ years. I could build my own darn computer if I wanted and have repaired all of mine and several of those of family and friends. But when it came time to spend my own money on a computer, I bought Apple and have done so since the late '80s. I'm sure some people see that as "Apple fanboi". In my mind, fanbois (and fangirls) are ignorant of the alternatives. Not my case.

When people mention "how expensive" Macs (or iPads or iPhones) are relative to products offered by other companies, I suggest they actually look at and touch what they're getting. Is the screen bright, uniform, and true to color (important if you're watching shows/movies on it)? Does the cabinet or keyboard flex cheaply when you touch it? Is the keyboard usable for the lengths of time you'll use it (particularly important with Netbooks/Chromebooks because they tend to be smaller while fingers don't get smaller)? What are all the costs that you'll incur (like an anti-virus/anti-malware subscription for Windows or operating systems or the cost of software you want to use that does not come with the computer)?

Who can service it? One of the great hidden truths about many smaller computer companies is that they change suppliers often. When it comes time to repair that computer a few years down the line, the only option for fixing may be to cannibalize another similar model because an identical part is no longer anywhere in the supply chain. Apple is a top-tier computer manufacturer, like Lenovo and Toshiba. Comparing Apple's products to lesser competitors is comparing -- err -- Apples to oranges.

That said, if you don't care about the differences, don't pay for the differences. If you're OK with a computer that likely will have a shorter lifespan (out of design or repairability) and it looks and feels OK to you, buy the cheapest device you can stand to use. Under those circumstances, buying an Apple product is like buying filet mignon to make hamburger.

Zoe Girl, I would take under consideration the fact that you can still use and repair a laptop that's got to be around 6-8 years old. That's a remarkable lifetime for a computer. It sounds like this one has served you well despite the bath it took. Will this repair place warrant their work for any length of time? If you buy a similar model replacement, does it come with a warranty? A warranty would be a strong consideration for me. Don't forget that other things may go wrong with older electronics. Or water could spill again.

One other thought: if you do buy an accessory keyboard, try to buy one you could use with another computer should you need to. That should not restrict you too much; good Bluetooth keyboards don't cost a whole lot. (DW has one for her iPad that's smaller than a sheet of paper and as thick as the iPad; solar and around $50. Not bad.) You could consider a tablet, too, but I don't recommend them for people who spend a fair amount of time on their computer creating content rather than viewing/commenting on it.

[Zoe Girl]

Steve awesome thank you, i got a keyboard connected by USB for about $30. I want to eventually really get a nice computer and this will get me some serious time to research. In my long term goals I want to do the mediation work and have it all portable. So I can bring my computer device into a mediation, type and print the agreements right there, and have my entire office portable. I did my masters degree online and with a laptop years before everyone was doing that so I feel most comfortable being portable. I want to move into the apple world, one step at a time. i just feel like i used to be smart and now i feel stupid because so much changes so fast and technology is not my primary job. Did you know my department gave me a 'new' printer that has the old style computer cable with an adapter to a usb, and then i cannot find the driver online to even make that sorry thing work.

So I am going to keep working with this MacBook and learn how it works more, work at it until i no longer feel stupid

[SteveinMN]

Did you know my department gave me a 'new' printer that has the old style computer cable with an adapter to a usb, and then i cannot find the driver online to even make that sorry thing work.
We sold our last home printer not because it was broken or printing poorly, but because it was so old that it was no longer supported by any of the computers (home or work) in the house. It might have been on its second set of ink cartridges. :|(


So I am going to keep working with this MacBook and learn how it works more, work at it until i no longer feel stupid
Nobody is born knowing all this stuff. We all had to learn. And some people have gifts other than knowing how computers work. But it is a business tool and I think we're at the time when not knowing how to use a computer is like not knowing how to ride a horse 200 years ago. You'll get there!

Oh, and you would not be the first to spill liquid on a keyboard. I know some very smart people who have done just that. Sometimes irreparably.

[Alan]

Oh, and you would not be the first to spill liquid on a keyboard. I know some very smart people who have done just that. Sometimes irreparably.LOL, that's what happened to my old TI-99/4A. Pepsi killed it.

[Zoe Girl]

Nobody is born knowing all this stuff. We all had to learn. And some people have gifts other than knowing how computers work. But it is a business tool and I think we're at the time when not knowing how to use a computer is like not knowing how to ride a horse 200 years ago. You'll get there!


yes i am finding that my families in my programs really need support in this. i have a school site (out of school time programs) that has more and more affluent parents however is still traditionally a low income area. Our district does more online, the thursday folders of take home information, the ways to pay lunch accounts, check on grades, everything. Well some people can't do any of that, so we help. The way that they sign up for many things, they bring me paperwork spelled badly, crumpled, etc, and i scan and send it over. Then I have the people in my department call me, not call the family, not send an email, and certainly not stick something in the mail in English only. I cushion the middle of this and translate to the low functioning families. Now if I could just them to actually sign up for my FREE computer literacy classes, argh