Re: New laptop needed

It is sometimes the case that using the Terminal is necessary to get programs installed and working that don't come pre-installed on a Linux OS. I've had to do that in the past with Skype and a couple of other functions that I can't remember now. Also had trouble getting Steam games to run.

I mention Linux this time because I've been quite impressed by Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya (64-bit) running with the Cinnamon Desktop. The extras that I had trouble getting working on the previous version just installed and worked on this one. These being Skype and Steam games. Steam is slow to start but it works OK.

The system recognised and installed my wireless HP printer/scanner with hardly any input from me.

Mint sets out to be friendly to Windows users and I think and each release seems to get better at that. The only aspect of the laptop not set up during the installation procedure is the fingerprint recognition function that it has. I class that as a fairly minor drawback though.

I'm trying 'Amarok' as a music handling program at present. Quite impressed by this too.

Re: New laptop needed

There is so much choice, but you can do worse than buy a computer magazine and read reviews.

One thing you should NEVER do is buy a computer from Currys-PCWorld. I shall not say more, other than google them for reviews and you'll see what they're like.

Re: New laptop needed

If I was buying a laptop, nowadays, I'd make it a number 1 priority to be a 64 bit machine.

Salesmen don't always point out that 32 bit windows is restricted to 3 GB (more likely 2.8) of RAM.

3 GB might seem enough if you don't really want to do much more than keep a diary & write some letters.Windows, itself can use up about one third of that!

But if you want a clipply laptop you'd want a minimum of 4 GB RAM or, even better, 8GB.

Hence 64 bit

Just a thought.

Oh! Just one more thought. Some laptops/notebooks cannot use W10. This is because the manufacturers decided that it was more cost effective to have customers go for a new pc rather than use a BIOS update to allow the change.

Before you pay up, check the name and number to make sure you'll be able to upgrade it later, should you so desire.

Re: New laptop needed

Not quite right; it's theoretically 4Gb but in practice about 3.5Gb RAM is available of that 4Gb. My rather old 32 bit laptop shows 3.7Gb available as RAM.



2^32 = 4,294,967,296 bytes

4,294,967,296 / (1,024 x 1,024) = 4,096 MB = 4GB

I doubt there are many machines in the shops today that are 32bit I certainly haven't seen any.


To check yours Control Panel > System



Obviously that isn't my laptop - just to illustrate the point