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bboston75
Joined: 16 Jan 2004
Posts: 367
Location: philadelphia9/13/13 12:47 PM |
Laptop/net book recs
Getting my underemployed son a computer to aid him in search for better work. Looking for cheap. Chrome?
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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real9/13/13 2:59 PM |
An over hill one and install Ubuntu. Damn near free.
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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19083
Location: PDX9/13/13 3:14 PM |
"over hill one and install Ubuntu. Damn near free."
Good logic unless he is not Computer compatible.
I paid 319.00 a while back for this Lenovo N580 and been happy. Once I got a Classic Shell add in to get around a few Win 8 annoyances...
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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson9/13/13 3:26 PM |
quote:
An over hill one and install Ubuntu. Damn near free.
That sounds a like a job in itself, especially if he is not a computer science major. I thought the computer was for him to look for a job...
Sandiway
P.S. If he is a computer science major, what is he doing out of work? :)
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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA9/13/13 4:57 PM |
I have an HP "Mini" I got from Best Buys about two years ago for under $250. Works well for its size.
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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield9/13/13 5:05 PM |
What does he want to do with it? Most public libraries have internet terminals for the motivated to find a job. Sorry if that's a touchy subject.
If he needs to sharpen his computer skills get something with a Microsoft OS and then pay for some version of Microsoft Office. Microsoft is found everywhere. The Chrome and other operating systems simply are not. In a sense they are for enthusiasts. We're still talking $500-$600.
One good strategy for the hardware is to get something starved for RAM, but can be upgraded. This required digging for specs. The memory company [url]crucial.com[/url] is a good resource. Their site has a manufacturer, make, model app that will tell you how much RAM most systems can take (and their suggestions/price.)
BTW, for the uninitiated: RAM is the memory where your system literally runs. Not to be confused with disk space, where programs and files are stored and found. RAM these days will be, like, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB. Disk space will be 80GB, 120GB, 250GB and more. You will probably start with 2GB RAM and will want to end up with at least 4GB of RAM. RAM is also tightly specified. There are many variables and a site like Crucial will steer you right. There aren't hidden secrets, just look for something like "DDR2-1300 MHz" - that's how the spec is defined. Adding or replacing memory is EASY, just start on a clean table and pay attention. The manufacturer's site will have diagrams if the laptop manuals don't. Disk space, anything works because the smallest disk these days is huge.
MS Office: You will find most businesses don't use the latest version, so that's better than Office 365 (the latest and most expensive.) Office 2010 is great, for Home and Business. It does not have every part of office like Office Pro, but you probably won't need it at first. Its major shortcoming is it doesn't have Outlook for email. So that skill will need to be approximated with the operating system's Outlook Express. Most versions these days are "medialess." You buy the software key in a box, with download instructions. With a slow internet connection start the download and go to bed, or work or anything to leave it alone for a few hours. If you have a fast internet connection, watch some football.
Best wishes, for sure.
Last edited by daddy-o on 9/13/13 5:23 PM; edited 1 time in total
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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield9/13/13 5:19 PM |
By the way, Microsoft and other software houses have many, many free downloads that can be used by someone interested in working with computers technically.
Microsoft powershell and virtual machine, among others
Oracle has a free database that corresponds directly to their enterprise products
Oracle also has MySQL which is very popular for supporting website databases
Oracle Virtual Machine, I think Walter runs that.
Oracle Solaris operating system is a fantastic paying skill
Oracle Java / Javascript tools
Firefox browser has a set of programming tools in every browser: tools > web developer > ...choose.
Many industry certifications and skill sets can be acquired by using free tools published by the company themselves. They also have many types of tutorials. Those same tools combined with some class work can be the leg up into a rewarding ($$$ and interesting) career. After a while paying for classwork won't be necessary. The laptop I described can handle any of the packages I presented in this post.
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Craig
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 591
9/13/13 7:46 PM |
Have you learned nothing from the world of upgrading bikes? Give him your old one and buy yourself a newer, better, faster, lighter one with an extra gear...
Seriously though, as others have mentioned, the library has computers for internet access. Free. If you insist on getting him his own computer then any laptop that Futureshop has on sale for $300 will work. The Chromebooks, netbooks, tablets etc are all crippled computers. Get him an actual computer. Open Office is free and will give him all the tools he needs to put together a resume.
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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT9/13/13 8:28 PM |
lenovo X120e
These are a couple of years old, but the ones with an AMD350 processor can be had for sub $200, and run very well. Plus at 11.6", small enough to go anywhere. I run mine with Win8 (+1 on Classic Shell) and it's survived a lot, including the hip replacement crash.
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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA9/14/13 6:10 AM |
Open Office
Open Office is a free office suite that closely resembles MSOffice and is compatible with any Windows OS and existing MSOffice documents. It's a good way to get the essential office programs (word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, data base, etc.) at no cost. A Google search will turn up lots of sites offering free downloads.
A smaller version, Open Office Portable, is small enough to fit on a USB thumb drive leaving plenty of space for your files. Add portable versions of Firefox and Thunderbird and you can use library or hotel computers while working only on your own personal drive, leaving no traces on these machines.
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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT9/14/13 8:06 AM |
Open Office/Alternative OS
My only thoughts on Open Office and various "alternative" operating systems--all of which work well--is that many workplaces now require familiarity with Windows/Microsoft Office. OO is close, but not exactly the same, and there's something to be said for getting familiar with the tool that employers are expecting you to use.
This is by no means to say that you shouldn't use/know/like the other office suites, just a consideration for anyone looking for employment these days.
If it were my decision (which it ain't), I would scrimp a little more on hardware (even a cheap netbook will run Win7 and Office 2010 more than adequately) and spend the extra on software.
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Jesus Saves
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 1150
Location: South of Heaven9/20/13 10:33 AM |
+1 for the ACER recommendation.
+1 for Andy's comments about Open Office/Alternative OS.
I have an Aspire One Netbook than came with Linux & Open Office. Works great and perfectly fine setup until you need some help with the software. You might find Linux help and support free, but there's a hidden cost of (your time) Linux support. They tend to be written for techies, by techies, and in short hand speak. I have Windows and MS Office running on the Aspire One.
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