# Trusty Laptop for Older Woman?



## vidamasvida (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks to you all I've kept my 10 yr old Dell desktop alive and kicking. Just last year with your help I installed more memory. By myself! Now we're moving and must live in a hotel for a few months while things are in storage. My husband has commanded me to buy us a laptop! I'm leaning toward a Dell Inspiron with web cam and wireless capability. Nothing fancy. I only use my computer for email, internet, website management (photos etc), and lots of word processing. No gaming or movies. I'd also love to be able to install my XP operating system on a new laptop.

Thanks to all you brilliant problem solvers out there, in advance!


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## Jack Hackett (Nov 19, 2006)

> i'd also love to be able to install my xp operating system on a new laptop.


why??


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## vidamasvida (Jul 14, 2010)

oh, I guess because I've heard people complain about Windows 7. But this is a minor point.


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## Jack Hackett (Nov 19, 2006)

Ignore what others say and try it for yourself and then you decide. You may actually like it.
another important thing to consider is ... you may not be able to find XP drivers for the laptop.



vidamasvida said:


> .. Nothing fancy. I only use my computer for email, internet, website management (photos etc), and lots of word processing. No gaming or movies ... in hotel for a few months...


If you are stuck on using XP you could always buy a second hand laptop from a reputable seller, there are plenty about, ex-corporate machines at rock-bottom prices.


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## paisanol69 (Sep 7, 2005)

There was an article posted here at this site, a while ago. Microsoft announced that they would no longer support/provide the WinXP operating system for new computer purchase. I hope if you find a new computer for sale, offering WinXP as the OS, that you don't run into trouble getting it validated with Microsoft.

Good luck with whatever laptop you do purchase.
(I hated living in hotels, for my work, before I retired!)


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## vicks (Jan 31, 2005)

I too am an older person (68). Last summer I purchased a Dell 1545 Inspiron laptop. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to some of the new features (especially the Windows Live Essentials/ Mail) but I love it now. ALso have friends who purchased new laptops with Win 7 and they too love it......
I encourage you to bite the bullet and make the jump. Also, MS is discontinuing support for XP in 2014, and if you get a Win 7 unit now you will get much more protected use from it...
GOOD LUCK
Vicks


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## LauraMJ (Mar 18, 2004)

I personally have Windows XP, so I understand your reluctance.  It's a great operating system and I am very comfortable with it.........that being said, I have worked with W7 and I do think that if I were looking to buy a new computer, I would not be averse to getting one with W7, though I would go with the Pro version. I would turn off a few things, though, like the UAC nag, but all in all, it seems to be a good OS. As stated above, unless you buy a second hand one (which can be a great deal, really), it will be complicated and perhaps problematic to format a new computer to put XP on it because of the difference of the drivers between the two. You may not even be able to find drivers for some things for XP on a newer system that was built for W7. 

If you are really wanting to keep XP, I suggest getting a second hand one that has been reformatted. That way, you won't pay a lot of money and when it's no longer supported in three years, you're not out much. 

As for the brand of the computer, for what you are doing, if you are not into high-end gaming and professional graphics work, then I really like the Dell Lattitudes. They are a bit heavier than some, but this is because they are a bit sturdier and built for moving around and taking some bumps. They are very workmanlike, with a good processor. The graphics card is generally their weakest point but this is not noticeable by the common person. They are the "corporate business" line of computers are are very suitable for using the Office Suite products like word processing. I've got one that is probably five years old and haven't had a moment's trouble with it. Mine came with not a lot of memory and a small hard drive, but those were fairly inexpensive to upgrade and VERY easy to upgrade. The memory slots and the hard drive is QUITE accessible and easy to change out. The ease of access for these two components was one of the reasons I like this laptop. There was even a YouTube video I found once showing how to change out the hard drive, lol.


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## Coastal (Sep 5, 2010)

I too waited to get a laptop and finally decided on a Toshiba which I like. My brother was my go to source and he had his business Toshiba for over 7 years, but he reformats it ever so often. I like XP, but have gotten use to Windows 7. Good luck on whatever laptop you decide to purchase.


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## vidamasvida (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks, Coastal. I followed a friend's advice and went to CA's major tech store, Fry's, so I could roadtest some laptaps. That was her advice, that I should try keyboards, feel the weight, look at choices. That was a good idea for me. I ended up with an HP Pavilion of some sort (price was my factor) but the young man was very helpful who showed me the models. I still love my trusty desk top best-- and there's a glitch whenever I'm typing that the cursor is mischieveous and bounces back to the front of the line in the middle of what I"m typing. URGG. BUT what I learned is that now I can take it back to Fry's and ask them about it. I think I'm just a bricks=and=mortar gal-- and that is what I've learned from this process. Ordering my mail or online is hard when it's something so expensive and personal.


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## Coastal (Sep 5, 2010)

vidamasvida said:


> Thanks, Coastal. I followed a friend's advice and went to CA's major tech store, Fry's, so I could roadtest some laptaps. That was her advice, that I should try keyboards, feel the weight, look at choices. That was a good idea for me. I ended up with an HP Pavilion of some sort (price was my factor) but the young man was very helpful who showed me the models. I still love my trusty desk top best-- and there's a glitch whenever I'm typing that the cursor is mischieveous and bounces back to the front of the line in the middle of what I"m typing. URGG. BUT what I learned is that now I can take it back to Fry's and ask them about it. I think I'm just a bricks=and=mortar gal-- and that is what I've learned from this process. Ordering my mail or online is hard when it's something so expensive and personal.


 Vidamasvida-
Good you were able to find a laptop to your liking. I have heard good news about Fry's. When we visited Sacramento we wanted to visit one, but the closest one to us was in a mall near Roseville that had caught fire so maybe our next trip. Our state does not have Frys wish we did. I know it is important to get the feel of the laptop and the keyboard layout, etc. I found that I needed the wireless mouse w/ mine. It takes getting use to a laptop after years on desktop, but it will eventually become second nature. Young people are so knowledgeable o f the technology and one young man especially pointed out that Samsung's case was extremely sturdy and if you pressed on it it did not spring back. He also pointed out that Samsung laptops had been in Europe for 14 years prior to them introducing them in USA so there are lots of points to consider. Yet I went w/ my brothers advice on my TOSHIBA. Another point was they only make laptops so their specialty is focused on one product. I suppose there are pros and cons for all products and like you stated cost is a main factor for all of us these days. Enjoy your new laptop. They are fun.


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## vidamasvida (Jul 14, 2010)

Story not finished. My new HP Pavilion drove me nuts with a wild cursor. No matter what I was typing, the cursor would jump unexpectedly to the first of a sentence and I wouldn't notice it. So I'd type gibberish. Then to reposition the cursor was a major pain. It wouldn't move back. Finally I googled the issue and found out that it's a known problem to that particular Pavilion model. It was on lots of tech sites. So I took it back to Fry's, explained the cursor problem and my research. They took the HP back (even though I didn't have the original box), and I ended up with a Sony Vaio. Old Lady Laptop Moral is: buy a laptop at a bricks/mortar place and you can go back and make people make things right. Buy online and you have to take what the manufacturer tells you.


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## paisanol69 (Sep 7, 2005)

That is very good advice!

Many, in an effort to save money, do purchase on-line, however , one of the negative issues with purchasing on-line is theres always a chance of encountering a problem such as you did.

When purchasing something as personal as a laptop/computer, once the computer is put into use, it's not worth the risk of having to "start over" with another one at a later stage, simply to save a few dollars, IMO.

I realize there are many people out there on the web, that would not consider this a problem, since they are computer savvy enough to work around it, but the largest majority of us computer users are not normally knowledgeable enough to endure the grief that a brand new non-functioning computer might bring.

Congratulations on the good service you were given, by the place where you purchased your computer. I hope it's an end to your problems, but if not, at least you do have the confidence of knowing that there is a local service establishment that will work with you, should you have further difficulties!


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## Coastal (Sep 5, 2010)

Good advice Vida.
They want a happy customer-word of mouth-advertising good or bad either profits or hurt retailers. Good they made it right for you. The 14 day period of testing is smart for the consumer to see if the product is good or not. I recall my desktop of 2009 having a boot manager problem 3 weeks out. The 14 day period was gone and I was stuck. Glad they fixed the problem and you are a happy camper. Thanx for sharing. Coastal


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## Coastal (Sep 5, 2010)

Vida~
How is the Sony Vaio working for U? Yes bricks and mortar stores are the best way to go and their 14 day return policies. At least you can talk to a real person to hopefully resolve issues. Although I hear Costco has a 90 day policy on returns. Not a member just what I have read on the forums. May it be smooth sailing w/ your Sony Vaio. Coastal


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