PKMN.NET Forums
Misc => Random Randomness => Topic started by: Inferna on September 01, 2013, 17:32
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My old faithful laptop has finally given up the ghost with the internet connection only working wired and it's taking an age to start, so I've decided to invest in a new one!
Basically I need something under £500 (might be too much of a stretch lol) that will be pretty heavy duty. I'm planning on getting PS/AI/In Design and Sai so it'll need to run all the adobe stuff without too much lag.
I'm not really fussed if it is a laptop/desktop or not because this is so I can do my college work at home. Laptop would probably be easier for portability but I don't mind getting a desktop.
I'd prefer if it ran Windows 7 because I don't really like the look of Windows 8 haha.
Using art programs, word and going on the internet is most likely all I'll be using it for- so gfx for gaming isn't a big deal.
Any suggestions will be appreciated :3
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If you have a lot of things wired to internet, don't get a netbook. If not, netbooks aren't as expensive, a bit more compact, and pretty fast and lightweight. I have an Asus, works fine.
Also, do not, I repeat, do not use internet explorer! It has ruined countless desktops at my house.
Sorry if this doesn't help.
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Hi court I know next to nothing about computers, but I can point you here (http://www.reddit.com/r/computers/). I've heard good things about people who have asked for help buying a new computer/laptop there. (look in the sidebar for somewhere to ask about laptops, the people in these places are far more knowledgeable than I ever could be.)
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I'm in a similar boat, and I've currently got my eye on the Dell Inspiron 15r. From the sounds of things it can handle some tough stuff, and there are still some around with Windows 7.
A quick google brings up one on Amazon for £595, but that's a quick search and I'm sure you can find one for cheaper~
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http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/toshiba-satellite-c850-1nu-15-6-laptop-21322534-pdt.html
Only down side is that it's Windows 8. Still a great laptop though, and Windows 8 is better than it looks. Honest.
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All I can really say is avoid Acer Aspire laptops. I've had three and all of them had to have the same part repaired (the bit you plug the charger into before the warranty ran out and the two which are broken had it happen again after the warranty ran out.
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acer also had that drama with the rootkit
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Just gonna chime in and say that Windows 8 really isn't that bad. The only real difference between 7 and 8 is the lack of Start Button (which is such an insane nonissue since we have a Windows Key on our keyboards which does the same thing), and the new Start Menu which covers the whole screen instead of being a pop-up window (but it's really not that bad).
I've been using Windows 8 since I upgraded from 7 back in January and I've not once encountered any issues, so if you find something you like but it has 8, don't let it put you off because "the internet said it was bad" or whatever.
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I had a laptop with Windows 8 for 3 days. Said laptop crashed 6 times (seriously, I wasn't even doing anything intensive, just trying to get everything setup). I found one with Windows 7 and it's so much better for me. I'm not saying Windows 8 is bad... but I didn't like it at all. I recall mousing over part of the screen would go back to that dreaded windows screen with all the useless tabs I ended up getting rid of. It's a matter of personal taste, but Windows 8 on a laptop or computer seems very... unnecessary to me. Just my personal opinion; do research on it before getting one to see if you'll like it.
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The thing with Windows 8 is all you see on the adverts is the new start menu (That looks pretty much the same as the home screen on my Windows Phone). When you actually go and look at one, it's exactly the same, only that the Start menu is much bigger and easier to navigate.
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Hey - if Windows 8 is really that bad, there's a chance that just buying a download of Windows 7 for whatever laptop you want to use will be tour cheapest option. You can buy it on Amazon for £70 or, if you're willingnto take a risk, from independent sellers for about £50.
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I'd recommend Argos's ebay outlet! I recently was in the same boat and they have loads of refurbished laptops there for cheap.
Here's (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Argos-Outlet/Laptops-Netbooks-/_i.html?LH_TitleDesc=1&_nkw=WINDOWS+7&_fsub=3844977016&_sid=66512606&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322) all their laptops that pop up when you search for "Windows 7", I'd double check that any you like definitely do though cause searching for numbers is always weird.
I got a Toshiba Satellite with Win7 from there and it's shiny and red and only cost me less than 300 so I was a very happy bunny :3
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I had a laptop with Windows 8 for 3 days. Said laptop crashed 6 times (seriously, I wasn't even doing anything intensive, just trying to get everything setup). I found one with Windows 7 and it's so much better for me. I'm not saying Windows 8 is bad... but I didn't like it at all. I recall mousing over part of the screen would go back to that dreaded windows screen with all the useless tabs I ended up getting rid of. It's a matter of personal taste, but Windows 8 on a laptop or computer seems very... unnecessary to me. Just my personal opinion; do research on it before getting one to see if you'll like it.
Gonna guess it's a few factors
a) hardware sucks. You changed your laptop from one that runs Windows 8 to one that runs Windows 7, which is wholly indicative of hardware failure.
b) you're downloading a ton of apps that work on windows 7 - the problem with these apps is that there's no windows 8 version yet. It slowed down my friend's laptop heavily until he downloaded Microsoft Security Essentials (because I tend to be smart about my internet browsing). In fact, he downloaded a metric asston of these which completely destroyed his laptop.
Just gonna chime in and say that Windows 8 really isn't that bad. The only real difference between 7 and 8 is the lack of Start Button (which is such an insane nonissue since we have a Windows Key on our keyboards which does the same thing), and the new Start Menu which covers the whole screen instead of being a pop-up window (but it's really not that bad).
Put your mouse in the lower left corner. You don't need no windows key ;o
All I can really say is avoid Acer Aspire laptops. I've had three and all of them had to have the same part repaired (the bit you plug the charger into before the warranty ran out and the two which are broken had it happen again after the warranty ran out.
I've had mine since February and I've had zero issues. If you keep having the one part repaired it's your laptop itself thats faulty. Had the same harddrive issue twice with an old Inspiron I used to have which was an issue with my particular model and not the whole line of laptops.
Kit - the 15R is actually pretty cheap for good specs. I've had my own issues with it but people generally like it. It'll last you like 3 years though, maybe more if you don't handle your hardware as poorly as I do. I don't exactly have the softest touch...
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build your own computerrr
mine cost me just over $1000... it can run any game on high quality and boots up in 5 seconds. google what parts you should get for your own specific needs, since i think that for like 500 euro you should be able to build a pretty good system for art and rendering things. look into it, building a computer sounds way more complicated than it actually is, especially with all of the step-by-steps online.
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I've had mine since February and I've had zero issues. If you keep having the one part repaired it's your laptop itself thats faulty. Had the same harddrive issue twice with an old Inspiron I used to have which was an issue with my particular model and not the whole line of laptops.
All three acer aspires I've owned have had that problem and all three were different models.
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Was the charger in the back?
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@Muhed -
It was an entirely new laptop that had Windows 8 pre-installed, not Windows 7. I returned it and got a new laptop with Windows 7 after it kept crashing. I didn't download anything except AIM and Chrome.
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Sounds like a hardware issue, I know nobody who has had that issue
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Fair enough. It may very well be, and that's a shame if it helped sour my experience of Windows 8, but I still prefer 7 overall.
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Thanks for all the advice guys!
I wouldn't feel confident enough to build my own computer :L i'd be worried I'd muck something up! Plus I need this asap so the sooner the better really.
I do know a few people that would do it for me but eh I'd prefer to buy one.
I probably won't mind windows 8 once I get used to it! What sort of specs should I be looking at to run PS etc without much problem? I've found a few with about 6gb of RAM. I'd prefer something with a lot of space so 750gb - 1TB would be fine.
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in terms of the specs you should be sussing for the adobe suite, best bet is RAM and video RAM, as these will affect how smoothly each program will run the most. for the processor intel i5 or i7 would be preferable, but if a good one comes up and it has and amd processor, its not the end of the world. the majority of laptops and desktops have dedicated graphics processors, but make sure that it does. otherwise you'll be using the intergrated graphics through the cpu, which won't be nearly as efficient as a dedicated chip.
if budget allows, and you get a laptop, i'd definitely look into one with 1920x1080 resolution resolution. massive improvement over the standard 1366x768 resolution you'd find on most laptops, and if you're doing design, you'll benefit from it even more. if it doesn't fit the budget, or you get a desktop, a 1080p external monitor can be had for less than $150 (some desktops come with a monitor anyway). i think 24inch is the sweet spot for size. the bees knees would be a 27inch 2560x1440 resolution screen, but for one that'll support a large range of devices, including consumer laptops/desktops you're looking at $600+. that said, its definitely something to save for. i have one, and the difference is night and day.. so much room for activities.
honestly, the whole creative cloud suite isn't that demanding if you have at most 3-4 a4 documents open in a single program. my low budget laptop from 2010 could deal with 5 a4 spreads in indesign, it just started suffering with more objects/pages/whatever. i've since built my own pc, with monster specs, and it crushes... ps/ai/id open with heaps of documents holla.
get windows 8. there are a tiny amount of scenarios that staying on 7 would make sense. it is more stable, has more features, and will be supported for longer than windows 7. use the new start menu for a week, if you like it, continue to use it. if not, search google for 'start8' 'classic shell' or 'start is back'. these are all programs that bring back the start menu exactly as it was in 7, so you won't even know the difference. it was one of the first things i installed when i got my new computer, but after a couple of weeks, i thought i give the new start menu a go, and actually bother with making it useful. this is what it currently looks like (http://i.imgur.com/43uBdWA.jpg). i mostly use it to start games. 95% of the time, i can't even tell the difference between 7 and 8, because the desktop and explorer interface are the same as before.
storage, go with whatever you want, but don't let it become the deciding factor. external portable harddrives are really cheap these days, so you can keep all your programs/documents/whatever on the internal drive of the laptop/computer and keep all of you media (pictures/movies/music) on the external, which will save a heap of space.
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in terms of the specs you should be sussing for the adobe suite, best bet is RAM and video RAM, as these will affect how smoothly each program will run the most. for the processor intel i5 or i7 would be preferable, but if a good one comes up and it has and amd processor, its not the end of the world. the majority of laptops and desktops have dedicated graphics processors, but make sure that it does. otherwise you'll be using the intergrated graphics through the cpu, which won't be nearly as efficient as a dedicated chip.
if budget allows, and you get a laptop, i'd definitely look into one with 1920x1080 resolution resolution. massive improvement over the standard 1366x768 resolution you'd find on most laptops, and if you're doing design, you'll benefit from it even more. if it doesn't fit the budget, or you get a desktop, a 1080p external monitor can be had for less than $150 (some desktops come with a monitor anyway). i think 24inch is the sweet spot for size. the bees knees would be a 27inch 2560x1440 resolution screen, but for one that'll support a large range of devices, including consumer laptops/desktops you're looking at $600+. that said, its definitely something to save for. i have one, and the difference is night and day.. so much room for activities.
honestly, the whole creative cloud suite isn't that demanding if you have at most 3-4 a4 documents open in a single program. my low budget laptop from 2010 could deal with 5 a4 spreads in indesign, it just started suffering with more objects/pages/whatever. i've since built my own pc, with monster specs, and it crushes... ps/ai/id open with heaps of documents holla.
get windows 8. there are a tiny amount of scenarios that staying on 7 would make sense. it is more stable, has more features, and will be supported for longer than windows 7. use the new start menu for a week, if you like it, continue to use it. if not, search google for 'start8' 'classic shell' or 'start is back'. these are all programs that bring back the start menu exactly as it was in 7, so you won't even know the difference. it was one of the first things i installed when i got my new computer, but after a couple of weeks, i thought i give the new start menu a go, and actually bother with making it useful. this is what it currently looks like (http://i.imgur.com/43uBdWA.jpg). i mostly use it to start games. 95% of the time, i can't even tell the difference between 7 and 8, because the desktop and explorer interface are the same as before.
storage, go with whatever you want, but don't let it become the deciding factor. external portable harddrives are really cheap these days, so you can keep all your programs/documents/whatever on the internal drive of the laptop/computer and keep all of you media (pictures/movies/music) on the external, which will save a heap of space.
Thanks for this aha.
I'm still debating whether or not to get the creative cloud but it looks like i'll have to. I can't get a student discount on the CS6 design suite, which pretty much has exactly all the programs I need, just the cost is far too much rn: £1000+. I doubt I'll even use half of the other programs but it's good to have them I guess.
I'll definitely go for a bigger screen too, might have to up my budget a teeny bit but it'll be worth it.
Yeah considering I'd need to hunt around a little more for a half decent Windows 7 Laptop I'll just go for 8. That's good that I can switch the start screen back to the way it was ha.
I'll probably go for 750gb plus then. I need to buy a new memory stick and a harddrive for putting my stuff from my old laptop onto the new one anyway.
I'm going to try and stretch my budget to around £700 now. Found a few ones I like the look of, probably going to go to Argos or PC World.
Thanks for all the advice guys, any more is appreciated c:
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Howdy all! It's been a long time, but conveniently I've just had to pick up a replacement laptop after mine died. Being a bit foolish I tend to do way too much research, so here's a few helpful hints:
1) Windows 8 is a terrible idea in general. Microsoft trying to merge the tablet and desktop versions of their OS just doesn't work. Not all is lost though! It's actually somewhat snappier than Windows 7, and if you install a utility called Classic Shell (http://classicshell.net/) you can get back the start menu and largely ignore the rest.
2) I recommend Lenovo as a brand. Conversely, I'd avoid Dell like the plague - their idea of 'customer support' is basically them trying to sell you more warranty between quoting the user manual. In the last few years they've moved towards poor quality (cheap) parts which in my experience have made their PCs totally unreliable. To put things in perspective, my old laptop has completely failed 3 times in 3 years and I'm not replacing any more of the internals (this time it's the motherboard). Dell refused to honour the warranty and the Sale of Goods Act, yet there's nothing you can really do about it.
3) If you're fussed about what's in your PC, try PCSpecialist.co.uk (http://PCSpecialist.co.uk). You can choose exactly what you want and they ship with Windows 7 installed by default. Their PC chassis may be somewhat bland (which allows them to be so customisable), but their customer support is great and they're very reasonably priced.
4) If at all possible, DO NOT sign up for Adobe's 'Creative Cloud'. They're deliberately trying to push people onto the platform as it's subscription-based, which means it'll cost consumers a lot more in the long term. Rather than get tied into software which you have to pay for each year (no doubt they'll raise the prices once they can do away with standalone versions), I suggest trying to move to another platform like GIMP or Paint.NET.
5) Intel have just released a new line of CPUs ("Haswell"), this means that the previous generation are now obsolete. You can choose to either invest in the newer models, which aren't too different in practice (the upgrade isn't significant), or you can try to pick up one of the past generation laptops which are now discounted and on clearance in stores around the UK. You can actually get some really good deals on almost top-spec machines simply because there's a slightly newer model out.
Well, I hope that's helpful to y'all!
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Well, it seems that compared to most, I have know nothing about about this.
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4) If at all possible, DO NOT sign up for Adobe's 'Creative Cloud'. They're deliberately trying to push people onto the platform as it's subscription-based, which means it'll cost consumers a lot more in the long term. Rather than get tied into software which you have to pay for each year (no doubt they'll raise the prices once they can do away with standalone versions), I suggest trying to move to another platform like GIMP or Paint.NET.
as nice as it would be to just use GIMP or Paint.NET, the adobe suite is the industry standard, and if OP hopes to pursue a career in design, being familiar with the tools is essential. also, there aren't very many alternatives to indesign, especially ones that would have even half the features. GIMP/Paint.net for PS or inkscape for illustrator could cut it i guess. i'm not going to go into it, but of course, there are other ways to get the suite.
5) Intel have just released a new line of CPUs ("Haswell"), this means that the previous generation are now obsolete. You can choose to either invest in the newer models, which aren't too different in practice (the upgrade isn't significant), or you can try to pick up one of the past generation laptops which are now discounted and on clearance in stores around the UK. You can actually get some really good deals on almost top-spec machines simply because there's a slightly newer model out.
this is true. clearance/ex-display models can be had cheap as chips ($100-$200+ off). you're looking at a 10%ish increase in performance with the newer cpu, and slightly better energy efficiency and heat levels.
inferna, if you've had a bit of a look around at some laptops/desktops, post some links here and i'm sure someone in the thread will be able to suss it out!
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as nice as it would be to just use GIMP or Paint.NET, the adobe suite is the industry standard, and if OP hopes to pursue a career in design, being familiar with the tools is essential. also, there aren't very many alternatives to indesign, especially ones that would have even half the features. GIMP/Paint.net for PS or inkscape for illustrator could cut it i guess. i'm not going to go into it, but of course, there are other ways to get the suite.
Yup - there is the problem, hence I said 'if possible'. Adobe are crafty in that sense. They know they're the industry standard and so charge people extortionate prices for their software. Right now this results in a high level of piracy for obvious reasons. With 'Creative Cloud' they're looking to eventually eliminate piracy while still being able to charge whatever the hell they want, rather than offer a fair deal to consumers. Elsewhere, most companies offer their software with different licenses for home and business use - one being much cheaper. Adobe's only attempt at that has been Elements which is heavily and deliberately restricted.
To put it another way - on what messed up planet is photo editing software more expensive than the majority of computers on the market?
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Howdy all! It's been a long time, but conveniently I've just had to pick up a replacement laptop after mine died. Being a bit foolish I tend to do way too much research, so here's a few helpful hints:
1) Windows 8 is a terrible idea in general. Microsoft trying to merge the tablet and desktop versions of their OS just doesn't work. Not all is lost though! It's actually somewhat snappier than Windows 7, and if you install a utility called Classic Shell (http://classicshell.net/) you can get back the start menu and largely ignore the rest.
2) I recommend Lenovo as a brand. Conversely, I'd avoid Dell like the plague - their idea of 'customer support' is basically them trying to sell you more warranty between quoting the user manual. In the last few years they've moved towards poor quality (cheap) parts which in my experience have made their PCs totally unreliable. To put things in perspective, my old laptop has completely failed 3 times in 3 years and I'm not replacing any more of the internals (this time it's the motherboard). Dell refused to honour the warranty and the Sale of Goods Act, yet there's nothing you can really do about it.
3) If you're fussed about what's in your PC, try PCSpecialist.co.uk (http://PCSpecialist.co.uk). You can choose exactly what you want and they ship with Windows 7 installed by default. Their PC chassis may be somewhat bland (which allows them to be so customisable), but their customer support is great and they're very reasonably priced.
4) If at all possible, DO NOT sign up for Adobe's 'Creative Cloud'. They're deliberately trying to push people onto the platform as it's subscription-based, which means it'll cost consumers a lot more in the long term. Rather than get tied into software which you have to pay for each year (no doubt they'll raise the prices once they can do away with standalone versions), I suggest trying to move to another platform like GIMP or Paint.NET.
5) Intel have just released a new line of CPUs ("Haswell"), this means that the previous generation are now obsolete. You can choose to either invest in the newer models, which aren't too different in practice (the upgrade isn't significant), or you can try to pick up one of the past generation laptops which are now discounted and on clearance in stores around the UK. You can actually get some really good deals on almost top-spec machines simply because there's a slightly newer model out.
Well, I hope that's helpful to y'all!
1. I don't mind the idea of using windows 8 anymore really. It's just the way it looks that puts me of using it aha.
2. I've had a look at Lenovo and they seem quite good. I think we've got Dell desktops of some kind at college, not really a big fan of Dell in general tbh.
3. Was looking on that website yesterday actually, they seem pretty good! Sadly my budget can't stretch that far for the moment but I'll keep them in mind for definite c:
4. Yeah as much as i'd love to not get adobe I pretty much have to! All of the college computers in the art department have CS6 Master Suite. So if I want to be able to work at home as well I'll pretty much need to buy them in some form aha. I found a student edition of CS6 Design Standard (In Design/PS/AI/Acrobat) so I'm going to try and get that rather than go for the Creative Cloud. I'd much rather have my own programs that I need rather than paying for all the stuff I'll most likely never use. I've always got GIMP in some form so I'll probably download that at some point. Not a huge fan of Paint.NET anymore, I tend to use Sai now.
5. Ooh that's really good then! I'll have a look out for reduced stuff as long as it's half decent.
Thanks for the help c:
Buying from PC World/Argos/Tesco are my options for buying physically. Bit wary about buying from PC World though, I heard their customer service is p bad, don't know if it's changed now or? I might try Amazon because they're quite good about not charging me more just because I live in the Highlands, unlike some sites -_-
£800 is my upper limit, can't really afford to spend more than that!
So here's a few on the cards:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/lenovo-g700-17-3-laptop-21426634-pdt.html (http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/lenovo-g700-17-3-laptop-21426634-pdt.html)
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/sony-vaio-sve1713s1ew-17-3-laptop-white-20731951-pdt.html (http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/laptops-netbooks/laptops/laptops/sony-vaio-sve1713s1ew-17-3-laptop-white-20731951-pdt.html)
http://www.toshiba.co.uk/laptops/satellite-pro/l870/satellite-pro-l870-17x/ (http://www.toshiba.co.uk/laptops/satellite-pro/l870/satellite-pro-l870-17x/)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-S70-10C-17-3-inch-Processor/dp/B00E3R9C78 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-S70-10C-17-3-inch-Processor/dp/B00E3R9C78)
http://www.johnlewis.com/hp-envy-dv6-7331sa-laptop-intel-core-i7-2-3ghz-8gb-ram-1tb-15-6-beats-audio-black/p588399 (http://www.johnlewis.com/hp-envy-dv6-7331sa-laptop-intel-core-i7-2-3ghz-8gb-ram-1tb-15-6-beats-audio-black/p588399)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-NP550P7C-S05UK-17-3-inch-Notebook-Processor/dp/B00B5HGGUK (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-NP550P7C-S05UK-17-3-inch-Notebook-Processor/dp/B00B5HGGUK)
(this would probably be a splurge one)
Quite tempted to go for the Sony or the HP but idk!
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Those all look like decent options - if possible avoid buying from PC World as the support will be terrible.
I've heard very good things about Samsung! Out of my budget though.. (Oddly enough, PCSpecialist machines should be available at under £800 without a problem).
Regarding the HP Envy, or at least the touch versions - I took a look at one the other day, and the screen is outright terrible. Best stay away unless you can check it out in store first!
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Microsoft trying to merge the tablet and desktop versions of their OS just doesn't work.
I hate it when people say "don't work" without specifying their experiences.
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I hate it when people say "don't work" without specifying their experiences.
For those that haven't used Windows 8, it's basically two interfaces - the normal desktop and the touch UI which is like something you get on a tablet. The desktop is pretty much like every other version of windows and works great with a mouse, while the tablet part of the OS is almost out of place and doesn't work well at all when using a mouse. Putting a touchscreen on a laptop to help make it easier to use is awkward. The bigger problem, however, is that the start menu is gone and instead you've got to use the inconvenient touch-oriented interface to launch programmes (unless you install something to bring back the start menu).
On top of that, as well as desktop programmes you've got 'metro apps', which are forced to be full screen and equally painful to navigate without a touchpad (I still can't find a decent way to exit them without Alt+F4). They've no real place on a desktop machine and so I've no intention of using them, it's just pointless clutter that I can't really get rid of.
All-in-all, it basically IS an annoying touchscreen-oriented OS taped onto the standard windows OS. It doesn't need to be there and gets in the way more than it improves functionality. They don't feel connected at all, instead it's as if they thought "Hey, let's make the traditional Windows Desktop a tablet PC app, then everyone can have the same OS" ...but nobody wants a tablet PC OS as the front-end.
That said, it's not terrible. With a utility to give me a start menu I can ignore the 'metro' gimmick and just get stuff done. Beyond that it's a bit snappier than Windows 7 and does have some useful features (like a reworked task manager). However, Microsoft's complete refusal to simply give consumers what they want is what's killing the platform - a simple setting to either use metro or use a start menu would have easily relieved people's gripes.
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It's not that hard. You can switch between screens very easily by putting your mouse in the top right corner if you use a mouse. A touchpad makes it significantly easier indeed, but I tend to mainly only use my touchpad as well so I don't have those issues. My idea is that I'm using a laptop and it's inconvenient to setup a mouse so I get used to it.
As for the start menu, the moment you start typing you get a search screen for your applications. I don't see how it's that hard to use regardless of whether or not you have a laptop or desktop, since I don't even use my touchpad to change apps. I go to the corner and click them.
I do admit it's tedious to get to use though if you don't have anyone to help you through it, but it's very simple and more convenient laptop or not if you ask someone for help with it. Personally I don't like the old start menus anyway, since this new one is far more customizable to my own preferences and it's not even as annoying to do as in a regular desktop but to each their own.
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Yup, I figured out the screen corner thing. However, it still feels at odds with the rest of windows because standard programs have a taskbar and close/restore/minimise buttons at the top - these make it easy to flip between applications, but with the new metro interface that isn't there. I'm a mouse user and having to try to gesture to get things to open and close is annoying. Yes, you get used to it over time, but it's not a useful change to me.
The start menu is something you can adjust to as well, but I prefer the less invasive classic menu to this fullscreen version. Searching is okay but I'd like to be able to search apps and settings in one go (as with the old style). Again, a simple option to use the old style would have sufficed. I don't want a flashy start menu and so to me it feels like an unnecessarily complex feature for something that I usually have open for a second at most.
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Got my new laptop yesterday! My saas money won't come in until next Friday so I had to spend a little bit less than I hoped :c
I got a Samsung NP35030ec. It's got a 15.6 inch screen, Intel Core i5 2410M 2.GHz Processor, 6GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel HD Graphics 3000 and Windows 8. Got it for £500 which was pretty good.
Had a little trouble getting my Wacom Bamboo to work but that's sorted now. Also got SAI on it, just need to wait til next month to get CS6. Only thing I'm annoyed about is that it came with a shared graphics rather than dedicated. It said that it came with NVIDIA graphics card but it doesn't work :s well I'll see how it runs once I get PS but so far so good i guess.
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if it said that it came with an nvidia card, it could be using something called optimus. it'll only turn on the better graphics card when it needs to, to save battery. so if you're just browsing the web/whatever it'll only use the basic one, but when you open photoshop/a game it'll start up the better one and use that, at the expense of battery use/heat, not a problem if its plugged in though.
to double check, hit the windows key, or open the start menu. type 'dxdiag' and a program will come up. under the tab 'display' it'll tell you what graphics card(s) it has.
worth a try!
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if it said that it came with an nvidia card, it could be using something called optimus. it'll only turn on the better graphics card when it needs to, to save battery. so if you're just browsing the web/whatever it'll only use the basic one, but when you open photoshop/a game it'll start up the better one and use that, at the expense of battery use/heat, not a problem if its plugged in though.
to double check, hit the windows key, or open the start menu. type 'dxdiag' and a program will come up. under the tab 'display' it'll tell you what graphics card(s) it has.
worth a try!
Or alternatively, Nvidia are very fond of putting stickers on laptops that use their graphics cards. If there's an 'Nvidia Geforce' sticker, you have a graphics card!
It's also worth noting that in general with Optimus you need to have the laptop plugged in to make use of the graphics card. No games on battery power, at least with default settings.
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thats what i thought was meant by 'it says it does'. the sticker.
even if it is hd3000, it'll be enough for cs6. especially with 6gb of ram
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There's no sticker on the laptop but it says on the box itself that there's a nvidia card? Plus on the info card instore it had the logo on it and i made sure i bought one with it.
There is a nvidia control panel in the hardware and sound section.
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Congratulations - Samsung makes solid laptops.