Computer Advice

[BlacKAT33]

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just passing along some info...

I had a horrible time finding the right case for my x200+8 cell battery because the dimensions are different. i found this great site, they have a lot of diff cases/bags and cases specifically made to fit inside certain bags. they also have customizable bags that fit basically ANY brand and style! if you go to laptop bags and then "Laptop Bag Fit Guide" it shows all of the different ones and which cases/bags fit your style computer!!!

I ended up going with this one.
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/300/TB0300

I plan on putting it in my backpack or messenger bag, but i also bought the 10$ strap in case i want to carry it alone sometimes

 

[chii chan]

some of the buttons i push are super tiny, like Xing out of a window...i dunno how men could do that! lol but it is good to know that if i lost my pen i could use my finger instead of the nub (if i wanted). but also, i havent tried it yet...im behind with testing out my x200, but i think you can use two fingers like on an iphone to stretch/shrink things. i dont own an iphone so im not sure what else it could be used for lol

Yes, you can use do the same motion as the iPhone or Touch. I use it in OneNote to make my quad grid background have smaller squares. I assume that it'd be helpful if you needed to zoom in to make a note on a certain part of a picture or something.

 

[Roxysocks]

Ermmm, so this isn't a tablet question, but does anyone have experience with Asus laptops? I was looking at the Asus UL30A or UL30Vt, because it looks a lot like the Macbook Pro but is half the price 🙂

 

[cowgirla]

Ermmm, so this isn't a tablet question, but does anyone have experience with Asus laptops? I was looking at the Asus UL30A or UL30Vt, because it looks a lot like the Macbook Pro but is half the price 🙂

I love Asus! I've got an asus netbook and seriously considered another when I was looking for my current pc

 

[HopefulAg]

Two of my cousins have Asus laptops. They don't have any complaints about them (I do though, because they make mine look bad).

 

[StartingoverVet]

Yes, you can use do the same motion as the iPhone or Touch. I use it in OneNote to make my quad grid background have smaller squares. I assume that it'd be helpful if you needed to zoom in to make a note on a certain part of a picture or something.

I re-enabled my touch to use my hand to try this, but I couldn't get it to work. it just moved the whole screen around. Please educate me?

Thanks.

 

[BlacKAT33]

my bf has an Asus 1201N and he really likes it! it was cheap, around 500 i think. my mom actually got the same one because she doesn't know much about comps and she likes his lol

 

[chii chan]

I re-enabled my touch to use my hand to try this, but I couldn't get it to work. it just moved the whole screen around. Please educate me?

Thanks.

It works easier when I do it with two fingers on different hands. I move from the center out toward the corners (either direction, pulling motion) to zoom in, or vice versa (pinching motion) to zoom out. I couldn't do this with 1 hand. Let me know if this makes sense or not. 🙂

Would hiding or moving the taskbar help with that?

Wow. I feel like an idiot. 😛 Thanks! Not sure why I didn't think of that in the first place. I moved it to the top of the screen and had no problems today. Since it was in a weird position I was also less inclined to browse the internet.

 

[Fookie Kat]

Not sure if anyone else was planning on buying an X200, but I called Lenovo today to see when they would have them back in stock (I've been waiting for almost 2 weeks) and they said they've discontinued them. 🙁

The X201 will be available for purchase on lenovo.com in about 4 weeks.

 

[BlacKAT33]

Not sure if anyone else was planning on buying an X200, but I called Lenovo today to see when they would have them back in stock (I've been waiting for almost 2 weeks) and they said they've discontinued them. 🙁

The X201 will be available for purchase on lenovo.com in about 4 weeks.

woahhhhhh i just checked their site. it says ThinkPad tablets are sold out! that was insanely fast lol but ya, x201 looks the same. i wonder what is different about it. it is also cheaper

 

[Fookie Kat]

Actually, it's more expensive. I think you may be looking at the x201 notebook (not the tablet). I read that there isn't much of a difference except that it's faster than the x200, but the battery life is not as long. Eh.

Are you enjoying your tablet? Would you recommend getting it?

 

[BlacKAT33]

Actually, it's more expensive. I think you may be looking at the x201 notebook (not the tablet). I read that there isn't much of a difference except that it's faster than the x200, but the battery life is not as long. Eh.

Are you enjoying your tablet? Would you recommend getting it?

oh ok. yes i love it!!! im still nervous about using it because i dont want to break it not that it's fragile, its just that ive never owned such an expensive laptop before!!! haha but it feels really sturdy and writing on it is nice. i also like how the tablet mode has the flip screen thing so you can rotate it whichever direction you want. i'm not sure if all tablets have this lol im such a noob in this area. i also haven't had any problems with the pen. if you look reviews up online for the pen that comes with it they are pretty bad and everyone says they break fast. So i guess we'll see how long mine lasts lol but not to discourage you, the pen is the only thing that got bad reviews from people who own this computer lol

 

[chii chan]

Yeah the x201 is more expensive. Mostly because the x201 has an i5 or i7 processor (I think you can choose to upgrade to i7), which is faster than a QuadCore (think 4 brains). The x200 only has a DuoCore processor (think 2 brains). That was the main difference I saw between the two.

I have the 8-cell and think the life on the battery is great. If your'e not running too many applications (Skype, Chrome/Firefox/IE, etc. plus OneNote), the battery lasts way longer than it predicts. I've seen it where it think it has just under 2 hours and a half-hour later of taking notes, it says it has a little more than 2 hours. And no, this is not when it's plugged in. 😛 But it's also on the highest performance setting! I'm impressed.

I love the tablet. I'm now questioning why I didn't use one in my undergrad. OneNote and tablets are a match made in heaven. 😍

 

[BlacKAT33]

I have the 8-cell and think the life on the battery is great. If your'e not running too many applications (Skype, Chrome/Firefox/IE, etc. plus OneNote), the battery lasts way longer than it predicts. I've seen it where it think it has just under 2 hours and a half-hour later of taking notes, it says it has a little more than 2 hours. And no, this is not when it's plugged in. 😛 But it's also on the highest performance setting! I'm impressed.

I love the tablet. I'm now questioning why I didn't use one in my undergrad. OneNote and tablets are a match made in heaven. 😍

omg i know!! the 8 cell lasts SOOO long!!!!!!!! i should actually be able to take notes from 9am-5pm and still have some extra left! i cant believe it!

 

[cowgirla]

Yeah the x201 is more expensive. Mostly because the x201 has an i5 or i7 processor (I think you can choose to upgrade to i7), which is faster than a QuadCore (think 4 brains). The x200 only has a DuoCore processor (think 2 brains). That was the main difference I saw between the two.

I thought i7 WAS a quad core? Not faster than a quad core? Thats what my laptop is....i7 quad core processor.


Either way, it's fast! And yes, more money, and it does eat up the battery. I've got a 12 cell, and can get about 5 hours on it, more if I'm only doing one thing at a time. With the regular 6 cell I would be lucky to get 2 hours

 

[BlacKAT33]

I thought i7 WAS a quad core? Not faster than a quad core? Thats what my laptop is....i7 quad core processor.


Either way, it's fast! And yes, more money, and it does eat up the battery. I've got a 12 cell, and can get about 5 hours on it, more if I'm only doing one thing at a time. With the regular 6 cell I would be lucky to get 2 hours

a 12 cell that only gets 5 hrs?!?!? i dont get it!!! how can this be??? my 8 cell can get 9 hrs. why does this processor eat the batteries up that fast????

 

[cowgirla]

a 12 cell that only gets 5 hrs?!?!? i dont get it!!! how can this be??? my 8 cell can get 9 hrs. why does this processor eat the batteries up that fast????

i7 Quad processor, 16 inch BRIGHT screen, lots of little lights on the keyboard. Always have the internet going, that does some. Itunes eats a lot of it. Constant virus scanning/firewall/antispyware programs running. Its a BIG computer, not just size wised, but what's inside. Windows 7 itself always has little features that make the computer work harder.

If I just used Word or something, and closed Itunes and some of the other programs, I'm sure I'd get a lot more. I should probably test it one day, but yeah, cant live without music for that long.

It might even get more than 5 hours doing all that. I've never really tested it all the way. that's just a guesstimate

 

[chii chan]

I thought i7 WAS a quad core? Not faster than a quad core? Thats what my laptop is....i7 quad core processor.

Wow. Nice processor. 🙂

Sorry, I was referring to the older quad cores. Like Intel DuoCore processors next line up a few years ago was the QuadCore. Now it's referred to as the Core2Quad, I believe.

An i5 is about the same as a Core2Quad, but still slightly faster. An i7 is has a faster clock speed than a Quad2Core or i5.

But yes, technically, the i3, i5, and i7 series are quad cores.

 

[nyanko]

You as a normal laptop user are literally never going to notice the difference in speed between any quad core processors, however. Clock speed means virtually nothing anyhow.

 

[chii chan]

You as a normal laptop user are literally never going to notice the difference in speed between any quad core processors, however. Clock speed means virtually nothing anyhow.

Yeah, good point. But it is one of the reasons why the x201 is more expensive.

 

[luvgoldens482]

Has anyone ordered the x201 recently? When is it going to start shipping again?

 

[luvgoldens482]

Also, what does everyone think about the dell tablets? I think I may get one of those just because they are cheaper. The lenovos are really expensive...

 

[Fookie Kat]

Has anyone ordered the x201 recently? When is it going to start shipping again?

The X201 are back in stock. They are super expensive though $2500+ for the one I want, so I'm going to wait a month or two.

 

[natalieises]

I wanted to bump this up and see how everyone was doing with the tablets they got. Any thoughts/reviews??? I need to get my tablet sometime in the next month or so and the school only has the toshiba listed as a recommended tablet.

 

[PrimalMU]

I'm absolutely loving my HP tm2t tablet, and this is coming from someone who despises HP.

 

[BlacKAT33]

i love my lenovo tablet and i'm really glad i bought it before they stopped making the x200!! i got a ton of upgrades and it was the same price as the base price for x201, so i understand most people won't want to spend that much for the x201. My parents bought me the x200 as a vet school gift. If price would have been an issue, i would have gone with the HP probably

 

[StartingoverVet]

I agree with Blackat, the Lenovo is pretty darn good.

I have a few negatives to point out but no "deal-breakers":

*Personally, I don't find the multitouch useful so wouldn't pay extra for it (I got mine off e-bay so it came as a package deal not custom ordered).

*Also the fingerprint recognition feature is mostly a toy for me, don't need that.

*Not really a Lenovo specific problem but the built in microphone is definitely not good enough to record a lecture unless you like straining to hear.

*Had a couple of problems with corrupt drivers at first but that was easily fixed and no problems since.

*Not having an optical drive is occassionally a bother but not as much as I would have figured.

Still, I would recommend it.

 

[HopefulAg]

*Not having an optical drive is occasionally a bother but not as much as I would have figured.

Does it have USB ports in case you run into an instance where you NEED one? I can't imagine an instance where you couldn't rip and/or make an iso on another computer but you never know.

 

[PrimalMU]

*Personally, I don't find the multitouch useful so wouldn't pay extra for it (I got mine off e-bay so it came as a package deal not custom ordered).

I actually find the multitouch a nice addition (though I didn't have to pay extra for it with my HP). Scrolling down pages is a bear with just the stylus, but a piece of cake with the multitouch. It does occasionally get annoying when you're trying to write (accidentally scrolling pages, or even sensing an input and drawing random lines). Still, its less irritating than trying to scroll with the stylus. 😉

Ideally they should put some sort of button or scroll wheel (or even one of those nifty scroll pads that come on some Blackberrys) on the stylus so you could scroll that way.

 

[PrimalMU]

Does it have USB ports in case you run into an instance where you NEED one? I can't imagine an instance where you couldn't rip and/or make an iso on another computer but you never know.

It's also quite easy to set up a shared network drive so you can use the drive on one computer on the tablet.

 

[BlacKAT33]

Oh, i should mention something about the "nub" because i was concerned about that before i bought the computer. At first i thought i would just get a mouse and plug it in or connect it through bluetooth, but once i started using it i love the nub!! I also use the scroll button all the time. i'm not sure why, but it just feels easier than the regular laptop mouse pad. i guess because you dont have to move your finger at all, just tilt it. so i can move across the screen as many times as i want without moving my finger. anyway, this was much longer than i was expecting to write lol

i did not get the finger print recognition. but i do use the password for opening the computer

i have no used the microphone (i dont know if i even have this haha) but after recording lectures for undergrad i KNOW it is a waste of time because i NEVER had time to listen to them again.

I had to ask my bf if my tablet has an optical drive, he just told me it meant cd/dvd LOL god i feel stupid. but ya, i havent noticed a problem with this. never needed to use it so far.

Edit: yes it has multiple USB ports. i cant remember exactly, 2-3?

 

[Armymutt25A]

If you have a Lenovo, I would strongly advise you to figure out how to either disable or firewall outgoing connections for the Thinkvantage feature, if you are going to be storing sensitive information on your computer or will be accessing such info. This would include things like social security number, bank accounts, etc.

 

[HopefulAg]

Is that a popular port (assuming it's pre-assigned; not real good at connectivity stuff) or is the software itself malignant?

 

[Armymutt25A]

Not so much the port, as the program. It's not a virus, but the people who have access on the other end are not people you want in your computer. They are banned from our networks, which are pretty damn secure.

 

[gilch]

I've kind of skimmed over this thread and I was hoping some of you computer literates would give me some advice.

I have a 2 year old HP laptop and am on my 3rd or 4th charger and this one is giving out. Is this normal? Should I just get a new computer instead of the charger? How long are they supposed to last? If I do get a new computer, any advice for a computer idiot on important features? I had considered getting a tablet for classes, but I bought the class notes instead.

 

[Tiktaalik]

@Gilch

Those chargers sound defective. My MacBook is 3 years old, and I've only had to replace the charger once. It would be a shame to buy a new computer just because of the charger, but with computers as cheap as they are now, frequent charger replacements might end up more expensive by the time you're deep in school. Besides, I'd be a little concerned about safety if they fail that often.

As for the tablet status update, I did go iPad, and now my poor old MacBook only gets used for Skype and updating my phone software.

 

[su_grad2007]

Ok, I haven't read through all the posts on this thread, but I recently bought a fujitsu LifeBook T4310 Tablet PC and I absolutely love it!!!!!!

I can't say enough about it honestly. I just got it this summer so I haven't used it for class yet. But I'm really excited to try it out in biochem this fall. One Note is awesome, I use it for everything and it is great for organizing information and having everything in one place. You can link it to other files or have those files printed directly onto your one note folder.

Also, you can record lectures into one note and the cool thing is that they are searchable for key words and I've heard they sinc to your notes, but I haven't tried it yet. Just make sure that if you have everything on your laptop that you back it up daily. So far, I haven't had an issues and I back up. It would really suck to loose a semesters worth of work because you haven't backed up your laptop.

My fiance loves mac but I never really considered going with the ipad because there's a lot of software that won't run on mac unfortunately. This is also why my mac loving fiance (who has a comp sci degree and loves mac) now has a pc. He couldn't run some of the software he needs for his PhD program on a mac. I know a lot of people really like them though.

 

[lyndaelyzoo]

@Gilch
As for the tablet status update, I did go iPad, and now my poor old MacBook only gets used for Skype and updating my phone software.

Can you use the iPad as a tablet PC? Can you load software like Microsoft Office on it? Please advise. I am still looking for a laptop and was thinking about getting a Macbook or Macbookpro, but if the ipad can be used as a tablet pc and accept software, then I may reconsider. I just thought that it was a glorified iphone. Please let me know.

 

[BlacKAT33]

Can you use the iPad as a tablet PC? Can you load software like Microsoft Office on it? Please advise. I am still looking for a laptop and was thinking about getting a Macbook or Macbookpro, but if the ipad can be used as a tablet pc and accept software, then I may reconsider. I just thought that it was a glorified iphone. Please let me know.

i really wouldnt consider an ipad for many reasons. at least not as your sole computer for school. it is like a glorified iphone and i dont think it would function well as your only computer source for classes. i think we actually talked about ipads in this thread. maybe search for it and i know a big section will come up when we talked about it

edit: i did a search for ipad and this thread does pop up, so look through the pages to find the info. besides that, i found another thread in the pre-allo forum specifically about it
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=745743&highlight=ipad

 

[jpeterman13]

Ok, I haven't read through all the posts on this thread, but I recently bought a fujitsu LifeBook T4310 Tablet PC and I absolutely love it!!!!!!

Pretty sure that that's the model that we're using at ISU. It's required for all students. I'm pumped to get it in August.

 

[chii chan]

I've kind of skimmed over this thread and I was hoping some of you computer literates would give me some advice.

I have a 2 year old HP laptop and am on my 3rd or 4th charger and this one is giving out. Is this normal? Should I just get a new computer instead of the charger? How long are they supposed to last? If I do get a new computer, any advice for a computer idiot on important features? I had considered getting a tablet for classes, but I bought the class notes instead.

The charger situation sucks, I know. Luckily I bought an extended warranty on mine and I haven't had to pay for them. I have a Sony VAIO that burned through one charger (best buy tested it as 0 volt output) before my 1 year warranty had expired. The next one died a few months after the 1 year expired. I've had it for 3 years now and haven't had a problem. Previously, I had had no problems with chargers on laptops at all.

I love my tablet. I used it in my physics class last semester about half way through and it convinced me that I should have been using one throughout college. I don't know anything about the iPad running Office, and from what I remember, it won't. The downside IMHO is that taking notes on it looks difficult since there is no stylus, but only an imaginary keyboard.

Different companies give you different options. A lot of what to pick depends on you and what you'll be using it for and how often. A more powerful computer may be faster, but will drain your battery faster as well. Do you plan on using it solely for school, but also as an all around type of computer with your class notes, iTunes, etc.?

 

[BlacKAT33]

I just realized this, so I thought I'd share/remind people about it!

I bought my new computer around April and I'm pretty sure others did too because we were all talking about it months ago. I just realized that one of the functions on One Note was not working, the print driver for One Note. It was because i have a 64-bit system. I forgot there is a FREE upgrade from microsoft office 2007 to 2010 (which has the fixed driver for 64-bit) and of course there is other stuff that is worth upgrading for. So, if you bought your computer recently and you received the Microsoft Office 2007 edition you should get your free upgrade to 2010 before you forget!

 

[nyanko]

I have a 2 year old HP laptop and am on my 3rd or 4th charger and this one is giving out. Is this normal? Should I just get a new computer instead of the charger? How long are they supposed to last? If I do get a new computer, any advice for a computer idiot on important features? I had considered getting a tablet for classes, but I bought the class notes instead.

Actually, I had a similar problem with my last HP tablet. The final straw was when it just won't charge anymore - I think the socket where the connector to the charger fits has detached from the motherboard, cause it won't charge or turn on anymore. I took out the HDD (which is perfectly fine and even bootable!) and put it in a USB case and bought a Macbook Pro. 😉

 

[chii chan]

I just realized this, so I thought I'd share/remind people about it!

I bought my new computer around April and I'm pretty sure others did too because we were all talking about it months ago. I just realized that one of the functions on One Note was not working, the print driver for One Note. It was because i have a 64-bit system. I forgot there is a FREE upgrade from microsoft office 2007 to 2010 (which has the fixed driver for 64-bit) and of course there is other stuff that is worth upgrading for. So, if you bought your computer recently and you received the Microsoft Office 2007 edition you should get your free upgrade to 2010 before you forget!

I definitely didn't forget about this, but it took me a while to actually do it. I'm loving the new look of OneNote. I can verify that you can now enter documents as a printout (something available on 32-bit systems, but not 64-bit systems). It's totally made my day now. 🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

I just realized this, so I thought I'd share/remind people about it!

I bought my new computer around April and I'm pretty sure others did too because we were all talking about it months ago. I just realized that one of the functions on One Note was not working, the print driver for One Note. It was because i have a 64-bit system. I forgot there is a FREE upgrade from microsoft office 2007 to 2010 (which has the fixed driver for 64-bit) and of course there is other stuff that is worth upgrading for. So, if you bought your computer recently and you received the Microsoft Office 2007 edition you should get your free upgrade to 2010 before you forget!

I've been using the 2010 beta version since day 1(thx to chii chan). Guess I am just too lazy to bother upgrading at this point. Don't fix what ain't broke?

 

[Fookie Kat]

Hey guys. I just got my lenovo tablet a few days ago and was wondering if anyone had a funky battery meter? Mine keeps changing. It'll say I have 5:09 hours of battery life, then suddenly change to 3:05 and then change to 6:26 all while I'm surfing the net.

 

[BlacKAT33]

Hey guys. I just got my lenovo tablet a few days ago and was wondering if anyone had a funky battery meter? Mine keeps changing. It'll say I have 5:09 hours of battery life, then suddenly change to 3:05 and then change to 6:26 all while I'm surfing the net.

Mine is good. But what will happen when i first open the comp. it will say one number but once it starts running and i guess adjusts the battery life from after it had been sitting asleep then it takes a min to recalculate and a new one comes up. What i think it is, is that the battery is so sensitive to exact time left so when you're just searching the net you may be using diff sites with video, music, flash or other stuff that takes more battery life and then when u go away from that site it takes less battery life. You get my drift. If found out that if i turn the light up or down the battery is really sensitive to that and will increase or decrease. I think, IMO, this comp is just so fancy and precise so it goes up and down a lot depending on what you're doin to change how much power the battery uses.

i still love my battery 🙂 it lasts soooo long!!! i havent even charged my comp since last week and i have 3 hrs left! yay!

 

[Fookie Kat]

Ok, thanks! Just wanted to make sure I didn't have a bipolar battery. Your battery seems to be lasting much longer than mine though. Do you turn your battery settings all the way to high performance? Also, do you shut down your computer when you're not using it?

 

[BlacKAT33]

Ok, thanks! Just wanted to make sure I didn't have a bipolar battery. Your battery seems to be lasting much longer than mine though. Do you turn your battery settings all the way to high performance? Also, do you shut down your computer when you're not using it?

I have the 8 cell battery. I'm not sure if my battery setting is on high performance. I adjust the light depending on if it is day/night in my apt. I mean, i'm honestly not trying to make it last long now lol but if i'm just surfing the net i guess it doesnt use much power for how large my battery is so it lasts forever. Not sure how long it will last when i'm using it for 5+ hrs a day.

When i'm not using it i either put it in hibernate or shutdown depending on if i know i'll come back to it soon. I have no clue how much power is saved by putting it in these vs. just sleep mode?? where is chii chan lol

 

[Fookie Kat]

I have the 8 cell battery. I'm not sure if my battery setting is on high performance. I adjust the light depending on if it is day/night in my apt. I mean, i'm honestly not trying to make it last long now lol but if i'm just surfing the net i guess it doesnt use much power for how large my battery is so it lasts forever. Not sure how long it will last when i'm using it for 5+ hrs a day.

When i'm not using it i either put it in hibernate or shutdown depending on if i know i'll come back to it soon. I have no clue how much power is saved by putting it in these vs. just sleep mode?? where is chii chan lol

Oh, I thought you were using it 5+ hrs a day! Hehe, thanks BlacKAT. 🙂