New lappy top! (Does the happy dance!)

[ravnostic]

Just bought a new laptop. Another ACER (hey, the first one’s going strong after 5 years, why go with anything else?) Of course, there’s the list of improvements:

35% faster processor (still Intel, too! i5, 2.5 gb w/ 3.1gb boost)
3x the hard drive memory
Same 4Gb RAM, but I bought 8 Gb; once it’s vetted for functionality I’ll void the warranty and install it.
Over 3x the hard drive space.

It also has a 10-key touchpad (I missed that these past 5 years), the monitor is super-nice and sharp, and I’m SO excited!!

First things first, I’m backing up the factory settings; then I’ll be onto deleting all the crap they give you that I don’t want, deleting all the anti-viral/spyware/malware gunk (I have a better program for this stuff that doesn’t bog me down)

Then, of course, there’s installing all my software toys, and there’s a ton of those; all this before I even let the newbie touch the interwebs. Which, based on what I have to delete/do/install, should be in about a month…

[bender16v]

I understand. I am always happy to have a new computer but dread the time it takes to install and transfer everything. About the only tip I have is to use http://www.ninite.com for installing all the usual stuff. It saves a lot of time since it bundles all the installers into one. Good luck and hopefully it takes less than a month.

[ravnostic]

I’ve had the same recommendation from another, bender, but the only thing useful to me are two browsers, so I opted against it.

I’m nearly finished now (some 7 hours later); just need to get my Deep Sky Stacker loaded and I should be back in business! I miss processing photos. I just got a tip on a 3 Tb aux drive that has wi-fi so I can keep both lappies active and don’t have to switch cords. It’s in the bucket list. Meanwhile, I’m going to run a trial, with just the 4 gb ram in the new one (waiting to see before breaking in the 8gb), will run a stack of astro images simultaneously on both lappies and see just how much faster things are. Should be great fun!!

[Barracuda]

I did the same over the weekend, I went with my second Toshiba (after 7 years on my previous one). I debated the bigger model with the 10-key on it, but decided to go with the smaller 14″ screen model without it. I don’t do much of my heavy computing work on it anyways, the desktop machine is for that which I rebuilt back earlier this year. Mine has the new 3rd gen i5 in it, USB3, 6 gigs of RAM (not sure what the old one has in it, probably 4, I’ll likely throw 16gigs in the new one eventually). Upgraded mainly because I didn’t want to sink the $$ into a new battery when I was already unhappy with the power cord situation after having to replace both the cord and port on the computer early in the year. Hope to be able to sell off the old one for enough to at least cover the cost of those replacement parts.

[ravnostic]

If you have Windows 7, I think it tops out at 8Gb (so far as I’ve seen at least), so make sure you can use it before buying. Sadly, Fry’s Elec. sold me the wrong memory. I returned it, but they didn’t have the right one. I’ve ordered it online, which was cheaper anyway. When I get it, I’ll sell the single 4GB I have now (I’d rather stick with two sticks of the same brand).

//it’s funny, I was shopping online a couple times today, and found myself typing numbers on the keyboard instead of the keypad by rote. I had to stop myself and use the keypad. After 5 years, I’d forgotten how to use it!

[CauseISaidSo]

If you have Windows 7, I think it tops out at 8Gb (so far as I’ve seen at least)

It depends on whether you’re running 32-bit or 64-bit and which flavor of Windows 7.

32-bit Windows (XP, Vista, or 7) tops out at 4GB (actual usuable amount is about 3.5GB), but 64-bit Windows 7 supports 8GB on Home Basic, 16GB on Home Premium, and 192GB on all higher versions. You can see the full chart here.

I run Windows 7 Ultimate with 12GB, which was the max I could stuff in it at the time I built it a couple of years ago.

[Barracuda]

^ ^ this. The machine’s motherboard may also have a limitation. I’m on Home Premium with the laptop, so I can go to 16gigs, which is the same as my desktop currently has. Lightroom is crazy fast between the memory and running from an SSD drive.

[ravnostic]

Well dang; I have the Home Premium, but the motherboard tops me out at 8. Even with just 4 (Fry’s sold me the wrong memory; Olav tipped me off to another vendor and I’ve ordered online) though, the 64 bit is zippity fast–my astrostacking takes less than 1/2 the time it did.

[ennuipoet]

Well dang; I have the Home Premium, but the motherboard tops me out at 8. Even with just 4 (Fry’s sold me the wrong memory; Olav tipped me off to another vendor and I’ve ordered online) though, the 64 bit is zippity fast–my astrostacking takes less than 1/2 the time it did.

I bought a new desktop this Summer with 8g of RAM, 64bit etc…I forgot how nice it was to not take three hours downloading and Lightrooming pics. I believe I can upgrade mine to 16g but I will wait until things seem slow, then give myself a treat.

[ravnostic]

Got the RAM upgrade and installed. To quote George Takai: “Oh my!” Damn this thing zings…

[Yoyo]

You can never be too rich or have too much memory. My 5 y.o. laptop was like new after I upgraded from 1GB to 4GB last Spring. 🙂 Oh my, indeed!

[ravnostic]

I only wish I could go to 16Gb. I have a feeling when I get Lightroom (and it’s imminent) I’m going to be jonesing for more. My MB maxes me to 8.

[Choc-Ful-A]

RAM prices are dropping way down lately. I was at Fry’s a couple of days ago, a local computer nerd retail haven, and they were selling Corsair Apple certified 8GB sticks for $44. That’s one stick of 8GB not two 4GB sticks. So shop around, it’s getting quite affordable to have lots or memory in your laptop, desktop and even your camera. The prices for SD cards is pretty low these days too.

[chupathingie]

I really miss Fry’s. Since I’ve moved out to Rooster Poot I’ve had to order all of my build materials from Newegg. It’s cheaper, but I have to wait for shipping. I can’t wait to do another build, the workhorse is now about 2 years old, and 16G of ram ran me $500 back when it was built; and motherboards that newegg carried maxed out at 16. I could use 32 or more easily; panoramas pushing 1/2 gigapixel and up chew through unholy amounts of ram during processing.

I’m still going to keep plugging away with my dirt cheap lappy ($500) with it’s 4G of ram for as long as I can get away with it, but it’s just a matter of time before I need to process a big image on the road for local printing and then regret that decision.

[ravnostic]

Choc; it’s not the cost, it’s the motherboard. I’m limited to 8. I’m lucky to have 2 Fry’s in the valley here, one just a few miles from my home. I won’t be expanding anytime soon, though, they’re talking RTO (rotating time off) at the fab; things are really slow. So I have to pinch my pennies and save, for the time being (I’m one of the lucky ones–I’m HOPING for the RTO so I can spend the time learning new processing techniques; I paid off the bills when things were good).

As it was, though, the 8 gig (2 4Gb cards) was only $40, and that included the shipping, so at least it was a good deal. For less than $550, I’m processing at 4x (well…nearly) the speed I had been–and that was after a 2 to 4 Gb increase in the original laptop I’d paid around $800 for 5 years ago (The add’l RAM cost about $100 to upgrade, as I recall).

//I’ll probably sell the 4Gb that came with the set on E-bay. Won’t get much for it, but still…

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