Laptop preferences.......I currently have a Dell...
Posted By: looking to get another on 2006-07-11
In Reply to:
Hi Everyone!
For those of you who use laptops, I was just curious if you would share your brand preference. I currently have a Dell and I love it. I am thinking of getting a second laptop so my son would be able to use this one for school and I would then have one just for work. Like I said I have a Dell and love it (and will probably purchase another Dell) but before purchasing another, I want to make sure I am not missing something with another brand.
TIA.
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
I have both a Dell Latitude Laptop and a Dell Dimension desk top PC and bought both...
off of Ebay. The laptop I paid $300 for had Windows XP and works great. It wasn't wireless, but they sent me a PCI card with it and it works fine. The desktop PC has XP on it as well and I paid $250 for it. Both have Pentium IVs. Both work great for work. I have no complaints and I feel like I got a great deal both times out on Ebay.
I don't like Dell. I bought a Dell laptop and it
was a piece of junk, so I'm not the one to ask if you should buy a Dell. I'd get at least double that processor speed. My computer is about 10 months old and I have 5 times that, which means that there is probably something faster out now, or soon will be. It is more than I need for work, but I also use computer to download music/pictures, and a bunch of other stuff. The Dell I had had 650 mHz and it was slow and that was almost 6 years ago. You may have to customize anyway to get XP unless you buy one previously owned, which you can also buy from Dell. It is always a good idea to buy bigger than you need currently just to allow for updates to any software or new software you may add. You need to also think about tech support. I know Dell has tech support in India, which can be extremely frustrating. I don't know that other computer companies don't offshore their tech support, but that would be a question I would ask and find out if there is a locally authorized dealer to handle warranty repairs or if you need to send off the computer. I would not recommend a Gateway computer and I would not recommend any computer that has a Celeron processor. They tend to be in all the lower end computers.
I used a Dell laptop for 5 to 6 years and I never had
a problem with the monitor. I did turn it off at night though and used a screen saver. I now have a Toshiba that I've had for about 18 months. I turn it off for the weekend because I also have a desktop I use for non-MT stuff, but I leave it on most of the time otherwise, unless going out of town. I have not had a problem with this monitor either. I also have an HP laptop that I've had for about 5 years. I don't use it on a daily basis, but I have never had a problem with the screen on it either.
I have never used an external monitor, though I do use an external keyboard.
Right now I have a Dell, HP, and Toshiba laptop
and an HP desk top. The Dell is a piece of junk and I'm fixing to piece it out. I haven't had any problems with the Toshiba but I still prefer my HP and if I were to get a new computer it would be HP.
The cheaper computers of any brand tend to have Celeron processors and they are really a cheap processer and I personally wouldn't buy one, but otherwise there is nothing wrong with the computers, they just don't have all the bells and whistles. If they last 2 years you've gotten your money out of them and they have become practically dinosaurs by then anyway.
I bought a new laptop at dell.com yesterday with XP
The deal they were running was that you can buy certai new computers and have them preloaded with XP. You also get the Vista CD so if you ever want to upgrade you alread have it. It cost an extra $150 but worth it to me. Also they do a free upgrade in memory to 2 GB.Check it out. I think the deal is limited time only. My is set to ship on 08/04/08. I am SOOO excited.
Getting my ducks in a row for my big job search. I just bought a Dell laptop for X-mas. SM
It was used when I bought it and I want to make sure that I have everything I need to work from home on it. The PC I'm on now will be going back to the hospital. It is a Dell Latitude. It has a Pentium IV processor, 512 mg of RAM, 40 gig hard drive, wireless internet plus ethernet card, Windows 2000. Will that laptop suffice for working from home? I assume it will, but I just want to make sure before I starting applying places.
Thanks!
I have a desktop Dell and it has been alright so far, but I've never owned a laptop.
What brand are you currently using then?
Gosh, do you have a Dell laptop. Both mine and my sister's E kept falling off..
We had to call them because then the mouse broke down and so they finally replaced the own keyboard etc..best use of buying a 3-year warranty that I ever saw...especially with Dell.
Made by Dell. I have had no problems with any of my laptop or desktop Dells.
.
Company provides a Dell for work, I have a Dell for personal use, too.
x
Dell customer service is overseas. I have had a Dell, a
Toshiba Satellite, and an HP. The Dell was a piece of junk from day 1. The HP hard drive crashed after 4 to 5 years, but otherwise no problems. I bought a Toshiba about 6 months ago and it is okay, nothing special. I was looking at the Sony Viao and the salesman said that some laptops are made to be portable, but that the Sony was not one of them, but the Toshiba was. My keyboard also has a numerical pad on it, but it throws the other keys off a bit, so when I'm in a portable mode and don't have room for an external keyboard it really slows me down. I have a Duo Core processor and notice no difference whatsoever in speed, the number of programs I can have open, etc. I have also noticed that even when I am not on battery power that every so often the battery is charging. I don't know if this is a defect or something that is supposed to happen, but I need to investigate it.
I've had two dell laptops and 5 Dell PCs. Here's the thing...
Make sure you get the extended warranty, again, MAKE SURE YOU GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. And, here is why.
My first laptop went out on my, though it was a couple of years old. Because I had the extended warranty, a service tech came to my house, replaced motherboard, hard drive, heat sink, and keyboard. He was able to back up everything first and restored it once all the new stuff was in place.
One of my PCs kept giving some weird blue screen error and I couldn't get to go even in safe mode. I called up Dell, told them the problem, they looked up my extended warranty and they sent someone out to repair it.
Overall, I have been happy with Dell products. The only drag is that everything Dell sells regarding accessories is proprietary and you have to order it through Dell. No generic accessories will work. My suggestion is if you decide to buy a Dell laptop, make sure you get the car power supply and you might even get a 2nd regular power supply because I have been known to leave town and forget the power supply at the house. Now, I have everything in my laptop bag for when I go out of town and can just throw my laptop in the bag and know everything is there.
Lastly, some Dell laptops require a special aircard to connect to the internet. I ended up getting a 2 cabled USB air card and I'm glad I did because 2 USB plug ins give better reception than one.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I'm happy to help.
My preferences
I personally like Itype and MTWorld for installed platforms and Scribe for a web platform.
I HATED Intrascript and Emdat/Inscribe. Too quirky.
Go to preferences.... sm
Unclick verify target window. 1 msec, 400 strokes. Click on simulate keystrokes. This is how mine is set and it fixed the problem for me. Hope that helps. Otherwise change the delay like another poster said.
These are account preferences.
However, the company follows the BOS, first and second edition. So apparently the first edition says one, two, three, etc. (client wants that). The second edition says 1, 2, 3, etc. (client wants that). I asked if I could transcribe one way or the other for both accounts and was told "no". So I will transcribe "The 2 complaints the patient had......" or "The two complaints the patient had" depending on the account. Talk about a bouncin... I think it should be spelled out unless you are typing lab values... but that is just my opinion. BOS rules in the online profession, but in the real world (my own accounts), I stick to what looks more professional - spelling numerous 1-9 out. Once I reach 10, I type it that way. JMO. 
go to options in preferences.....
Under the operation tab there should be a setting for hot keys. Click on it, and it should come up with the next key you hit will become your hot key. Or similar. I have an older version of shorthand, so if this is not an option, go to help and look up HOT KEYS. I have mine set to F9, since my other software programs never seem to use the F9 key. Hope this helps.
Preferences for on-line dictionaries
Do you have a favorite on-line dictionary? I'm looking for both medical and non-medical. Thanks.
Under preferences, auto display, and make sure
there is no check mark in front of the option to use Shift plus enter to expand.
Shorthand can be set to show a preferences window. I like it
s
Click Preferences box, put the Pause and Keystrokes at
s
Preferences? Setting up NP with Doc signature block
Need to set up nurse practitioner dictator with Doc signature block, think I know how it should be set up but it's been awhile. Any current examples or preferences of how anyone likes to do this? Thanks.
Some sanity regarding tech and software preferences? sm
Just to pull the heck out of the other thread below :-) and, hopefully, interject "a logic" about the whole subject, if I can?....
Individual choices regarding what software to use are just that, choices. Each person can make their case for their decision(s) and others are free to accept or reject their reasoning or advice. It's that simple, really.
One person's stated choice should not necessarily be construed as a blanket indictment of someone else's choice. Either take the advice, or don't, but please take the time to research what you're using; evaluate the software on its own merits and how it fits with your needs, check out what others are saying about it and why, and, finally, whether it's worth the cost (if there is one) or the potential risk (if there is no cost).
It's really pretty simple, and shouldn't be so contentious, IMO. No? javascript:editor_insertHTML('text','');
Click on the Preferences icon, last one, and change Pause
s
Preferences, Operations, change Pause to 0 seconds
nm
To all of you Escriptionist out there...Laptop question. Have any of you found a laptop that you can
thing. I tried one of those adapter that goes from the 9-pin to the USB but when I plugged in the USB my foot pedal did not work right. I know supposedly there is a help section on the escription website that says the adapter may work and how to make them compatible etc but it never worked for me. Has any of you find a solution or a laptop that this foot pedal with work with. I'd like to work while traveling and get a laptop but it never worked on my old one. Ideas??
I have my suggestion window turned OFF in preferences so I don't have to pick from the list. Much
s
Buy a Dell!! You can't go wrong with a Dell but
I bought an Emachines and had trouble with it from day one. I returned it, as the store I bought it from a six month return policy, so I returned it after about five months. I bought a Dell two years ago and have had no problems since!! Buy a Dell, you won't be sorry!! :)
I am not a Dell lover. My Dell has been
a lemon. I just replaced mine with a Toshiba Satellite and I have seen a few others here recommend this. Dell's customer service is in India. The only thing I dislike about my Toshiba is that because it also has a number keypad the shift key is in a different position than I'm used to and I end up deleting and retyping when I use the laptop keyboard. I normally use an external keyboard, but I travel a lot and try to work on the road and just don't have space for an external keyboard.
Where did you hear that everything you buy for a Dell has to be from Dell?
I have LOTS of peripherals on both my laptop and desktop Dells and they certainly didn't come from Dell. You've been misinformed.
I love my Dells.
Did you check and see what's checked or not checked in Preferences. Maybe something got messed up
s
My Dell
My computer is an Inspiron 5150... it ran about $1200 and I have had it going on 3 years now. Probably more computer than I needed, but I figure if you can afford it try to get the best, especially since I use it mainly for work and got a tax write off for it. Mine has a CD burner and other stuff which I probably could have done without, but I have been very happy with it. 
Dell
You should have gone to Best Buy or somewhere and gotten an E-machine. Superior computer, best sound quality, fantastic amount of RAM, top of the line. Second one for me, have had nothing but success. First one still going strong after 6 years and 1 lightning strike. I think they're now merged with Gateway, but no matter, still the best.
Dell!
I found it so ironic that when I called to order a laptop for my kid, they were all American good ol boys that spoke just like me...that is to secure the order and make sure it's on it's merry way to the customer. Once delivered well, then all communication heads offshore and you can here all the little Dellites just  cracking up saying suckers!
Dell -
I bought a Dell and then found that I had to purchase Microsoft word for it - and then some footpedals are not compatible, plus tech support is $99 a question or $260 a year - wished I would have bought a Compac or Emachine. Expensive lesson learned.
I have 2, a Dell and an HP. The
Dell has been a lemon, no problems with HP. I do not have a docking station, not really needed unless you plan on moving the laptop a lot without using any of the peripherals such as foot pedal, external keyboard.
Just about any laptop you buy off the shelf will have 256 RAM, I would recommend more if available. I have a 15" screen, which is pretty standard, although I have seen some with I think 17" screen. I have a serial port, game port, and USB port. These are pretty standard too, but you can get adapters for any of these if your computer doesn't have them.
I don't understand why laptops confuse people. They perform all the same functions as a desktop, come with the same options, just in a smaller package.
go to Dell.com but look under ...
Make sure you choose the small business section for the laptops and not the home use. I just ordered and received mine within the last 2 weeks with Windows XP and NOT Vista!!!!
Dell XPS
Dell customer service is US based when you are first ordering your computer. Then if you call back later with any issues your call will be handled from India. BUT If you buy one of the new Dell XPS series computers, you will get all US based customer service and technical support. All XPS computers come with "rapid-response support from XPS trained technitions" who are American.
My Dell ...
Is in my closet collecting dust!!!
I have a Dell and might have to
get some memory taken out to load on more ram. Mine is 2002 but everything loaded and darn if I don’t hate to have all that done again. Are you talking desktop when you talking about closeouts? Mine is 2002 XP model. I hear some of the newer models equipped with a program we cannot use in our platform- that is another reason I am not so anxious to buy another right away.
I would go for the Dell
Simply because they offer better warranty service options. I have a Toshiba, have had a couple of problems, and have had to mail it out for service.
I just did my first MTing trip about a month ago. It worked out wonderfully. I packed all my stuff up in a backpack and carried it on the plane so nothing would get lost or damaged. The hotel set up was comfortable. Check reviews for where you are staying to make sure the internet connection is a reliable one.
Where are you going? Mind sharing?
Dell
The Dell computer I have came with a printer. (My mom gave it to me for my kids to use. It is a couple years old, but works great.) I tried to setup a network with the Dell, my 2 HPs, and the Dell printer. I had problems because the Dell CD containing the Dell drivers would not run on anything but the Dell. I did finally get it all worked out, just took me a lilttle longer. When I buy print cartriges they have to be ordered through Dell either online or by phone. Otherwise, all software is compatible.
Dell (SM)
Better to order on-line. A real live person will try to get you to purchase other stuff you don't necessarily need. JMHO.
exactly why I won't buy Dell-
since Gateway has been bought by Acer do you know if it is the same? I really want to deal with Americans if I need help.
Dell
call theur 800 # and talk to them vs. online
Dell
The only experience I have had with Dell was my daughter's. . it was cheap enough but when there was a problem with it, it took MONTHS to get them to fix it. . . That has been a few years ago and I have heard that their customer service/tech support is better now. .
Yes, says Dell rep
I just bought a laptop with Vista on it, and will be using LogMeIn to access my desktop which has XP. The Dell guy says Vista works downward, which means it works fine with other versions below it. Anyone else have comments on this?
Yes, Dell has XP still
I am not sure about other companies, but I do know Dell has XP in a section of their website. Most any computer you would buy new now has enough memory to work well in MT. I would just advise you to buy the most memory that you can (2 Gb or better) and stay away from AMD or Celeron processors. I am currently in the market for a laptop and just yesterday received this advice from a friend who is an IT/networking specialist. My desktop PC has a 140 Gb hard drive and 1 Gb of memory, and I function very well working online...no problems uploading/downloading files with several applications running at once. Hope this helps!
Dell for XP
You can buy a Dell with XP and put it on a credit card.
My Dell did this too.
After 4 hours on the phone with Dell and nothing working, they had to send me a new drive. If I had wanted the info off of it, I would have had to take it into a local shop to get the data recovered, which was very expensive.
Dell is no fun
I had a dell. It died. I spent 3 days of h**l trying to call them over it because it was under warranty.
They wouldn't do any thing about it because they said my name was not transferred to it yet. Doesn't matter if you have a warranty or not, apparently they aren't going to help you anyway.
BTW Dell customer service center is in INDIA.
I was told if you buy a dell, get the extra warranty because it lets you talk to AMERICANS.
To me, Dell = Satan's Computer Company
Dell
Does still sell XP but you have to pay more for it. It comes loaded with XP and a CD to install/convert to Vista if you choose to at a later date.
|
