New Toshiba laptop Bought new Toshiba laptop

.toshiba. ^ | 3 22 2013

[dennisw]

Got this for $350 when taxes are included. Has Windows 8. I have not opened the box yet and will wait until Sunday to see if there isn't some thing better out there at Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot etc...

So what do freepers think of this model? The CPU comes in at above 2100 on CPU benchmark site and I will be adding 4gb memory soon to make 8gb. This cpu is Ivy Bridge which is the latest

[daniel1212]

I have 2 of them also, as my sound will not work under W/8 without it, but they are as cheaper as 1.29

Choose "price and shipping lowest first" in the sort box. Hong Kong business.

[mountainlion]

Actually, it is very simple to figure out.

I clicked on mail and got a screen that would not let me do anything nor get back to the what ever you call that opening page. Desktop was hidden and when I finally found it everything was wrong there also. No manual, not a hint on how this monstrosity was supposed to work, That is not simple to me. It is kinda like getting lost in a big city. I liked Fortran. Basic was simple. Word star and calkstar were simple. I suspect that if I was an kid paying games it would be simple. I prefer being lost in the woods than trying to figure someones “better idea”.
Progress: bigger and better mistakes.

[daniel1212]

The most tabs I have open is 60. You may? know you can get the “session manager” extension which allows you to crash Firefox via task manager

I already have session manager, with lots of them saved, and use Process Explorer to restart it, and use AutoHotKey to make shortcuts to that and lots of other things (Win key and U for uninstall programs, etc.)

I could give you a list of some, and is somewhat explained in the thread i refd. b4. . I also use it to remap my CapsLock key to Ctrl+C and Esc key to Ctrl+V and NumLock to Esc, and the middle mouse to Ctrl+X. With my stiff fingers it helps in the Lord's work.

You might also like the FF ext. BBCodeXtra. And TabMixPlus also enables you to reduce the width and have multiple rows, , so that along with the beautiful NOIA theme you can get about 25 tabs on one row.

Or under OrangeFox

Blessed by the Lord.

[mountainlion]

Actually, it is very simple to figure out.
When I bought a new truck I got in and drove off. I did not have to relearn any main function. Things were different but not functionally. I did not have to learn a new language. It did not take me of somewhere I had not seen and did not know the way back. Some call things like that nightmares. I really felt betrayed.

[adorno]

I have news for you:

A truck is not a computer, and, driving hasn’t changed in the last 100 years; nor does it need to change.

Technical devices are in constant evolution, but in general, they get easier each new iteration. Driving involves a vehicle with 4 wheels and an engine and a drive shaft and steering mechanisms. Most of what a driver needs to know, is how to put in in gear and press the gas or brake pedals. The other stuff is hidden from the driver, and he/she doesn’t really need to know them.

In a computer, there are more things that an owner can manage and manipulate. It’s not as simple as turn it on and go. Information has to be retrieved, and oftentimes, stored. And, along the way, manipulated and analyzed. And, in the end, it’s supposed to feed the brain with more useful information. It’s a complicated set of processes which bring together all the pieces of what comprises a computer, and it’s actually being made quite simple for people to use those devices. A car, although a very complicated piece of machinery, doesn’t do much, other than to get people from point a to point b. A computer’s task is much more demanding, and thus, there will continue to be new ways to make things happen, but, they are continuing to get simpler. Heck, communicating with a computer is as simple as typing and touching and lately, even talking to it and having it “read” or follow your eyes.

A TV set is a very simple device to use. But lately, with he many new attachments and peripheral devices which complement TVs lately, they are not so simple anymore. Though simplicity might be the desired goal, functionality might make simplicity not as easily implemented. Driving a truck is not anymore complicated than it was 50 years ago, but, the insides have become a bit more challenging and a bit more busy. Now we have GPSes and computer screens and connectivity for smartphones and other devices. Driving is still simple, but, using the entire vehicle’s set of features is not as simple as in the past.

So, even your truck analogy is flawed, when one starts to look at it in detail.

[dennisw]

Amazing how those cheap things work!

[dennisw]

Bookmark to check out later...thanks!

[Myrddin]

80% of what you wrote went right over my head.

It's what I do for a living, so the terminology is common in my work environment. Enjoy the new hardware. It should keep you in good shape for a long time.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “It is more expensive than the Toshiba and you can use it at the local Starbucks without getting stared at.” <<

.
Any decent FReeper entering a cave like Starpuckes would be sure to get stared at! :o)

[mountainlion]

I don’t think we will come to agreement.

You have provided no evidence however that I do not like windows 8.

[adorno]

You have provided no evidence however that I do not like windows 8.

That wasn't the point for my responses.

The point was/is that, people complain about how things change, without giving it much thought or a chance. Change is not necessarily bad, and once people have gotten to use it for a while, they might wonder why it wasn't that way in the beginning.

[dennisw]

baby maker LOL way to go. I have a friend who is going there in May or June

[AlexW]

” I have a friend who is going there in May or June”
_____________________________________________

Going to the Philippines?
There are several FReepers that are preparing to head this way over the next few months.
I am in constant contact with them via FReepmail.

[dennisw]

not me I sit in a nice southern state. My friend is holding out in Massachusetts and has a Filopene family he is padrone to in Philippines. If he can meet you let me know

[AlexW]

“My friend is holding out in Massachusetts.... If he can meet you let me know.
__________________________________________

Sure...He would be welcom here.
I have a relatively new neighbor from Cape Cod.
We have become good friends and gather each afternoon
in our shade garden above the beach for a few beers.
By the way, I am from Tennessee...The only US state that I would consider, in case I had to return.

[dennisw]

I would trade it in and pick up a MacBook Pro (15 inch). It is more expensive than the Toshiba and you can use it at the local Starbucks without getting stared at.

If I went into Starbucks with an MacBook my worry would be the gay coffee drinkers using the same. And bothering me, figuring I must be one of them.
Anyways Toshiba has a removable bottom panel so can easily replace the HD if it has problems. Plus I don't jam and flex the the AC adapter cord where it plugs into the laptop which is one of the prime ways people fuxate their laptop motherboard and find their laptop running out of electricity...DOH!

One thing Apple does right is make a super flexible plug on their AC adapters so much harder (impossible?) to ruinate the internal laptop motherboard connector

[Travis McGee]

I hope so! Thanks.

[dennisw]

Thanks! Gave him a message on his answering machine so we shall see

[mountainlion]

Why should it take me an hour to find control panel or have they deleted that? My old 30-06 rifle is more reliable than my new commuter. There are things that I might not find on the new computer. They could have done a better job to educate the use of their new so called operating system. They have met my expectations of their product.

I feel like a blind man that someone decided to move all the furniture around on.

[adorno]

Actually, finding control panel, or anything else, is simpler than in the past.

There are manuals and basic guides for those who prefer the quick and easy intro to Windows 8. Most of them will tell you that, if you already know the name of the app (or application you’re looking to invoke), all you have to do is: in the “Start” screen start typing the application, and the system will start displaying the apps it finds that match the query. At that point, there is no entry field displayed.

Like anything else, it’s just a question of “unfamiliarity”, and familiarity is regained as soon as you start using the system.

The apps scree is what you see when Windows 8 starts up, and not all apps are displayed. To get at all of the apps, or the applications you’re using to seeing with Windows 7 or Windows XP, all you need to do is to “right click” anywhere on the “Start” screen, and at the bottom of the screen and to the right, there is a circle with “all apps” displayed; clicking on that presents a larger menu of all applications, already categorized and ordered.

So, the old start option from Windows 8/XP is basically the same as in Windows 8 “Start” screen, except that, the screen can now be used with touch-capable devices and regular non-touch (dead screens) devices.

Like I said before, it’s only a matter of becoming familiar with the OS, and one doesn’t need to learn the whole thing in one sit-down lesson. Even iOS and Android and all of the OSes have things that people won’t discover at first try. Most of the learning for any OS, is application dependent, which means that, the OS is basically as simple as it can get and is supposed ot get out of the way after an application is invoked, other than for handling files and connectivity and other such “mundane” OS functions.

BTW, you’ll even find the “Desktop” app by starting to type it in the “Start” screen. Chances are that, you’ll get most apps before you finish typing in the name.

The “search” option in Windows 8 is like the “search” in the previous versions of Windows, except it’s more powerful and quicker. For example, if you’re looking for “Excel”, start typing it in the start screen, and it will immediately produce a list of those files that start with “ex...” including “Microsoft Excel” and a bunch of others. At that point, you can click on the “Files” option ar the right side of the screen, and it will fetch all files that start with “exc”. That to me is a lot better and faster than the old way. Windwso 8 is much faster, and better than what came before.

I got used to how Windows 7 and XP operated, but, after working with Windows 8, I can never go back. It’s just a matter of “exploring” and/or picking up a manual or a quick guide.