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TheFreshBanana

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What are the normal lifespans for laptops?

Twice I've had a laptop where, after 3 or 4 years, it's just completely died.

Overheats very easily, runs extremely slow, and freezes.

I'm asking because I'm planning on buying one, and obviously prefer it to be as long of an investment as I can get it.
 

The Passenger

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If you look after it you can get a good 4-5 years out of it. But there is always little shit that happens like small drops, maybe you spill something on it, and all these things build up over time. You should probably replace what parts you can (RAM, Hard Drive) after a couple of years. On a software side, you should also reinstall your OS every 12 months or so, especially if you use Windows which usually gets cluttered up badly.

One of the issues is that in that time it becomes obsolete and the increase in software requirements hurts.
 

TheFreshBanana

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If you look after it you can get a good 4-5 years out of it. But there is always little shit that happens like small drops, maybe you spill something on it, and all these things build up over time. You should probably replace what parts you can (RAM, Hard Drive) after a couple of years. On a software side, you should also reinstall your OS every 12 months or so, especially if you use Windows which usually gets cluttered up badly.

One of the issues is that in that time it becomes obsolete and the increase in software requirements hurts.
So are there any specs or hardware that I should be looking for, for an increased lifespan?

Or, if taken care of well, I can get away with buying the cheapest laptop I can get?

I'm only looking for a basic uni laptop.
 
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So are there any specs or hardware that I should be looking for, for an increased lifespan?

Or, if taken care of well, I can get away with buying the cheapest laptop I can get?

I'm only looking for a basic uni laptop.
I would recommend refurbished/secondhand Lenovo ThinkPads.

Cheaper than buying new, and they are probably the most durable laptops around.
 

CatMarie

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What are the normal lifespans for laptops?

Twice I've had a laptop where, after 3 or 4 years, it's just completely died.

Overheats very easily, runs extremely slow, and freezes.

I'm asking because I'm planning on buying one, and obviously prefer it to be as long of an investment as I can get it.
HA! I could have written this post . Interested in the answers
 

DrKrieger

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So are there any specs or hardware that I should be looking for, for an increased lifespan?

Or, if taken care of well, I can get away with buying the cheapest laptop I can get?

I'm only looking for a basic uni laptop.
Do you really need a laptop?

Lately I've been thinking the way to go is a tablet for portable stuff and a desktop that I can just upgrade in bits instead of wholesale replacement.

But if you need it for essays at uni, I'd think simple is the way to go. Doesn't need to run Crysis, just Word and Excel and maybe have wifi and a USB port, less features = less to go wrong.

Also I find laptops that don't have the word "acer" written on any part of them are infinitely more reliable.
 

TheFreshBanana

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Do you really need a laptop?

Lately I've been thinking the way to go is a tablet for portable stuff and a desktop that I can just upgrade in bits instead of wholesale replacement.

But if you need it for essays at uni, I'd think simple is the way to go. Doesn't need to run Crysis, just Word and Excel and maybe have wifi and a USB port, less features = less to go wrong.

Also I find laptops that don't have the word "acer" written on any part of them are infinitely more reliable.
Yeah, I don't really use tablets and can't see myself using them in the future.

I agree that simple is the way to go, I'm just not sure how much RAM I should be expecting to get.

Can I get away with 2GB? Or should I be looking to spend that extra cash for 4?

Not sure if there's anything else that's that important.
 

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Do you really need a laptop?

Lately I've been thinking the way to go is a tablet for portable stuff and a desktop that I can just upgrade in bits instead of wholesale replacement.

But if you need it for essays at uni, I'd think simple is the way to go. Doesn't need to run Crysis, just Word and Excel and maybe have wifi and a USB port, less features = less to go wrong.

Also I find laptops that don't have the word "acer" written on any part of them are infinitely more reliable.
Tablets are already being advertised in a way that resembles laptops.

Soon enough they will be one and the same, just as notebooks and laptops merged a number of years ago.
 
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Have been looking on B F but can't find a thread that I thought may have been on here . Anything to do with Jazz music ? Does anyone know ? Have been hearing about it lately, and almost the only music I know very little about I would like to learn a bit . If not, I will ask Google :)
 

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Start with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Wake Up To Find Out by the Grateful Dead has Branford Marsalis playing for the second set and is pretty jazzy, the version of Eyes of the World is mind blowing.
 
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Start with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Wake Up To Find Out by the Grateful Dead has Branford Marsalis playing for the second set and is pretty jazzy, the version of Eyes of the World is mind blowing.
thanks :) Around my place people have been talking of Jazz weekends etc . I love Blues and blue grass so will be interesting for this . Am making a list from your suggestions :)
 

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What are the top 10 biggest threads. Something to go on the main page maybe.
what are some of the fastesT growing threads. Say over 10 pages.
One of the biggest nights on here was when Ben Cousins was arrested in that Perth street shirtless...that was like 3 posts every 10 secs or sthing silly...
 

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Have been looking on B F but can't find a thread that I thought may have been on here . Anything to do with Jazz music ? Does anyone know ? Have been hearing about it lately, and almost the only music I know very little about I would like to learn a bit . If not, I will ask Google :)
Gough's recommendation of Kind Of Blue is spot on, IMO that is the best introductory album for someone new to jazz. My favourite album is John Coltrane's Blue Train, which is also pretty good for a beginner. Personally I find that 50s/early 60s zone of hard bop and modal jazz to be the most listenable stuff - a nice sweet spot that has plenty of free improvisation without being too out there / off the wall.

Branching out a little, check out Dizzy Gillespie's Groovin' High, Thelonious Monk's Brilliant Corners, and Miles Davis's Birth Of The Cool. All great albums and all relatively accessible. I'm not much of a jazz aficionado but I love all of them.

I'm sure someone more familiar with the jazz scene can give some good recommendations for the late 1960s onwards. I find most of the jazz from that point to be a bit too abstract and freeform for me to appreciate.
 
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