Computer Preferences

gmcunni · Feb 29, 2012

what computers do you love, like and hate?

i feel in LOVE with IBM thinkpads many years ago as it was standard issue at work. i went through several years of upgrades (a perk of working in IT) and each model impressed me more than the previous one.

We (at work) switched to Dell about the time Lenovo took over. At first i didn't like Dell at all but it grew on me. Never loved them as much as my TP but now Dell is my goto brand for personal purchases.

bvibert · Feb 29, 2012

My first several computers were Gateways, now we're mostly buying Dells. It's more of a convenience thing than having any particular affinity for them. We've had a few issues, not sure who we'll go with next.

Work switched to Dell several years ago and they've been pretty reliable. I think the stuff they sell to big businesses is better than the crap they sell to individuals...

We had an Apple once for a while, wasn't impressed.

kickstand · Feb 29, 2012

Almost hate saying it like this, but whatever is free. I haven't purchased a PC/laptop since 1995.

Job I was at for 10 years (2000-2010) used to give a stipend every 2 years for a new computer, but stopped that just before I was in line to get my 3rd PC. From them I got an HP desktop that was pretty good and a laptop that I couldn't tell you what brand it was. I also ended up with an old loaner laptop, a Toshiba, that served me well for quite some time. It was phased out of work's loaner lineup, so I got to keep it.

My last job gave me a nice Dell tower just before I left. It makes a weird noise sometimes (the fan, I think), but it screams and I have 2 21" wide-screen monitors.

My new job issues Lenovo T420 laptops. I like it, for the most part. What does bother me about it is, it has 2 sets of mouse buttons on the keyboard part. If you rest your wrists in the wrong spot, you accidentally click one of the mouse buttons and weird things happen, depending on where the mouse pointer happens to be.

I think I need to spend some time looking at the system settings to see if I can deactivate that set of buttons.

ctenidae · Feb 29, 2012

I use a Lenovo ThinkPad X201 for work, and like it pretty well, Relatively light, decent battery, dual core.
At home we have a variety of Dell laptops, all in various sages of decomposition. Also have an iPad that I don't like at all (wife uses it), a Kindle Fire that I use for sitting-on-the-couch web surfing, and a Dell and an Acer desktop my wife uses for work.

All in all, as long as it works and does what I want it to, I don't care what kind it is.

SkiFanE · Feb 29, 2012

kickstand said:
Almost hate saying it like this, but whatever is free. I haven't purchased a PC/laptop since 1995.

Job I was at for 10 years (2000-2010) used to give a stipend every 2 years for a new computer, but stopped that just before I was in line to get my 3rd PC. From them I got an HP desktop that was pretty good and a laptop that I couldn't tell you what brand it was. I also ended up with an old loaner laptop, a Toshiba, that served me well for quite some time. It was phased out of work's loaner lineup, so I got to keep it.

My last job gave me a nice Dell tower just before I left. It makes a weird noise sometimes (the fan, I think), but it screams and I have 2 21" wide-screen monitors.

My new job issues Lenovo T420 laptops. I like it, for the most part. What does bother me about it is, it has 2 sets of mouse buttons on the keyboard part. If you rest your wrists in the wrong spot, you accidentally click one of the mouse buttons and weird things happen, depending on where the mouse pointer happens to be.

I think I need to spend some time looking at the system settings to see if I can deactivate that set of buttons.

HPs have that. Our fam HP laptop - the touchpad is what finally drove us to toss it. We reinstalled Windows 7 after the first HD crashed..ran okay for a few weeks but what you mentioned started happening - suddenly your cursor popped somewhere else. I swear I was diligent about keeping my hands away from the touchpad. Then one day, we had 0 control over the PC. Could not even login, could not get to setup...with usb attached keyboard and mouse, still could not take control over touchpad. In frustration, I ran to BestBuy and within 15mins walked out with a new Lenovo - cheapo dual core processor, since all we do is internet on it and kids schoolwork.

thetrailboss · Feb 29, 2012

In college I had a Compaq and had so many problems with it.

For law school the school offered Dell. It ran reliably for almost seven years.

We just bought our first new personal PC for home. First one was a supposedly high-end HP Laptop from Best Buy. Got home and out of the box the keyboard did not work. Called the help line and got someone in India. They even said to take it back. We did.

Got a Dell a month ago from Costco. Good price and runs awesome, knock on wood. Would have gone with Apple, but too expensive.

deadheadskier · Feb 29, 2012

too computer illiterate to tell the difference. I've had a Samsung laptop since the summer. Seems to work well enough

wa-loaf · Feb 29, 2012

I'm a mac guy. I have a bunch of older ones that are still running. My dad has been using an old G3 for 1999 until recently. Only reason he stopped using it is because it's just not compatible with modern programs.

We use Dells at work. They have 2 year life span max and those two years are usually filled with all kinds of breakdowns during that time span,

WJenness · Feb 29, 2012

For PC Laptops, I don't think you can beat one of the business line Lenovo Think Pads (not the idea pads, those are consumer crap), they just feel so much more sturdy and well put together than anything else I've ever used.

If I was choosing a laptop for myself, it would probably be a MacBook Air. I feel like it's the perfect size.

Desktops I'm pretty meh about... they're all just commodity hardware for the most part, buy what works and what you can get a good deal on.

Servers / Network gear... That might need its own thread.

-w

bvibert · Feb 29, 2012

wa-loaf said:
We use Dells at work. They have 2 year life span max and those two years are usually filled with all kinds of breakdowns during that time span,

Desktops or notebooks?

My Dell desktop at work is 4 years old and still works flawlessly.

wa-loaf · Feb 29, 2012

bvibert said:
Desktops or notebooks?

My Dell desktop at work is 4 years old and still works flawlessly.

Notebooks. I did have a desktop that lasted for quite a few years at the office.

gmcunni · Feb 29, 2012

wa-loaf said:
Notebooks. I did have a desktop that lasted for quite a few years at the office.

my desktop at work is a VM

skijay · Feb 29, 2012

I am a macbook user for home. At work, I bought a Lenovo laptop w/ Win 7 and one year later it is performing well, so we ordered two more Lenovo laptops. We do not order Dell any more.

Geoff · Feb 29, 2012

I have a Dell Latitude D6500 laptop. It's their alleged top of the line business laptop from 2 1/2 years ago. It's a total downgrade from the Dell Latitude laptop I had previously. The case is plastic instead of titanium. The keyboard is much cheaper. I got it because it was tough to find a 15.4" screen that is 1080p combined with a pointing device and my last Dell had those. I'll probably make work replace it sometime in the next 6 months or so. I think I owned my last Dell.

Apple has always had the best industrial design. I can't use it as a work machine because I have software that only runs under WinDoze.

mlctvt · Feb 29, 2012

I maintain all computers at our company, around 25 systems running Windows XP, Windows 7 both 32 bit and 64 bit, also Linux systems for equipment. We had nothing but Dells for the last 15 years. I can't remember the last time I had to replace a hard drive. The ONLY problems we've had with hardware in the last 2 years was 3 mice, 1 graphics card, and 2 network cards.
I have much more trouble with the UPSes.
We also have several Dell Poweredge servers, they've been perfect the last 2 years. Several years back we had to replace a hot swapable power supply but that's been the extent of hardware problems with our Dell servers for over 10 years.

We only buy Optiplex desktops and Latitude laptops

Glenn · Mar 1, 2012

I like the old ThinkPads for that center mounted mouse/pointer thing in the keyboard. other than that, I don't really have a go to brand. That mouse pad thing and I never get along weel.

Bostonian · Mar 1, 2012

I am a bit of a computer nerd, I usually build my own desktops at home. It's cheaper, more reliable (you know what parts you are putting in), and also satisfying. My wife has the standard Macbook Pro... She swears by it, but I don't get the whole cult of Mac... Then again I do have an iPhone, and it's pretty good (miss my droid though)

WJenness · Mar 1, 2012

Glenn said:
I like the old ThinkPads for that center mounted mouse/pointer thing in the keyboard. other than that, I don't really have a go to brand. That mouse pad thing and I never get along weel.

The new ones still have it. I just got an X220 for work and it has it.

Love it.

-w

Computer Preferences

gmcunni

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bvibert

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kickstand

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ctenidae

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SkiFanE

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thetrailboss

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deadheadskier

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wa-loaf

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WJenness

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bvibert

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wa-loaf

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gmcunni

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mlctvt

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