Looking for a new system

I found a similar Samsung w/AMD 8770 graphics and a DVD/?BlueRay drive for 1199.99 - Model # NP780Z5E-S01UB
Found a Sony w/NVidia 735M for $1249.99 - also has DVD/?BlueRay driver - Model # SFV15A18CXB

Can't lookother specs up right now as I'm working :0)
 
I personally think "desktop replacement" is yet another deceptive and misleading marketing term. Same with "gaming notebook".

The problem is, you can pack the same power in a notebook but even full sized towers are challenged to keep the internals cool - no way a tiny notebook case with very limited fan and ventilation options can provide enough cooling to keep a mobile CPU running at full speed full time. Additionally, notebooks are notorious for being difficult, if not impossible for the "normal user" to open up for proper cleaning of heat trapping dust and dirt that will be drawn in by the limited cooling. Finally, no way can a notebook maker can pack my two 22" monitors, full sized keyboard and mouse in a notebook.

So my advice is to buy a notebook for work travel (the very purpose of a notebook, btw) and a PC for everything else.
 
That one in the Sony link is Intel HD 4000, I have that on my Toshiba it's a big improvement over the Intel of old but still slower then the Nvida graphics.
 
John, beware that I had some issues with USB 3.0 with my Sony laptop. It was specific to their hardware as I cannot duplicate it on any other USB 3.0 ports in any other system, and a motherboard replacement did not fix it. It had issues reading an older USB flash drive, so if you use older flash drives, beware.

Additionally, my old Sony would turn itself off if I plugged in my Microsoft Kinect to a USB 3.0 port.

The above were hindrances to my research, especially the Kinect issue, which is why I have replaced that Sony with the Toshiba I now have.


To be clear, I am not saying you will have the same problems with other Sony models, but it was an issue with the VPCF232FX/B model. If you do get a Sony, make sure all USB ports work as intended so you can send it back ASAP if you run into problems.
 
Found that the Sony had a 2.0 gHz i7, while the Samsung had a 2.4 gHz i7
Went with the Samsung, it was cheaper and it was more powerful.
Got 10% off as it was the floor model!

Thanks to everyone for their help in this extended battle with my wallet! :0)
 
Yes! Be sure to let us know! I have been wanting to get my hands on a couple of Samsung laptops. Firsthand impressions would go a long way to making me feel comfortable recommending them.
 
I have been wanting a laptop for quite some time now, especially to take to classes every day so I have easier access to projects and just things in general. What exactly was the model you got, John?
 
First impressions with this one are good. The major PITA is the slow HDD (5400 rpm), but once it's booted up there don't seem to be any slowdowns.

The bottom is a solid case with a small hatch for the RAM. Removing the HDD or battery will require removing the entire bottom of the case. I'll wait until I get to crack one open at work before trying it on my own system!

Backlit keyboard is a blast! No more guessing where the keys are!

Touchscreen is great also - makes it easy to certain repetitive actions without reaching for the tpad. A drawback is the small dialog boxes when working from the Desktop - it sometimes takes a couple of stabs to hit the "OK" button.

I'm dreading setting it up tho' - but since my old system isn't cooperating, it's gonna be best to start from scratch, move slowly, and make multiple backups/restore points.

But I love the ability of Win8 (actually it's a Win7 program) to backup automatically and include a system image onto a separate disk (gotta buy a new external USB drive!). It also reduces the size of the flash drive required for a recovery disk.
 
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More of note:

In bright light I've got to wear my glasses or I can't see the lettering on the keys

The touchpad is extremely well-balanced and useable for one of those one-piece touchpads

The 1 tB HDD has 6 partitions - and only one has a drive letter assigned (C:). C: has 879 gB - the rest appears to be recovery and EFI stuff.
 
Forgot to specify the model that I got! Sorry Patrick! : https://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP780Z5E-S01UB-specs
It's sweet, but a tad bit heavy (I don't travel much, so this isn't a big deal).
I've almost finished moving everything over to it, so it'll be my primary device shortly.

The BSOD app and Richard's dll's installed smoothly atop the Windows Debugging stuff - it works better than my current installation.
I'm using v2.15.3 on the laptop and v2.15.6 on the desktop. I may try v2.15.6 on the laptop after I've had time to make a backup that has everything that I want in it.

I stole a chuck of hard drive space for the Windows Backup. System complained about it being on the same physical drive as the OS - but I told it to shut up and it's been working fine since. Slow performance when it boots if I forget to have it on to do the backup - but it doesn't take long to do the backup. I'm going to get a 1tB external HDD for the backups and data that I want to save - just haven't gotten around to that yet.

Still using Windows Defender, but am considering using ESET for some added features (I've had some scares recently where I've clicked on something without checking the link out first).

Interestingly, I installed Mozilla Thunderbird and was going to migrate my old emails over. Then it got late and we went out for dinner. When I came back, the data had been migrated!!! Either my cats are getting awfully smart - or TBird has the ability to search out and migrate previous installations/backups!

I'm looking for a stand to put my 32" TV on (so I can slide the laptop under it) - probably will end up with the exotic 2"x4" Pine stands (I've got a couple of chunks holding up my old, non-functional printer). It'll complement my computer desk (a plank on top of a 1"x2" frame, all secured with drywall screws)

Also, gotta enable "Wake on USB" and a bunch of other stuff (another learning experience) so I can hook up the external devices and not mess with the system (and see how that works). Luckily the TV has multiple inputs, so I can keep my old desktop running while starting with the new laptop. (for those familiar with my Desktop problems - the missing RAM issue was present back before Jun 2012 (when I switched to the Win8 RP)).

Still haven't messed with the NAS (Netgear DNS-323), but with the new systems at the wife's office now might be the time to switch to Carbonite or some other similar "cloud" solution for backups. Then I won't need to mess with the NAS - we don't store anything that we can't keep on external HDD's.
 
Also, gotta enable "Wake on USB" and a bunch of other stuff (another learning experience) so I can hook up the external devices and not mess with the system (and see how that works).
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I would not advise enabling Wake on USB unless you have no other options. Wake on Keyboard or Wake on Mouse, yes - note these typically are discrete settings even though most keyboards and mice these days connect via USB. Some BIOS Menus allow you to set USB port settings so power is present (if computer is connected to an AC power source - not running on battery) so you can charge your cell phone (for example) via USB when asleep. But I would not want my computers waking just because something (not controlled by my fingers) connected via USB is telling it to. I use Wake on LAN to wake my sleeping backup server downstairs so I can backup my upstairs computers without running up and down the stairs. Note that's over Ethernet only.

I don't see how ESET (or Norton, McAfee, or any other not-free product) is going to stop you from being human better than WD/MSE, Windows Firewall, and IE10. Frankly, I think any anti-malware solution that costs money is a waste of money. There are several free (including WD/MSE) that are just as capable keeping us safe, but free, and without being a hog on resources (including CPU, RAM and disk space) with all sorts of extra fluff and bloat we don't need. And did I mention they were free?

And I think any anti-malware solution that then charges periodic renewal fees is just a rip-off. Period. You don't need a Abrams battle tank to be safe. You don't even need a big SUV. You simply need a well maintained car and good driving/defensive skills to avoid accidents. The same driving/defensive skills needed regardless the vehicle.

The exception "might" be for those who haphazardly, but intentionally wander into bad neighborhoods looking to participate in risky behavior - like illegal filesharing via torrents or P2P sites, or participating in illegal gambling or porn. But even then, it matters not how good your security is if you open the door, let the stranger in, and then ask what he wants.
 

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