That runs Ubuntu that is (Dual boot Windows of course). I really have been looking for a viable replacement for the dinky dino that is my current ASUS laptop (that I am typing on currently).
Though I must say, now is a some what precarious time to buy a laptop/computer. The awesomeness that is Windows 7 is just around the corner (haha don't really want to buy another copy of that OS when it rolls out x_X). With it, will be DX11 followed/superseded by all the wondrous native running hardware. Sigh.
What makes it even tougher is that I have discovered a laptop that I genuinely think would be pretty damn awesome. Sigh... :(
I have been looking for a worthy laptop to spend some of my impeding tax rebate on. One of the laptops that has really caught my eye previously was the Toshiba Satellite A305. Seemed to have the decent balance of purdy-ness paired with some decent ponies (and a dedicated graphics card).
But alas I found an even better one. It is the upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 (slated for a release this month). It's top of the line big brethern has already been released (Y650). Supposedly, the Y550 will retain most if not all of the features the Y650 has (probably slightly lower hardware). But hey, at 1 inch think and niceties such as multi-touch touchpad (say that 3 times quick!), Centrino 2 1066FSB goodness, DDR3, LED backlit LCD, and a purdy hexagonal embossed lid. It could just be the winning factor for me to jump on it, shrink the partition, and install Ubuntu as a dual boot. HMM......... We'll see... Meanwhile I'll salivate on these purdy pictures.
Showing posts with label laptop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laptop. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
*Sigh*
E-Sigh....
Looks like this dino laptop is finally showing its true colors. I've covered in the past how slow this thing is (and lack of a larger resolution). Now after all the weeks of wonderful battery life i have been enjoying, the battery it seems, is finally flaking out on me. I can no longer charge it to 100% (instead it struggles to get to 70%) and the battery discharges while the power chord is hooked up. How fugged up is that?
Since a battery is somewhat a 'key' component of a laptop, it goes beyond my threshold on how much dough I would spend to get this running. I would just much rather get a newer machine and have a nice, fast, smooth, and larger resolution then spend some big change (that I still don't have hahaha, - Economy 1 - PsYkHoTiK 0).
Oh, did I mention that even with the chord attached and with 'full' charge, it randomly kills the laptop (aka turns it off suddenly like it ran out of power). It would defeat the purpose of having a laptop if I always had to have a cable hooked up to it... Oh good times.... :\
New laptop, I will be waiting for you, and with it, a boot (if not dual boot) of Ubuntu (preferably the x64 variant). *E-Sigh*
Looks like this dino laptop is finally showing its true colors. I've covered in the past how slow this thing is (and lack of a larger resolution). Now after all the weeks of wonderful battery life i have been enjoying, the battery it seems, is finally flaking out on me. I can no longer charge it to 100% (instead it struggles to get to 70%) and the battery discharges while the power chord is hooked up. How fugged up is that?
Since a battery is somewhat a 'key' component of a laptop, it goes beyond my threshold on how much dough I would spend to get this running. I would just much rather get a newer machine and have a nice, fast, smooth, and larger resolution then spend some big change (that I still don't have hahaha, - Economy 1 - PsYkHoTiK 0).
Oh, did I mention that even with the chord attached and with 'full' charge, it randomly kills the laptop (aka turns it off suddenly like it ran out of power). It would defeat the purpose of having a laptop if I always had to have a cable hooked up to it... Oh good times.... :\
New laptop, I will be waiting for you, and with it, a boot (if not dual boot) of Ubuntu (preferably the x64 variant). *E-Sigh*
Monday, February 23, 2009
I has new WiFi
In a previous post, I wrote about my resurrected laptop (the ancient dino) that has the old 802.11b wireless (Intel PRO/Wireless 2100). Now I have received my new Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 BG and I am now enjoying 802.11G speeds.
The tear down and replacement wasn't overly hard. Ubuntu once again made the driver issue relatively painless (the ipw2200 drivers were immediately seamlessly installed).
Next would hopefully be a probable modest update in processor (if I can find a cheap Banias core CPU that is).
Old WiFi (installed) beside the 'new' card
The tear down and replacement wasn't overly hard. Ubuntu once again made the driver issue relatively painless (the ipw2200 drivers were immediately seamlessly installed).
Next would hopefully be a probable modest update in processor (if I can find a cheap Banias core CPU that is).
Old WiFi (installed) beside the 'new' card
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Striking down a bottleneck on the Laptop
I love 'new' toys. :)
A problem I have with the laptop (apart from the stupid laptop keyboard, stupid touchpad - I hate touch pads coz my thumbs keep grazing them when I type at my 82WPM speed, stupidly low amount of RAM, and stupidly little USB ports) is with the slow 802.11b WiFi. Meh. 11Mbits just doesn't cut it when I wanna browse and stream my big FLAC files all over WiFi. :\
The current first gen Intel Centrino dinky PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter that is on my laptop is about to be replaced! I ran across an Intel PRO/Wireless LAN 2200BG 3B Mini PCI Adapter that will give me a more modern 802.11g 54Mbits of WiFi wholesome goodness. Best of all,it was $12 on fleabay and it should arrive this week or next. GOD SPEED!
A problem I have with the laptop (apart from the stupid laptop keyboard, stupid touchpad - I hate touch pads coz my thumbs keep grazing them when I type at my 82WPM speed, stupidly low amount of RAM, and stupidly little USB ports) is with the slow 802.11b WiFi. Meh. 11Mbits just doesn't cut it when I wanna browse and stream my big FLAC files all over WiFi. :\
The current first gen Intel Centrino dinky PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter that is on my laptop is about to be replaced! I ran across an Intel PRO/Wireless LAN 2200BG 3B Mini PCI Adapter that will give me a more modern 802.11g 54Mbits of WiFi wholesome goodness. Best of all,it was $12 on fleabay and it should arrive this week or next. GOD SPEED!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Ubuntu saved the day
So today, I was hanging out with my buddies who wanted to learn how to set up a web server (well one of them was teaching, the other was learning, and I just wanted to play some more with Ubuntu while hanging out with them) that consisted of Apache, PHP, and MySQL. (please know that I am totally nub) So our plan was to chill out with two laptops (one my Ubuntu system, and the other a Windows machine - No open source people, it is not what you think... ;) ). Unfortunately, there was a mission critical issue that we faced as the Windows machine was unable to function (due to a left at home crucial component - aka the power brick + plug). I told them, if they can bear the slowness ancient dinosaur that my laptop is, they are more than welcomed to set up a webserver on it (for localhost) to mess around with (haha me being a true Utilitarian).
So they took me up on the offer and to make things more accessible, we hooked it up to a bigger monitor (haha we sheepishly found how to mirror the laptop monitor to it), hooked up a USB keyboard and mouse and to me and my friend's complete surprise, it simply worked (in the words of Ubuntu). The thing that I've heard is it either works or it doesn't (which the latter tends to happen at times and when it does, you're pretty much boned - no FUD intended, just being objective).
Then setting up Apache, PHP, and MySQL, was real easy through the command line (again, I am teh nub - so no hate kthxbai). A far cry from the hour and a half it took on my 'normal' machine (again it is still my main machine - definitely not replacing it with Ubuntu). After that, it was smooth sailing and the lesson commenced (while I nodded kinda sorta understanding what was going on from a conceptual-though-not-really-technical point of view) and everybody was teh happy (and we all celebrated by stuffing our faces - kinda regretting that now though).
Yay?
So they took me up on the offer and to make things more accessible, we hooked it up to a bigger monitor (haha we sheepishly found how to mirror the laptop monitor to it), hooked up a USB keyboard and mouse and to me and my friend's complete surprise, it simply worked (in the words of Ubuntu). The thing that I've heard is it either works or it doesn't (which the latter tends to happen at times and when it does, you're pretty much boned - no FUD intended, just being objective).
Then setting up Apache, PHP, and MySQL, was real easy through the command line (again, I am teh nub - so no hate kthxbai). A far cry from the hour and a half it took on my 'normal' machine (again it is still my main machine - definitely not replacing it with Ubuntu). After that, it was smooth sailing and the lesson commenced (while I nodded kinda sorta understanding what was going on from a conceptual-though-not-really-technical point of view) and everybody was teh happy (and we all celebrated by stuffing our faces - kinda regretting that now though).
Yay?
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