Time for a new Laptop

[BoonHauler]

It’s time for me to start looking for a new laptop. I plan on using it for just general computer stuff, surfing the web, emailing, etc, and as an entertainment center. When I say entertainment center I mean I’ll be using it to play movies on, as a TV (with OTA stations), and play music (MP3’s). I won’t be doing any intensive work on the machine and I have no plans for any high definition video.

I’m currently using a Gateway laptop with a 15” screen running Windows Vista Home Premium that I bought back in 2007 so just about anything will be a huge leap forward for me.

Being that I’ll be going fulltime with mobile internet I hear that Windows 7 is the way to roll.

So here’s my questions to all of you aficionados:

What would you think would be a good machine for this task? ….. a Dell?

Can any of you give me any pointers on how to limit the OS as to updates that swallow up huge amounts of data?

Any good add blockers out there that should be used?

Any good programs that I should be thinking of to play my ISO files?

Any ideas of a good USB Tuner?

Anything that I’ve forgotten?

Thanks in advance for your help, god knows I need it :S

[Tom_M1]

What would you think would be a good machine for this task?

As mentioned earlier, what you have will probably work fine. I would suggest saving all your documents, pictures, videos, music, etc. to an external hard drive and do a fresh install of Windows.

Can any of you give me any pointers on how to limit the OS as to updates that swallow up huge amounts of data?

You can turn off automatic updates by clicking Start then All Programs then select Windows Update and click Change Settings.

Any good add blockers out there that should be used?

I use uBlock with Firefox browser.

Any good programs that I should be thinking of to play my ISO files?

I also use VLC. It's free and plays virtually everything.

Any ideas of a good USB Tuner?

The device I use is a SilconDust HDHomerun which has two tuners in it. It's not USB but connects to a computer using an RJ45 network cable directly to the computer or through a network router using a cable or WiFi. Windows Vista Home Premium includes Windows Media Center software which is excellent.

[greenrvgreen]

I have a SSD boot drive and they are still very expensive. They also wear out faster and are somewhat less reliable. Spinning 2.5" HDD's are still prefered for rough useage.

[SkiingSixPack]

If you do buy a laptop I recommend one with a "solid state hard drive." Especially for someone on the move. Much less chance of losing a hard drive that way.

Just my $.02

[greenrvgreen]

Reading the OP again his current laptop might be just fine. It's not going to be as powerful as a new one but a 2007 laptop will have enough power to run VLC and wintv and play music (not at the same time).

ALSO: I would recommend looking into a value-priced FHD external monitor (1920x1080). HP makes a VERY good lineup and and you should be able to get one close to a hundred bucks. Make note of what kind of external monitor port (and IF) your current laptop has.

EDIT: I meant to say "FHD"

[paulcardoza]

MacBook Pro will set you back a pretty penny, but you'll be using it 10 years from now! I have my 2007 MBP and it runs as well as the day I got it.

We also got a MacBook Air with solid state memory and I would recommend that option, no matter what you buy. You'll never have to worry about a hard disk failing ever again!!!

lanerd wrote:
I'm also looking to replace my old Win 7 laptop (HP)...but am thinking more on the line of an Apple product like a MacBook Pro. Anybody use one of these?

Ron

[greenrvgreen]

And the Hauppauge 955Q linked previously will do just fine.

[greenrvgreen]

The OP asked twice about a tuner and people think he's playing the piano.

The best usb tuner for OTA is the Hauppauge winTV 950 or 980 series. I have the 950, it is about a decade old and still works like a champ. It is coax in only which is what an OTA antenna will feed out. It comes bundled with the winTV app (windows only) which is very simple and does a good job.

The coax in only presents a problem when using sat boxes, so for this I would recomend the Diamond vc500. I have this also and is is very good and simple enough. Again, windows only.

VLC player is about the simplest player out there and it will do just fine for you. You won't get file management and there are better choices for high-quality images but I use VLC all the time and I appreciate the simplicity.

The OP also expressed concern about forced upgrades and if you go with win10 you will recieve forced upgrades. Most people are fine with this, I'm not.

I love win7 but I actually found that win 8.1 works better once you configure out all the bizarre applets and clown faces. I use Classic Shell to return most of the UI to win7 look and feel.

There are plenty of win 8.1 laptops still out there, but only a few win7 choices left and they are mostly high-end and expensive. Dell is a good choice and still offers both OS's. But the cheaper choices will all be running win10.

[strollin]

Never used a USB TV tuner so can't recommend one. Here's a link to one that sounds decent on Amazon: Hauppauge 1191 WinTV-HVR-955Q USB TV Tuner

Note: Most TV tuners come with their own software for recording and scheduling but a lot of people swear by the MS Windows Media Center software. If you're interested in using the WMC software then you need either Win 7 or Win 8.x, MS dropped it from Win 10.

[bcsdguy]

If all you are using it for is email, web surfing, and movie and music, you might want to look at a chromebook. They are inexpensive, are very fast loading,updates are quick, you can broadcast to your tv with an inexpensive chromecast device, and you still can use the office suite for doing work. I know people think it is a lightweight device but since I have had mine, I hardly ever use the desktop or my pc laptop. They may not be for everyone but they are a good possibility.

[lanerd]

I'm also looking to replace my old Win 7 laptop (HP)...but am thinking more on the line of an Apple product like a MacBook Pro. Anybody use one of these?

Ron

[BoonHauler]

Thanks guys for chiming in, I really appreciate it.

As to the Tuner, a USB TV Tuner.

[ReadyToGo]

I have a Toshiba with win 10 since Nov. Agree with above post. I have an SSD for my C: drive, boot time is under 30 seconds. I have not seen Costco offer SSD drives yet.
I meter my internet even though i have DSL therefore I control most updates.

[sherlock62]

Windows 10 is the way to go if you are buying a new laptop. Don't let the anti-Win 10 crapola you read on this forum push you away from Win 10.

[scbwr]

I've been using Windows 10 for some time and don't have a problem with it and wouldn't restrict my choices to only Windows 7. Most laptops are coming with large hard drives and any updates aren't a problem with storage space.

My current laptop is a Lenovo and I've had it about 5 years and haven't had any problems with it. I'm not sure that it makes that much of difference whether you purchase a Dell, Lenovo, or other brand as long as you have a warranty and can return it if there is a problem. Due to their return policy, I would consider purchasing from Costco, and they do offer some deals on Dell computers if you are leaning that way.

Personally, I've found ad blockers to be more of problem than they are worth and would rather just block popup screens when needed.

Are you talking about a tuner for musical instruments? If so, you can see what is available from the Windows Store and download a few freebies and see what works. I'm old fashioned and still prefer a small conventional tuner.

You may want to consider whether you want a glossy or matte finish screen AND how easy it is to see the laptop screen when sitting outdoors. I find it difficult to use my Lenovo laptop outside, as well as my Asus tablet. My wife's Kindle has a much brighter screen and works much better outside. It's something I may consider when I replace my Lenovo and I will most likely look for a screen with no glare.

[MrWizard]

VLC aka Video Lan Player

will play ISO files