Laptops

[LandyAndy]

Went into JB HiFi today looking to replace my ageing Laptop,its a Toshiba Sattelite,around 10 years old.
We have bought Lindsay several Toshibas and he bought a better one still,he needed bigger and better as he is a geek and programs he runs for uni were taxing his.
The only issue I had with mine was a battery a couple of years back.Nowdays it has trouble waking up and I fear its ready to die.
Anyhow,Mr JBHiFi tells me Toshiba dont market into Australia any more,is this true as I want another Toshi:(:(:(:(:(:(
He was trying to sell me a HP or an Isuzu(Isus???)
What are the better brands to buy if I cant get a Toshi????
Cheers
Andrew

[Grumbles]

I am currently facing that exact problem and like you my previous two laptops were Toshibas and I wanted another Toshiba.

Same story too from the computer shop this week - HP or Isus [spelling?]

And like you I don't know what to do either.....:confused::confused::confused:

[Wallaby Ted]

I know this will open a can of worms but from what I have seen recently of some of the laptops i have been looking at I would buy a HP or Asus laptop. I wouldn't touch Acer or Sony (which I don't think you can buy in Australia either now) due to all of the problem with them when I had when I owned my own IT support business.

If you want a Toshiba I just bought a remanufactured one from Grays Online ebay store on Tuesday evening and it turned up Thursday with 12 months warranty.

Richard

[rovers4]

The names are HP or Hewlett Packard, and Asus.

Either would be fine. Asus might be cheaper.
Don't forget to look in the bigger, but independant computer shops. By independant I mean other than JB, H-N, D.S/Kogan, G.Guys.

This is an Asus.

[Grentarc]

I have an eMachines (budget Acer) laptop that is fantastic despite it's heritage. I bought it for $400 new 3 years ago, doubled the RAM and put an SSD in and it is still coping with my applications - anything more taxing and that's why I have my desktop PC.
In regards to Asus or HP, I personally would pick Asus as they are component manufacturers, and I have only bought Asus motherboards for my desktop PCs over the years after using many other brands. I have never had to use the warranty on any Asus product.
I have a probably unwarranted hesitation about HP as they are the same company as Compaq, which I had many many issues with products, but that was something like 15 years ago - maybe I hold a grudge!

[LandyAndy]

Mr JB Hifi did say there were lots of unhappy Toshi customers,and they were bloody good laptops.
I guess there is the option of buying ex Ebay for an import machine.
Andrew

[tailslide]

Hi Andrew,

We buy lots of Toshibas at work, CDM Australia in Osborne Park are one of the local resellers.

I have a work issued one, a Portege Z30 and I like it so much that I am looking to buy a tablet version for myself. My Z30 comes with GPS and LTE 4G mobile network.

Cheers
Ron

[cjc_td5]

I have an ASUS Laptop from JB Hifi, around 1 year old. I use it for work (design & CAD) every day, often remote from my office so it is continually being packed up and moved about. I have had it spontaneously shut down twice (presumably due to overheat of the chip) but otherwise it is a good machine. Not Toughbook tough but it seems to handle the everyday rough and tumble OK.

Chris

[Mick_Marsh]

Get the best bang for your buck.
Higher processor speed first. Intel chip, of course.
Both HP and ASUS are good. Look around for a Toshiba. You may find one that would suit.

[carlschmid2002]

I had a Toshiba once. Then a wise person convinced me to buy a Mac. One you go Mac you never go back. I have office and all the microsoft stuff I need. recent interactions with Windows 10 would suggest that it was a great decision.

[Grentarc]

I had a Toshiba once. Then a wise person convinced me to buy a Mac. One you go Mac you never go back. I have office and all the microsoft stuff I need. recent interactions with Windows 10 would suggest that it was a great decision.

Don't listen to him.

[Grumbles]

Don't forget to look in the bigger, but independant computer shops. By independant I mean other than JB, H-N, D.S/Kogan, G.Guys.



That is exactly what I did. I was quoted $3500.00 for a new laptop and $1500.00 for a different new laptop which they would then change some internal components over for around $400.00 extra but then this laptop would have no warranty because they modded it.

It seems very expensive for a home laptop - I don't play games either.
My current Toshiba cost me $1200.00 some 6 or 8 years ago - can't remember exactly.

My three Toshibas failed with the same faults. The on/off switch over heats so when turned on it instantly turns itself off or it won't start at all. The WI-Fi component stops working so it has to be tethered to the desk with a cable for the internet. Some programs begin to not work properly. According to the PC tech guy these are all unfixable faults. At the moment it drops the internet connection about every 5 to 10 minutes.

I didn't think replacing my laptop would be so difficult...... :( :confused:
Landy - how is yours failing?

[rar110]

Get the best bang for your buck. Higher processor speed first. Intel chip, of course. Both HP and ASUS are good. Look around for a Toshiba. You may find one that would suit.

I think the above is good advice. Then take it home and replace/increase the RAM. Later down the track replace the HD with a SSD. YouTube has some excellent tuts on doing this. I extended the life of my wife's computer with an SSD and a new keyboard.

I would go HP.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

want one that actually goes?
https://au.msi.com/ (https://au.msi.com/:cool:)

[rar110]

I had a Toshiba once. Then a wise person convinced me to buy a Mac. One you go Mac you never go back. I have office and all the microsoft stuff I need. recent interactions with Windows 10 would suggest that it was a great decision.

I have a Mac and both love it and are annoyed by it. It syncs beautifully with everything. I replaced the hard drive with an SSD pretty early and upped the RAM so it's now performs very well. It's now 4 years old and still go very well.

Laptops are likely to go the way of VHS in the near future. Lightweight high powered tablets will replace (with optional keyboard) them.

[Wallaby Ted]

That is exactly what I did. I was quoted $3500.00 for a new laptop and $1500.00 for a different new laptop which they would then change some internal components over for around $400.00 extra but then this laptop would have no warranty because they modded it.

It seems very expensive for a home laptop - I don't play games either.
My current Toshiba cost me $1200.00 some 6 or 8 years ago - can't remember exactly.

My three Toshibas failed with the same faults. The on/off switch over heats so when turned on it instantly turns itself off or it won't start at all. The WI-Fi component stops working so it has to be tethered to the desk with a cable for the internet. Some programs begin to not work properly. According to the PC tech guy these are all unfixable faults. At the moment it drops the internet connection about every 5 to 10 minutes.

I didn't think replacing my laptop would be so difficult...... :( :confused:
Landy - how is yours failing?

I would look at dust clogging up the CPU vents, I fixed a lot of non starting laptops by disassembling and reseating the CPU heat sink with new thermal compound and cleaning out the dust.

With wireless most are plug in cards, if you turn it over and take off the covers underneath one if them will have a circuit board with some wires clipped on this is the wireless card you can see it in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ew3GCx9S8U

Honestly I would try another computer shop as I wouldn't recommend doing the first one unless you are willing to break it.

Richard

[carlschmid2002]

I have a Mac and both love it and are annoyed by it. It syncs beautifully with everything. I replaced the hard drive with an SSD pretty early and upped the RAM so it's now performs very well. It's now 4 years old and still go very well.

Laptops are likely to go the way of VHS in the near future. Lightweight high powered tablets will replace (with optional keyboard) them.

I know battery technology is always getting better but I am always amazed with the Mac on how long I can go between charging. My old 17" pretty well had to be plugged in all the time.

[carlschmid2002]

Don't listen to him.

Why, I see you have a D4, otherwise I would have picked you as a Defender driver.

[AK83]

.....
What are the better brands to buy if I cant get a Toshi????
Cheers
Andrew

All I can say(from experience) is Asus!
In general, best value for money.

EDIT: and forgot to add. Check MSY, as they usually have about the lowest prices around(for the same specced device).

[Wallaby Ted]

I know battery technology is always getting better but I am always amazed with the Mac on how long I can go between charging. My old 17" pretty well had to be plugged in all the time.

The refurbished Toshiba I bought for my son a couple of months ago the battery lasts a long time like more than 6-8 hours.

I found Macs overpriced for the same spec you can get in a laptop, so get want you think is best.

As said before get the highest clock speed Intel CPU (I have been buying i7's), add more Ram to get it to 8GB if it doesn't, and put in a SSD. You will then have a very quick laptop.

I have recently upgraded a few new laptops to SSD for people and Windows 10 just flies on them after that.

Richard

[Grentarc]

I see macs as overpriced, especially since they started using Intel chips. If you really want MacOS, I can get it running on any Intel based computer (for a lot less than the price of a mac) - just like I can get Windows on a Mac, without using a VM.

[Grentarc]

. The WI-Fi component stops working so it has to be tethered to the desk with a cable for the internet. Some programs begin to not work properly. According to the PC tech guy these are all unfixable faults. At the moment it drops the internet connection about every 5 to 10 minutes.?
I would be trying a reinstall of the operating system first, and then if the wifi keeps dropping out (I always find this is a driver issue) I would look at a USB wifi adapter - between $5 and $25 depending on what you want. I rarely find a fault is unfixable unless there is some sort of damage - and as has been suggested, a good clean out may be required too

[carlschmid2002]

I personally have been very happy with Applecare over the years. I even took an old broken iPad into the Apple shop in Brisbane the other day to see if it was salvageable. I walked out with a brand new one exactly the same for $309. I have heard that the extended warranty at Harvey Norman is very good these days. I know someone who has swapped for new everything from vacuum cleaners to titbits well after the manufacturers 1 year warranty.

[Narangga]

Anyhow,Mr JBHiFi tells me Toshiba dont market into Australia any more,is this true as I want another Toshi:(:(:(:(:(:(

Cheers
Andrew

Mr JBHIFI obviously doesn't have a marketing agreement with Toshiba anymore.

Toshiba still sell in Australia as others have posted.

[Mick_Marsh]

want one that actually goes?
https://au.msi.com/:cool:
Yours doesn't.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

https://gaming.msi.com/
no more smiley faces.

[LandyAndy]

That is exactly what I did. I was quoted $3500.00 for a new laptop and $1500.00 for a different new laptop which they would then change some internal components over for around $400.00 extra but then this laptop would have no warranty because they modded it.

It seems very expensive for a home laptop - I don't play games either.
My current Toshiba cost me $1200.00 some 6 or 8 years ago - can't remember exactly.

My three Toshibas failed with the same faults. The on/off switch over heats so when turned on it instantly turns itself off or it won't start at all. The WI-Fi component stops working so it has to be tethered to the desk with a cable for the internet. Some programs begin to not work properly. According to the PC tech guy these are all unfixable faults. At the moment it drops the internet connection about every 5 to 10 minutes.

I didn't think replacing my laptop would be so difficult...... :( :confused:
Landy - how is yours failing?

Mine fails to start up regularly.The back light on the screen goes out,the only way to get that back up is to hold the off button and force it to restart by then holding it on.It also stalls regularly with "waiting for cache" coming up.
I dont think it overheats,when the battery failed I got the bigger battery which lifts the rear of the laptop enough to fit your fingers under.I have started shifting all my photos to a portable drive,the extra space hasnt sped things up.Must get back to that,the thing freezing up whilst I was doing it was giving me the ****s so I gave up.
I dont always shut it down,probably once a week,the rest of the time I just close the lid.Power gets turned off overnite.
Andrew

[Bytemrk]

Andrew - What are you actually using the machine for ?

So far I've seen plenty of advice and recommendations,none of which appears to be based on how YOU intend to use the machine.

While I'd generally agree with advice to go with higher processor speeds - Keep in mind there is often a point a little back from the cutting edge where the prices drop dramatically and you get significantly better value.

Also many users are simply wasting money going for an i7 over an i5.
Intel's Core i5 vs. Core i7: Which do you need? | Digital Trends (http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-i5-vs-i7/) gives you a simple explanation of why.

That's why, to give you the best advice, we really need to know how you intend to use it.

Lots of good gear out there - however all brands tend to have their good models and their iffy ones.

I work with HP gear at work all the time - My current Elitebook is good, however not all HP's are great.

A few years ago I bought my daughter an Asus that was excellent. Another manufacturer that has been pushing into Australia in a big way recently is Lenovo, They used to build all the IBM Thinkpads, so they know how to build decent gear - I don't however have experience with their current models

Have you asked a certain IT bloke in Caboolture his opinion?

[LandyAndy]

Mark.
I mainly use it for internet browsing,Utube clips,music and photo storage.
Now the internet is faster would watch movies etc too.
Andrew

[AK83]

Mark.
I mainly use it for internet browsing,Utube clips,music and photo storage.
Now the internet is faster would watch movies etc too.
Andrew

Then the last thing you'd NEED, is an i7 CPU.
Wasted power for no advantage .. which follows on that battery life will be shorter.
An i5, as Bytemrk recommended would be sufficient.

You also haven't given a price range(that I've noticed) too.

If you had say $800 as a price range, then from what I'm seeing in terms of specs, something like an ASUS X556UV would seem like decent value for money.
The only thing I would do further to that lappy is to also acquire my own SSD and replace the 1Tb HDD in the laptop with it.
I've done that for my kids laptops and for my own tablet(I don't have a laptop).
The original HDD goes into a drawer and marked for which machine it's for, and becomes a spare. The SSD produces the most obvious performance differences. It's like going from a 10psi boost level on your TDV6 to about 50psi, but without the longevity issues ;)
Boosted CPU is really only beneficial when you're using it hard .. eg. video rendering, gaming, photo manipulation etc.

[Bytemrk]

Mark.
I mainly use it for internet browsing,Utube clips,music and photo storage.
Now the internet is faster would watch movies etc too.
Andrew

As I suspected... so as AK83 said, don't waste your money chasing an i7 over and i5 - if you happen to find a great deal that has an i7 that may still be the right buy... but just keep in mind for what you are using it for, you simply wont use - or see the extra grunt.

SSD's ( Solid state hard drives) are great and make the machine feel fast and snappy - however most SSD's in laptops are reasonably small - so depending how many photos and movies you want to store that could be an issue - SSD's also tend to die very suddenly when they go - so everything I have on SSD's is well backed up elsewhere.

Memory is cheap now days and if you open multiple browsers and multitask a bit, more is better. That said with most laptops , it's not a big deal to add more later.

You'll also find that a large number of laptops now days don't have an optical drive (CD or DVD).... so for you that might also be something you have a preference for which could help narrow the choice.

Good luck hunting....yell out if we can help or confuse you any more :D :p

[LandyAndy]

Just been looking at EBay.Plenty of Toshys on there:cool::cool::cool:
Saw this monster:):):):):):)
16GB 2TB Full HD Toshiba Satellite S70 B PRO Quad I7 ATI R9 Video 17 3" Laptop | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16GB-2TB-FULL-HD-Toshiba-Satellite-S70-B-PRO-Quad-i7-ATI-R9-Video-17-3-Laptop-/162010180122?hash=item25b88f2a1a:g:TD8AAOSwVTtW6yq 3)
Andrew

[Disco-tastic]

Hey Andy,

I too am a mac user. I used to agree that they were overpriced for what they are but, apart from batteries and chargers failing i have had no problems with mine.

I currently have a 2011 15inch macbook pro i picked up 2nd hand in 2013 for $1300. Best bang for buck i have bought computer wise.

I have found that the performance of my mac has not changed over the years, unlike the windows machines i have owned and used. For general web browsing and youtube, a mac will generally stay just as snappy as when you bought it.

Something like this (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/boronia/laptops/macbook-pro-13-late-2011/1119561704) would probably suit (except for maybe a bigger screen) and, like the seller says, adding an ssd will make it fly. These days SSD's cost under 50c/GB.

If you're sold on windows then i would recommend an i5 processor with 4-8GB ram and an ssd. You can always upgrade the ram and hard drive, but if you want one that works out of the box spend a little extra at purchase. For what you use it for the SSD will make the single biggest difference to start up and general speeds.
Have fun shopping!

Cheers

Dan

[Bytemrk]

Just to add to the confusion Andy... I do agree with Dan about MACs...

if you can find one in your budget - take a close look.

Unlike most MAC people I am not a total Mac evangelist - I look after a reasonably large windows environment so I can't live in a MAC only world...

However both my kids have hand me down from Dad highly specced Macbook Pros that would have to have been the best Laptop hardware I've ever owned...

[LandyAndy]

I think I will stick with windows,I had problems using my mums apple,only just getting my head around a samsung smart phone and tablet at the moment.I can only take so much re-training.
The other use of the laptop would be to be a TV/entertainment unit in the camper trailer whilst travelling,assuming I complete it.
Do newer laptops take a sim card like tablets do,or would I use the tablet as a wifi hot spot for the laptop when travelling????
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

Another upcoming use.
I may be taking over running the traffic counters for the boss.
Rather than go into the office and use somebody elses puter there I will use mine at home and be able to claim depreciation/home office expenses,seeing my bean counter on friday to get my tax done and sort out how I go about it.I wouldnt think the traffic counters take up alot of processing,you bring the unit to the puter and download its recordings.I already deploy the units and collect them from time to time,just dont do the paperwork.
Andrew

[Grentarc]

Some laptops take a sim card, others don't. You can usually get a data sharing sim from your mobile provider for a usb modem that uses the data plan of your mobile/tablet , or you can do the hotspot option, whether it is via wifi, Bluetooth or cable connection.

I would expect any computer that can run general office applications should run your counter software, as most commercial/industrial logging software I have come across will work on older generation (windows XP type era) machines.

[carlschmid2002]

Another upcoming use.
I may be taking over running the traffic counters for the boss.
Rather than go into the office and use somebody elses puter there I will use mine at home and be able to claim depreciation/home office expenses,seeing my bean counter on friday to get my tax done and sort out how I go about it.I wouldnt think the traffic counters take up alot of processing,you bring the unit to the puter and download its recordings.I already deploy the units and collect them from time to time,just dont do the paperwork.
Andrew

I am no computer guru, but even though I love my Mac some silly little tasks like this are designed to work on Bill Gates' products only.

[SBD4]

Andrew, Also consider how long you keep your equipment for. The current lappy is 10 years old, if you plan on doing that again you should be aiming to get the best spec that you can afford - O/S and S/W is only going to get more CPU intensive and memory hungry.

PS I use Lenovo - as said previously, they manufactured for IBM and then bought the business from them. Very good equipment. You can order it online, choose your base laptop that suits your budget then modify to your spec.

[Bytemrk]

Another upcoming use.
I may be taking over running the traffic counters for the boss.
Rather than go into the office and use somebody elses puter there I will use mine at home and be able to claim depreciation/home office expenses,seeing my bean counter on friday to get my tax done and sort out how I go about it.I wouldnt think the traffic counters take up alot of processing,you bring the unit to the puter and download its recordings.I already deploy the units and collect them from time to time,just dont do the paperwork.
Andrew

How do the counters connect to the computer?... USB or something else like serial? (9 pin plug)

There are adapters available to get around it..but be aware very few PC's now come with serial ports ;)

[SBD4]

...also, wouldn't worry about a SIM capable model. As Justin said, use your existing mobile devices as a hotspot - just make sure it has a good data plan. I used to have a dedicated "dongle", it was just a waste of money as I was paying for something I already had in the phone.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Just been looking at EBay.Plenty of Toshys on there:cool::cool::cool:
Saw this monster:):):):):):)
16GB 2TB Full HD Toshiba Satellite S70 B PRO Quad I7 ATI R9 Video 17 3" Laptop | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16GB-2TB-FULL-HD-Toshiba-Satellite-S70-B-PRO-Quad-i7-ATI-R9-Video-17-3-Laptop-/162010180122?hash=item25b88f2a1a:g:TD8AAOSwVTtW6yq 3)
Andrew

backlit keyboards are nice,, a separate video card is where your battery life will go,, mine drew 6A and required a new/decent 12V charger and rewired connection in the van to run it!!
as having bought a 17" laptop I can tell you they are a PC with a fold down lid,,;) my MSI had 16GB, it ran very well,, and futureproofed it considerably.

[Disco-tastic]

If you're going to claim it on tax check out something like this.

Lenovo L560 business laptop (http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/deals/current-offers/laptops-for-work-deals/L560-AU-C2/p/20F1CTO1WWENAU1?CSRFToken=186875b3-4b80-42dd-b01a-1854c14d8d74#tab-customize)

You could spec extra ram for future proofing but the SSD will make the bigger difference. It does cost a bit from the factory though...

Cheers

Dan

[Tombie]

Except my old Laptops (Wintel) struggle and many cant run modern OS or hold their own.

My original Core Duo MBP only recently became redundant when the latest iteration of OS X was incompatible.

That's over 10 years with a laptop that was as solid as a rock..

My latest MBP will likely be good for another 7-10 years.

They're a solid, reliable unit, don't get corrupted easily and don't have themselves dragged down by a bloated OS like Windows.

OS X is a certified UNIX implementation and as such is very stable.

[Tombie]

As a side note.. I love VM - keeps Windows in a cage where it belongs!

[isuzurover]

If you're going to claim it on tax check out something like this.

Lenovo L560 business laptop (http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/deals/current-offers/laptops-for-work-deals/L560-AU-C2/p/20F1CTO1WWENAU1?CSRFToken=186875b3-4b80-42dd-b01a-1854c14d8d74#tab-customize)

You could spec extra ram for future proofing but the SSD will make the bigger difference. It does cost a bit from the factory though...

Cheers

Dan

So what are Lenovo's like for reliability these days? They used to have a good reputation.

[Disco-tastic]

From what i have read they are pretty good. The cheaper ones are built to a price, but the higher end ones apparently carry one the legacy that the old thinkpads created, just in more modern shells.

That said, its just what ive read a couple of years ago when they started releasing consumer products under their own name.

Cheers

Dan

[LandyAndy]

Some laptops take a sim card, others don't. You can usually get a data sharing sim from your mobile provider for a usb modem that uses the data plan of your mobile/tablet , or you can do the hotspot option, whether it is via wifi, Bluetooth or cable connection.

I would expect any computer that can run general office applications should run your counter software, as most commercial/industrial logging software I have come across will work on older generation (windows XP type era) machines.

When I updated my plan for my Samsung smart phone I was given a "free" 8" Samsung tablet that I will be using for navigation in the D4.It has a data share sim linked to the phone.
Andrew

[rangieman]

I just went through this same episode last week when my 8 year old Acer died :cool:
Ended up with a Lenova G51 with most of the bells and whistle`s mentioned here . Im very happy .
Ive never used a Mac so in my opinion did`nt need nor want one;)

[SBD4]

I can vouch for Lenvo's reliability, I have been using thinkpads in the various forms from IBM and Lenovo for the past 20 years and they have all been bullet proof.

they currently have 4 day sale on:
Weekly Deals | Lenovo Australia (http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/deals/current-offers/deals-of-the-week/c/weeklydeals#tab-4DaySale)

[LandyAndy]

Does anybody know much about the "re-furbished" lap tops Greys online sell????
Are they just wiped office machines,or are they modified??? I see some list having a SSD fitted.
Andrew

[sheerluck]

I've had several of them (probably had twenty or so machines in total), various brands including HP, Dell, Compaq and one Toshiba.

Had three of them go bad, two HPs and the single Toshiba, two after about 2 years, one after 18 months, and that one still had a HP warranty, which I used.

And they mostly are refurbished retail returns, a number of them have had the test reports and other documents in with them, Grays seem to have their own workshop rebuilding, refurbishing or repairing for several brands.

[DiscoMick]

My work recently bought about 500 Dells for about $600 each I think, but the deal includes a service contract and I can't be specific about the figures. If they can survive being mistreated by students they are pretty rugged. It really depends on what you want to do with it.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[Learner]

Went into JB HiFi today looking to replace my ageing Laptop,its a Toshiba Sattelite,around 10 years old.
We have bought Lindsay several Toshibas and he bought a better one still,he needed bigger and better as he is a geek and programs he runs for uni were taxing his.
The only issue I had with mine was a battery a couple of years back.Nowdays it has trouble waking up and I fear its ready to die.
Anyhow,Mr JBHiFi tells me Toshiba dont market into Australia any more,is this true as I want another Toshi:(:(:(:(:(:(
He was trying to sell me a HP or an Isuzu(Isus???)
What are the better brands to buy if I cant get a Toshi????
Cheers
Andrew

Hi Landy Andy,
Both OO.com.au and Harris Technology currently have Toshiba laptops for sale.

Best Wishes,
Peter

[AK83]

..... - SSD's also tend to die very suddenly when they go - so everything I have on SSD's is well backed up elsewhere.

....

LOL! been there too.
Had one die(thankfully under warranty) and you can't use some of the old mechanical drive tricks to get it running to copy stuff over to a safe drive.

That's why I prefer to get my own lappie with mechanical drive, + my own SSD and image the mechanical drive onto the SSD and place the SSD in the lappie from new.
The mechanical drive serves as an emergency backup of the OS plus whatever software you install and serves as a quick and easy fresh install when the time comes later on.

I think most SSD's used in laptops will be of the cheapest kind, rather than the best performance/$ type.
So I prefer to choose which SSD I want to use rather than use the one that came with the machine.

[AK83]

.... If they can survive being mistreated by students they are pretty rugged. It really depends on what you want to do with it.

...
My kids are both in secondary school.
They get some nice looking but extremely fragile DELL convertible laptop/tablet devices.
They work nice when they work, but if I were any of the techs at the school trying to keep up with my sons ability to break them, I'd have quit, resigned, asked for a doubled up pay rise, or hung myself if all that failed.
He has an incredible ability to destroy his tablet!
My daughter is typical soft/sweet thing, and surely treats her stuff equally, but she's two issues with hers too(but no destructive episodes yet!)

[Wallaby Ted]

Does anybody know much about the "re-furbished" lap tops Greys online sell????
Are they just wiped office machines,or are they modified??? I see some list having a SSD fitted.
Andrew

I have bought 2 of the refurbished Toshibas in the last 3 months from Greys Online, the first one went to my son and hasn't been an issue, for $420 and $480 (30% and 20% off EBay specials), they are:

Core i7
8GB Ram
1TB HDD
12 Month Warranty

Mine has a slightly faster processor and a touch screen.

They look as new even though they say they could have minor blemishes.

I will upgrade to SSD's when I get around to and put the drives into external caddies for backup devices.

If you get the toshiba, burn the recovery disc to a usb stick and as i did made an iso of that on my desktop.

Richard

[bsperka]

Dells have proprietary screens, so when they get damaged cost a lot more to replace. My daughter's screen just cracked one day when she was just using the laptop, about 2 minutes after opening it. Very poor construction design.
Dell support indicated they would treat it as user damage as it happens to a lot of their laptops. When I replaced the screen all hinge screws were loose, creating residual stress to the screen. Poor assembly and the user pays.

[DiscoMick]

My kids are both in secondary school.
They get some nice looking but extremely fragile DELL convertible laptop/tablet devices.
They work nice when they work, but if I were any of the techs at the school trying to keep up with my sons ability to break them, I'd have quit, resigned, asked for a doubled up pay rise, or hung myself if all that failed.
He has an incredible ability to destroy his tablet!
My daughter is typical soft/sweet thing, and surely treats her stuff equally, but she's two issues with hers too(but no destructive episodes yet!)
My work had a batch of Surface tablets, but they never worked properly (I think they ordered too low a spec. model) and broke too easily, so they've gone to back to laptops, in rugged cases and with bags.
The biggest problem we seem to have is not physical damage, but kids try to change the proxy server to avoid the limits which have been placed on their ability to play games on school laptops. Then they find the laptop won't work on the school system with a different proxy. But they don't know how to fix it, so they have to go off and grovel to the school IT people and admit they did the wrong thing, and get growled at and made to wait long enough for it to be a problem for their school work, in the hope that will deter them from stuffing around with it in the future. It's funny to watch.

[AK83]

.....
The biggest problem we seem to have is not physical damage, but kids try to change the proxy server to avoid the limits which have been placed on their ability to play games on school laptops. Then they find the laptop won't work on the school system with a different proxy. But they don't know how to fix it, so they have to go off and grovel to the school IT people and admit they did the wrong thing ....

:D
My son has probably done something similar, but all his issues have been hard/software related.
Broken screen! .. "honest I didn't slam it shut, sit on it, drop it, close it with my playing cards in between the screen and keyboard ... " :angel:
Many SSDs later .. I think the last count was three. I have no idea what he does to them, but I'm encouraging him to be an endurance tester(if he ever grows up).
Wifi radio died, but Bt still worked. I swapped it out to confirm, but put back the broken one for the school to fix it. He wasn't keeping my Killer 1202 wifi card.
But on the flip side, he's been very good with the Asus Laptop I bought him before he started high school. It's now getting on for about 5+ years .. he's in yr10, I got it for him at the start of grade 6.
He did once slam the laptop hard with his fist in a fit of rage(playing games of course) .. HDD died.
I told him, do it again and you don't get another SSD! ..

[Pedro_The_Swift]

This is my take on your problem Andy,,
my lappy is at least 10 years old,,

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/computers/228376-laptop-upgrade.html

[LandyAndy]

My lappy is like an old D2 mate.You cant make a D4 out of a D2 no matter how hard you try,even with the best V8 in the world under the lid it will still be a D2:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p.
Talked to Mr Hardley Norman today,only had a couple of Toshys,one a specalist gaming one for almost $2.5K:eek::eek::eek::eek:,He had an MTI aswell:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
Tells me laptops in general are not that sort after in australia any more,everyone uses their smart phone for what they used lap tops for in the past.
I think I will get that Toshy on steroids I posted a link to the other day,once the mid year bills are done.Reality resumes once the Shire rates are paid.
Spoke to the accountant today,he can do some handywork with 50% of the machine for work:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool: plus some internet and home office expenses.
Andrew

[Mick_Marsh]

This is my take on your problem Andy,,
my lappy is at least 10 years old,,

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/computers/228376-laptop-upgrade.html
My laptop, a Toshiba Satellite, is about that age too.
I've never had to touch the hardware.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I didnt have to Mick, it was one of those because I can moments:D

[DiscoMick]

I still have one in the cupboard I bought in Thailand about 10 years ago. Last time I checked it still worked.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[sheerluck]

I still have one in the cupboard I bought in Thailand about 10 years ago. Last time I checked it still worked.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

If you bought it in Thailand, it's most likely one of those convertible ones. [bigwhistle]

[LandyAndy]

16GB 2TB Full HD Toshiba Satellite S70 B PRO Quad I7 ATI R9 Video 17 3" Laptop | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16GB-2TB-FULL-HD-Toshiba-Satellite-S70-B-PRO-Quad-i7-ATI-R9-Video-17-3-Laptop-/162010180122?hash=item25b88f2a1a:g:TD8AAOSwVTtW6yq 3)

This is what Im looking at buying.
NOW,buyer be wary I guess.They are not australian machines it seems.They dont come up on Toshiba Australias website.
There are 2 sellers on ebay with heaps of them,I think they are the same seller as both have a notice saying they are away until aug19.They are direct deals and jbsalestech.
The machine specs vary.
Starting to smell a rat.
Looked at both sellers negative feedbacks,not alot of negatives compared to sales,BUT,the complaints seems to be about refurbished machines supplied instead of new ones.
They are lots cheaper than whats available in Australian shops with that sort of specs.
Are they not worth the risk,cosidering they could be re-furbs?????
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

Similar lower spec machine at Grays online.
Buy Toshiba Satellite L70-C001 17.3 FHD/C i7-6500U/16GB/1TB/GeForce 930M | GraysOnline Australia (http://www.graysonline.com/retail/pskzja-001001-r/computers-and-it-equipment/toshiba-satellite-l70-c001-17-3-fhd-c-i7-6500u-16gb-1tb-geforce-930m'spr=true)
Andrew

[Bytemrk]

Andy , the gamble with none Aussie model machines - is IF something goes wrong hardware wise.... probably no parts in Australia. Things like mainboards are specific to particular lappys.

[LandyAndy]

Andy , the gamble with none Aussie model machines - is IF something goes wrong hardware wise.... probably no parts in Australia. Things like mainboards are specific to particular lappys.

Hi Mark.
Done more looking.The laptops are no longer available new in USA either.
They do come up on the Aussie Toshiba site as discontinued.You need to have the correct model no to find them.
Also found an article to backup Mr JB Norman.Toshiba has removed itself from the general market and now only makes business machines:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
I think I will grab one of these,just like getting the last of the Defenders:p:p:p:p:p:p They are realy well sdecced for the money.
BILLS BILLS BILLS:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Andrew

[LandyAndy]

Thanks for all the help/advice people.
I bought a JB HiFi "special" today.
Now to fire it up:):):):):):)
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-ideapad-510-15-6-laptop-i7/956448/
Andrew

[Pedro_The_Swift]

should have hung out for this Andy,, ;):cool:

Asus' Pascal Laptops To Feature SLI GTX 1080s, Water Cooling Docks (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-pascal-sli-gtx-1080-liquid-cooled,32498.html)

[landyd2]

should have hung out for this Andy,, ;):cool:

Asus' Pascal Laptops To Feature SLI GTX 1080s, Water Cooling Docks (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-pascal-sli-gtx-1080-liquid-cooled,32498.html)

$7000K, worth it if you're trying to start a YouTube gaming channel or take down the government :-/

Sent from my E5823 using AULRO mobile app

[incisor]

Thanks for all the help/advice people.
I bought a JB HiFi "special" today.
Now to fire it up:):):):):):)
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-ideapad-510-15-6-laptop-i7/956448/
Andrew

just run adw cleaner thru it to remove the spyware.... etc...