Mom's new laptop, OPINIONS PLEASE!!!

[Deer Slayer]

Here's the new laptop she's decided on, it's an inspiron 1525 in "blossom pattern" . She decided on Dell just so she could get the Blossom pattern, the price is $1300. It looks decent to me, she listened to some of my advice this time. I'll end up putting XP on it, I'm NOT going to keep vista. Here's the important stuff, look at the attachment for more specs. PLEASE give me some input, she wants to order ASAP. Anything we should change???

15.4" anti glare widescreen LCD
2ghz core 2 duo 800mhz bus
2gb ddr2 667
120gb 7200rpm sata HDD
cd/dvd burner
802.11g mini card
2.0 megapixel webcam (built in)
56 w/hr 6 cell battery
Intel X3100 graphics

[SRTDodge05]

I would get the bigger battery for it or add a second one.

[Deer Slayer]

She almost NEVER uses it unplugged. A bigger battery is just a more expensive one for her to ruin. She ruined the battery in the HP to the point where the machine won't even boot under battery power!

[3 of 7]

Maybe get her to run it with the battery out most of the time..

[Deer Slayer]

She doesn't care, I've tried to get her to treat her things with some respect, and she just does what she wants. It's hers, and she can deal with the consequences when her neglect ruins her stuff. It's like with the old projection CRT TV, which had a Tivo menu burnt into it because she wouldn't listen about leaving the menus up and using the pause button. I thought a DLP TV might do this too, but so far it seems to be holding up well. I still say I told ya so even though it starts a fight every time she damages something from neglect! I really don't know why I do that, it's her stuff she's destroying, but I have to listen to her whine when it actually happens. I dunno, I guess I just don't like to watch somebody destroy expensive stuff out of pure laziness.

[Bofinn]

send or print out this link:

Dell: Reconditioning your Battery

[Deer Slayer]

Mom ordered the dell with the 8 cell battery. I hope she takes care of this one. Even after you try to recondition a battery, if it's badly abused, it's JUNK. Oh well, it's her $$$, but I'll inherit it someday . The more she throws away, the less I get. She's always joking about me wanting to get rid of her so I get her $$$. I'd never do that of course .

[Ninjin]

Do keep in mind that batteries only have a 1 year warranty for notebook systems. After that a new battery is about $130. So use that computer like no other and kill the battery pre-maturely so you keep on getting them for free .

[Deer Slayer]

Well, mom got new laptop. It looks to be a decent little machine, it runs OK. The big battery came separate, and hangs out the back by about an inch. THe notebook is dead thin, and light! I LIKE IT, other than it's pink! Vista so far isn't too terrible, but it's confusing, and there's no reason for it. The printer she got has a wireless print server built in, but ONLY supports DHCP!!!! Dang it, that means I have to COMPLETELY redo the address scheme in the house just so this STUPID printer can work! WTH, WHY do they ONLY have DHCP capability with it?!?! This sux SO BAD, I've based EVERYTHING on an assigned address scheme, I HATE DHCP! Even the stinkin wii has a provision for assigning an IP address, STUPID printer doesn't?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WHY DO THEY DO SUCH THINGS?!?!

[Bofinn]

let DHCP only have a range of 50 i.p. addresses, then use static i.p.'s at a higher range of numbers. You can do both...

[Deer Slayer]

Oh man, it figures the dang thing is a Lexmark!!! I'm gonna try to talk her into returning it, just read a few reviews of it. Also learned the Lexmark makes all dell printers, and the last Lexmark I had LITERALLY got smashed office space style! Hopefully she'll listen, but se ordered it without asking, so who knows. I'm SO SICK of dealing with this crap, she buys something on impulse, and it's MY FAULT when it turns out to be a POS!

[SRTDodge05]

Originally Posted by Deer Slayer

Mom ordered the dell with the 8 cell battery. I hope she takes care of this one. Even after you try to recondition a battery, if it's badly abused, it's JUNK. Oh well, it's her $$$, but I'll inherit it someday . The more she throws away, the less I get. She's always joking about me wanting to get rid of her so I get her $$$. I'd never do that of course .

Nice to see you got the bigger battery.

[SRTDodge05]

Originally Posted by Deer Slayer

Oh man, it figures the dang thing is a Lexmark!!! I'm gonna try to talk her into returning it, just read a few reviews of it. Also learned the Lexmark makes all dell printers, and the last Lexmark I had LITERALLY got smashed office space style! Hopefully she'll listen, but se ordered it without asking, so who knows. I'm SO SICK of dealing with this crap, she buys something on impulse, and it's MY FAULT when it turns out to be a POS!

Hp or Canon is the only way to go for a good printer.

[Deer Slayer]

Got her to return the printer, it's going back to dell. Never heard of ANYTHING so stupid ad a wireless print server WITHOUT the ability to manually assign it an IP!!! Between that, and the fact it's a lexmark, there's NO WAY I want to deal with it. What a releif, talked her into returning it! Didn't even consider telling her I could have made it work by turning on the DHCP server in the modem, limit it to 1 IP, and only allow the mac address of the printer to obtain an IP. What a STUPID way to have to do that, it's MORONIC! I'm just going to rehab her old HP printer on the wireless print server we allready own which was my original plan anyways.

[Underwater Mike]

Be nice to your mom! She carried you for nine long months, etc.

At least your mom can use a computer. Mine still has to write herself notes on how to turn one on -- and that's as far as she ever gets!