Buying a used Laptop. PC Gurus offer any input?

[andrewsk]

WAN means Wireless Access Network so you are good there. Get a standard Linksys wireless router and you will be good to go.

As for the Celerons they are OK but it really depends on what you want to do. (Just like Salt Water )

Are you going to play games like Half Life of Doom 3 or just do work (Word/Excel). If it just work, then the celeron is fine and you should get the laptop as it sound pretty good.


Keith

Originally Posted by OCDP

Man , I can't wait 'til I'm in school for computers, I used to know quite a bit about PC's, but over the past couple years my main focus has been reefs Thanks for your reply Ed. I sent you a PM BTW regarding those clones you have (or had?)

I am pretty sure for what I will be using this PC for, a Celeron with 1.8g processor should be just fine. Good to know that Toshibas are well rated too.

As for wireless routers, I am at a loss as to what kind to get ... I don't know enough about this stuff like I used to. It makes me mad because I swear I used to have great computer knowledge a couple years back... but it's all slipping away hahah..

I know it has the WAN card in it, so would a WAN card work for a wireless router? Or do I need a LAN card for that, or some other card?

Thanks again for the reply though... the price is great and I will be able to look at the PC myself this evening, if it runs smooth and everything checks out good, I'll most likely take it. I'll let you all know either way, but please do post any input on wireless routers and what not.. appreciate it. Thanks.

Scott

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by andrewsk

WAN means Wireless Access Network so you are good there. Get a standard Linksys wireless router and you will be good to go.

As for the Celerons they are OK but it really depends on what you want to do. (Just like Salt Water )

Are you going to play games like Half Life of Doom 3 or just do work (Word/Excel). If it just work, then the celeron is fine and you should get the laptop as it sound pretty good.


Keith

Thanks Keith. With the WAN card, I can either go with the wireless router, or can I go satellite internet? How does that work?? Is the pricing pretty brutal?? WAN sounds great, but I don't think I can afford it. If not, then I'll go for the linksys, they are pretty popular .

In all honesty, I like games.. but I don't usually play them. If I do, it's games like Half Life or Counter-Strike .. but in short, no I am not a gamer.

It's main use will be for , MSN Messenger, mp3's , movies, pictures, all that kinda stuff. And yes, also for school.

I just don't really know how Celeron's are, I mean 1.8g processor sounds nice. Right now I have an AMD 1.7, and it's decent.

Anyways, thanks for the post.. helps me out a bit

Scott

[Canadbis]

I would find out if the wireless card is a linksys or Dlink and try to stick with the brand for a wireless router, not a huge concern but it does stop some of the newbie problems. when you get it and are hooking it up be sure to use some kind of WEP incription on the router to keep the loosers at bay. WEP will be built in and the manual will help with setting up
or PM ME
as already stated if it is for work related material then that laptop should do the job for you.

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by Canadbis

I would find out if the wireless card is a linksys or Dlink and try to stick with the brand for a wireless router, not a huge concern but it does stop some of the newbie problems. when you get it and are hooking it up be sure to use some kind of WEP incription on the router to keep the loosers at bay. WEP will be built in and the manual will help with setting up
or PM ME
as already stated if it is for work related material then that laptop should do the job for you.

How can I find out if my card is linksys or dlink? Can that be found through the device manager? I am not sure what WEP is but I am sure I'll know what it is soon enough.

It's not going to be for work, more for personal enjoyment... like I said, the main things it will be used for are watching DVD's, playing/downloading music, pictures, internet use and the odd game if it can handle it . It will be used for school as well (word, excel, yada yada) It's not really going to be used for work.

[DanG]

I couldn't justify spending that much on a used laptop. You can get a new dell laptop for 500 plus tax with a 1 year warranty.

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by DanG

I couldn't justify spending that much on a used laptop. You can get a new dell laptop for 500 plus tax with a 1 year warranty.

It's been used for a month (something I forgot to note) You can get a brand new dell for 500 but your not getting a good setup at all. You get the basics to get you by. I just looked into it, I have the ad at home.. 900$ brand new lap top (from Dell) and I'll get what I am getting right now in the used setup for 375$. 375$ Sounds damn good to me.. ? Does it to anyone else?? I am not a PC expert and I don't check prices very often, but this seems very reasonable to me.

I can't see how it being used will make too much of a difference in my case, I will be able to use it before I buy it as well, so if it runs poorly I obviously will not take it.

I can see where your coming from though, but Dell's laptop for 500$ is not that great, and the one for 900$ still isn't that great, the one for 375$ used (no warranty however) is pretty much what I am looking for and is close to the 900$ setup. I dunno, I guess it makes more sense to me to spend it on this laptop.

I'll let you know how it runs when I see it tonight, check out the condition it's in and all that.

[Canadbis]

If its buggie...windows bugs, that can be fixed-or not (windows does suck)
if you are happy with it then you should get it. if I needed one in a pinch that one sounds good to me.

To find out what brand of wireless card it is, it will be in device manager BUT it will also be on the card. the owner will know.(if they dont then it is probably hot)

I will glady help you set up the wireless if you like.(do that for a living)

As for download speed...wireless is not all that bad. I believe in the good ole wired way but it's not always easy to do. ssoooooo lets get this thing setup and when I do it I will make you a cable and you can test for yourself the difference in speeds. Remember speed depends on the site/p2p user, more than you connection. if you are using highspeed.

If you want to talk to a live operator then please PM this user with your phone number.

OH..did I mention that a have to answer the phone when I am not at a customers place.

[Midknight]

Ok...
WAN - Wide Area Network.
LAN - Local Area Network.
Wireless just means that you don't have a cable connected to the server/router.
With a wireless you suffer slower speed & possibility of having someone "borrow" you internet connection.
You just need to make sure that you secure your connection (lots of sites on line)
To bad your in Calgary, I don’t charge a too high FPH rate (frags per hour)

Dan

[OCDP]

When you say you suffer lower speeds, is there ways of reducing that ?? I have noticed this on my friends PC which he uses a wireless router for.. his download speed is cut in half if not more now.

How does one go about securing their connection? (Feel like a PC newb all over) Are you talking like anti-virus/firewall protection?