Dear Ladies:

You have helped me more than you can imagine. Just think about this. I actually took a battery out of a laptop. Two or more years ago I didn't even know how to use a laptop and now I'm taking batteries out. rofl.

I wonder how long a laptop lasts? And how does one know when one needs a new laptop. Does it just die on you?

See, I thought I knew everything and I actually found out I needed one more question asked.

Oh, I use this mainly to watch videos on youtube or putlocker. The AC Adaptor brick thing gets warm. I gather this is normal??

Melody

Yes, the "brick" does get warm.

Make sure your laptop is propped up on pencils or something similar. The heat it generates will kill it faster.

The screen may go (very common with HPs),
or the harddrive may die (which is what happened to ours).

Our son put in a new harddrive for us so it is still plugging along.

Laptops don't live long. Enjoy it while you can. I dislike them immensely.

I'd make sure you plug into a surge protector... in case of an electrical surge during storms or emergencies.

We unplug ours every night. No problems. We also unplug when there is a storm. Have a chill plate under the laptop. It is great. I believe a laptop lasts around five years. Love them.

Mine has been plugged into a surge supressor since day one. And it's been sitting on one of those Radio Shack fan things since day one. So my laptop won't die any time soon.

Any why on earth do you dislike a laptop. I think it's the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Melody

For myself prefer my desktop, just because it is more ergonomic and comfortable for my neck and for typing. At the desktop I can sit back in my lazy boy office chair..and be more relaxed..
But I like having my laptop for moving around, out in my painting studio, or out on the patio in the summertime.

The viewing angle of laptops and the slightly closer keys are harder on my RSI/TOS symptoms.

I definitely hear you about the keyboard. I am used to typing 146 words a minute (I've won typing contests). I especially like the microsoft broken keyboard. But I had to re-learn all my typing skills when I got the laptop. Thankfully, even at my age, I seem to be better in the brain skills department. Maybe it's all that Methyl B-12? lol

Melody

We had desktop computers when they first came out. No Internet then. After a number of years we went to laptops. I, too, am a very fast typer with 120 words a minute - no mistakes - on the old manual typewriters. I had no trouble typing fast on the desktops or on the laptops.

Whatever works, works.

I have an interesting story to share with you all. About 30 or so years ago I worked for a company and I was on the Administrative Floor. I was a private secretary to the Executive Vice President. We secretaries ALL had Selectric typewriters and we would go at them like speed demons. I also had lunch with all the other secretaries in the whole company on another floor every day at 1 p.m. (We all would watch All My Children).

Well, one day some one comes in and poses an idea. They want to select ONE secretary and send her to IBM school because the company was going to be testing the first IBM Desktop Computer with a dot matrix printer. Guess who they chose? ME???

I went to IBM school every day, learned how to use the computer, and in about 3 months I was the one who had the very first IBM desktop computer instead of the Selectric Typewriter. Man, I could fly on that machine. The dot matrix printer was the noisiest thing and they had to install a big cover on it because it was driving everyone crazy.

So guess what happened when I went to lunch. NO ONE SPOKE TO ME. No one!!! Not for almost two years. I was persona non grata because I had the only computer in the whole company.

Well, two years past, everyone got a personal desktop computer at their desk and guess who they called up saying 'Melody, what does the F10 button do, what does the F2 button do?

We also did word processing and I knew the whole thing because I had been doing Multi Mate Advantage for two years. The other gals called me all day long asking "How do you paginate, how do you do mail merge". I will NEVER forget those questions. I was hopping from my desk to all the other secretaries and showed them all. I never said one word about them not speaking to me for two years. What would that have accomplished?

Then I got the first ink jet printer. Then a laser printer. Finally, they all got the same thing.

It was so hard back then not having any friends. I have never forgotten that experience.

Melody
P.S. The whole computer had a 20 megabyte hard drive. Can you imagine??

Yup, I know what you are talking about. The first computer I ever saw took up a whole room. That was something.

At work I made checks out and sent them on thru the computer, big enough one, overnight to the main company in another state. And in the A.M. there they were ready to go. It all was amazing at the time.

One advantage I found that by having a battery, even though I leave my computer plugged in all the time, is that if the power goes out for some reason (blown fuse, or storm..) or there is a power surge - the functional battery protects my windows session. So if I'm in the middle of working on something - I'm protected. Everything else is off but my laptop keeps running. When power comes back on it's like nothing happened with my laptop.

Good Luck!