Hi everyone, my computer is very old. When I use it, it will become very very hot and make a lot of horrible noise. This has happen for a very long time already but recently my computer begin to crash and turn off by itself. I think it will die soon.
I think many chinaSMACK visitors are very knowledgeable about computers, so I hope some of you can help suggest some good computers for me. Here are some requirements:
- Not too hot. I do not not want to burn my leg.
- Not too noisy so I do not want to disturb other people.
- Not too heavy or big, and it should not break easily if I carry it around in my bag.
- Long battery so I can use for several hours with no problem. I know some computer have different battery size also.
- I use my computer to go on the internet, watch movies, play music, and use Photoshop. So I do not need something that is too good (powerful/expensive) but it cannot be too slow or too much trouble also.
I do not have a lot of money so I do not know how much I can spend but the price should be reasonable. At this moment, I can still use my computer so I hope it can stay alive longer until I can save more money.
Do you have any good recommendation for me?
Thank you for your help.
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Fauna & chinaSMACK Mentioned In That’s Beijing 
The Macbook seems like a good choice. The latest Unibody models don’t get too hot, are pretty quiet, powerful enough for things like Photoshop, isn’t too heavy but big enough to fit a full-size keyboard and 13 screen. My battery lasts about 4 hours on a full charge depending on usage. Only problem is that it could be a bit expensive and you’d have to switch to OSX.
Macbook, pish, she said she hasn’t got a lot of money! Get anything but a mac.
I’m using a Samsung Q310, which is really quiet, not too hot, powerful (2,3Ghz, 3GB RAM, nVidia Graphics, 320GB HDD), quite small (13″) and also lasts about 4 hours on standard battery (there’s a 7 hour battery, too, but it’s around RMB 2000 extra) and costs around RMB 8000.
There’s also other nice Samsung models (smaller, bigger, less powerful, cheaper,…) which could be of interest to you.
I have had problem after problem with my Sony Vaio, I recommend you do NOT get a Vaio.
I find this site very interesting. I’d give you 5 bucks towards a new PC.
I am also thinking of splashing on a Samsung nc10. They are pretty small, 6hrs battery life, solid wi-fi, easily light enough to fit in a bag. Warm enough to keep you toasty in winter without burning your leg. Around 3000 yuan.
I have experiences with Asus and Acer laptops I think they are pretty reliable and should be reasonably cheap in China. The Asus F81 (14.1″,2.26Ghz,4gb ram, ATI4570,320gb) cost $800 in the US. Small and very powerful.
Problem with all the Netbooks is it’s not good for Photoshop apart from that, they are pretty reliable and some have up to 8 hours battery life
How about finding yourself a real job, instead of wanting to earn money from other peoples misery by running this website?
What’s a “real” job these days? Only people with absolutely no imagination harp on about “real” jobs.
On the other hand, some editorial sensitivity would not go amiss either on most postings. Pixelating people’s image/identity would be a start, even if other sites don’t. But at least this site can lead the way and gain readers’ respect as well as develop a degree of self-respect.
Re. computer, why not ask for sponsorship? As in a company provide a free computer in return for free advertising for a fixed time period.
Wait…what makes you think she doesn’t have a real job? And what does it say about you for coming here to view other people’s misery?
Fauna – 听说是风扇的问题. 还风扇就要30－50快在虬江路。。。
如果你还需要一个笔记本电脑我可以送给你一个。
Fauna:
Don’t get a netbook. It won’t work that well with photoshop or ms office.
I’ve been using macs for years but I don’t recommend it to you either because the macbook is probably over your budget.
Take a look at the 13″ HP computers that’ll be coming out in a few days… I have inside knowledge of what gets launched due to the industry I’m in… ;-)
13″ Macbook – to save money get the version without backlit keyboard and higher processor.
Lovely machine. Really.
Avoid a netbook if you need Photoshop, it’s too underpowered. If you have the money, a refurbished Macbook (or Macbook Pro, if possible) is a very good buy, but there’s still expensive, even used. As for Windows, Lenovo’s business models (Thinkpads, for example) are very solid and reliable, and at a good price.
You have a lot of macbook friends on this site. A netbook is still a good choice if you have only a limied budget. I use a Asus 1000H and have no problems with MS-Office, but Photoshop propably is not working. Do you really need Photoshop? There should be plenty of good open source alternatives in the web which are not crashing down your computer. Think about it. 3000-4000 RMB and you have a very portable netbook with lang battery life.
sadly none of them is even close to what you can do with ps. sure it depends on what you wanna do with it, still a lot of work really needs ps
Macbooks I agree are pretty good but they are costly brand items and still may have compatibility problems. Besides, the microsoft applications still had some consistency problems within the macs so I think for a budget price, i recommend a cheaper dell or ibm lenovo, maybe a sony vaio for around $800 maybe lower. For compact rigidity, acers are known for marathon running in battery power. Here is a cnet website for long battery computers. They aren’t all that slow either.
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/hardware/notebooks/0,39001749,39133705,00.htm
lenovo w500 – they run quiet and cool, and have plenty horses for your photoshopping needs.
I definitely agree she should get a Lenovo – but the w500 is close to $2,000!
Instead I recommend the T400:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic (downgrade to XP or wait for Windows 7 to come out preferably)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with vPro
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
14.1 WXGA TFT, w/ CCFL Backlight
160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo 24X/24X/24X/8X Max, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
For $750
Get a mac, you will regret it, it would be stupid to do it just to save $200 and get another crappy plastic windows box of virus. You could get the white macbook for less than $950, or get a refurbished or used recent macbook. I live in Japan, you can get a used intel mac here for $650~$700. With $650 i could buy a new crappy ugly box of virus for sure, but whats the point? you want a secure, reliable computer.
ps. another point about macs, you spend $1200 in a macbook, and in 3 years you can still sell it for $700. Get a vaio or a dell for $1200 and in 3 years, first maybe it wont work in 3 years but if it is still works they will give $300 maximum. Spend more , get more; resell it 3 years without losing lots of money when you need a new one, etc.
Where can you sell back ANY computer that’s not ridiculously expensive in the first place in three years.
As long as you take care of it a Dell machine will do pretty well. I usually run Linux boxes but that’s probably not going to be ideal if you want Photoshop — maybe wait till Windows 7 machines start coming out, or downgrade to XP. Vista works, and it’s not as bad as its reputation — but it IS heavy and annoying.
Anyway, just my two cents. Don’t want to say too much more — I suck at choosing hardware, all this is from people who are smarter than me.
Get yourself a rich boyfriend. Then price won’t be a factor!
I’ve been reading some good things about these http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/vostronb?c=cn&cs=cnbsd1&l=zh&s=bsd
I suggest you buy one of those spying device. This way you can spy on yourself and save us from another post about juicy fingering action.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Chinese-spies-put-chips-in-US-planes/articleshow/4412075.cms
Don’t forget Fauna, your voice is valuable in this world, you are truly bridging the West and the East.
Stay focused, on what matters. But don’t end up in a black jail, that would suck…
Good luck.
Fauna, while you’re deciding which computer to buy, you can buy a can of compressed air to clean out your current computer. My Dell laptop would overheat quicker than before and even shut off sometimes but once I sprayed the compressed air into my laptop vents and flushed out all the dust & dirt, my laptop hasn’t shut down since. It doesn’t even overheat anymore. Hope that helps you.
Whoops, forgot to leave a picture in case you never seen one before.
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/82094/2/Compressed_air.jpg
It depends on your budget and quality of brands’ local service. Here are my recommendations:
1. Netbooks by ASUS(华硕) (1500RMB – 6000RMB)
Pros: extremely light weight, quiet, cool and up to 8 hour battery time.
Cons: Netbooks may not be powerful to run Photoshop (but GNU’s GIMP is a good alternative)
2. IdeaPad by Lenovo (3000RMB – 7000RMB)
Pros: light weight, quiet, cool and long battery time. Lenovo’s customer service is the best in China
Cons: may not be powerful enough to run Photoshop
3. Lenovo’s X200 (6500RMB – 20000RMB)
This is the best you can get if it’s within your budget. Slim and sexy design, quiet, cool and great customer service from lenovo.
I suggest you go to ASUS and Lenovo’s local stores/customers’ experience center (客户体验中心) to have a try. We have two desktops (for programming, gaming and home theater) and two laptops at home. One laptop is IBM’s T23 (since 2002, we only replaced hard drive once and it still works like a charm!) and the other is a Macbook (lots of problems but great customer service). Please keep in mind that a laptop is something you’re ready to discard in usually less than three years so spending for just what you need is wise.
BTW, you can get a quote from ZOL’s website
http://www.zol.com.cn
(not sure if I post this twice)
lenovo.
支持中国的火把
哈哈
http://rapidshare.com/files/233240819/maritime_girl.rar
the full series pictures of the maritime girl.
海运女.rar for all the chinese.
i know it’s been said before but a macbook would meet your requirements.
Get an HP; they’re reliable, cheap, and can do basically do what you’re looking for. Asus and Acer aren’t bad either.
Macs are for idiots who don’t know how to use computers.
I had the same problem. One, your fan is broken down. Second, there is a chip inide that broke down and need replacement. Three, you have too much dust inside your computer that clogs it. Try use a spray to clear off the dust. From my experience, i tried turning on the a/c, put ice pack under the computer, it all works to give it 10 more minutes but then it will shut off. You can also go get those extra fan pad that put under the laptop and it will help relieve heat. Lastly, i recommend you to take it to fix and that’s the only good option.
Get a Acer or Lenovo. If you do get a netbook, make sure u add more RAM to it. Default memory is not going to help u much with your photoshop.
Should be cheaper than a Sony or Fujitsu.
There’s no question about it: get a mac! Macbooks might not be the cheapest computers around, but they give you what’s important: VALUE & LONGEVITY. In the long run, you’ll probably even save money.
I agree with an above commenter about Sony VAIO. Sony makes some pretty stuff but having owned a number of Sony electronics, I have to say their reliability has been really awful for me.
As for netbooks, I’ve been considering getting one myself just for the ultraportableness of it all, but like others, I’ve been a bit mixed about them. I like the solid state memory but it’s not enough space. I hear the processors are really slow thus making multitasking a bit of a problem. Some say they run pretty hot too with the wifi. Shrug.
I have to further concur that Macs just aren’t good value despite the arguments of resale and especialy if you’re like me, someone who will use something until it breaks or becomes too obsolete to do what I need it to do. I also agree with another commenter above who said just get something that’ll do what you need and nothing too advanced/fancy since technology gets obsolete quite fast. There’s no point paying a premium just for the latest and greatest unless you’re a super hardcore gamer or working with intensive digital video/editing.
I’m afraid I don’t have any specific brand/model recommendations but I did want to reinforce the above advice. I don’t know how much you use PS, but a netbook is probably sufficient (and really cheap) for most of your web activities. You can consider getting a netbook and a separate desktop to do more spec intensive things like Photoshop. Desktops offer more bang for your buck anyway.
Finally, I’m game to chip in a reasonable donation towards helping you get a new computer to get back on your feet if your computer croaks ahead of schedule. I know very well how horrible it feels to have your computer give up the ghost while you have work to do on it. I also think it’s the least I could offer for all the work you’ve put in running this site for our daily amusement. I’d rather chinaSMACK not get neglected while you’re down (read: until you get a replacement, you’re obligated to go to the internet bar daily to update chinaSMACK or else I’ll hate you). I reckon a few other long-timers here feel likewise.
buy a made in china , they are not that bad
Hi
Sorry to hear your laptop is getting close to dying.
My old laptop was like that too. When i took it apart, there was many layers of dust. Once i cleaned that, everything was okay.
But if you are dead set on a laptop, I would suggest a netbook. It is cheap, light, long battery life and should last you ages. Since they are also low voltage, it does not run very hot.
lenovo is pretty good for working, too bad it doesnt look that nice
Fauna,
If you can afford it and you really find using the macbook easier, go ahead and get it. I personally think they’re too expensive and no more reliable than a Dell/Acer laptop, but you should use what makes your time with the computer the most productive and pleasurable. For PCs, many people report issues with Sony and HP. HP generally good but has had multiple battery/power supply issues, my old one overheated constantly but was otherwise a wonderful machine. Acer is cheap and fairly reliable. Never used Lenovo, seems like a good deal, and you’d be buying local!
If you’re adventurous, install the new version of Windows on your new computer. There is a free version you can use for a certain number of months as a trial before you would have to buy it. You might find it uses your system resources better than Vista, which is the worst laptop OS in a long time. Vista has amplified the position of Macs in the laptop market by making PC laptops require more RAM than is reasonable.
Avoid the Netbooks, not powerful enough. A smaller (13.1-14) laptop is fine.
Love your website, hope you don’t suffer a lot of downtime.
So many Mac fanbois it’s so lawl.
The way I see it…if you are not gamer, not hardcore about producing stuff on your computer (video editing), not hardcore about development (you don’t require multiple processors etc) then any $600 – $1000 will do. Sure, they may be differences in hardware but it’s laptops. do you really want to spent time picking out the “best” one or do you just want to get one, for instant gratification? I’m all for instant gratification so I’m all for just go with whatever.
You can tell I’m not really a picker shopper I just enjoy instant gratification more than anything.
Fauna, I have the same needs for my notebook…and about the same budgetary concerns. I got a Lenovo ThinkPad R61i. I got the better battery (3 hrs.), 4GB Ram, 2Gh CPU. I paid under 6000 (in Taipei). They are sturdier than the IdeaPads, not sexy looking (black and boxy), but they last and won’t break easily.
I’d also suggest that you get one of those notebook cooler “trays”….keep those thighs cool…. ;)
that was equivalent to RMB 6000
(sorry for the multiple posts)
I’d also HIGHLY recomend getting a desktop and put it wherever you usually sit at your computer for a long time. Using a desktop for the bulk of your work hours will extend the life of your notebook for a LOOOOoong time. Notebooks generally are not build to be running 20 hours a day.
I’m not biased in any way as I have both Mac and PC, macs are nice but expensive.
If you get a mac, make sure you have some way of getting the software you need for it, if you know what I mean. At least if you are on Windows and you already have your existing versions of PS/Office etc then you will be set to go.
And you can run PS on a netbook (I do on a Asus EEE PC) if all you need is to do some minor retouch, resize, cropping work etc it’s fine. Although the screen is a bit too small for long sessions.
Fauna,
some people here are recommending a macbook (you don’t need a macbook pro*; in sincere honesty I agree with them. Yes as some people here stated it may be too expensive, what I am suggesting however is for a short period of time you could do something like a paypal where people donate. to help you with costs.
The fact of the matter is that after switching to a mac (with leopard, os x OS) i will never go back to windows and I have been with windows since the DOS days.
All the apps are built in and if not just at a fingertip of adding to your macbook.
The forum/online help boards are also fille dwith plenty of people who are friendly in helping another mac user. If you buy one let me know i will be waiting to assist you in any way.
Should you still need to use windows, i strongly suggest you use vmware fusion instead of bootcamp for windwos in a mac. i use vmware fusion (vmware.com) run windwos and mac os x at the same time!
Once you use iWorks (apple’s new entry intot he document/spreadsheet/ppt world) you will think of microsoft office as something boring.
Am I trying to oversell you on the macbook system, I am not going to sit here and deny it; yes it may take a few weeks for you to get used tot he operating system, after that you will think windows is a complicated piece of bloated machine.
Jay
Ask any questions
ps
macs have a longevity which will outlast most other equipments out there.
its not just design and beauty, the damn thing is built to last.
also if u buy a mac and u dont think its durable enough, go ahead just buy this for an extra 35 rmb, its an exterior hard palstic shell. im using one right now.
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/50008090-50009211/n-0—————-g,gmytqobthiytanztgm2a–g,gmytqobthjgwcy2cn5xwxmokxtd3dpwpwxa5a—–g,zoxl5j57y4——-2——-b–40–commend-0-all-50009211.htm?ssid=p001-r6-s1
ps
macs have a longevity which will outlast most other equipments out there.
its not just design and beauty, the damn thing is built to last.
also if u buy a mac and u dont think its durable enough, go ahead just buy this for an extra 35 rmb, its an exterior hard palstic shell. im using one right now.
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/50008090-50009211/n-0—————-g,gmytqobthiytanztgm2a–g,gmytqobthjgwcy2cn5xwxmokxtd3dpwpwxa5a—–g,zoxl5j57y4——-2——-b–40–commend-0-all-50009211.htm?ssid=p001-r6-s1 just search this on taobao 水晶壳
I recommend a ThinkPad. They are very sturdy and well-designed. Apple computers are also good.
I’m using ASUS X52. Dual Core, 3gb ram, 250 hdd, 15,4″ wide. It is reliable, and I can switch from quite office mode to high performance. Dreamweaver, Flash, PS, bunch of browsers and editors are always opened. It cost me about 500 EUR ~ 5000RMB
If I would buy new laptop, I would look for Asus Bamboo series. They are much cooler than any Mac (case is made from bamboo), and, if you want OS X on it, someone can help you installing it.
PS: Anyway, you should take your computer to the service for cleaning.
If price and performance is a factor, then the Lenovo T400 is the best deal out there. Long battery life, powerful and durable.
I have one now but I will return it for a Vaio Z because of the portability, better screen, better looks, HDMI and the blue ray drive. Unfortunately it is also double the price.
Well, it has nothing to do with a good or bad brand, you should maintain your laptop!!!
Bring it to a repair shop, 9 out of 10 it’s just DUST blocking your cooling system inside.
After you CLEAN that, it won’t be hot when using it!
All the bull crap about buying this and buying that… just maintenance your stuff, same as you go to a garage with your car.
Ciao ;)
I would recommend the MAC that Tao recommended if you had money. Since you don’t, you’re TMDed. Everything else is just made from old MAC parts. The Windows OS is actually just ideas scrapped together from spies listening in at the MAC R and D department.
If you just need to type stuff up, I would get a typewriter before a computer that runs Windows.
And Bill Gates is a loser.
Ha!