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Author Topic: How big a laptop?  (Read 722 times)

Offline Georgetoon

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How big a laptop?
« on: December 29, 2012, 08:31:37 AM »
Here's my situation.  I'm in a new place.  I have my notebook and  laptop set up.  I also have a spare PCLinuxOS box, but no monitor.  All run PCLinuxOS with KDE.

Okay, the notebook goes back and forth with me to the office.  The laptop is being used at the new place as the main computer..  There are a limited number of outlets where it's being used (in the basement), but I'm able to get my laptop, spare scanner, speakers, and backup drive all plugged in without tripping a breaker switch.

The laptop is about seven years old. It's a 17" Acer Aspire 9300-5349.  It has a broken hinge, so t cannot be closed.  But, I have it set up in the basement, open and always at the ready. it's in an area where I've set up a makeshift studio.

Specs for 9300 series are here.  Mine came with 1 GB RAM and I upgraded to 2 GB.

Every once in awhile, the screen just crashes and I get horizontal lines.  Rebooting brings everything back up.  Not sure if it's a hardware video issue, the cracked hinge, or kernel.  I did upgrade the kernel, and, so far, so good.

Okay, what to do.  Buy a 22" monitor and boot the spare box and get a little more oomph in my system.  But, the outlets are limited.   Or try to find a new/used spare laptop, 17" or larger.

I'm leaning towards getting a larger laptop so I can edit my toons, etc. and not worry about the outlet issue.   How large a laptop is available?  Anyone know of a good used one?  I'd be installing PCLinuxOS KDE.

I may not buy anything at all.  If the current laptop continues to run, I'm happy.  But, I'm afraid that the cracked hinge may give me video issues...not sure.  Just want to do some research in case the laptop suddenly dies.
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Mark
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Lenovo 14" ThinkPad Edge (0578F5U) with Core i3 Processor(i3-370M) 2.40 GHz 4GB RAM
Acer Aspire 9300 Laptop
Desktop Icy Dock system with AMD PHENOM X4 QUADCORE 9650 2.3GHZ 4MB L1 , ‎NVidia GEFORCE 9400GT 1GB 2X DVI PCIE graphics card, 22" Chimei monitor.

Offline Lone Stranger

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2012, 08:51:23 AM »
Add up the total power consumption in watts everything you have in your makeshift studio.  On a 120 volt service using a 15 amp breaker you can have up to roughly 1800 watts.  If  your total consumption of all your devices is considerably less than 80 percent of 1800 watts (I am too lazy to calculate that out right now) then I myself would get the 22" monitor for the desktop machine since you have another portable device already.
« Last Edit: December 29, 2012, 02:14:13 PM by Lone Stranger »
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Offline joechimp

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2012, 01:48:43 PM »
The prices of 22 inch monitors are extremely reasonable now. Probably your most inexpensive way out.
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Offline Yankee

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2012, 01:58:29 PM »
Quote from: Georgetoon on December 29, 2012, 08:31:37 AM
Or try to find a new/used spare laptop, 17" or larger.

The last time I looked at WalMart they had some good 17" laptops for
$499.00.    I use my 19" HDTV for a computer monitor sometimes, works
OK.
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Offline µT6

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2012, 03:05:07 PM »
the lines you describe probably is the video card, a new monitor probably will shpw the same

a new notebook should be ok as the new desktop deplacement
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Offline smileeb

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2012, 03:32:35 PM »
 ;D If this setup is in the basement check the panel box and see if any new lines can be run.  ;D
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Offline Georgetoon

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2012, 04:59:27 PM »
Quote from: smileeb, ROIOFLU on December 29, 2012, 03:32:35 PM
;D If this setup is in the basement check the panel box and see if any new lines can be run.  ;D

Exactly what was done.:)  A friend looked at it and said he can do this quite easily.:)  Looks like I can get the spare box up and running with a new monitor.  Or, maybe a used monitor.  Something inexpensive.cheap.:)   

Gonna need to wipe a partition or two to install PCLinuxOS.:)  It'll be fun.:)
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Mark
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Lenovo 14" ThinkPad Edge (0578F5U) with Core i3 Processor(i3-370M) 2.40 GHz 4GB RAM
Acer Aspire 9300 Laptop
Desktop Icy Dock system with AMD PHENOM X4 QUADCORE 9650 2.3GHZ 4MB L1 , ‎NVidia GEFORCE 9400GT 1GB 2X DVI PCIE graphics card, 22" Chimei monitor.

Online Old-Polack

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2012, 07:20:35 PM »
Quote from: Georgetoon on December 29, 2012, 04:59:27 PM
Quote from: smileeb, ROIOFLU on December 29, 2012, 03:32:35 PM
;D If this setup is in the basement check the panel box and see if any new lines can be run.  ;D

Exactly what was done.:)  A friend looked at it and said he can do this quite easily.:)  Looks like I can get the spare box up and running with a new monitor.  Or, maybe a used monitor.  Something inexpensive.cheap.:)   

Gonna need to wipe a partition or two to install PCLinuxOS.:)  It'll be fun.:)

What's your idea of cheap? I just got this Asus 23' flat screen for $139.00, and then got a $20.00 mail in rebate, from Newegg. (free shipping too) Really nice monitor.
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Offline Georgetoon

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2012, 08:19:59 PM »
Quote from: Old-Polack on December 29, 2012, 07:20:35 PM
Quote from: Georgetoon on December 29, 2012, 04:59:27 PM
Quote from: smileeb, ROIOFLU on December 29, 2012, 03:32:35 PM
;D If this setup is in the basement check the panel box and see if any new lines can be run.  ;D

Exactly what was done.:)  A friend looked at it and said he can do this quite easily.:)  Looks like I can get the spare box up and running with a new monitor.  Or, maybe a used monitor.  Something inexpensive.cheap.:)  

Gonna need to wipe a partition or two to install PCLinuxOS.:)  It'll be fun.:)


What's your idea of cheap? I just got this Asus 23' flat screen for $139.00, and then got a $20.00 mail in rebate, from Newegg. (free shipping too) Really nice monitor.

That's a great deal! gonna check it out!:)  thanks!:)

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Mark
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Lenovo 14" ThinkPad Edge (0578F5U) with Core i3 Processor(i3-370M) 2.40 GHz 4GB RAM
Acer Aspire 9300 Laptop
Desktop Icy Dock system with AMD PHENOM X4 QUADCORE 9650 2.3GHZ 4MB L1 , ‎NVidia GEFORCE 9400GT 1GB 2X DVI PCIE graphics card, 22" Chimei monitor.

Offline Georgetoon

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2012, 06:11:06 PM »
Well, tonight I fired up my 17 inch laptop.  I was saving a text file and the thing just went blank.  i thought it was the video card again, so i rebooted.  Thsi time, it didn't come back.  After observing the boot process, it was obvious to see what was happening.  I noticed that the hard drive was not spinning up.  It appears the hard drive just completely died on me. PHHHTTTTZZZ!

It gets power, the CD-ROM tray opens and closes, but the hard drive light does not flicker and I feel no vibration from a spin up.

So, the drive is dead which renders the entire laptop unusable.

On the upside, I have my Lenovo 14 inch notebook running PCLinuxOS and I backed up all my important files.  So, it's just a matter of plugging in my scanner, speakers, external hard drive, etc. and I'm back up and running in my makeshift studio.

Plus, I have my friend coming over this Saturday to install a new circuit breaker and wire up some new outlets. 

Then, it's time to go shopping for a new monitor for the spare Linux Box. 

I realize the monitor will be the less expensive way to go, seeing as I already have a Linux box.  I will need to install PCLinuxOS (Can't remember if I have it on one of the partitions or not).  But I sure wish I could pick up another 17 inch laptop for a song (as in, a Windows virus infected system that someone wants to give away/get rid of that I can wipe and install PCLinuxOS on. ;D ;D ;D) 

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Mark
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Lenovo 14" ThinkPad Edge (0578F5U) with Core i3 Processor(i3-370M) 2.40 GHz 4GB RAM
Acer Aspire 9300 Laptop
Desktop Icy Dock system with AMD PHENOM X4 QUADCORE 9650 2.3GHZ 4MB L1 , ‎NVidia GEFORCE 9400GT 1GB 2X DVI PCIE graphics card, 22" Chimei monitor.

Offline µT6

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2012, 06:48:52 PM »
you, me and everybody else  :D

free hardware is always welcome
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Offline joechimp

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2012, 06:59:02 PM »
Don't throw away that laptop. It can be saved in a way.
I did this with an old laptop I had that the HD died.

Make a live usb with your PCLinuxOS of choice. Make it with persistence and there you go. A spare laptop.

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Offline Georgetoon

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2012, 07:56:21 PM »
Quote from: joechimp on December 31, 2012, 06:59:02 PM
Don't throw away that laptop. It can be saved in a way.
I did this with an old laptop I had that the HD died.

Make a live usb with your PCLinuxOS of choice. Make it with persistence and there you go. A spare laptop.



Good idea!  Or I could open it up and throw in a new HD, as well.:)
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Mark
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Lenovo 14" ThinkPad Edge (0578F5U) with Core i3 Processor(i3-370M) 2.40 GHz 4GB RAM
Acer Aspire 9300 Laptop
Desktop Icy Dock system with AMD PHENOM X4 QUADCORE 9650 2.3GHZ 4MB L1 , ‎NVidia GEFORCE 9400GT 1GB 2X DVI PCIE graphics card, 22" Chimei monitor.

Offline µT6

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2012, 07:57:22 PM »
if the rest of the laptop is ok, yes, this is a good cheap idea
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Offline joechimp

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Re: How big a laptop?
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2012, 08:17:31 PM »
Quote from: Georgetoon on December 31, 2012, 07:56:21 PM
Quote from: joechimp on December 31, 2012, 06:59:02 PM
Don't throw away that laptop. It can be saved in a way.
I did this with an old laptop I had that the HD died.

Make a live usb with your PCLinuxOS of choice. Make it with persistence and there you go. A spare laptop.



Good idea!  Or I could open it up and throw in a new HD, as well.:)

Well, sure you could do that. Used hard drives can be had cheaply.
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There is a 5th dimension,beyond that which is known to man.It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity,between science& superstition,& it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.This is the dimension of imagination.It is an area which we call PCLINUXOS!
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