HELP - COMPUTER ADVICE

I print out quite a bit of stuff gangy and use a laptop. Dh's laptop is linked to the same printer too so there is quite a bit of printing going on!

Young ones tell us that once a computer is about 2 - 3 years old it is out of date.... not for me, if it does what I need.

DH suggested a laptop when we replaced ours 2 years ago. I preferred the pc and as it's me who is the main user we went with that.

Then DH suggested buying me a laptop at Christmas but I preferred not. I like sitting at the desk, papers set properly where I can see them. Perhaps this is because I was always an office worker, starting off with shorthand and typing in the late 60s and progressing through the various stages of technology. I type quickly.

I have a Kindle HD that I can use when not using the main pc, it isn't as comprehensive as a full pc but is sufficient for my needs.

DC and DGC think I am old fashioned but I'm happy with what I have.
Perhaps if I did have a lap top I would change my mind ??

We have 2 laptops, desktop and IPad. I would not replace the desktop. You can print equally well with a laptop, especially if you have a wifi printer. The Ipad does not replace the laptop.
BUT, wait a few months and Windows10 laptops will be in the stores.

I switched to a laptop when our old "tower" became too slow and clunky for me. You can still sit at a desk with a laptop! It connects to the printer, same as its predecessor. For me the joy of the laptop is the flexibility it offers; although mine lives on my desk, I unplug it at the drop of a hat and carry it around for various reasons - listening to music in the kitchen, showing husband something etc.

I wouldn't ever go back to a desktop.

I have had a laptop now and have had for a couple of years; I wouldn't be without it. Like you, my office career started out with manual typewriters, then electric typewriters, VDU's and so on, right through to desktop computers.

As Grannyknot says, you can move your laptop around wherever you go, so very handy, and of course, you can still connect to a printer, so that is not an issue.

The only thing I found slightly disconcerting, at first, was that the keyboard is not 'clunky' but as you are a touch typist, this shouldn't cause you any probs, it's just that the keyboard is 'flat', so your hands are level all the time, but you soon get used to it.

I changed to a laptop about 18mths ago. I also have a kindle and smartphone. I hardly ever use the laptop unless I want to print something.

A laptop the portability is wonderful. You can get them with a great deal of working memory and gigabits etc.

A pc. I have recently bought a Windows 8.1 and I gave the pc/laptop a lot of thought and decided on a pc mainly because of the keyboard- I can see it for starters- the new keyboard which came with the tower was useless to me because all the letters etc. were in a dark brown colour and that was useless for my poor eyesight, especially as I am not a touch typist but reasonably fast using 2 fingers.

I do not think that I would feel comfortable sitting in a chair with a laptop- I prefer it on terra firma- my table. I have my Kindle HD if I want to send the odd email. It is new so I am discovering how it works also.

A word of warning, wait until Windows 10 is on the market if you can.

Many thanks for your comments so far - they have been really helpful. I take on board your comment Charleygirl about waiting for Windows 10 - an ace suggestion.

It doesn't matter if your family think you are old fashioned buy the computer that best suits your way of life.

When will Windows 10 be out? I tried to buy a laptop recently but the one I wanted wasn't in stock so I've made do with my old pc. May as well wait a bit longer.

I have a laptop, but at the moment I am sitting at the desk typing on a wireless keyboard, as I prefer it to the laptop keyboard.
Gave the PC to my grandson for his bedroom.

When will Windows 10 be out?

There is no definite date for the release of Windows 10 yet but it is expected to be sometime in the last quarter of this year. Testers are busy giving feedback to Microsoft about how they are finding the Beta version (available now).

As with other Microsoft operating systems, the final release probably won't please everyone and it will still take some getting used to for those who are currently using Windows 7.

If you cannot wait for Windows10, worry not, it will be a free upgrade from w7/8 for 1year.

I use my laptop on a flat surface (desk, kitchen table etc) rarely actually on my lap!

I use a laptop as a standby, but oh, am I glad to get back onto my desktop!

If you do anything involving colour - designing things, restoring images etc - a laptop is useless, because the screen angle isn't fixed - it's whatever you open it up to - and as the angle of view changes so does the colour.

Laptop has Windows 7 - Desktop 8.1 (which I prefer)

I can't bear crouching over a lap top. I much prefer sitting upright at my Desktop. I can email/internet surf etc on my mobile.

I agree with feetlebaum regarding colour on a laptop. Apart from that I think it depends on the volume of work you need the computer for. If you have one for casual use, they are okay, or if you have limited space and can't find room for a permanent set up. A desktop set up is better for your posture too. You can have the screen set at a height where you aren't looking down at it. Even on a desk, you are looking down at a laptop screen (well I am anyway!).

I never use the laptop on my knee - it stays on my desk, and I use the iPad etc when I am lounging around sitting in my chair.

We both switched to laptops rather than PC when we were issued with laptops from our respective workplaces. It was just so easy to bring them home, plug them in on the study and carry on. So when we retired we each bought ourselves one, which we update fairly regularly.

I do agree that, if you do a lot of publishing / graphics, then a laptop screen isn't ideal, but I don't, so it's not a problem.

I think posture is fairly important if spending hours sitting still with a computer. For this reason, I have a space all set up for correct posture and comfort. Where I sit might be thought a bit over the top but the 'station' is also where I watch most of my TV. This means that even more thought was put into sitting comfortably, neck angles and a footrest etc.

Below is a link leading to a photo of the set-up. TV on the left and computer screen in the middle. To the right is another monitor connected to an old computer with 'Windows 10 Technical Preview' installed (doesn't get turned on much).

Rider's (Martin's) TV/computer place

I like your computer space, rider (very efficient), but not the way a pop-up window from an ad from the Photobucket page INSISTED on covering half of it up, and when I clicked on the X to get rid of it, a new larger window appeared to tell me I might have won some marvellous prize. and when I cancelled that one the first pop-up reappeared! It did this repeatedly until I left Photobucket in disgust. Still don't know what is on the left of your picture.

I have pop-ups banned. Is this what Photobucket always does?

I like your computer station too,*rider*!

I didn't get any pop-ups, Elegran, even though I waited for them...

Maybe they have got unbanned somehow. Grrr.

Sorry about that Elegran. A 'free to use' Internet might depend on advertising but Photobucket can be a nuisance to some people these days, maybe depending on if an ad-blocker is used and what sort.

I'd pay for an ad-free account if it got rid of adverts for viewers as well. Apparently though, when paying, it means only that the account holder won't see adverts. Those viewing images linked to still will.

After a long association with Photobucket, I'm thinking of going elsewhere and paying an annual subscription. 'Free' is definitely becoming bad news these days. I mean, I need to be able to link to photographs and images with the confidence that those viewing will only get the content intended. Can't rely on that any more it seems.

It's not so bad where the display of images in posts can be done because then, it's just a case of putting a link to an image in the post, surrounding it with the [img]-[/img] tags and only the image shows.

I might try ImageShack. It's a service that has to be paid for but it looks like that's what I'll have to do if I'm going to keep linking to images.