period bashed in computers.

[robgil]

i ran the computer through my hi fi and telly with windows media centre. p0erhaps i should be looking at media servers instead of lap tops. i found this which could be an interesting project.

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Computer-Audiophile-Pocket-Server-CAPS

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Is the landy ok?

 

[robgil]

runs like a dream. well , like a tractor which it good for my old bucket.

 

[LadyArowana]

now the question is what do i replace it with?

I can recommend a pink one, particularly if you are buying it this month ! Mine is a Dell ( pink and silver ), and the previous one was too, seems to work OK although I don't use it for much entertainment based content except when I am in the UK and without TV.

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm not a great fan of laptops; they've always seemed too much of a compromise for whatever you want at any one time.

I used one when I was travelling a lot and, for that reason alone, wanted something small and light so I bought a Sony Vaio TR1 - a lovely little thing (and so it should be for £1800 - thank goodness for expenses!), perfect for emails and web browsing and would fit in a briefcase (I never did like those laptop bags). These days, I would probably buy a netbook for £250, which would do the same thing.

But for 'proper' stuff, I much prefer a big screen, preferably two of them, and a decent keyboard so that means a desktop PC or an unfeasibly large "laptop", which rather defeats the object.

 

[robgil]

my big screen is my telly ,a wireless keyboard and mouse make surfing the net easier and a remote control for windows media centre means that the lap top rarely gets opened. i am thinking along the media server lines now rather than a dedicated lap top , 700 odd quid is a bit much for a media centre of the quality a lap top can deliver , where the lap top gives everything else a lap top should it means thaty sound quality can suffer in the process.
i have even read now that windows media centre is pretty pants in the grand scheme of quality servers so i think a little more research might be the way forward.

 

[AMc]

Windows Media Centre is supposed to be OK - if you add a couple of tuners it apparently makes the most powerful PVR around.

If you plan on building a standalone PC I can recommend the advice in this forum for what to buy and where to buy it.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-entertainment-pcs/

If you just want a standard laptop then I can recommend the Dell Outlet. I've bought my last 2 desktops and a laptop from there. They're basically surplus orders for corporates, refurbished returns or end of line. Many are pretty poor value for money, but if you have the patience to keep refreshing over a few days and are flexible about what you want there are some serious bargains. The last laptop I got a 13" high spec, superlight model) was about £400 compared to its last listed price of >£800 before it was superseded by a new model.
http://www.dell.co.uk/outlet

 

[robgil]

excellent stuff , thanks AMc.

 

[Feltwell]

If you just want a standard laptop then I can recommend the Dell Outlet.

Thank you very much AMc. My desktop at home has finally bitten the dust after 10 years of service. I was going to buy a new Dell - I han't heard of the Outlet store until you posted that up, I've just got a new desktop for £130 less than the main Dell site price. The warranty is the same if there are any problems so I can't see any disavantages if, like me, you're not too fussy about exactly which model you get.

I've got to set the new one up now though . Not looking forward to that. I'll quite happily use computers but have no interest at all in how or why they work, and no patience when they don't work! Think I might take it into work and get our techie to do it for me!

 

[Penners]

I'm not a great fan of laptops...I much prefer a big screen, preferably two of them, and a decent keyboard so that means a desktop PC

I have a small laptop with a 13.4" screen (but a proper computer - not a netbook). On my desk I run it with a 21" external screen, external speakers and a wireless keyboard/mouse kit. It's just like having a desktop, but I can pop it in the suitcase and take it with me when I travel.

The best of both worlds.

 

[Flyfisher]

A fair point, and 'docking stations' for such things used to be quite popular. I suppose USB has made all the connection/disconnection far less hassle.

Although I have to admit that I don't know how anyone manages with a single PC these days. For a start, how can anyone fix a PC without access to the web from another PC?

 

[Feltwell]

Laptop & docking station is exactly what I use at work, as many do, with a big widescreen monitor, full-size keyboard and mouse.

Apparently docking stations are out of vogue now, which seems odd. I just plonk my laptop every day on the docking station, whereas those with more modern machines have to faff around connecting the monitor, data cable, power cable, keyboard and mouse every morning. Seems like a step backwards to me, and one that I'm soon to experience as I'm due a new laptop soon.

If, like Penners, it's for home use then it's not much hassle - but if like me the works laptop comes home every night then it's a right pain.

FF, I agree on the sole computer problem! I scrounged an old works laptop for the kids to play on, plus I've got my works machine, as well as the now non-functioning desktop.

 

[Penners]

Apparently docking stations are out of vogue now, which seems odd...

...until you see the cost of the flippin' things!

 

[robgil]

right then guys, ive got the hdd in the enclosure and my note book is recognising it but its asking me to format it , should i format it? wont this wipe it clean?

 

[CatherineB]

Now I'm not technically minded, but my instinctive reaction would be NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Hopefully someone more useful will be along later, but in the meantime I wouldn't format it if I were you ...

 

[Penners]

Whatever you do, DON'T format it, Rob! This will destroy everything on the disc.

Does Windows Explorer see the disc, and the files on it? If so, then you can just set about copying all of your data files on to your new disc. Do you know how to do that?

 

[robgil]

its an old damaged hdd that i had from an old lap top guys , i am now using r studio to retrieve the files from it.

 

[Penners]

Yes, I remember the sad tale of the Land Rover And The Laptop!

Is R-Studio seeing all the files on your disc? Have you bought a licence for the software or are you running it in evaluation mode? If you haven't got a licence you may find that you can only recover small files - you'll be able to check the larger ones for integrity, but you'll have to buy a licence to actually recover them.

But assuming that you're using a new (or repaired) computer to do this, and you have the old hard drive attached to it in a USB caddy, then you may find that you don't need any fancy software - you could just copy your data files off the old disk on to your new computer's C: drive.

It all depends on whether the old drive is still functioning properly.

 

[robgil]

it was buggered , ive pulled the hd out of the damaged lap top and connected it to my note book, its showing up in my computer as hp recovery E and local disc F.
how do i get into the drive to get my files?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

You should be able to just explore it via My Computer? Then copy and paste to your new drive.