Posted on 04/13/2021 11:07:47 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
LOL, 100%
Small form factor computers are low cost, nice and lightning fast with Linux or *BSD. They’re tiny. Some of them have Intel chips. Some of them have extremely fast video chips for high resolution video. Faster with an SSD. Cool running enough to lock up for a separate motion, alarm and video security system. Can’t see how fast FR loads with one with a moderately fast Internet signal. Looks instantaneous.
I was looking at the high-end machines from MSI and Razer, but they are mostly out of stock, likely due to the chip shortage and the move to 2021 designs.
Anyway, my current laptop is limping along (just as long as the screen doesn't finally pop out of the lid from a bulging battery).
So I guess I should wait a little longer?
-PJ
ARM’s okay, too.
You could replace the battery.
I was shocked at how nice this little (3-4 inches on a side) Chinese W10 box is, two full-sized HDMI port (I have yet to hang two monitors off from it, but that's coming soon I think) and solid state drive, stupid mono earphone jack, but the USB sound cards are tiny and give me stereo, and with the thing hooked to a TV now, I get sound through the HDMI. Works great, but I've been back on this 2013 laptop of late, mostly using the external 32" monitor rather than the laptop screen. Poor old thing, loose ports, 8 years of work, me beating the hell out of it, massively great value at the time ($250 new at the Big Box store), I've considered doing some tiny upgrades as a summer project, SSD, port fixes.
Also have a couple of Pi's, the earlier is a 4, the newer one a 400 (keyboard is a POS), work great, other than the no realtime clock fiasco. What a stupid design decision. What the Pi world could use is a realtime clock built into a USB dongle, and a driver for it. Hmm, I'd guess someone's thought of that before...
Unlike some who have bought them, I've been moderately happy with one of those stick computers, had to get it for the 50" TV when it wouldn't take my 2 in 1 vid signal (the TV is 4K, the 2 in 1 is not). The 2 in 1 was sub-$90, Big Box store, Insignia brand, picked it up to replace a no-name tablet that fell out of the sky dead after a couple of years. The 2 in 1 is W10, and has been successfully driving each of the other two, older 1080p flatscreen TVs. During the Great Plannedemic, I mostly used that machine on the 40" TV while enjoying 5 days pay for 2 days work (front liner that I am) and keep the IRA trading acc't in one tab and a documentary in another, as I couch-potatoed myself through that winter.
If I got another laptop, I'd probably either cheap my way through, or get a higher-spec prev generation MacBook or Air when the price drops. I'm not on the go that much, and when I am, I've got the smartphone now in a pinch. It took a lot to push me out of using a flip phone, btw. I'm old. Get off my porch! :^)
BTW, get that bulging battery problem taken care of, pronto. Either hunt down a replacement, or just remove it altogether and run on wall power.
What I didn't mention is that I have a 1st generation Microsoft Surface Book. It wasn't until at least two years after the 2nd generation came out that the design flaw in the 1st generation appeared.
The screen was burning around the edges and the battery was bulging from overheating, popping it away from the frame.
People who were more present on the MSFT websites noticed it and were able to get Microsoft to replace their laptops with refurbished ones. However, I was a bit late to the game and am out of the period where Microsoft is admitting anything. They're only comment these days is to stop using the computer. So my comment to them is that I'm no longer a Microsoft hardware customer.
Anyway, the Surface is not upgradeable -- I can't replace the battery. But I will replace the computer with another brand.
-PJ
Seriously, it’s a fire / explosion risk, or could just suddenly ooze corrosive **** all over the machine.
If it won’t run off battery power, which is hard to believe, it shouldn’t be that hard to jumper in an external power source, even one of those on-the-go cell phone charger packs, and since you don’t want a sudden power failure on an SSD in the first place, it wouldn’t hurt to get an uninterruptable power supply.
:^)
I'm going to use it until it explodes on my lap.
But I am looking at powerhouse gamer machines, even though I don't play modern AAA games. I guess I want the power nonetheless.
I was looking at the latest Razer Blade 15 Advanced, or the MSI GE/GS series of laptops.
Before the Surface, I had an HP Pavilion 17" laptop. It was heavy, bulky, and awkward to travel with. The Surface Book is a 15" machine that would take with me on cruises (which I'm not doing these days). I thought about going back to the 17" size with the thinner and lighter laptops, but I'm still not sure.
-PJ
My problem was that I ran a lot of Excel (especially during elections) with Monte Carlo simulations and optimizations. The laptop would run for hours (sometimes overnight) at high speed. I would keep it on a cooling pad with fans going, but I guess the years took its toll.
That's why I want a newer beast machine that's designed with cooling in mind.
-PJ
NVIDIA stock chart.
March 8 $463.73
Today $627.18
In fact, the keyboard has the dedicated GPU and second battery in it. It's the primary battery in the detachable screen part that is bulging.
-PJ
I really fell for the new Gram laptop (saw it at Costco), but for that kind of money I’ll swing back into an M1 Macbook.
Dave Lee (Dave2D, there’s another Dave Lee on YT now) does a nice clean presentation, to the point, and goes into a lot of laptops, with an abiding interest in games. I’m not a gamer, but I’ve found his channel to be one of the best.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVYamHliCI9rw1tHR1xbkfw
#63 sure wait. While doing so just do a search on laptop battery fires.... : )
A not so black swan event to consider - China invades Taiwan and domestic fab capacity all of a sudden becomes key.
If the COVID doesn't get me, Microsoft will. 💻 🔥
-PJ
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