Posted on 05/31/2008 5:09:53 PM PDT by Chickensoup
Because of an continuing disability of my hands I will need to move to speech recognition software. I need a laptop that can handle the internet, the software, Word and a few other programs. Internet recommendations say 2 to 5 gig of working memory to use Dragon expediently. I am having a difficult time finding a 3 to 5 gig laptop that is affordable. One can add memory but is it accessble?
Anybody been down this road recently. I would appreciate your input.
If this laptop is going to be your main computer (and lifeline), I would recommend a business level Toshiba model. If Dell is against your religion, I suspect that IBM/Lenovo is as well. The HP Pavilions and Compaq Presarios are consumer oriented models weighed down with a lot of stuff you probably don’t need or want.
The Panasonic Toughbooks/Fuhitsu Lifebooks are great but very pricey. I don’t have enough experience with Acer to judge them.
Here’s a decent Toshiba Tecra for just over $1000:
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/specs.aspx?EDC=1397125&cm_sp=Product-_-Specs-_-Main+Tab
Note well: It has XP Pro, NOT Vista, and I believe it has a dedicated graphics unit which is a plus even if you aren’t into games. (tapping into main memory slows down the PC.) I would NOT get so worked up on processor speed. More RAM is good. If money were no object, I would say go with a RAM based hard drive for fast random access in your application (voice rec.). Access speed is probably more important than raw throughout for what your are doing. More RAM is always better.
Finally, consider getting the manufacturer’s three year warranty if you can. Again MAN-YOU-FAC-TUR-ERS. NOT CDW or CompUSA or Fry’s or Geek Squad, MANUFACTURER’S ONLY. That also goes for other name brands.
I should mention Sony. I know of no bad experiences. I just won’t buy a laptop with the insipid name “VAIO.”
Pricier is an upgraded Lenovo Thinkpad T61 with the high speed processor, 3gb of ram, xp pro. Don’t forget to add in the bluetooth, as a bluetooth voice dongle is a heck of a lot easier to deal with than the wires from a mic. It’s got a big enough screen to read, but small enough to still be portable. And add in the unfortunately expensive service contract to protect your investment. Still well under $2k for a very speedy system.
If I have to switch to a Mac laptop with three PCs on a net in the house, I am definitely switchhitting.
XP goes bye-bye by the end of July. The last day Dell will take orders for an XP machine is 18 Jun 08.
Er, correction, XP goes away by the end of June.
So? Macs run Windows and are perfectly at home in Mac OS X on a regular small scale PC network.
I am putting all my client files and business on this machine
I suspect that IBM/Lenovo
I just won’t buy a laptop with the insipid name “VAIO.”
Good aesthetics!
No beef with them. They never done to me what Dell done to me.
/sONY VAIO laptop, Centrino (Pentium M) 1.86GHz, 2GB of RAM, Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 Medical. Runs like a charm, very accurate if not quite realtime enough. I use a GN Netcom USB headset and accuracy is very high with it.
So? Macs run Windows and are perfectly at home in Mac OS X on a regular small scale PC network.
You are complicating my life here!!
LOL
That means I would have to start acting like 95% of the mac users I know, talk in low, fruity tones, listen to NPR, and wear Birkies and tweedy socks.
Nevah!!
Hm, you must be in California.
By the way, more gay people use Windows than use Mac OS X... so that means that Windows users are more likely to be gay. Are you gay, then? Not that there’s anything wrong with that....
bluetooth voice dongle
Is that the thing that hangs out of the ears of some of the men I see around town.
What is it really? Can it cause brain cancer? Is it like a telephone?
I’ve had good luck with a laptop from Acer, a Taiwanese electronics group. Very sturdy, lots of memory, smooth operation.
What a coincidence! That also is the last day I will ever order a PC from Dell!
That would be a Bluetooth wireless headset. Supposed to be low enough powered that it doesn’t cause cancer.
Bluetooth is a communication protocol with a brand name so it’s easy to identify.
more gay people use Windows than use Mac OS X... so that means that Windows users are more likely to be gay. Are you gay, then? Not that there’s anything wrong with that....
Not in Portland Maine. If you are homosexual or lesbian you HAVE to have a Mac or they won’t let you in the bars...and your dog will be ignored at the doggie daycare.
I have one of the Acer screens. No complaints there.
The whole rootkit hysteria was very overblown. Never affected anyone I know with a Sony. My Vaio is the best laptop I ever had.
Bluetooth is a communication protocol with a brand name so it’s easy to identify.
So it can be used as a telephone, a wireless mike and to notify all the other geeks in the area that you have arrived....kinda like GADAR?
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