[kwlug-disc] could be the laptop deal of the year

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Fri, 25 Jun 2010, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:

> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 9:45 AM, Robert P. J. Day <rpjday at crashcourse.ca> wrote:
>
> http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6367166&
>       Sku=S445-170017&cm_re=Homepage-_-Spot%2001-_-CatId_17_S445-170017
>
> Good configuration, great resolution.
>
> I stopped getting refurbished laptops, several years back. Instead,
> I go for new ones and pay for the additional warranty.

  ironically, i take exactly the opposite tack -- i view laptops as
disposable after a while.  since it's my primary (read, only) system,
i put lots of miles on mine and i *expect* them to start wearing out
after about a year.  my previous one had the fan start to go and the
wireless suddenly stop (and something else i can't remember).  at that
point, since i spent less than $500 on it, i simply assume i got my
money's worth out of it, and i moved on.

> 1. Does the HDMI work under Linux? Does it need any drivers?

  i'll find out shortly after i unpack it.  it worked fine on my
earlier gateway so i see no reason for it not to.

> 2. How heavy is the 17.3" inch. Tell us after a month or so of
> lugging it if it is too heavy, bearable or just right.

  that's not an issue for me, since i have a backpack and i'm always
lugging around extra cables, maybe a book or two and all sorts of
other junk.  and i've had a 17.3" laptop before, didn't bother me.
and given that i just got another pre-pub tech reviewing contract, i
*want* all that screen space and resolution for editing.

rday

p.s.  the new tech review contract is for mongodb:

http://www.amazon.ca/Mongodb-Web-Development-Mitch-Pirtle/dp/0321705335/

ironically, i know *nothing* about mongodb but someone is now going to
pay me to learn about it.  life doesn't get much better than that.

-- 

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Robert P. J. Day                               Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA

        Top-notch, inexpensive online Linux/OSS/kernel courses
                        http://crashcourse.ca

Twitter:                                       http://twitter.com/rpjday
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