Laptop Advice, Please

[HFWR]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I am also really surprised Apple does not have a touch screen option yet on its computers since the company perfected it on the iphone and then the ipad. Maybe Apple is waiting for marketing reasons. I like my ipad mini so much and dislike windows 8 so much that I would probably jump at one. I have no problem with a trackpad on my nonApple laptops (no touchscreens there either); after DD laughed at me several years ago for my old-fashionedness in demanding a mouse, I became trackpad proficient in less than 30 minutes and now never use a mouse.

Blame this on CFB, but this is on my wish list for next lapdance laptop...

[Bestwifeever]

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Originally Posted by HFWR Blame this on CFB, but this is on my wish list for next laptop...

You should pick up maneuvering on those trackpads in no time.

[photoguy]

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Originally Posted by Ready I see the Apple trackpad being somewhere between the typical Windows mouse and a true touch screen. Things like pinch and zoom work on the trackpad similar to an iPad, but you still have to point at something and click, rather than touching it with your finger. I think there is still an opportunity for Apple to incorporate both into one system.

I actually do way more touch operations on my laptop than I do on my tablet. On my iPad it's basically scrolling, clicking, and pinch to zoom. On my trackpad I use scrolling, forward/back in browsing, pinch to zoom, and whole bunch of three finger gestures for navigation between windows and virtual spaces.

[photoguy]

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Originally Posted by Katsmeow I don't see trackpads and tablets as being a substitute for each other at all. Trackpads are a substitute for a mouse. I actually dislike trackpads intensely. (And yes DH had an Apple notebook). I am, however, about to receive a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro notebook on Tuesday which is a touch screen. I do use touchscreen on my iPad and like it a lot. I realized I wanted a touchscreen when my daughter brought me something to look at on her notebook and I started to use my finger to move a scroll bar on the screen. She reminded me that her notebook doesn't have a touch screen. Maybe I've been using the iPad for too long, but it seems antiquated not to be able to touch the screen to do things. On the other hand, I'll be using a mouse with my notebook. On notebooks that allow it, I disable the trackpad since I never use it. To me it is just clunky.

To be more clear, I should have said on my laptop I use the trackpad for pretty much all the user interface actions that I would do with touch on a device like a tablet. E.g. for scrolling, I just use two finger on the trackpad and move them up or down (basically the same as with a tablet).

On most pc notebooks, I hate the trackpad and think they are basically s***. They are not very responsive and even simple actions like scrolling work terribly. On my last corporate laptop you could only scroll by touching the trackpad along a narrow strip on the right hand side (and it didn't register touches very well).

I'm not a fan of touching the screen because it isn't very efficient in terms of the distance your fingers/hand needs to move from the keyboard.

[Katsmeow]

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Originally Posted by photoguy I'm not a fan of touching the screen because it isn't very efficient in terms of the distance your fingers/hand needs to move from the keyboard.

I agree with this mostly. When I've actually without thinking reached to touch a notebook screen is to do something like I would do on the iPad. When I got ready to order my new notebook I debated whether to get touchscreen. I doubt I will use the touchscreen much in the regular notebook mode. However, I bought a notebook that could be converted to a tablet or could be used in a tent or stand mode to view media. For those uses, the touchscreen seems worthwhile.

[Birdie Num Nums]

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Originally Posted by rbmrtn That's the first thing to do is check it with an external monitor. Since that works the graphics system should be ok. Next things are broken/loose video cable, bad LCD inverter, bad LCD screen. Note that some laptops don't use inverters. Some laptops have a switch that turns the LCD off when the lid closes, that can get stuck. If you can see faint images on the LCD most likely is the inverter, some info here The Symptom of the Laptop Screen Inverter Malfunction & Replacing Guide - laptoppartstore I have replaced inverters and screens, many times like other PC repairs it's not worth the cost compared to a new one even though it is not difficult. A new screen is ~$75, inverter ~ $15. Then there is labor cost if you don't do it yourself.

These past couple of weeks it's been hit-n-miss: sometimes the laptop screen works, sometimes not. The 23" external monitor I've attached works fine, so I've placed the laptop to the side of home desk and as a result I've freed up much of my desk "real estate."

Did much online research and checked some diagnostics about why my laptop screen goes black much of the time--with no definitive answer. Diagnostics did recommend that I replace the battery; my current laptop battery is the original 2006 one. A replacement would run a generic $40 on up to some $80 or so.

So my current thinking is back to using this old 2006 laptop (perhaps with a new battery) as my desktop (with my confidential financial info, etc), using the external monitor when needed. And soon eventually buying a "state of the art" 15.6 touchscreen laptop (without such confidential info), for some ~$500-$750.

Again, I'm not into gaming, video editing, or other high-processing needs.

Hmm.

[rbmrtn]

[QUOTE=Birdie Num Nums;1385268]

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These past couple of weeks it's been hit-n-miss: sometimes the laptop screen works, sometimes not.

How is it failing ? Is running and then just going black or does come on sometimes and sometimes not ? Usually with inverter or LCD they go bad and stay bad. I would lean towards a loose or broken cable. The cable snakes its way from the motherboard to the LCD through the hinges and can get pinched or cut. Moving the lid back and forth to different positions sometimes will show this as LCD will come on in the right position.

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So my current thinking is back to using this old 2006 laptop (perhaps with a new battery) as my desktop (with my confidential financial info, etc), using the external monitor when needed.

That can be done. Use the external monitor with a mouse/keyboard connected. You can remove the LCD and use it "headless", put under the desk or in a drawer.

[Birdie Num Nums]

[QUOTE=rbmrtn;1385296]

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Originally Posted by Birdie Num Nums How is it failing ? Is running and then just going black or does come on sometimes and sometimes not ?

It always depends upon when I first boot-up. If I boot-up and the laptop screen is working, it works thu-out the time I am using the laptop--even with the external monitor attached and showing. On the other hand, if I boot-up and the laptop screen isn't working, it doesn't work at all throughout the session.