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Author Topic: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...  (Read 3098 times)

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Offline danwood

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #14 from previous page: December 19, 2014, 08:45:46 AM »
Quote from: Oldsmobile_Mike;780109
. Buy a license for Win 7 for $69.


I wouldn't bother with that, just use 8.1 that comes with all laptops. You can install the free Classic Shell or Start8 and it is pretty much identical to Win 7 (you never see the Metro/New UI stuff).
 

Offline danwood

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #15 on: December 19, 2014, 08:47:25 AM »
Quote from: gizmo350;780149
BTW, HP doesn't use lead in their solder (for a long time now) and the motherboards fail constantly due to the solder joints cracking (ever notice that you can fry an egg on an HP laptop?)! The HP motherboard failure rate is an epidemic with their consumer products!

It's not just HP, nobody uses Lead Solder since it was effectively banned in the EU almost 10 years ago:

"On July 1, 2006 the European Union Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) came into effect prohibiting the inclusion of significant quantities of lead in most consumer electronics produced in the EU."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder#Lead_solder
 

Offline XDelusionTopic starter

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #16 on: December 19, 2014, 09:19:17 AM »
Quote from: danwood;780165
I wouldn't bother with that, just use 8.1 that comes with all laptops. You can install the free Classic Shell or Start8 and it is pretty much identical to Win 7 (you never see the Metro/New UI stuff).


I've used both, Classic sucks, and Start8 was better, but neither totally hid the fact that I was still running Windows 8. It's an OK work around if you've no other option, but as for me, I'd rather avoid 8 and hardware built for 8 all together. They seem less friendly to work with... kind of like what happened to cars...
Earth has a lot of things other folks might want... like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would like a few changes made, like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and room for their way of life. - William S. Burroughs
 

Offline XDelusionTopic starter

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #17 on: December 19, 2014, 09:20:02 AM »
Quote from: danwood;780166
It's not just HP, nobody uses Lead Solder since it was effectively banned in the EU almost 10 years ago:

"On July 1, 2006 the European Union Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) came into effect prohibiting the inclusion of significant quantities of lead in most consumer electronics produced in the EU."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder#Lead_solder


The ban on Lead isn't so harsh here in the States.
Earth has a lot of things other folks might want... like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would like a few changes made, like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and room for their way of life. - William S. Burroughs
 

Offline danwood

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #18 on: December 19, 2014, 10:02:03 AM »
Quote from: XDelusion;780169
The ban on Lead isn't so harsh here in the States.


I'd imagine most machines are designed for the international market though, is lead solder still common on computers in the US?
 

Offline spaceman88

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #19 on: December 19, 2014, 01:01:18 PM »
Most of Hp's problems were caused by certain Nvidia GPU's developing poor connections, but the the same thing happened to Dell, Sony, Acer and older MacBook Pro's and others. Google "Nvidia lawsuit" for more info. The model I recommended ( HP Probook 6550b) is not on the "list" and at this time I don't have any to sell so I wasn't looking to make a sale. BTW, the affected units can often be repaired by reflowing or reballing the GPU, however results can be mixed, a simple reflow often fails in a year or so. Reballing usually lasts longer.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2014, 03:30:13 PM by spaceman88 »
 

Offline XDelusionTopic starter

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #20 on: December 19, 2014, 02:41:39 PM »
Quote from: spaceman88;780180
Most of Hp's problems were caused by certain Nvidia GPU's developing poor connections, but the the same thing happened to Dell, Sony, Acer and older MacBook Pro's and others. Google "Nvidia lawsuit" for more info. The model I recommended ( HP Probook 6550b) is not on the "list" and at this I don't have any to sell so I wasn't looking to make a sale. BTW, the affected units can often be repaired by reflowing or reballing the GPU, however results can be mixed, a simple reflow often fails in a year or so. Reballing usually lasts longer.


Interesting, my Dell has an Nvidia... where can I find this "list:?
Earth has a lot of things other folks might want... like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would like a few changes made, like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and room for their way of life. - William S. Burroughs
 

Offline XDelusionTopic starter

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #21 on: December 19, 2014, 02:43:18 PM »
Quote from: danwood;780175
I'd imagine most machines are designed for the international market though, is lead solder still common on computers in the US?


Good thought, good question, but I've no answer on either. Unless their are different factories that cater to different countries, but I don't believe that is the case.

Maybe we are all lead free now?
Earth has a lot of things other folks might want... like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would like a few changes made, like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and room for their way of life. - William S. Burroughs
 

Offline spaceman88

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #22 on: December 19, 2014, 03:27:41 PM »
Quote from: XDelusion;780181
Interesting, my Dell has an Nvidia... where can I find this "list:?


Here's one list ... http://www.canadiannvidiasettlement.com/  .... Click on the link halfway down the page.  There are computers that are affected but not on the list as well, like some Acer's.
 

Offline Oldsmobile_Mike

Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #23 on: December 19, 2014, 03:28:30 PM »
Quote from: gizmo350;780149
The HP motherboard failure rate is an epidemic with their consumer products!

+1 to everything you've been saying.  Having replaced probably hundreds of laptop motherboards over the years, I've never seen more sudden, spontenous failures than with HP stuff.  They should've stuck to making their good workgroup-class printers (and not the consumer-grade, Walmart/Best Buy type junk, either).
 
If cost were no issue, the only model of laptop I recommend is business-class Dell Latitude hardware.  Business class is more robust/durable/expandable/easier to work on, and comes with (at minimum) a three year hardware warranty, even on "scratch & dent" or "certified refurbished" hardware.  Not to mention the longer product lifecycles of business-class stuff, means greater availability of spare parts.  If anything breaks in any of our Dell laptops (or more often, gets broken by an employee) I just hit up Dell on the Instant Messenger, and they'll either send out a tech next-day, or send me the parts next-day.  Of course I used to work for Dell, so I kinda know how to talk to them.  ;)
 
Additionally business-class stuff doesn't come pre-loaded with all the junk you'll find on consumer-grade hardware.  Not all the demos/trials/junk software that you'll never use, because basically businesses won't put up with the same sh*t that consumers will.
 
Not that any of that matters to me really, I just re-image any new hardware as soon as it gets off the truck at my door, but eh.  Maybe that's just me.  ;-)  I've never had a problem finding the correct drivers for Dell stuff on their website.  IMHO their drivers are easier to locate than just about any other brand, and that includes HP, Asus, Toshiba, Sony, etc.  I've worked on just about all of 'em.  Sony was the worst, in my experience.  ;)

 Also +1 for Start8.  I use that (along with a few other tweaks) to make Windows 8/8.1 systems operate like Win 7, all day long.  ;)
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Offline ElPolloDiabl

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #24 on: December 19, 2014, 03:37:41 PM »
On the second subject that came up. Is lead free solder hard to soften after it has been there for about ten years?
On something like an A1200 would you use a heat gun, rather than trying to desolder the PLCC chip?
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Offline XDelusionTopic starter

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Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #25 on: December 19, 2014, 04:26:04 PM »
Quote from: spaceman88;780186
Here's one list ... http://www.canadiannvidiasettlement.com/  .... Click on the link halfway down the page.  There are computers that are affected but not on the list as well, like some Acer's.


Aghh good, I'm off the hook!
Earth has a lot of things other folks might want... like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would like a few changes made, like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and room for their way of life. - William S. Burroughs
 

Offline zipper

Re: Got a friend looking for $400 or less laptop...
« Reply #26 on: December 19, 2014, 07:46:54 PM »
It was a combination of ROHS and mobile cards of Nvidia Go 7.xxxM and 8.xxxM series - a friend of mine did bake his 7950 5 or 6 times...