steve answers:

Both of the previous two are wrong..the macbooks are not made for college students. Most coleges run windows and 90% of the world runs windows it is not yet safe to spend $2000 on a mac. The hp dv900t is a very good computer but it is too much for a college student. It is very powerful but it is also a desktop replacement and that is not what you want..you want a laptop that is very mobile, powerful, easy to use, and affordable. I think the HP Pavilion dv6000z series is the best. It is the most affordable and it comes with an AMD processor which was proven by cnet ( http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html?tag=lnav ) to be better than intel. It includes all of teh security that you want and it come with the option of a built in webcam and microphone

steve answers:

The Dell E1505…its a great laptop at an affordable price. You can get a 120GB hard drive in it which is all the memory you need. It has been the most picked laptop by students and is an editor’s choice laptop by pcmag.com
I have one and absolutely love it…it hasn’t crashed on me once, and i use it for everything from playing all my music, to video editing, to photoshop, and schoolwork. All-around a great notebook.

steve answers:

The fact of the matter is that no matter when you buy a computer (laptop or desktop) it will be largely obsolete in two to three years. So the real question is really “do you want this laptop now?”

Another question you didn’t address in your original question is your price range. If you are looking to get a Windows-based laptop, your options for an affordable computer are greatly increased, as even the most bone-stock MacBook will start at a thousand dollars.

You say that you enjoy playing guitar and singing. While this is all well and good, the MacBook would only benefit you if you plan on doing some recording and editing in the near future. Also, there are a number of programs for Windows that are as good as or better than GarageBand. I just bought myself a relatively powerful Toshiba for under five hundred dollars, and I have not had a single problem with it yet.

If you decide to go Windows-based, it is really a crap-shoot which brand you go with (for the most part.) Having owned several computers as well as having worked at a PC repair store for a while, I have seen laptops from all the major brands crash and burn, as well as seen people have absolutely no problems over the course of their computer’s life. I had a Gateway for two years and had neigh a problem with it, but my mom has a two-year-old Dell and she is on her fifth motherboard, due to both technician incompetence and faulty parts.

In summation, if you decide to go PC, get a Dell, a Gateway, a Toshiba, or have a local PC store custom build you one.

If you decide to go Mac, you’ll get a less powerful computer for more than you would have paid for it’s PC counterpart, and you will have compatibility issues with various and sundry things till the day it dies.

steve answers:

Dont buy apple. In college you will need a windows based laptop to run certain programs,in addition,apple is having difficulty dealing with new viral outbreaks on apples. Among many other issues with apples.there is a reason they are still only a fraction of the market place after almost forty years.i would suggest an amd a10, and i would look at clearance deals at places such as best buy and fry’s electronics. Contact me if you need more help. Jdbj32m@yahoo.com

steve answers:

The Dell Inspiron line should be familiar to anyone who has shopped for an affordable laptop in the past decade or so. The 15R is another serviceable configuration in a long line of serviceable configurations. It packs an Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB RAM, so it’ll handle just about any task you throw at it, including some photo or video editing. The 15.6-inch LED screen is big enough for watching movies, but small enough to move around. For students and casual users, this is a great middle-of-the-road option.

steve answers:

THIS ONE IS BEST ACCORDING TO YOUR REQUIREMENT

Toshiba Satellite C655-S5118 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
*Intel Core i3-370M Processor 2.40 GHz, 3MB Cache
*Configured with 3GB DDR3 (max 8GB)
*320GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive
*15.6″ diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT display at 1366 x 768 native resolution (HD) with native support for 720p content
*Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with a 6 cell/48Wh Lithium Ion battery pack; Battery Life (measured by MobileMark 2007): 3 hours, 51 minutes

steve answers:

Look on your power supply to the laptop. Most are able to work on several voltage ranges. If it says something like “input 110-220 (or240) you will be fine with the basic adaptor

steve answers:

First of all lets come to sony, it is a very reliable brand and of course very durable, now lets come to mac, macs are different but highly incompatible with every day usage softwares and also its gui is very complex, and thirdly dell. It is a middle class brand with though high customisability but they lack durability

So i will suggest you to get sony and if you are looking for a highly affordable model then i will suggest you to buy Sony VAIO VPC-EB42FX/BJ 15.5-Inch laptop, with its sleek design , high compatibility extreme performance and high affordability it is best of the best laptops i have used so far, look at it here:

http://amzn.to/hH2SlN

Here are its specifications:

Intel Core i3 processor (2.53GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
15.5″ LED (1366×768) widescreen display
4GB of RAM & 500GB Serial ATA HDD
Intel wireless display technology

steve answers:

If you want a personalized, reliable and quick advice, you should check out ProCompare.com (http://procompare.com/top/notebooks). They have a recommendation engine that ranks laptops and other tech products based on ratings and reviews from a community of trusted IT professionals. They also have a cool personalization slider that lets you personalize the results based on the criteria that are most important to YOU.

Hope you’ll find this answer useful…

steve answers:

Press “shift” + “3″

steve answers:

How to use Remote Desktop Connection (RDC)
I travel about once every month and my primary computer is a tower sitting under my desk. For the longest time, I accessed my email directly from my laptop on the road and tried to make sure I copied every file I might need from my home network to my laptop. The rub in this system is many hotels and WiFi networks block the port for sending email, making communication a hassle. At home, I connect to the three other machines on my local network using Remote Desktop Connection, because I have more computers than I do monitors, but I never bothered to try it from outside.

If your home computer has Windows XP Pro (or Media Center Edition) installed, you can access it from any other computer running Windows from anywhere in the world using Remote Desktop Connection. Some versions of Windows, like 98, Me, 2000 and require software available from Microsoft.com:

steve answers:

I’ve noticed no slowdown whatsoever, on either my older PC with XP or my current beast of a machine with Windows Vista. However, note that with the expansion pack Bon Voyage,* you will want to download the Patch because there is a glitch that spawns extra NPCs on vacation lots every time you visit one and then leave, and that will lag a machine after a time without the patch that corrects it.

I don’t have a Mac, or a laptop, so honestly I cannot say if what works for my PC would be the same for you. It *shouldn’t* worsen the graphics; that’s up to your graphics card.

The stuff packs aren’t full expansion packs, so all they add are new hairstyles (not too many good ones, IMO), furniture, clothing, and build stuff. If you love decorating, by all means get stuff packs! If you prefer gameplay to decorating and building, you would likely prefer University or a similar expansion pack.

University adds musical instruments: guitar, bass, and drums. It also provides university lots (3 varieties, plus the ability to make your own) with all sorts of interactions available. I did find that after playing through the whole “college experience” once or twice, it became more tedious. The semesters are all the same year to year … BUT … You do end up with perks from graduating: more Want slots and an extra Want lock, the opportunity to change your aspiration, and a big boost to whatever career is complimented by the major you chose. Plus you can hang a degree on your Sim’s wall at home. The dorm experience is kinda fun, especially when first playing. (I get bored kinda easy!)

I believe University also introduced new TV channels (like Sports) and new kinds of parties to throw, plus (my favorite part) new career paths! Art, Paranormal, Natural Science, and 2 others that I will leave for you to discover if you get the expansion pack.

For all the new interactions and objects, I really do believe University is worth it. It’s not that much more expensive than a stuff pack anyway.

Oh yes, new Career Reward objects that are rather cool, like the camera and the carnivorous cow plant and the resurrection phone. I believe (?) that University’s supernatural addition to the Sims 2 world is ZOMBIE.

*EDITED. I had that wrong when I typed Open for Business. It’s Bon Voyage that has the spawning glitch.

steve answers:

Try safe mode
—————————————————————————————————
f 8

computers what a world
i would try
1 – turn on monitor
2 – turn on computer
3 – constantly tap f8 – located at top of your key board
4 – when new screen comes up – use up and down arrows on your key board
to high light safe mode last know good configuration etc
5 hit enter on key board
5 – windows should start or it will give options on how to start windows

do this last

system restore

1- click start at bottom of screen
2 – then click choose all programs
3 – then click pc help tools or could be in accessorys
4 – then click on system restore
5 – then click on restore to an earlier date or factory settings
6 – choose a date when it was working – or factory settings
7 – let it run it may take a while – follow directions – if any
8 – if does not work – restart THEN CHECK STATUS
choose destructive recovery as last resort you will have to look hard to find this option
BUT thats what it took to restore mine to get settings i wanted etc
BACK UP IMPORTANT THINGS TO CD NO MATTER WHAT OPTION(S) YOU CHOOSE

User accounts and screen saver password

start
control panel
user accounts
do settings your way
you can set up so they can not view your info
create them pass words
you can delete or change passwords at any time you want to

password protected screen saver is good

i use it my self

do this by

close all windows
right click on open area of desk top
choose properties
choose screen saver
choose password protect on resume
this will be your password as you are the administrator
be sure to set the time for screen saver to come on

steve answers:

Just for future reference, you should always back up anything you need. This is a device that allows you to do so:

http://www.topmicrousa.com/bt-300.html

You connect the old hard drive to this device, and then the device to a another computer or laptop via USB. You would then be able to access all the files on it.
I got the device off a PC World Magazine Article.
Best of luck!

steve answers:

Well first of all the Mac is equipped with about $200 of free software called iLife that PCs don’t have and it’s fully integrated with its OS-starting out the Mac has Video Photo, music, DVD creation. It automatically organizes your library by events. If you want to make web pages, iWeb, is incredible. You can make professional looking web pages in a matter of minutes in a way that people using windows would take days and weeks to do or may never be able to achieve. IPhoto enable you to make book, calenders and cards way better than PCs -totally neat. All fulling integrated and will enable you to mix it all. Just the process of sorting through your photos, music and movies is so less difficult than with anything on a PC. I you buy a PC, you will have to buy all the different card readers for all your devices. With a Mac, you use firewire for everything and you are moving at warp speed as your Mac recognizes the media you have and organized it in a time less that it takes to use you are. IChat and garage band are fantastic

The Macs also have a Matte screen that I prefer over the glossy and reflective screens of PCs that are easily thumbed. It provides crystal clear colors that are real. If you have an iPod or other apple products-no problem in using them on your apple.

In my case, I was a life time PC user, but because Vista sucks, I returned 3 high powered PC and decided to try a MacBook Pro. I had XP and because the Macs now all come with the intel processors was able to load XP, using bootcamp in the Mac OS. So I now have the best of both worlds with awesome OS and don’t have to deal with the nightmares of Vista. By 6/30/08 (a few days from now), Microsoft will stop allowing sales of XP over the counter. If that is the route you want to take, you may need to buy that software now and you Mac later. Education discounts should enable you to still get it at $80 and under.

The Apple computer is quiet and I have not heard my fan. They are far lighter and have state of the art technology that is fully integrated with its software. OSX is already 64 bit OS that works with 32 bit applications. With drivers that have already been tested and works perfectly with all platforms in OSX-unlike Vista.

If you buy a MacBook Pro or MacBook and are a student, in addition to the student discount, Apple will give you a free iPod Touch (valued at $299).

Apple Laptops are lighter than virtually all PCs, and always have stronger processors and graphics cards.

In my view if you are getting a computer and thinking about using Vista, it is a mistake because Vista gives you no reason to upgrade at all. A brand new computer with Vista with 2 GB RAM still cannot run any applications better than currently runs on a 5 year old PC running XP any faster. In all testing Vista cannot out perform its older version XP on any level except security.

Of lesser concern to me because I’m strong on PCs is that there are no serious virus for Macs so far You will not require any anti virus or spyware or see many, if any pop-up.
There are also other things you can do like split your screen and work and see both applications at the same time without going back and fourth. There are features that also allow you to customize and personalize your Mac to you so easily. The options with e-mail are very nice and I’ve posing a link below. The e-mail also allows you to get definitions from the New Oxford American Dictionary

In addition, you can get to the exact place in whatever application you want to go with just 3 executions as oppose to 5-6 with a PC. The software is simply more efficient and integrated. I believe its because Jobs use to be with a software company and brought those skills to improving the OS and avoid the Vista debacle
I am spending more and more time on the Mac OS than on XP. I hope this helps you.

steve answers:

If you have the desk top set up for auto updates then this would not be the problem.
To find and download the drivers go to http://esupport.sony.com/ enter the model number and then click drivers then download them.

steve answers:

Your best bet is to use a driver locater utility like:

http://www.officialdrivers.com

It will scan and locate every driver you need automatically…

Hope this helps!

steve answers:

Turns out your notebook goes by the product name Sony VAIO VGN-S91PS. Give that a search and hope it comes up with the correct drivers.

steve answers:

VGN-S660 drivers can be downloaded from the website below.

steve answers:

Amazing. Someone else asked this same exact question 2 years ago

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090426050020AAwAr4R

… And when I say same exact, I mean the way you capitalized the H in “have”… Which is pretty unique.

At any rate, Sony doesn’t list any model earlier than the PCG-505 at the American support site http://esupport.sony.com which would indicate they are cleaning up the site and removing support for older models. So, I assume when you go to the Sony Support site and you tell the site to detect your model http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/select-system.pl?DIRECTOR=DRIVER&PRODTYPE=24 it tells you that your model doesn’t exist, or that you aren’t actually using a Sony laptop?

At this point, you should be calling Sony tech support and asking them where you can download the drivers from, and not letting them off the phone until they send you a specific link.

End of line

steve answers:

Hi, Princess Yoda, when choosing an eReader, you need to consider not only the physical properties of the device, but also compare eBook stores behind it. Sony has never been a contender for any comparison by anyone as they only have like 5 books in their Ebook store and their devices are way overpriced for what they offer. Borders is behind Kobo/Cruz devices in US and as you might of heard, Borders is on a brink of bankruptcy. Kindle and Nook are the only devices to be considered as their eBook stores have over a million of free public ebooks as well as over a million of ebooks that you need to pay for available.
Having that out of the way, you should then decide which screen you want: e-Ink or LCD. It depends on what you’re reading. If just black & white novels then the better one would be Kindle or e-Ink Nook from Barnes & Noble. If you read electronic magazines or college text books with a lot of color graphs and charts or children’s’ books with a lot of pictures then the better would be Nook Color LCD from Barnes & Noble. Then, you should understand the limitations of e-Ink eReaders – they are limited to be black & white for now they “blink” at each ebook’s page turn, they’re not too good for web browsing, they need external light source for reading when dark, and they cannot handle videos.
Whichever device you choose, here’s the advantages of the Nook’s (both e-Ink black & white and Nook Color) over Kindle:
- Any Barnes & Noble store provides free Wi-Fi to Nook’s
- Nook allows to lend Nook books for two weeks to friends and family or share with your other devices that run B&N app (PC, MAC, Android phones, Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad, etc.) Barnes & Noble allows (when you walk in with the Nook to B&N store) to read any available eBook for free while in the store via free provided in the store Wi-Fi. With Nook, while in BN store you get exclusive articles from top authors, and great offers including cafe treats and unique deals.
- Nook (unlike Kindle) can be used for library ebooks.
- Nook (unlike Kindle) can be used for renting text-ebooks.
Nook Color is worth mentioning separately as this is a hybrid Android eReader/tablet device, something between Kindle and iPad. Even though Nook Color has LCD touchscreen, it’s a new generation screen which is anti-glare coated and is better performing in sunlight and produces less glare all of which are dooming reading on iPad. Also, the screen is amazing and readable/viewable at wide angles.
Overall, Nook Color is more than e-Reader as you can also watch video and use Android applications on it. It’s a hybrid device, much more than just an e-Reader but not a full tablet as it doesn’t have a camera. If all you want is to read novels, Kindle (or the original e-Ink Nook) might be better for you. If you want something more from your device (color graphs and charts of college text books, childrens books, photos and videos, web sites in full color) at half of the price of iPad or Galaxy tab, then Nook Color is your best bet.
Nook Color has several apps that already come with the device (Pandora Internet radio, QuickOffice, etc.) Also, Barnes & Noble recently released Nook SDK and Nook Developer platform that will allow most of the existing 100,000 Android apps be ported to it. Also, you can use the Social Settings screen to link your NOOK Color to your Facebook account and your Twitter account. You can also import all your contacts from your Google Gmail account. Once you have linked to Facebook and Twitter and set up email contacts, you can lend and borrow books, recommend books, and share favorite quotes with your friends.

steve answers:

Macbook’s are good but because of the recent popularity of Tablet PC’s and iPad’s they are also some great options. Whether it’s an iPad or an Android Tablet – or perhaps a new Windows 8 Tablet which will be out later this year like the Microsoft Surface recently announced they are all very good devices. You can pick up Android Tablets for less than $100 including shipping to your door these days, devices like the M009s by Eken have been extremely popular because of that price point. This gives you another option for people if they are on a tight budget. At the end of the day though you really need to work out how much your willing to spend, and what the best device you can buy is for that amount.

steve answers:

I am not familiar with Genius, only Wacom. They have introduced a new line of Pen Tablets called the Intuos4 and range in size from Small (4×6) Medium (6×9) Large (8×13) and Extra Large (12×19).

The Intuos4 Small Tablet is a great portable, lightweight affordable unit for occasional use in Photo Editing, Drawing etc. The Wacom Medium Tablet is buy far the most popular. What makes the new Intuos4 tablets unique are the ergonomic comfort design for left or right hander’s and the 8 illuminated shortcut keys on the tablet with a wheel similar to the iPod for setting up Hotkey Shortcuts.

The Intuos4 Large and Extra Large are primarily for serious Photo and Drawing work if you plan on doing multiple touch-ups or editing and Drawing from scratch on the tablet without ever using the Mouse to keep your attention focused on the work at hand.

Prices range from $229.00 (Small) to $789.95 (X-Large) and all Wacom products come with a Two year warranty.

When you buy an Intuos4, you will receive free software downloads for Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 7 for the PC, Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 6 for the Mac, or Autodesk® SketchBook Express® 2010.

For ease of use and co-ordination, I suggest getting a Tablet that has a working screen so you can keep focused on the work and use the Pen and Hotkeys to navigate from painting-editing-drawing etc without leaving the tablet. Working with a Tablet that depends on mouse movement and looking at a monitor can be tedious when working with fine details.

And when you need more than just fine photo editing and drawing, check into the Wacom Cintiq 21ux. The flagship of Graphics Pen Tablets for the serious Photographer/Designer with a screen size of 21+ inches (about 2K).

Hope this helps

steve answers:

Archos 10.1 Internet Tablet – Android Froyo 2.2 Operating System w/ Flash 10.1 support – 10.1″ compared to the iPad’s 9.7″ but it is lighter. Has a webcam and USB ports and MicroSD slot for added memory. Price: $300-$350. Coming out next month.

Galaxy Tab – 7″ with – Android Froyo 2.2 Operating System w/ Flash 10.1 support but a rumored price tag of up to $1.000 or $300 with a 2 year required 3G contract is really making people second guess this one.

HTC Tablet – Rumor has it HTC is planning to release a tablet PC, most likely equipped with Android 3.0 at the beginning of 2011. Nothing yet on price and specs however.

Motorola Android Tablet – early 2011.

And about half a dozen others.

The Tablet market with Android 2.2 with Flash 10.1 support is about to become a BOOMING market. There are so many coming out in the next 3-4 months that it will be unbelievable. Most are between 7″ to 10″ in size and are meant to compete directly against the iPad.

steve answers:

You have a lot of choices.
You can investigate one of the new Lenovo Yoga’s for $1000

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834312448

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7616787

It is a touchscreen convertible tablet/laptop with a midgrade processor and graphics and a relatively small solid state drive, but is incredibly great looking with a 13.3″ x900 screen with Intel 4000 graphics and benchmarks just above the i5-3317U

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

It is Dimensions13.1″ x 8.9″ x 0.67″, Weight 3.3 lbs
Review:

No DVDRW. To change to 8GB is not from the back:

Here is something a little more traditional:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127874

SONY VAIO S Series SVS13125CXB Notebook Intel Core i5 3210M(2.50GHz) 13.3″ 8GB Memory DDR3 1333 750GB HDD 7200rpm Slot Loading CD/DVD Player/Burner NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
You get DVDRW in a 3.8 pound system that is about an inch thick and a reasonable graphics card.

There are so many options, was trying to find a couple of interesting ones.