The "What Are You Doing This Moment" Thread

Looking to buy a laptop, which I probably will do on Cyber Monday, so I have time. However, I hardly know anything about computers and know even less about laptops, so halp plz. My main purpose for getting a laptop is to be able to more easily work on my magazine using programs like InDesign, but I also need a laptop that will be good enough to play Diablo III when it comes out, since this here desktop sure as shit will not be able to. Note: I only care about Starcraft and Diablo games, so I'm not much of a computer gamer (or gamer in general), so a 'gaming' computer per se is not a priority. I just need to be sure it will be able to play Diablo III, though the specs for it are not yet known.

Suggestions about what kind of processor, how much/what kind of RAM, video card, etc., are welcome. Also recommendations of where to look, or even specific laptops, are more than welcome. Basically all I know of is newegg.com.
 
Processor: Your best bet is an i7 because they shove those in everything now.
RAM: the more the better, minimum should be 4gigs (for gaming, I'm not sure how much memory InDesign takes, but it probably isn't little)
Video card: You can net a Radeon HD 5+ series with a gig of ram in most laptops, and that should honestly be fine for Diablo 3.

Most people do not build custom laptops, because frankly it's a bitch. The main questions you need to ask yourself are these:
How big do you want the screen? Is 15" fine, or would 17"+ be better?
Do you plan on having it running purely off the battery for any extended length of time?
How much are you willing to spend?
 
Pessimism said:
Most people do not build custom laptops, because frankly it's a bitch. The main questions you need to ask yourself are these:
How big do you want the screen? Is 15" fine, or would 17"+ be better?
Do you plan on having it running purely off the battery for any extended length of time?
How much are you willing to spend?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about 15", but 17" would probably be fine. I'd have to check some out visually at a store, but I have time to do that before Cyber Monday.
I will probably be using it mostly at home as sort of a desktop replacement, since I have no room for a desktop in my room. So with that said, how would you recommend that I use it? Is it safe to use it plugged in so often?
Well, it kind of depends on what kind of deal I can find on Cyber Monday, but a few that I was looking at earlier that met the specifications that my friend earlier recommended me seemed to be more in the $700-$1000 range. Hopefully I could get one that meets my needs for $600 or less, but I'm not very familiar with what kind of deals there are on Cyber Monday.
 
If you like using a full keyboard, I would recommend a 17". I myself feel very cramped when using anything smaller than a 17", specifically because my hands are just too large. On the plus side, you get a laptop with a wide screen.

Since you'll be dealing no doubt with image manipulation (or just using images with InDesign), don't cheap out on the type of screen. Remember, you're going to be staring at this thing a lot, so don't be cheap! Also, it's a bitch to replace a laptop screen - and it's possible to void your warranty by even trying. Most people are fine with 1080/720 screens, but I wouldn't go below that. Plus, if you are getting one with a videocard, that widescreen will look great (especially since standard resolution for that is either 1600x900 or 1920x1080).

I initially bought my laptop for school (i.e. barren of features so the battery lasted 9+ hours), and then it shit out on me. But, after taking advantage of my warranty, Dell upgraded mine to a desktop replacement. It's completely safe to leave it plugged in all the time, but if you plan on your laptop remaining portable, you've got to realize that the addition of a videocard (which you will have for gaming/Diablo III) will siphon the life out of the battery as quickly as possible. Even with a 9 cell (standard battery size = 6 cell) and my computer running on power saver mode, the only lasts about 2 hours. If you stick with the standard battery, you'll probably get less portability out of it, but if you'll be stationary most of the time it shouldn't matter. And even though you may not move it often, you will be happy that you physically can move it. I'm content knowing that I will never have to deal with lugging a fucking monitor, case, keyboard, mouse and shit-tons of cables with me wherever I go ever again.

I'll look up a few models and see what I can find in the $700-$1k range.
 
Drinking beer very early. It's odd because I rarely drink let alone this early anymore, but I use to all the time. I just really don't care. Who cares right.
 
Just finished an epic game of Starcraft 2. I built a bunch of infestors and used neural parasite to take some scv's so I could build a command center. Then I finished my enemy with a mixed terran/zerg assault.
 
Pessimism said:
If you like using a full keyboard, I would recommend a 17". I myself feel very cramped when using anything smaller than a 17", specifically because my hands are just too large. On the plus side, you get a laptop with a wide screen.

Since you'll be dealing no doubt with image manipulation (or just using images with InDesign), don't cheap out on the type of screen. Remember, you're going to be staring at this thing a lot, so don't be cheap! Also, it's a bitch to replace a laptop screen - and it's possible to void your warranty by even trying. Most people are fine with 1080/720 screens, but I wouldn't go below that. Plus, if you are getting one with a videocard, that widescreen will look great (especially since standard resolution for that is either 1600x900 or 1920x1080).
Click to expand...

See, this just proves how little I understand about laptops. This stuff never even occurred to me.

Pessimism said:
I initially bought my laptop for school (i.e. barren of features so the battery lasted 9+ hours), and then it shit out on me. But, after taking advantage of my warranty, Dell upgraded mine to a desktop replacement. It's completely safe to leave it plugged in all the time, but if you plan on your laptop remaining portable, you've got to realize that the addition of a videocard (which you will have for gaming/Diablo III) will siphon the life out of the battery as quickly as possible. Even with a 9 cell (standard battery size = 6 cell) and my computer running on power saver mode, the only lasts about 2 hours. If you stick with the standard battery, you'll probably get less portability out of it, but if you'll be stationary most of the time it shouldn't matter. And even though you may not move it often, you will be happy that you physically can move it. I'm content knowing that I will never have to deal with lugging a fucking monitor, case, keyboard, mouse and shit-tons of cables with me wherever I go ever again.

I'll look up a few models and see what I can find in the $700-$1k range.
Click to expand...

My friend suggested that I should leave it plugged in and remove the battery until I plan on taking it somewhere, since it will rarely be moved. It sounds like it makes sense, do you agree?
 
I shot a gun for the first time today! A buddy and I went clomping around a state forest with a GPS compass and a .22 rifle and shot empty packs of Parliaments from 20 feet away. It's a start...
 
I know people who run their laptop sans the battery, and it seems alright. I just leave mine in though (with the 9 cells, they have a hump that makes the back end of the laptop prop itself up, which in turn allows my laptop to breathe a bit easier/not get as hot).

I did just read however that lithium ion batteries need to remain charged/in use in order to work effectively though. Other types of batteries need to be removed so excess heat doesn't damage them. In the end though, I think the average battery lifespan is three years, so doing all the things people do to extend the shelf life probably isn't going to matter in the long run (and if you are keeping the laptop as a desktop replacement, you'll be replacing the thing by then anyway).

If you plan on throwing away electronics, I recommend gazelle.com, because you can rack up some decent cash with old unsold shit you may have.
 
Hmm, that's a good point about the lifespan of the battery as it is. Do you know of any good sites that typically would have quality deals on the type of laptop I'm looking for on Cyber Monday?
 
Dodens Grav said:
Hmm, that's a good point about the lifespan of the battery as it is. Do you know of any good sites that typically would have quality deals on the type of laptop I'm looking for on Cyber Monday?
Click to expand...

It's kind of hit and miss really, because you never know what sites will be giving away good deals.

Some of the standard sites are newegg, overstock, amazon, et al.
But don't forget to check store websites, like Best Buy or Walmart (fucking hate this store), because they may for once have a deal on something.

There are also a few aggregate websites out there that will compile prices for you, one of them being cybermonday.com I believe.
 
Well I'm sad. My old dog got put to sleep today. He went to the vet because we thought he had an abscessed tooth... it turned out to be a malignant tumor. They said any surgery they might do would probably kill him and wouldnt help anyway and after all the trouble and bleeding from his mouth on the way there, my mom made the decision.

He'd been with us since I was 8 years old and he slept on my bed with me when he was a puppy.
 
:(

sorry to hear that, Krow. That's always tough. Animals are better than people, in my opinion, so whenever I lose a pet it's devastating.

Stay strong bro. You've got plenty of happy memories with him
 
That sucks, Krow. It's worse when it's a sudden thing like that, rather than when you know it's coming.

I just watched Mad Max. I don't understand why that is a famous, successful, and highly regarded movie. It was 2 hours of Mel Gibson driving around and being boring.
 
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