Tips for increasing computer perofrmance?

[bmwman91]

So I came upon a free laptop...

Toshiba Portege 7020CT
4.1lbs bare, 5.4lbs w/ port replicator
PII 366MHz
192MB RAM
6.4GB
Wireless

I formatted it and installed WinXP Pro (maybe 98 would have been better, but i do not feel like dealign with the device drivers & stuff myself). I went through the web & looked up ways to help perofrmance.
- 16 bit color vs. 24
- Shut down ALL unnecessary Windows services (man, I had NO idea how much of a security risk many create as well...man I wish MS was not such a bunch of jerkoffs!).
- BMP background vs. JPG
- Turned off all visual effects, minus window contents while dragging, I like that too much

What else can be doen to free up memory? Yeah, I know 192 is less than optimal for XP, but oh well. I am running Symantec Corporate virus protection, is there anything else that is comparable and eats less memory? I clean the registry and defrag also.

[D. Clay]

Grisoft AVG Antivirus. It's free and only 20 MB. Symantec is equal if not worse than Microsoft in loading up the boat.
http://www.grisoft.com/doc/1

[bmwman91]

Nice. I ditched Norton for AVG, and MAN it is sooooo much faster! Thanks a bunch!

[Febi Guibo]

hey man, get the most memory and biggest hard drive the thing will support... windows XP uses a ton of both...

if you don't care about battery life (running on an AC adaptor) tweak your power settings and crank the MHz!!

have you considered trying a linux type install (admittedly sometimes tough on laptops)? most of the functions you need with like, none of the bloat...

http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/toshiba.html
http://www.anja.gerwinski.de/portege7020ct/

[nickmpower]

get windows 2000. I works 10x better on my sony picturebook then xp, or windows ME did

[D. Clay]

Windows ME is the answer to a question no one asked. It's Bill Gates red headed stepchild. I wish there was info on stripping XP to a bare bones operating system. All those drivers and dll's that you will probably never use. It rewinds me of HAL in 2001 A Space Odyssey. " Sorry Dave, but I can't permit that!"

[mgold]

Sell the Toshiba and buy a MacBook...problem solved :D

[sheepdog]

Get more ram, and follow this (http://www.bikeguide.org/computerguide/).

I wrote it to keep people on one of my other sites from asking things like this constantly. It is also what I do on customers computers.

[bmwman91]

AVG is cool & all, but I had to turn off the email scanner. It was eating all my incomnig mail, leaving only the "AVG Checked this message and it was clean" notification. I didn't see any options other than turning the bastard email scanner off.

The link has very good advice, anyoen else on here shoudl follow it. A week ago I did a big look through goggle for unnecessary Windows services...I turned off like 65% of them. I cannot believe how lousy a job MS has done in prettymuch creating services for hackers to jump all over & trash peoples' computers! Hell, the FBI even recommends disabling a few!

I have a question now though. This seems to be somethign that occurred right after disabling a bunch of services...when I boot up, it sits there for almost 2 minutes with the startup box saying "Windows is starting up" before my login dialog opens. I hear no HDD activity. hat might I have disabled to cause this and I do not log into a server or anything so it should not be Windows looking for any sort of server stuff, right? I should just format & reinstall, then use Ghost to make a copy of the clean HDD install.

Last one. WinPatrol...what exactly is its point? I ended up uninstalling it as it was pissing me off. No, lol, not because of the sounds. It was hassling me over programs starting (seemingly ones that were starting with windows), like AIM. What does it do exactly? Thanks!

[D. Clay]

Sell the Toshiba and buy a MacBook...problem solved :D We're talking a free Pentium II here. Maybe you could give him a MacBook Pro!
I think you are at the maximum amount of memory already. You may be able to lower the amount of memory devoted to graphics if it uses onboard video.
Winpatrol is good after you have everything installed. It monitors changes to the registry.
I haven't heard of any problems with AVG eating e-mail. Maybe Sheepdog knows something about this. I installed it and it works fine.
WinPatrol monitors changes to the registry. Install it last.
You may have a lot of deleted startup programs still in the registry that XP is looking for, resulting in the slow boot.

[sheepdog]

AVG is cool & all, but I had to turn off the email scanner. It was eating all my incomnig mail, leaving only the "AVG Checked this message and it was clean" notification. I didn't see any options other than turning the bastard email scanner off.

The link has very good advice, anyoen else on here shoudl follow it. A week ago I did a big look through goggle for unnecessary Windows services...I turned off like 65% of them. I cannot believe how lousy a job MS has done in prettymuch creating services for hackers to jump all over & trash peoples' computers! Hell, the FBI even recommends disabling a few!

I have a question now though. This seems to be somethign that occurred right after disabling a bunch of services...when I boot up, it sits there for almost 2 minutes with the startup box saying "Windows is starting up" before my login dialog opens. I hear no HDD activity. hat might I have disabled to cause this and I do not log into a server or anything so it should not be Windows looking for any sort of server stuff, right? I should just format & reinstall, then use Ghost to make a copy of the clean HDD install.

Last one. WinPatrol...what exactly is its point? I ended up uninstalling it as it was pissing me off. No, lol, not because of the sounds. It was hassling me over programs starting (seemingly ones that were starting with windows), like AIM. What does it do exactly? Thanks!

I am not sure what you changed to make Windows wait. I have seen many systems do that. Wish I knew why. I do not think it has to do with the services settings though. None recomended in that article should do that, especially since you are only disabling. If I get some time I will see if I can find it. I wish I knew what it was.


Not entirely sure what was wrong with AVG, the only time I have seen that is when it has removed teh virus message.


Win Patrol should be installed at the very end.
It is probably the single best anti-virus/torjan protection you can get. What it does is monitor the startup folder, services, and any registry settings related to startup. When something wants to install itself to auto-start, it asks you if you want to allow it. Basically it forces programs to ask permision sort of like Unix/OSX does. If a virus gets in, but cannot start, it becomes harmless.


And yes, MS did a TERRIBLE job setting up Windows, however in their credit, at the time it was done, things were different and they were trying to make things easier for people. Though, even then they shoudl have relaized this was a bad idea.

I think MS has the smartest yet dumbest people in the world working for it.

[sheepdog]

Windows ME is the answer to a question no one asked. It's Bill Gates red headed stepchild. I wish there was info on stripping XP to a bare bones operating system. All those drivers and dll's that you will probably never use. It rewinds me of HAL in 2001 A Space Odyssey. " Sorry Dave, but I can't permit that!"
Look up Xp Lite. It stripes it down quite well. Though it does not make it any faster really.

Another good one to help is Xp Manager. This lets you strip a lot out as well as optimize a lot of settings.


With these you can almost cut windows bloat in half.I have built 700meg or less XP systems using these.

[sheepdog]

Sell the Toshiba and buy a MacBook...problem solved :D
That creates more problems than it solves.

[mgold]

That creates more problems than it solves.
Why is that? You can run the best OS in the world (Mac OS X) and for $hits and grins you can set it up to boot to Winblows XP on the same machine. As a matter of fact with an application called Parallels you can run both at the same time.

[sheepdog]

Why is that? You can run the best OS in the world (Mac OS X) and for $hits and grins you can set it up to boot to Winblows XP on the same machine. As a matter of fact with an application called Parallels you can run both at the same time.
Not so simple.

Mac has re-designed the new Macbook Pro about 5 times already to correct mistakes. The smaller "book" has problems as well, namely the white changes color due to heat and the black ones chip their color very easily. Apple has also been dealing with battery issues. They swell and can damage the outer shell. Then there is heat, while called a laptop and Apple has pictures of them being used as them, Apple insists they are "notebooks", mainly to aviod a lawsuit from those who have burned their, well, I think you get the idea.

Then there is the software side of things.
First off, understand there is a difference between PPC and Intel OSX versions. Drivers that work in the PPC version, DO NOT work in the Intel versions. This means that your new scanner or printer, may not work, and who knows when it will.

Software not written to work on the Intel versions run through an emulator, which significantly slows the speed. Photoshop is one of those programs. in order to work at full speed, Adobe has stated it will have to be re-written from scratch, no small task. Officially I have seen nothing stating they have even gotten started. Rumour is that Photoshop CS3 will be Intel compatible. Adobe has focussed on the PC side for years anyhow, and by the time CS3 is released, somone may beat them to the punch, eliminating them from the market they once dominated. I am not holding my breath on Intel based Photoshop.

Video cards are also a VERY sore spot for Apple at the moment as well. The Intel ones work great. The ATI cards, work ok. They have what they call "tearing", it looks like rips or tears on the desktop as the mouse passes by. This has been an issue since they switched to Intels.

Forget playing 1080p. high definition it simply cannot do it Neither could a G4 though.

Speed, you need twice the ram, and twice the processor to keep up with a G5 on Intel compatible software. On something like Photoshop, you will get wasted.


As for Boot Camp. yes, it works well. Too bad it is not actualy supported. If something happens, who do you all? Microsoft? Apple? Of course there is the other thing from true Apple people.. "Why would you put Windows on a MAc, isn't getting rid of Windows the whole point?" Whielk rediculous, they do have a point. Get a rootkit virus, or a nasty MS virus and it could effect your OSX partition. Also in order for both OS's to share information it much be fat32. There is a program to allow Windows to read and interact with OSX partitions, DO NOT USE IT. It has been known to wipe out OSX partitions. I lost mine twice this way.

Shall I go on?

[sheepdog]

Note, I am not trying to bash Apple or OSX. Personally I like OSX, but I have a problem with how people are going into it, without knowing the real problems going on. Notto mention teh Apple users glossing over these issues. Apple rushed these to market and it is the customers who are paying for it.

Currently I have a homebuilt dual boot system (OSX and XP), and am looking for a 12in G4 laptop or something I can convert to dual use. My little Sony can't run it. I was waiting for the 12in Macbook Pro, but it looks like that may never come about.

[mgold]

I'm sorry you feel these products were rushed to the marketplace. As someone in the tech industry, so to speak, the problems you mentioned are actually rather small in number. The problem is that Mac users are more vocal than other PC users, so a handful of issues end up sounding like the whole product line is flawed.

As for a 12" MacBook Pro, its not going to happen as the MacBook now has the features (extended desktop, SuperDrive, etc.) that truly differentiated the 12" PowerBook G4 from the 12" iBook G4. This was likely done to consolidate the product line. I can tell you from personal experiences, Windows XP runs pretty well on the MacBook Pro and the MacBook. Several of my co-workers are running dual-boot and love it.

On the software side, Apple saw the same thing when they introduced the PowerPC chip many, many years ago. Some software developers were quick to update their apps while others lagged for some time. The same thing happened with the switch to OS X. Adobe is playing the game that Quark has done time and time again, which in-turn has hurt sales of Quark XPress. For those needing to run CS2 at full speed, those users will keep their older machines for a little while longer while others may look into other apps instead of CS2.

As for BootCamp, it is beta, but it's well known that it will be rolled into Leopard (10.6) which will ship before Windows Vista. As for support of BootCamp, as beta software it is not supported, but as part of 10.6 it likely will be to some extent. The install of the Windows OS will probably not be supported as Apple does not offer support on non-Apple branded software (even if you bought it from an Apple store). That being said, Apple technicans will likely make sure that BootCamp is enabled and that the drive is partitioned correctly.

[bmwman91]

Soooo, Photoshop is painfully slow on my PC because it was designed for the PPC based systems, and has to run through an emulator for my Intel structured system (AMD proc)? Is this true for all Adobe products? Most of them are slow enough that I would believe it. I guess I always figured SOMEONE had to be using the programs and either tolerating the sluggishness or somehow running them faster.

[mgold]

Soooo, Photoshop is painfully slow on my PC because it was designed for the PPC based systems, and has to run through an emulator for my Intel structured system (AMD proc)? Is this true for all Adobe products? Most of them are slow enough that I would believe it. I guess I always figured SOMEONE had to be using the programs and either tolerating the sluggishness or somehow running them faster.
No, we're talking about the version of Photoshop for the Mac platform. For those Mac customers running the Intel Core Duo (and solo) processors in the newest Macs, the Adobe apps have to run through Rosetta which essentially translates it to run with the Intel processor. If you've got a PC running Adobe apps slowly, then its your PC my friend. When running on the platform they were desinged for, CS2 runs quite speedy. I use CS2 on my G5 desktop at work. On my PowerBook G4 it still runs pretty smooth. On a MacBook Pro or other Intel-based Macs it can be a bit slower (I would say on par with my PowerBook G4)

[bmwman91]

Aaah, got it.

[sheepdog]

I'm sorry you feel these products were rushed to the marketplace. As someone in the tech industry, so to speak, the problems you mentioned are actually rather small in number. The problem is that Mac users are more vocal than other PC users, so a handful of issues end up sounding like the whole product line is flawed. Minor problems are things like double click mice do not work well, or on occasion the USB craps out temprorarily.
Not having working scanners and printers is pretty major.
Not having fully compatible software is also pretty important. Especially if you bought it to avoid those compatibility issues. I have had a few people run into this problem.

Mac users are not more vocal regarding problems. Want numbers?
35% hardware failure rate amongst Macs.
20% in a PC usually means a product is dumped.
Industry average for PC component failure is 5%



Yet, you hear more complaints from PC users and Mac people about crap PC harware.

The whole product of laptops, yes, they are flawed, and miss-represented. They are not faster than the G5 Imac as claimed. Use them side by side, they are not. Yes the battery issue was solved, if there were minor problems I doubt they would be on revision 5 of the system in nearly as many months. Apple has done everything they can to keep the problems quiet.

Like I said, I am not hating on them, I just do not want people thinking all is rosy.


As for a 12" MacBook Pro, its not going to happen as the MacBook now has the features (extended desktop, SuperDrive, etc.) that truly differentiated the 12" PowerBook G4 from the 12" iBook G4. This was likely done to consolidate the product line. I can tell you from personal experiences, Windows XP runs pretty well on the MacBook Pro and the MacBook. Several of my co-workers are running dual-boot and love it. Features are good, but I would prefer a metal cased, small laptop. Sorry, I do not like plastic laptops and one product does not really constitute a product line. I am not alone in the metal chassis thing either.

I am still baffled at Apples choices on this. Historically smaller laptops have been worth more. Not less.


On the software side, Apple saw the same thing when they introduced the PowerPC chip many, many years ago. Some software developers were quick to update their apps while others lagged for some time. The same thing happened with the switch to OS X. Adobe is playing the game that Quark has done time and time again, which in-turn has hurt sales of Quark XPress. For those needing to run CS2 at full speed, those users will keep their older machines for a little while longer while others may look into other apps instead of CS2.
This is a litle different. Adobe is not doing this on purpose. Teh problem is rather deelpy rooted and actually goes back to when Apple switched to PPC processors.

They may or may not catch up on the software side.
Whiel sales are up for Apple, it's market share dropped from a 2.3 market hare to a 2.0 market share. So while Apple is selling more laptops, the market grew even more. They are not even maintaining what they were. As a company as big as Adobe would you really want to develop for that market if it will cost you millions?

As for BootCamp, it is beta, but it's well known that it will be rolled into Leopard (10.6) which will ship before Windows Vista. As for support of BootCamp, as beta software it is not supported, but as part of 10.6 it likely will be to some extent. The install of the Windows OS will probably not be supported as Apple does not offer support on non-Apple branded software (even if you bought it from an Apple store). That being said, Apple technicans will likely make sure that BootCamp is enabled and that the drive is partitioned correctly. That still does not help when Windows takes a dump or gets hit with a virus. Something Mac guys are quiet oblivious about.

[mgold]

Obviously you have your opinions on Apple and that's fine. Spin it however you'd like, I'm not going to add more fuel to the fire.

[sheepdog]

Obviously you have your opinions on Apple and that's fine. Spin it however you'd like, I'm not going to add more fuel to the fire.

I do not think you realize, I Like Apple. You should hear me complain about Microsoft or Linux (especially Linux).

I am just trying to dispel this golden image Apple has in the mind of many people. Not that others are any better.

[D. Clay]

I realize that this thread is way off the original question of maximizing an old Toshiba but since we're in Mac/PC land any way, I have a question. My daughter has $2400 sunk into a MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme, etc. The area where you put your left hand gets H-0-DOUBLE-T, HOT. Now I hear talk of the case discoloring and battery swelling. I can easily imagine the silver case yellowing from that heat over time.
Are there warranty and/or recall issues I should take advantage of in a timely manner. This is a pricey piece of equipment and I expect more from a $2K laptop. No way they didn't know this. I hope Apple doesn't expect us to accept this.

[sheepdog]

I realize that this thread is way off the original question of maximizing an old Toshiba but since we're in Mac/PC land any way, I have a question. My daughter has $2400 sunk into a MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme, etc. The area where you put your left hand gets H-0-DOUBLE-T, HOT. Now I hear talk of the case discoloring and battery swelling. I can easily imagine the silver case yellowing from that heat over time.
Are there warranty and/or recall issues I should take advantage of in a timely manner. This is a pricey piece of equipment and I expect more from a $2K laptop. No way they didn't know this. I hope Apple doesn't expect us to accept this.
Only the white "book" turns yellow.
Far as i know, only some of the Pro batteries are swelling.

As for the heat, that is one thing they are all having issues with.

The yellowing they are starting to admit, but I have yet to hear of a proper fix, stores are allowing returns. Batteries they are fixing, though I am unsure of any official recall or anything for any of them. Apple deals with problems a bit oddly. They will argue, then cave, but only quietly. You have to chase them down to get anything done.

Check out some more Mac oriented sites for more info. Most of what I see and deal with is the underpinnings where guys are trying to get drivers built for things or trying to get OSX to run on other hardware. We do see and hear a lot of the problems going on though as we were experienceing them on the developer machines and our homebuilts before the systems were released.

Apple has fixed some serious issues since the Dev kit, problem is they left too little time for companies to release updated software before releasing the systems. Plus, they released them a few months earlier than originally planned. I realize this is a major change that needed to happen, however, it was handled extremely poor. From teh developer standpoint, it was a clusterfuck, and still is. 10.4.7 in normal circumstances would be considered Beta at best. With its support for drivers, software, and emulation working like it does, it is about as complete as Windows Vista is currently.

[mgold]

Those machines (and the PowerBook G4 as well) will run hot. That's why the manual specifically suggests using it on a hard surface to allow the heat to be dissipated from the case and should not be used on your lap (I don't recall if it states it exactly like that). If you're concerned then call Apple technical support or bring it to an Apple Service Provider or Apple Retail Store so they can evaluate it. Before you do that take a look at this article...
Apple Notebooks: Operating Temperature (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=30612)

The issue with discolored MacBooks only affects the plastic cases not the aluminum. I haven't heard anything about bulging batteries. There was a run of batteries that were being replaced by Apple though. Here's a page that discusses the issue...
15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Exchange Program (https://support.apple.com/macbookpro15/batteryexchange/)

[D. Clay]

"Do not leave the bottom of the computer in contact with your lap or any surface of your body for extended periods. Prolonged contact with your body could cause discomfort and potentially a burn."
I guess the answer is that's the way it is. I just didn't expect that sort of thing for $2000+. I call that a portable "desktop" and PAIN. I don't recall any vents on the bottom. Where does the air enter and exit?

[mgold]

Where does the air enter and exit?
There is a vent between the display and the keyboard, where the hinge is. Not sure if that is the intake, exhaust or both. I do know that the case itself is used to dissipate heat, sort of like a heat sink. In addition there is at least one fan, possibly two (I can't recall at this hour) and they will kick on. My old iMac (G3 slot-load model) doesn't even have a fan, air flows in through the bottom and escapes out the top. As long as the vent holes are not blocked it works quite well.

[bmwman91]

Being that I do some thermal engineering work at Cisco, and have to deal with cooling huge router chassis, I would have to say that all these crazy new laptops that can prettymuch be used for gaming rigs are just dumb. The reliability ratings on all of them are pretty bad. If you keep the units on a stand in an AC'ed room they are fine, but most people do not. These lappy companies push the hardware engineers to come up with these amazing performers, but have to skirt proper thermal testing because they would never pass for shit under the normal conditions that people like to use them under (on laps, pillows, whatever). Unfortunately, they are continually getting away with it becuase so many people know NOTHING about computers, and I bet the companies make more $ from service & repair on the failing parts (assuming people didn't get the warranty or it expired), OR half the dumbasses just go buy new ones because the high failure rate just makes people think that laptops are inherently only supposed to live a couple years before they 'wear out' or something.

Stupid ass college chicks and people with more $ than brains are keeping this phenomenon going. And if you are a 'hardcore gamer' and want to be able to p\/\/N n00bs portably, get a fuckin desktop with an aluminum case & mini-ATX form factor (which also have cooling issues because of the highly restricted air flow inside, unless you drop $$$ on liquid cooling). Your skinny ass needs the extra exercise from carrying it anyway.

lol, cranky in the morning?

Funny side-story about a dumbass chick:
She did not like how hot her laptop got when she had it on her legs, so she put it on a pillow to protect her legs from the heat. About a week later she had a massive hardware failue of some sort.

Stories from most friends:
They have to turn off their lappies and let them sit for an hour if they want them to 'run fast.' They were all like 'yeah it gets slow if I leave it on too long, I think it gets warm & slows down.' That is shoddy design there. Yeah, it does not crash due to the heat (well, does having to wait 2 minutes for the Start Menu to open after exiting Oblivion which was running terribly count as a crash?), but the system has to de-clock half of its shit so stay alive. This was on a supposed 'performance lappy' from various companies.

[mgold]

I agree, if you want to play games, then get a desktop. They are designed for that type of bandwidth and typically have better performing GPU's. As for the whole laptop thing, most, if not all CPU manufacturers don't call them laptops but rather notebook or portable computers because frankly, none are designed to be used on your lap. I have a PowerBook for work because I am not always at my desk, and sometimes I have to work from home. It's easier to schlep this thing home than to remote into a desktop machine at my desk. I even picked up a cheapo computer desk from IKEA to use while I'm on the couch at home.
Dave laptop table (http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15600&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=59934&langId=-1&categoryId=16131&chosenPartNumber=20078234)
http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/50260_PE146459_S4.jpg

[sheepdog]

Being that I do some thermal engineering work at Cisco, and have to deal with cooling huge router chassis, I would have to say that all these crazy new laptops that can prettymuch be used for gaming rigs are just dumb. The reliability ratings on all of them are pretty bad. If you keep the units on a stand in an AC'ed room they are fine, but most people do not. These lappy companies push the hardware engineers to come up with these amazing performers, but have to skirt proper thermal testing because they would never pass for shit under the normal conditions that people like to use them under (on laps, pillows, whatever). Unfortunately, they are continually getting away with it becuase so many people know NOTHING about computers, and I bet the companies make more $ from service & repair on the failing parts (assuming people didn't get the warranty or it expired), OR half the dumbasses just go buy new ones because the high failure rate just makes people think that laptops are inherently only supposed to live a couple years before they 'wear out' or something.

Stupid ass college chicks and people with more $ than brains are keeping this phenomenon going. And if you are a 'hardcore gamer' and want to be able to p\/\/N n00bs portably, get a fuckin desktop with an aluminum case & mini-ATX form factor (which also have cooling issues because of the highly restricted air flow inside, unless you drop $$$ on liquid cooling). Your skinny ass needs the extra exercise from carrying it anyway.

lol, cranky in the morning?

Funny side-story about a dumbass chick:
She did not like how hot her laptop got when she had it on her legs, so she put it on a pillow to protect her legs from the heat. About a week later she had a massive hardware failue of some sort.

Stories from most friends:
They have to turn off their lappies and let them sit for an hour if they want them to 'run fast.' They were all like 'yeah it gets slow if I leave it on too long, I think it gets warm & slows down.' That is shoddy design there. Yeah, it does not crash due to the heat (well, does having to wait 2 minutes for the Start Menu to open after exiting Oblivion which was running terribly count as a crash?), but the system has to de-clock half of its shit so stay alive. This was on a supposed 'performance lappy' from various companies.

I get people all the time wanting to do video editing with laptops.
"So and So (professional editor) does it!"

That does not mean it is right.

Laptops/notebooks are protable, temporary systems, they are not meant to replace your desktop. Look at what Dell offered as a desktop replacement... It weighed over 9 pounds and had terrible battery life (an hour max). Notebooks were not meant for hardcore use, much less being on 24 hours a day. Very few laptops are built to do this.

If you doubt it, open your desktop and look at the heatsink in it. Then look at your laptop, you do not even need to open it to figure out it does not have the right cooling. Same goes for power bricks on laptops.

[mgold]

I get people all the time wanting to do video editing with laptops.
"So and So (professional editor) does it!"

That does not mean it is right.

Laptops/notebooks are protable, temporary systems, they are not meant to replace your desktop. Look at what Dell offered as a desktop replacement... It weighed over 9 pounds and had terrible battery life (an hour max). Notebooks were not meant for hardcore use, much less being on 24 hours a day. Very few laptops are built to do this.

If you doubt it, open your desktop and look at the heatsink in it. Then look at your laptop, you do not even need to open it to figure out it does not have the right cooling. Same goes for power bricks on laptops.
I agree. In a pinch you can get by, but its not a replacement for the power of a desktop. My friend uses a PowerBook to record his band's shows, but edits everything back in the studio on his G5 desktop.

[D. Clay]

Stupid ass college chicks and people with more $ than brains are keeping this phenomenon going.
Funny side-story about a dumbass chick:
She did not like how hot her laptop got when she had it on her legs, so she put it on a pillow to protect her legs from the heat. About a week later she had a massive hardware failue of some sort. Is this so stupid when you look at the advertising. The say they are the only computer you'll ever need and that you can make Hollywwod style videos on them in addition to every other computing task known to the common man and professional. They also have implied that this can be done in the tradition of Mac's reputation as easy to use (meaning you don't really need to know anything about computing or software) and being bulltproof (you get what you pay for when you pay more for a Mac). Read their tests in their industry whore nagazines about, "Now! A laptop for professional video editing!"
You know and I know (now) but, most people don't and base their decisions on advertising. Tell that stupid-ass college chick why she was wrong to expect her laptop, notebook, or whatever to perform as the advertising implied and to not know what they weren't saying.
I have to go lay down now.

[bmwman91]

No I will not go tell her why she is stupid. She is usually pretty good looking. Can't be killin' my chances lol.

Yeah, I got worked up. It is nobody's fault for not knowing (well, I personally think it is pathetic that people accept what they are told on a whim). The advertising is flat-out lies, and they are a big part of the problem. People just need to stop being such sheep. 5 minutes on google with keywords "[LAPTOP MODEL] reliability performance user reviews" will answer the real questions.