Laptop suggestions?

One word.

(Ear-Muffs please IJAG)

MacBook

 

I stopped bitching about Vista's interminable load times right about the time I reformatted the drive and put Linux on it. Now? A minute from power-on to everything loaded and ready to run. No virii or spyware to worry about, either.

 

Ack!

 

It's fine as long as your cat doesn't mistake it for a litter box.

 

The. Cat. Did. Not. Pee. On. The. Computer.

And I hated it before I ever lost use of it.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/1034677/

 

with the noise sounds like it could be your hard drive. Have you tried a system restore?

Obviously before restore back up your memory.

Best bet is to get a new one then use other to play around. Its a good way to learn about your computer . They are not as hard to fix as one might think.

 

I'm a big fan of Toshibas -- have purchased many.

But my next laptop will be a Mac. They are doing everything PCs do except they don't need Vista to do it. And they do it forever (except, apparently, IJAGs).

 

Massive code bloat.

File operations (move, copy, etc.) run slower than XP.

Requires more resources than were standard on computers being sold a year ago, with Vista preinstalled no less. (There's a class-action lawsuit accusing MS of bait-and-switch tactics regarding some models of computers that were sold in late 2006 as "Vista-capable." They either were not or were barely able to run Vista.)

Incredibly stupid security "protocol" (User Account Control) that doesn't actually make the system more secure, but instead is designed to annoy users to the point that they demand software vendors change their products (verified by a MS product manager speaking at a security conference a month ago). Side effect: Malware coders will make changes designed to slip under the radar of the new security "protocol."

DRM built into the OS.

Vista doesn't work with some software and hardware that used to work perfectly under XP.

Fancy graphic bling in new Aero interface kills battery life on laptops.

 

Apparently none of the free anti-virus and anti-spyware stuff works with it. You have to make sure everything you use is 'Vista compatible' or it can make it FUBAR.

 

Turns out I'm in the market for a new laptop. The one that I have, a massive Toshiba Satellite (it's big enough to be an actual satellite) that is too cumbersome and collects dust on the inside, causing it to overheat and shut down.

So far, the three brands I've looked at that seem decent are a Toshiba, a Sony Vaio and an HP Pavillion. Any suggestions one which direction I should go, or is there something better out there?

PS - Never been an Apple guy and I don't see myself making the transition anytime soon.