I never had a laptop before, can u answer some questions?

[rpgcrazy]

How exactly does the laptop operate the internet? theres no way to get cable for the laptop or do u have to use phone line? and when u do use phone line do u have to use the same phone line that u use internet for ur desktop computer? if u are subscribed to internet can u use any phone jack in ur house??? thanx for an answer, it will be greatly apretiated

[Shadowed]

There's a special card that my brother has for the laptop which allows him to use the internet. Cable works, and so does Phone line. Yes. Pretty sure, just as long as it uses your ISP, like AOL.

[oozma]

On some older laptops they have the PC slots for a network card, Most of the newer ones have a dial-up port for a phone line, and a broadband port for your ethernet cable.... Both ports are built in so you have no annoying card poping off the side

[Rico]

I don't like laptops personally. Well it's that they can be very fragile at times if something happens to the charger then you can't start the computer if you lose it you can't use it these little things can effect you from using a computer but then again my laptop was crappy so...


-Rico-

[oozma]

Agreed. Desktops are sooo much better + they can hold more power

[TalonX]

Also with desktops you can upgrade the compoents. But with laptops only ram can be added, and even that has a limit.

[Goobers]

Originally posted by TalonX
Also with desktops you can upgrade the compoents. But with laptops only ram can be added, and even that has a limit.

uh... that's true for desktops too (edit: i mean just the RAM part)... if you bought a motherboard with two slots... what can you do? but then again, do you really need more than 2 GB of ram? (you can find 1 GB SODIMMs)

in any case... you can also upgrade the hard drive. (edit: I know, whoopie)

but let's look at something else...

there is a laptop currently that has a 2.8 GHz P4 (desktop model) on a 800 MHz FSB with HT. it uses the GeForce Go5200 (pretty decent, but with only 32MB though), 512 of PC2100 dual channel RAM (2x256)... with the potential to go to PC3200 (it has a 865PE chipset that supports PC3200, and i found some sites advertising PC3200 SODIMMs), 60 GB 4200 rpm HDD (you can find 7200 rpm drives) and a 17" widescreen LCD.

if i'm not mistaken... thats REAL close to current desktop limits. how long would that last you? well... there are people still using less than a GHz P3s (and Celerons)... PC100 SDRAM... GeForce 2 (MX no less)... hell even TNT2s... in their DESKTOPS and they're still chuggin... barely...

even though laptops are still more expensive overall... a big difference is the fact in laptops (aside from the obvious size)... is the upfront cost... with laptops you pay right then and there... with a new laptop you pay all again... in the case of a desktop, unless it's your first, you don't see such a big upfront cost, because you're slowly replacing parts... one by one... again, acknowledging that laptops currently cost more overall.

but that cost affords mobility. with the "desktop replacement" type laptops being the least mobile (well, they're huge and heavy)... but still mobile.

[oozma]

Laptops are extremely nice for college

[TalonX]

Good point goobers. But a reason I dont like laptops is if you have display conflict or say the video adapter or LCD screen burn out guess what. You gotta pay for it to be replaced and pay for labor. Where as if its your desktop and you have even a minimal comp. experience You can replace it yourself and save so much money.


To bad laptop parts are hard to come by depending on the type or else I would use my laptop more often. Althought the only repairs i did were time consuming. I had to take it apart and fix the power supply jack connected to motherboard. It was given to me for free from my neighbor on the condition that i fix it.
Soldering in tight spaces like a laptop isn't fun:sweat:

"Just thought I would add that in there for no reason"