Quote:
Originally Posted by Army
For routers I'd stick with Linksys - they aren't as good as they used to be but they are usually less frustrating than any alternative.
A Panasonic tough book is indeed a truly lovely bit of kit. New ones cost a fortune - may be refurbished second hand items are cheaper where you are but I guess they will still be quite expensive.
I get the impression that buying computers is now a little bit like buying clothing:- People used to buy a really good expensive winter coat (for example) and expect it to last for 10 years. Now it is difficult to find a really good quality coat like you used to. Fashion is now disposable. You buy something for the season and then throw it away. Computers are a bit like that. You can't expect to buy a computer and expect it to last more than a few years. Even if the hardware is still working the software will have moved on - the internet will display wider and wider pages so you'll be scrolling from side to side. And if you are going to use MS products you'll probably need more and more hard disk space to store all of those corrective updates they love to produce. Try loading Windows Vista on a 8GB hard drive - try to do an update and see how much space you have left!
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I periodically search Ebay for the lease return Toughbooks, typically a decent way to gamble on a used laptop. Getting a used computer that was owned by a company and assigned to an employee, IMHO gives you a much better chance of getting one that has not been abused. I own 5 of them now, all business class, not the extreme rugged version. Bought 4 as a lot, and then a couple part machines (one which was untested and turned out to be perfectly functional
).
One word of caution, if you replace the HD on one of these, the touchscreen can be a real PITA to get functional again.