[sf-lug] zareason advice about laptops

[Michael Shiloh]

i would always try to buy from zareason because they are Good People 
doing Good Work.

disclosure: i like them

i suspect also that linux users tend to take better care of their 
laptops, in terms of software, hardware, and mechanical upkeep.

e.g. there was an excellent tip (i think on this list) not to carry 
laptops by one corner, as this caused mechanical stress for which the 
unit was not designed. after reading this, i mended my ways. nothing 
particularly linux-related, but possibly part of our makeup.

another tip pointed out that heat is the big battery killer, and that 
the screen is a big heat generator. thus, avoiding closing the lid while 
the screen is on is a good idea.

by the way, i read the original post with interest. that's something 
that should be posted to (e.g.) the make blog, IMHO. i'm using a t60 
with some 4-5 years on it, and while i wouldn't say no to something 
lighter and faster, i am immensely happy with this machine. i welcome 
articles that help us get the most out of what we have (not just tech) 
and less about trying to sell the latest whatever.

(my cellphone is about 7 years old)

m

On 06/18/2010 12:50 AM, Chris Mason wrote:
> That's pretty great that they didn't try and sell you a new laptop, as
> (stereotype incoming) most vendors would.
>
> The general trend for HP/Dell/etc laptops is that they fail 6 months
> to a year after the standard 3 year warranty runs out. I suspect this
> is not completely a coincidence. It reminds me of the old Ford/Chevy
> trend of cars failing after 100k miles. Toyota forced them away from
> this business model.
>
> I decided long ago that, if I ever need a laptop, I will purchase from them.
>
> One challenge they face is that (stereotype incoming) Linux users tend
> to be more frugal than others. It's wise on their part that they
> embrace this, and focus on brand loyalty instead.
>
>
> Chris
>
> On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 9:41 PM, jim<jim at well.com>  wrote:
>>
>>
>>    lately i've become worried about my two-to-three year old
>> zareason laptop and sent email to zareason asking if they
>> could help me pick something from their current line as a
>> replacement. earl malmrose replied with some very helpful
>> information:
>>
>> "Thanks for checking in with us. Your laptop should have a good amount
>> of life left in it. Something simple like a dead keyboard can easily
>> (and affordably) be replaced. The primary weak spot on almost all
>> laptops is the screen hinge. Keep an eye on that.
>>
>> "Another weak spot long-term is the hard drive. Fortunately most
>> failures are gradual. If you have an up-to-date Ubuntu, the Disk
>> Utility is really good at monitoring the hard drive health. When the
>> hard drive is near failure, it will notify you. Don't ignore the
>> warnings if they pop up.
>>
>> "And finally, backup backup backup. I swear by DropBox. Put all your
>> important files in the DropBox folder, then whenever you connect to
>> the Internet, it syncs/backups everything in the DropBox folder. No
>> manual effort. Automatic. That's my kind of system. 2 to 3 GB of
>> storage is free, or you can upgrade to 50 GB of storage for $10/mo. It
>> even stores old versions/deleted files/etc. that can easily be
>> retrieved like a month later.
>>
>> "SD cards and flash drives have virtually no wear levelling features.
>> Don't depend on them lasting with frequent writes. Go ahead and use
>> them for weekly or monthly backups.
>>
>> "--Earl Malmrose  www.zareason.com
>>
>> "We also have some forums started at  zareason.com/forums
>> You can post questions there."
>>
>> JS: I'm using ubuntu 10.04; I didn't bother looking at
>> the System>  Administration>  Disk Utility until after
>> reading earl's email. Wow! I like it!
>>
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Sent from my ASR-33