Get Vista in new notebook or wait a while?

Thanks again for all your suggestions. I got derailed onto another purchase I needed to make---now back to focusing on the laptop quest. I still think I'll get this Dell. Still debating a bit about whether to drop extra money to have 667 MHz CPU & RAM instead of 533 MHz---but will probably go for the faster speed, does this sound smart?

And---assuming I do order the Dell e1705---could you guys offer some suggestions after I get it on how to get rid of bloatware? I wouldn't have much idea how to do that, how to tell what I really need and what I don't.

 

Hey Berek-Halfhand---

That is pretty much EXACTLY the notebook I ended up ordering. I really couldn't wait a month or two, but did end up getting the same specs you recommend, except that I ordered the Draft N Wireless card (in hopes of better compatibility if 802.11n is the standard) and also chose PC-cillin (which had sadly gone from a 36-mo option to a 15-mo option by the time I bought) over Norton, especially after the salesperson told me it can be very tough to uninstall Norton. I dithered a lot over the extra GB of RAM at 667 MHz because it jacked the price up by $285 over the base price (and I did use the highest base price, that was definitely the cheapest way to go in the end---and I used the 20% off coupon, thank you again, was that DigitalWanderer?, for that tip!) but decided ultimately that I'd be sorry later if I didn't get the 2 GB @ 667 (and yes, I did also get the T7200 CPU @ 667). Total price was a bit under $2200 including tax, delivery was free. OUCH, but, hopefully it will last me a while (and I'm not a gamer although I know my 9-yr-old son will want to play some games---hoping he won't get too hardcore for a while---).

So---my notebook is on its way, due here tomorrow.

And now I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations on wireless routers? We have an older Mac as well as my new notebook to hook up, and cable modem. I'll look through the threads, see if there are votes on wireless routers, wireless mice and keyboards---I know there's a thread on all-in-one printer/scanner/copier/fax machines---

any advice welcome though.

 

Thanks, Berek-H----

That router on Ebay was gone but I'll try to look it up other ways.

A general networking question---which maybe I ought to ask elsewhere on this forum---

Can you have both a hardwired router AND a wireless router coming off the same cable modem box? Or the wireless router from the ethernet router? We have 2 8-yr-old desktop computers (a Dell and a Mac) that we would prefer to leave hardwired---at the very least we want the older Dell hooked up although we could sacrifice use of the Mac---and then my new Dell laptop which I definitely want wireless. Can we somehow hook all these into our one Comcast cable modem box? Right now we have a D-Link ethernet router.

If they have to all be wireless if the laptop is wireless, are there wireless cards for those old computers that would work, given that my new Dell has a Draft N Wireless card to be compatible w 802.11n technology?

And---just to complicate things---how could I throw a new AIO printer into the mix in a sensible way? Mostly it would be printing off the two Dells.

Thanks, one and all---I know my questions are very basic for this forum---

 

Hi Dave... I AM that mother. Ha! "What's this vista," yup, that's about my speed. If I ever get out the door and get a router and get my new Dell fired up, I'll let you know how it flies in the "what's this vista" set. Trust me, you'll never hear me use the word "overclocking" in a sentence without 5 question marks at the end.

Digital---what's the main diff between vista premium & ultimate?

 

So, now that I'm really researching wireless routers, I'm sorry I got the Draft N wireless card in my new Dell laptop, because apparently all the Draft N wireless routers suck. Can I have that card taken out or will I have to use an adapter if I get a non-Draft N router? How many older routers work with Vista?

My house is a 3-story w very thick walls and my router has to be on the 3rd floor, and I'll often want to use my laptop where there is actual heat in the house, ie, the first 2 floors. And, I still want to be able to hook up my old dinosaur Dell with Windows 98 on it, as a hardwired connection.

Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with:

the Netgear RangeMax 240 (WPNT834)?

the D-Link DGL-4300 GamerLounge Wireless 108G Gaming router?

the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband router with SRX200 WRT54GX2? (Berek, was this the one you said was decent?)

the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54?

the Belkin Wireless Pre-N Router (F5D8230-4) (no longer available new but maybe used?)

Thanks, all feedback welcome.

 

Geo, you're right, it is. Thanks for suggesting I look that up. Now just have to decide which router.

 

Hey all,

Finally ready to actually TURN ON my new e1705 laptop, I know, it's been days. My question today:

What do you all recommend getting rid of as bloatware, on a typical Dell? And how do you get rid of it? I feel as if I've seen people say "of course I just reinstalled it (or wiped it?) clean" but I don't really know what that means. Should I reinstall the OS (Vista Home Premium)?

All I really need is the MS Works suite that I got, as a CD, so could install that after doing whatever I should be doing first to clean things out.

If there's another forum you all would recommend, for low-tech questions like mine, feel free to point me there, I know the people on this forum are way beyond my tech abilities. Thanks.

Oh, and I ended up buying a Linksys WRT54GL wireless router, in case I get brave enough to try to install DD-WRT on it one of these days, and also got an HP Photosmart C6180 Q8181A AIO printer, which got good reviews on both newegg and cnet, newegg had it on sale for $229. So those are on the way. Not sure I'll be able to hook up my dinosaur Dell (Win 98) on the new network, and if not, may need to buy a bare-bones desktop PC for my husband, we can use my new laptop for the more-fun stuff.