[esmb12]

I want to get a wireless laptop. I have heard many things about the Vista operating system and Gates came out last week talking about Windows 7. What should I do?

Also I want a wireless router that will go walls and ceiling, what would be a good one?

Thanks,

Mary

[TerryNet]

"What should I do?"

Decide what you want/need based on affordability and your expected use. If you've heard/believe really bad things about Vista you can hurry and still get XP (at least from some manufacturers for another month or two). If you've heard/believe good things about Vista, or realize that it is the current Windows version and will remain so for several years, get the Vista version that best fits your needs and pocketbook. Windows 7 is now expected to be released in 2010 and history indicates that will morph to 2012, so if you are in no hurry you could wait for it.


"... wireless router that will go walls and ceiling"

What does that mean? Climb walls and hang from the ceiling?

[esmb12]

Originally Posted by TerryNet

"What should I do?"

Decide what you want/need based on affordability and your expected use. If you've heard/believe really bad things about Vista you can hurry and still get XP (at least from some manufacturers for another month or two). If you've heard/believe good things about Vista, or realize that it is the current Windows version and will remain so for several years, get the Vista version that best fits your needs and pocketbook. Windows 7 is now expected to be released in 2010 and history indicates that will morph to 2012, so if you are in no hurry you could wait for it.


"... wireless router that will go walls and ceiling"

What does that mean? Climb walls and hang from the ceiling?

I will need to use the new laptop upstairs, in other rooms and out on the porch. I need one that will work good. Are there any good one's out there? I know very little about this.

Thanks,

Mary

[alwrmc]

Get your laptop of choice with Vista or XP. I would suggest Vista. Others would disagree. It's a matter of personal opinion. I would however suggest that you avoid any recommendations that include the word "sux" with no further explanation. As for wireless routers. Linksys makes very good routers (I have one) but so do several others. Belkin, Netgear, D-Link for example). Range is what you are looking for so I suggest you go with one of the newer wireless "N'" routers. Walmart has one for about $89 (Linksys WRT160N) if you have access to their stores. The wireless "N" supposedly provide slightly greater range. My router (WRT54G) takes a signal out to my back patio and with a signal strength of "good" to "very good". That is a straight line distance of approximately 50 feet. That signal in a straight line must pass thru 5 walls and a thermal pane french door. I have never walked around the house to check beyond that. Range will depend upon the placement of the router itself, the obstacles between it and your laptop and the material that the obstacles are made of that the signal must pass thru. You are not likely to get any guarantees on range, just guesses and estimates. Inidentally I have used that laptop in locations where the signal strength was reported as "very low" and still had very acceptable response. I would not try online gaming with it however (smile).

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by esmb12

I will need to use the new laptop upstairs, in other rooms and out on the porch. I need one that will work good. Are there any good one's out there? I know very little about this.

Thanks,

Mary

Most any laptop will work. We have 2 Sony's with Vista Home premium and 2 GIGs of RAM. We have taken them to many places and had NOT had issues with connecting to a wireless network.

Do NOT get Home Basic, or anything with less than 2 GIGs of RAM.

[TerryNet]

I agree entirely with the previous two posts. Additional: I have a nothing special 'g' router and adapters and get good to excellent signal anywhere in the house (except directly through the refrigerator compressor) and outside (except through the garage and a car). But that's a maximum of one ceiling and two walls of "typical" composition.

Metal or concrete (including steel siding that some people have) kill Wi-Fi.

I've had good experience with a 3 1/2 year old Dell XP with Intel adapter and 1/2 year old HP Pavilion Vista Home Premium with Broadcom adapter.

If you haven't used a laptop before, or maybe even if you have, go into a store and "try out" various ones imagining the various ways you will use it. A desktop replacement with 17" or larger screen is really great--until you lug it to the patio or farther. An ultra-portable is great for carrying--but not so good for typing and looking at the screen. I find a 15.4 inch screen to be a good trade-off.

[esmb12]

Thank you,

Mary

[esmb12]

Originally Posted by TerryNet

I agree entirely with the previous two posts. Additional: I have a nothing special 'g' router and adapters and get good to excellent signal anywhere in the house (except directly through the refrigerator compressor) and outside (except through the garage and a car). But that's a maximum of one ceiling and two walls of "typical" composition.

Metal or concrete (including steel siding that some people have) kill Wi-Fi.

I've had good experience with a 3 1/2 year old Dell XP with Intel adapter and 1/2 year old HP Pavilion Vista Home Premium with Broadcom adapter.

If you haven't used a laptop before, or maybe even if you have, go into a store and "try out" various ones imagining the various ways you will use it. A desktop replacement with 17" or larger screen is really great--until you lug it to the patio or farther. An ultra-portable is great for carrying--but not so good for typing and looking at the screen. I find a 15.4 inch screen to be a good trade-off.

I have a sunroom made out of Alum. Would the router not work in there?

[TerryNet]

Pretty sure that aluminum can be a problem. But if it's a sunroom is has a lot of open (window) space, doesn't it?

[Rich-M]

You can buy a router with a stronger signal, or buy a booster later but personally, I would buy the best router you can afford and you will have less difficulty with receiving the signal. This router has almost doubled my signal for a $70 Dlink router.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833124081

[alwrmc]

Take a look at where you would actually place the router. I would suggest it be placed higher than most desk surfaces. Mine is about 6 feet from the floor. Next walk around your home/office and consider the places that you are likely to be using the laptop. Then imagine a straight line from the router to that location. What is the distance? What obstacles/walls/furniture etc will the signal be passing through? For example, as I stated in my previous post, my signal passes through 5 walls to reach the patio where I occasionally (rarely actually) use the laptop. Those walls are wood framed and covered with sheetrock/dry wall. The living room where I am much more likely to sit and use the laptop is only 2 walls, one of which is also faced with a large unit housing a CD and DVD collection. My signal strength there is usually "excellent". If your situation is similar to mine you likely will receive similar or perhaps better signals. Depending upon the distance and the thickness of the sunroom I suspect that your laptop will operate there as well. The only way to tell for sure is to actually try it. I have 3 laptops that I use with my router. The main laptop normally sits about 4-5 feet from the router right here on my desk. I have another laptop for use with my guitars/bass equipment just across the room from the router. There is another older laptop in the next room that I use when I am on my excercise equipment for CD/DVD entertainment. They all work very well and I've had no problem with any of them. Our two desktop computers are connected to the router via ethernet cables.

[Rich-M]

Great plan alwrmc, the problem is most of what interferes with the signal you can't see. Buy a really good router and put it anywhere and it will work. Get a bargain , spend all that time and then replace it every few years when it drops dead is what I used to do. Now I can get my signal from a neighbor's house with the one I suggested. It's a learning process IMHO.

[coolguy204]

It depends, if you are just using this laptop for yourself and you want a little extra speed go with XP. But if multiple people happen to be using it, such as creating different user accounts for members of your family, then I would go with Vista, since it offers built in parental controls. (They actually work very well). Best of luck to you.

[TerryNet]

"Decide what you want/need based on affordability and your expected use."

I think this is a good time to remind you of that very first response I made to you. About 1/2 dozen of us have now given you a lot of good information and advice on factors to consider in making your decision.

Keep asking questions as they arise, but remember that you are the one who will live with your purchase decisions, so you will need to make them yourself.

Something that hasn't been directly addressed is your budget. For a router and laptop it makes a huge difference whether $2,000 is no problem or whether any dollar over $500 is going to hurt.

[esmb12]

Yes it has floor to ceiling windows.