A Survey of the Coast! [Was "Questionable keyboard&quot

QQ
edited February 2010 in Hardware
OK, I've solved the problem and completely backed up the hard disk on the new HP (Pavilion N5195). Now the existing installation is CRAP, so I need advice on what to put on instead. The specifications:

PIII @ ~700MHz
128MB (Expandable)
~20GB HD
S3 Video
10/100 and modem internal, generic-ish Linksys wireless PCMCIA
USB
An actually functional battery (with one spare)

-Q
OK, I just got a laptop and at least 3 keys on it are completely dead (EG. Pressing them with any degree of force completely fails to produce any response.

I've taken the keyboard off and looked at it and don't see any really obvious trouble (EG. Liquid stains), what should I do?

-Q

Comments

  • If you choose not to expand the memory, install a slim version of win 2K... If you choose to go to 256/512 then XP...

    This is similiar to the T21 I used to have and I had reasonable performance, though I never had 128M RAM...
  • I've dumped 2000 SP"5" on it and am installing the multitudinous updates on it now.

    -Q
  • Alright, me again. Does 256MB total make this XP-worthy?

    -Q
  • Yes, technically. A fresh install of XP Pro with non-essentials turned off uses only 70-90 megs of ram. But I'd stick with 2000 because of the small HD and slower CPU
  • XP works fine in 256, the footprint of 2000 is not all that different.
  • 2000 and XP ram uses arn't that different. Yea another 128 stick should make it able to handle xp alright. Not powehouse speed, but at an OK speed.
  • It can be made to run OK with 256 but it's hard. I spent a couple
    of months getting a new HP to run acceptably well for my mother's
    Christmas present and it would have been much better to have
    gotten more ram. XP with no service pacds used to run pretty
    well for me with only 128 but the service packs made it use more
    ram. Not much difference between 2000 and XP Pro but XP Home
    uses the least amount of ram I think.

    Thump
  • I'll try later today.

    -Q
  • I run XP SP1 with no issues on a 233 mhz PII with 96 mb RAM (my Thinkpad). Have the fisher-price stuff turned off though. Use Office 2003 too which actually requires 128 mb RAM but it works fine too.

    Of course I don't dare run CATIA or something on it, the computer would likely catch fire! Even on my main NetVista machine (850 mhz) it shakes when I click the icon for about 3 minutes before it comes up...
  • I've got XP on my 850MHz/256MB Dell Latitude, and I frequently run it at 700MHz... and it works great.
  • OK now you're all making me wonder. For a laptop of this vintage, will it improve via the use of XP on it?

    -Q
  • Wireless is *much* improved in XP. I dont think 2k has ClearType (but that just makes things more blurry!)... Cant think of anything else just yet.
  • Keep in mind, though, I don't have wireless.

    -Q
  • The real advantage with XP for me is drivers. Drivers drivers drivers. If you don't need 'em, go 2000. The reduction in frustration between the two is really what drove me to move to XP.

    With XPLite you can really cut down on the bloat as well.
  • XP Drivers work in 2K and visa versa.... the driver point is moot
  • Yea, but if it doesn't have the network drivers (Which 200 doesn't), you've got to do some stuff with a floppy.

    Anyway, anything else?

    -Q
  • Well, I'm STILL on this.

    Also, did anyone ever meet "SmaartAasSaabr" ?I remember them as coming in and posting now and again, but always as a guest. Much like ".", who came in about that often.


    -Q
  • I remember the . person always came in and posted in regards to the windes topics, but nothing more of that.
  • Oh god, windes. Who remembers winboy and how he worshiped windes bob?
  • BlueSun wrote:
    Oh god, windes. Who remembers winboy and how he worshiped windes bob?
    Yeah, though I think he was somewhat joking to an extent.
  • Yea. I also remember "LOL LMAO" I think we tried to ban him from doing that. I KNOW we banned name changed because of him.

    He was OK after a while. Especially after IBM stopped inciting him.

    -Q
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