Need Help With My New Laptop!!!

Okay so I just got this Laptop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214040

and I find out that even though it is a lot better than my old desktop PC in terms of hardware in my old system:

Windows XP Media Center Edition SP3
AMD 3700+ 2.2 Ghz
Asus A8N Sli Premium
XFX 7800 GT 400 MHz
2 GB Corsair XMS RAM
250 GB 7200rpm Seagate Drive
600 Watt Seasonic Power Supply

It turns out that it is slow as hell. I don't know if it is the WIFI connection or the 5400rpm hard drive? It's just slow and somewhat unresponsive. I really wish I would have gotten a 7200rpm hard drive laptop the only problem is they are hard to find and usually when I find them it turns out that they were wrongfully advertised as 7200rpm. So I got one that is the typical 5400rpm hoping it wouldn't make a difference. Well it does and I'm pissed!

Another thing I was trying to do is bridge my internet connection from my desktop PC to my laptop using Ethernet. My router is currently using all the wired ports and I don't have an Ethernet cable long enough to reach it. I want to do this to see if the WIFI is what is slowing me down. My Desktop PC has two Ethernet ports and I plugged the second Ethernet port (first one being used for internet of course) into my laptop hoping to get internet connection through my desktop PC. I fiddled around with the network connection settings on both my desktop PC and laptop but I couldn't get it to work. So I'm looking around at laptops and I see really cheap ones that have 7200rpm:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157532

I'm thinking, damn, I should have done more research. I saw high end gaming laptops over $1000 that have 5400rpm hard drives. Are there really low end laptops running at 7200rpm or is this wrong information?

Well, first thing I can see is that the "integrated graphics" card is very slow, but beyond that I'm not sure what the issue is.

When you say it's "slow," what exactly, in as much detail as possible, is it doing to make you say it's slow?

Is it a new computer? - without knowing too much, it's a good bet that it's come pre-loaded with a whole lot of crap you wont use that will slow down proceedings.

and yeah, the specs don't really impress. I hope you aren't planning on using it for gaming.

No I'm not planning on gaming, that's why I got it. But even if I did game, are laptops very good for gaming? I think they get too hot for gaming. It is intended just for internet browsing, school work, and watching videos. I kinda wish I just would have shelled out another $200 so I could get an i5 model with a dedicated Nvidia card. I got this particular model because it came with a free web cam. I was playing around with it for awhile longer, it is not as slow as I thought. It has a lot of bloatware on it. People are telling me to reinstall the OS, but it didn't come with disks. I have to download and burn them. Can you install Windows 7 without a disk? I think I'm just going to leave it. Newegg only accepts replacements on opened laptops. I think I like Windows XP better, Windows 7 tries to be more innovative but I liked the simplicity of XP, SP3.

Install and run something like 'pc decrapifier' to get rid of all the pre-installed bloatware. I had a laptop with 'Windows 7 Starter' preloaded and the speed was horrendous due to all the crap the manufacturers put on.

A better option would be to just reinstall Win 7. Or XP. Or Ubuntu (my personal favourite system on a laptop where you don't need to do any gaming)

brash_stryker said:

...or Ubuntu (my personal favourite system on a laptop where you don't need to do any gaming)

 ^This! (have I done that right?) at least try it on a partition for a trial to see if you like it.

As I have posted elsewhere WINE will run most Windows programs but if you have a duel boot you know the software you are familiar with will still work.

If Internet Explorer is part of that family disown it immediately.

I have my laptop Hackintoshed at the moment (had ubuntu up until last week) Mainly running OSX on it right now because I need to pull my finger out and learn my way around it. Always finding myself switching to windows for regular use out of familiarity and it has to stop. Lol.

Depends if you were installing Ubuntu alongside Windows or instead of it. The install disk gives you that option. If you installed alongside, you'd get 2 boot options on startup. Ubuntu or Windows. And the Ubuntu operating system would reside on its own dedicated partition on your hard drive.

Still best to back up all your stuff just in case though.

HotRod said:

Being the sort of bloke who knows nothing about this sort of shit, would installing this 'ubuntu' mean that I would lose all my music (iTunes) and photos etc?!?!

If you follow the instructions you shouldn't lose a thing, making backups is always a good idea but that's a sensible general precaution, it's a fairly risk free activity.

You can even boot it from an install disc (as a taster/test) and if everything works in that manner then go down the duel boot route.

Just download the thing burn it to disc and boot up from it, it will be slower running on a CD but if you choose to install it, it will be lightning fast.

There's no Linux port of iTunes so you'd have to install it under WINE. If you're a novice though, I wouldn't recommend it. There are a lot of better alternatives to iTunes for Linux. I've always hated iTunes.

There isn't a Ubuntu version of iTunes but something like Rhythmbox (included in the install) will pick up your music straight away and you will still have iTunes on your Windows account.

Brash and myself seem to be echoing each other :-D

It's really no different from installing any Windows program.

And you don't even have to install it to try it just download it and put from your disc drive and give it a go.

That's no different from running a console game (minus the downloading bit obviously).

doubleofive said:

Ghostbusters, why don't you just get a Mac?

;-)

lol

 try Ubuntu without installing - it runs straight off the disc without altering your system, sure it's a little slow but it's worth it to check it out. You don't want to spend time installing it only to not like it or not use it.

It's also great as a diagnostic tool since you can boot from the disc and get access to your system should something go wrong. 

I'm not interested in Ubuntu. You all already know how much I love macs ;-). What do you think of my laptop? Do you think I got a good buy, remember I bought it when it came with a free webcam valued at $150? Where can I find a free version of Windows XP to install?

What hardware in a laptop do you recommend for a good gaming laptop? I already I asked this.

Ghostbusters said:

I'm not interested in Ubuntu. You all already know how much I love macs ;-). What do you think of my laptop? Do you think I got a good buy, remember I bought it when it came with a free webcam valued at $150? Where can I find a free version of Windows XP to install?

What hardware in a laptop do you recommend for a good gaming laptop? I already I asked this.

A legitimate "free" version of XP doesn't exist so I don't think it would be wise to advise you of where to find one on this forum.

As for whether it was good value, I have no idea what webcam this is, and whether it was actually worth $150. But it's all subjective as I'd never buy a webcam for that much, and would get one integrated into the laptop lid for convenience. Even the cam I have on my gaming PC is only a £10 one.

Have you considered making this laptop of yours a Hackintosh, considering you like Macs so much?

Why aren't you interested in Ubuntu GB (out of genuine interest)?

I've never used Ubuntu, I'm interested in installing it on my desktop PC, but not my laptop. I don't want to risk screwing it up.

If it's a new laptop you have less (if anything) to worry about and you will really feel the benefit more if you aren't using it for gaming and the like.

Just saying.