Wireless and OS Problem

I used to have an old Toshiba Satellite 1800 myself, and it was never anything but slow. I added more RAM and a faster processor, which helped a little, but this was PIII technology. Of course, I don't know if yours is as old as mine was. Mine had a sticker that said "Designed for Windows 95". No sir, I suspect that the problem is simply that your laptop is old, and that technology has left it far behind.

As far as OSes are concerned, while 2K was a pretty good OS it's pretty much outdated by now, and ME was a nightmare to be avoided at all cost, I've yet to find any wireless card that I could make work with anything less than XP. Indeed my frustrations with trying to get a wireless card to work with my old Toshiba had a lot to do with my switching from 98SE to XP Pro.

The best advice I can give you sir is to retire your Toshiba and look for something a bit newer. Something with at the very least a Pentium M or Turion64. I have an IBM ThinkPad T40 which still gives excellent service in spite of being seven years old, and I suspect that next to your Toshiba it is a blinding flash and a deafening report. Such laptops can often be found on eBay for less than $200, and much more modern ones for less than $500.

Have you given any thought to trying one of the Linux distros? My experience is that Ubuntu works quite well on older hardware, and generally recognizes such things as wireless cards as soon as you load it. Furthermore, older generations of the Linux OS's are generally available, if there seems to be a problem with the latest versions. Linux on older hardware is generally much faster than the Microsoft family, although there does seem to be a slight trend to bloating the latest versions...

Check how many processes are running when you first boot to Windows XP (Ctrl-Alt-Delete). I have 42 with CPU usage running 0-2%. You can also look at performance to see CPU usage over time. Then check you Hard Drive. If you are idle you should see the access light blink only occasionally. Finally a freeware program I like to use that cleans your drive and registry and fixes the registry called "CCLEANER" google this site and download. No adware or viruses they also have a "DEFRAG" program that is free and this will speed up your HD. If it is slow booting up that is to many useless programs begin to run and you will see some of them in your system tray bottom right of your screen. CCLEANER has a startup page which tells you what gets loaded. Either delete or disable if you are not sure to remove those programs that you do not need to load. You can always run them manually when you need them. After doing all of this check how fast you boot and run programs and stay below 45 processes running if possible. Increase Ram to 4Gb and make sure you have enough swap space and Internet buffer. With enough care your computer can run at top speed if you keep it clean. Hope I helped you.

I had a Toshiba 1905 P4 satellite laptop designed for XP, it was a desktop replacement model but on a good day from boot to getting online took eight minutes, how do you define slow? Compared to the current model's time frame of about 15 seconds if I drag my feet at sign-on

Your old faithful may not cut it with todays internet graphic demands upon the CPU, RAM and graphics engine. You've a fine candle but you need a halogen spotlight...

Such an old computer cannot be used to run XP well, its simply too old/slow.

It will probably work fine with Win2K or Win98SE, but with these OSs, you cannot safely go online even with antivirus software....as the good antivirs software will slow the machine down again.....

These old computers are only useful for writing letters, driving CNC machines or moving Robots.

About the only possible way you can go online with it is to install a good, up to date Linux system, but not being an "online" Linux person (yet!), I cannot say more than that.

There are plenty of magazines around and forums online eventually, read everything you can about Linux and which is probably the best for your machine.....get some extra memory if its very low as well......

If you want to stay with Windows, buy something far more modern.....and unless you travel a lot, do not buy a laptop as for the same money they are 50% slower than a same price PC and much more difficult to repair or provide add-ons....

As I have noted in my previous reply, there are a number of good reasons to keep old equipment alive and functional, and Linux seems very adept at accomplishing this. Ubuntu has a "Lite" version, Xubuntu, specifically addressing the problem of "hardware-challenged" systems. I have found, personally, that computers challenged to run XP in it's latest incarnation, do quite well with Ubuntu. There will be limitations, of course. And I have the distinct impression that Ubuntu is following the same business model as MS, bloating their latest versions with a lot of unnecessary "features" that really add nothing to the general functionality of the system. It seems the computer industry (software and hardware developers alike) have no concept of how people use computers- well, OK, maybe I use them a little different that, say, your Grandmother, but it is not difficult to optimize a system for a particular application. Not all of us need screamingly fast video renditions because not all of us are in to the latest gaming fads. I still run a 10 year old computer in my lab with Windows 98SE because it WORKS. Back in the 98SE days, one had the option of "customizing" the installation- only installing those elements that you need for that particular installation. That is a feature that seems to have been lost- it is either all or nothing these days. The multiple versions of Vista and Windows 7 is not quite the same thing- I see that I might want features available only in the Home edition, and other features available in the Pro edition, but, in actuality, what I really want is the starter edition, because 90% of what is packaged with the operating system I will never use.

One other feature of Linux- if you have enough disc space, you can load it in a "dual boot" configuration, without altering your Windows installation, to try out various versions to see how compatible they are with your hardware and usage requirements. Youu may find that some hardware component that you can not get working under Windows just works with Linux, without spending hours trying to track down an appropriate driver. Or you can run many Linux distros from a "LiveCD" without even loading the system on the computer (but with some sacrifice of performance). ince all it costs you to try out a particular distro of Linux is the time to download the disc image from the internet, you can explore all the different distros to your heart's content, without running up a major bill for software.

Another option- there are generally alternatives to things like Internet Explorer that can provide enhanced performance, even when run under Windows- Chrome and Firefox web browsers, for example. I am not familiar with Internet Explorer 8, but I do know that both Firefox and Chrome under Windows XP are lightning fast compared to IE6 or IE7. And I can not comment on Vista or Windows 7, although my gut feel is that these versions of Windows are inappropriate for older hardware.

Actually, I tried to run the Windows 7 beta on my T40. At the time, it had a 1.5MHz Pentium M Banias processor and 512 megs of RAM, and it just was not up to it. After a few days it began running hot and hanging up, and it never could run the Aero desktop environment. Shortly thereafter I upgraded it to a 1.7MHz Dothan and 1 gig, but I never quite had the courage to try it with Windows 7 again.

On the other hand, my Dell Inspiron e1505 with a T2300, 2 gigs and Intel GMA 950 ran W7 with no trouble at all. In fact, it may have been a bit faster with 7 than with XP.

I just acquired a very nice condition T61 off eBay for less than $400 upon which I will be installing W7-64 as soon as I get the discs. I don't expect that to have any trouble with it either.

Bottom line, in the Windows world anyway, is that for newer hardware, W7 is the way into the future. For older hardware, XP is, was and ever shall be. But for anything older and slower than maybe a gigahertz PIII with at least 512 megs RAM, Linux is pretty much your only option. Yes, XP will run on the older hardware, but it will never be anything but slow. And as you and others have observed, going online with the older Windows OSes is cybernetic suicide.

You made a good, well thought out, accurate and informative Post.

You also ignored (correctly!) Vista, which is also great. Anyone that uses Vista is simply asking for eventual trouble!!! Sooner or later!!

Therefore GA from me.

I hope a few others here take it to heart.....they will save themselves a lot of agravation!!

PS. The older models can either be used completely offline with either Win98SE/Win2K or online too with a good version of Linux!!! Don't throw them away.

Actually sir, I have to differ with you on the subject of laptops. For 24 years I have built desktop machines and, in the last few years have switched completely to laptops. I like the fact that they use a lot less electricity than desktop machines, and are every bit as powerful as all but the most cutting edge work stations and gaming machines. Plus, when you add in the freedom of not being chained to a desk, laptops look even better.

As to cost, yes, modern laptops can be pricey, but then so can modern desktops. Indeed a cutting edge work station can easily go for more than $10K. On the other hand, a full house laptop is unlikely to set you back more than $3K. It's also worth pointing out that a 15 inch laptop screen in your lap subtends a greater angle than a 26 inch screen on your desktop.

Furthermore, last years models can be had for absurdly low prices. I just acquired an 18 month old Lenovo T61, and a very high-level model at that, for less than $400 on eBay. And, I have recently seen a Lenovo W500, which is an absurdly powerful machine and very nearly the perfect engineer's laptop, on eBay for less than $1000.

Now I will concede that it does take a bit more technical savvy to service a laptop than a desktop, and they are a bit more limited when it comes to upgrading. However, installing a faster CPU, adding more RAM, or putting in a faster wireless card or bigger hard drive are still fairly simple matters. And, in all those years of servicing my clients desktop machines, I have never once done more than that, and seldom even that much, unless I was building an all new machine.

If (as you appear to be) are very computer savvy, and the repair costs, even just for parts (provided they are even available) is OK from time to time, then yes a (even an older one. I possess 2 older models myself, and still use them but only offline!) laptop is fine.

But for the average Joe, they are a bad choice, I could list several cases that I know about that would/should put most sensible people completely off. Mainly cheaper models from cheaper companies.....guarantee? Whats that!!

I was addressing the average Joe.....not you as I now know you are CS!

Our comments are read by many, therefore they must also address the many, not the few....its simply safer that way!!

BUT owning a laptop is the modern way....in spite of all its negative aspects....

"You can lead a horse to water, but it has to drink alone!"

Happy 2010.

You are absolutely right sir. Buying a laptop computer, especially a used laptop, is not for the the uninitiated. Far too many laptops, especially "consumer" grade machines, are cheaply made and poorly supported, and most do not live more than 2-4 years. Too many people buy one of the many very old laptops I've seen advertised on eBay or in pawn shops (some with PII and PIII CPUs, 128megs of RAM and 10gig and smaller drives!), thinking they've gotten a great buy, when what they've really purchased is someone's cast off junk. And even a new machine can be no real bargain if it's poorly made to begin with.

When I made the switch to laptops, I purchased several such machines. I remember an Acer and an HP in particular, both brand new and neither of which lived for a month beyond their warranty.

Since then, I have taken to reading reviews of any machine I even consider acquiring, lots of reviews. I have learned that there are really only two marques out there that are consistently well made and long lived, and these are the only two marques I use myself and steer people towards when they ask me my opinion. Those being Apple's MacBooks and Lenovo's T-series ThinkPads.

These two marques have been slugging it out for top-dog status for years now, and neither has spared any expense to build the very best laptops money can buy. Both are very expensive to buy new, but are solidly built of the very best components money can buy and nearly tough enough to pound nails with. I personally have a 7 year old T40 that is still going strong, and I know of people with equally old Macs that are still doing yeoman service.

I apologize if this seems like an advertisement, but as you say, our remarks are read by a great many people, many of whom are seeking advice on just these matters. And if my remarks steer one person away from an old junk-pile laptop and to a 3 year old T60 or MacBook Pro, then I have done a good thing.

I have had about 12 laptops up to now, mainly Toshiba, some I have kept and are all 3 still working. They were all between $2000 - $3500 new. this one I have I bought myself and costed $2000 with desk port.

Only one Toshiba model was bad, it had a cheap/slow chip in the PCMCIA socket that made it difficult to run a particular hardware/software tester at full speed.... Toshi took all 60 of them back when we pointed that out and replaced them with new ones at no extra cost (2004?)......

It does not matter how old a Toshie is, all spares are still made and available, but not cheap....

My very first laptop was a Toshiba, the one I mentioned earlier with the sticker that said "Engineered for Windows 95". Last I heard it was still in service late last year. Amazingly tough little machine.

I have owned 7 laptops myself and like you I still have three of them. Two ThinkPads and a Dell. The Dell is 3 years old and well cared for, but has a broken hinge that isn't worth fixing. The T40 has seen 7 years of hard service and is in amazing condition. The T61 is 18 months old, still under warranty and looks new. It just arrived on Tuesday.

One point of difference. I haven't bought a new machine since the HP that died a month after it went out of warranty. But then, I do know the hardware and know what I'm looking at when I look at a used machine. Too many people don't.

The last sentence said it all!!

Laptops today generally lack a very, very important feature for some of us engineers- the RS232 interface. USB just doesn't match with old RS232 for versatility. I also miss the old Centronics interface...Both of these are still standard on a typical desktop. When one does a lot of field test and measurement, these old interfaces would be nice to have...

I have to agree.

My (relatively) new laptop doesn't have a printer port, but surprisingly it does have a 9 pin COM: port!!

It dooes also have a dual PCMCIA socket(s) and I could expand it with a Plugin printer port for little money if and when I need one.....which is eminently possible as eventually I will be using it on CNC with Linux....

I used to have a couple of old IBM Thinkpads that finally developed too many faults to be repaired locally- a shame, because that was my idea of the perfect field computer. I recently read an article about "selecting the perfect laptop" that discussed nothing but form factor- nothing about capabilities, nothing about performance. What materials are the case made from? What sort of fancy decoration? How big the screen? Nothing about anything that had to do with actually getting some work done...Is this how people buy computers today?

Pretty much. *Sigh* And the sad part is, too many people just don't listen when guys like us try to explain.

Years ago I read an apocryphal story about a letter which a Japanese diplomat here in the U.S. had written to a friend back in Japan. He wrote that he had watched in sheer, gibbering terror as an American company had ripped out a six month old plant to upgrade with newer and more productive tooling. He knew that Japan was preparing to attack, and he told his friend "We cannot defeat these people!"

My point is that we must be willing always to embrace the newest technologies, lest we become dinosaurs ourselves. Yes, I miss Windows 3.1 and Netscape Navigator 3.0. My faithful T40 has been retired to a place of honor as a back-up, and will be remembered fondly, but it just cannot keep up with the T61 that has replaced it. The simple reality is that time has marched on and left these things behind! I love old things, but we must march on. Otherwise, we ourselves will be left upon the ash-heap of history.