I deserved that. I meant I would not run more than two processor/memory intensive programs including the OS]at the same time. I found your info useful, as your experience/use far exceeds what the average home user would usually encounter.OhioBeachBum said:...except that when you think you're asking it to do just one "task", it's really doing dozens, each involving several thousand "things"... ;-)
I'll have to take a more detailed look when I get the time (as I mentioned earlier, I'm no longer a hands-on expert in the notebook arena). Ultimately I'd expect notable differences at a fundamental level with a price point difference in the 40%+ range, because (a) the overwhelming majority of the electronics in any of these boxes is more or less single-sourced and (b) computer manufacturers operate on notoriously thin margins, all things considered.
Generally, the bulk of what you're paying for in a machine (put the display aside for a moment) is the microprocessor & supporting chipsets. Desktop micros run (retail) from about $95 [CeleronD 2.8GHz 533MHz FSB 256K L2 cache] to $660 [P4 3.8GHz 800Mhz FSB 2M L2 cache] (there's another on the higher end at about $1100and a couple dozen on the lower end - older socket styles). Notebook micros run $99 [CeleronM 1.4GHz 400MHz FSB 1MB L2 cache] to $468 [Pentium M 2.1 GHz 533 FSB 2MB L2 cache]. Contrast: $461 buys a desktop micro P4 3.66GHz 800MHz FSB 2MB L2 cache.
All the technobabble numbers (+disk drive type/speed + memory type/speed) translate more or less to how fast the machine responds when you click the idiot rodent. I'm kinda picky in that department, since I use the machines mostly for work - the fewer of my finite number of heartbeats I spend doing work, the better.
I grew up knee-deep in manure myself. ;-) You'll do fine - no different than woodworking...Landlocked said:
3-1 says I'd b**** it up.Landlocked said:
It's unfortunately an exercise in memorization & regurgitation (as you've no doubt discovered by now) - and 8 months from now if you don't do a given xyz every day, you'll have to look it up in MSDN docs again anyway. ;-) Certs will get you through the door for a new gig easier, though - and some companies (mine's one) pay folks a bonus for passing a cert test (& pay for the test if you pass). Now I might could pass a Java cert test (part of what I do every day). Let me know how it sorts out, in case I ever find time to go there...
No ding intended... At home, I do the same thing as everybody else (mostly), I just have much less patience. ;-) And when I do have to go out an buy a new something, I'm pretty much in the same boat as everybody else - the landscape changes way too fast to keep track of it all.Bob said:
OhioBeachBum said:
Landlocked said:
... the Holy Grail - getting paid big bundles of $$ for doing what you enjoy ... I gotta find somebody who'll pay me to hang out on the beach! 
