Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

[yankees60]

So, regarding that Lenovo Chromebook I bought a while back -- I ended up going through 2 units before finally settling on one that didn't have a physical defect.

The first unit ended up having a wonky Alt key that wouldn't actuate properly about 1 out of every 10 times or so I pressed it. Not frequent enough for me to notice at first, but eventually I caught on that something was wrong.

The second unit ended up having a "wavy" trackpad. The trackpad sat too low in the chassis on the right side, had a large divot in the middle, then raised up to being slightly higher than the palmrest on the left side. Strange.

Finally, the third one (fingers crossed), seems okay.

Has Lenovo quality gone down, or am I just unlucky? Or maybe it's just the Thinkpad line that has the robust build quality?

I recently bought two used Lenovo laptops from EPC at eBay.

First one was $250. Second was $170.

Shocked at how powerful the CPUs are in them for being laptops and their costs.

[Smith1776]

I recently bought two used Lenovo laptops from EPC at eBay.

First one was $250. Second was $170.

Shocked at how powerful the CPUs are in them for being laptops and their costs.

Indeed, I might just buy myself a refurb Thinkpad. At my local computer store they're selling some decent ones with 11th gen Intel CPUs for just a few hundred bucks CAD.

[dualstow]

eh, I’ve been paying more like US$100 but thanks, Mountaineer.

[Jack Jones]

I recently bought two used Lenovo laptops from EPC at eBay.

First one was $250. Second was $170.

Shocked at how powerful the CPUs are in them for being laptops and their costs.

Indeed, I might just buy myself a refurb Thinkpad. At my local computer store they're selling some decent ones with 11th gen Intel CPUs for just a few hundred bucks CAD.

Thinkpad X40 was my favorite computer I ever owned.

[Smith1776]

Nice. The X series along with the T series are especially legendary.

The Lenovo Legion line (made for gaming), has a lot of the hallmarks of the Thinkpad line, but still doesn't have that "hewn from granite" feel.

[Smith1776]

I was thinking of picking up one of these at my local big box retailer.

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX00135097

A very decent price (for Canada).

[yankees60]

I was thinking of picking up one of these at my local big box retailer.

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX00135097

A very decent price (for Canada).

This is where I bought my two Lenovo's where I know someone else did.

How do prices there compare to what you have here?

https://www.ebay.com/str/epcpennsylvani ... 5b7e65657a

[Smith1776]

I was thinking of picking up one of these at my local big box retailer.

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX00135097

A very decent price (for Canada).

This is where I bought my two Lenovo's where I know someone else did.

How do prices there compare to what you have here?

https://www.ebay.com/str/epcpennsylvani ... 5b7e65657a

Comparable-ish. Of note is that the Thinkpad I shared is a manufacturer refurb with a warranty that is identical to a new unit. Not sure about the ones in your link there.

[yankees60]

I was thinking of picking up one of these at my local big box retailer.

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX00135097

A very decent price (for Canada).

This is where I bought my two Lenovo's where I know someone else did.

How do prices there compare to what you have here?

https://www.ebay.com/str/epcpennsylvani ... 5b7e65657a

Comparable-ish. Of note is that the Thinkpad I shared is a manufacturer refurb with a warranty that is identical to a new unit. Not sure about the ones in your link there.

They came in a box that said authorized Microsoft refurbisher. The warranty is whatever it says in the eBay ad. I generally don't pay a lot of attention to warranties because I don't like sending anything anywhere.

[Smith1776]

They came in a box that said authorized Microsoft refurbisher. The warranty is whatever it says in the eBay ad. I generally don't pay a lot of attention to warranties because I don't like sending anything anywhere.

Totally fair. I hate sending my gear off too! I never know if i'm going to get it back haha.

[dualstow]

I

Re your post in b’h, Vinny, I am so envious of your reading speed. A 300-page book in a couple hours?! Do you retain it?
If I were you I’d read a book a day and I’d be in heaven.

[yankees60]

I

Re your post in b’h, Vinny, I am so envious of your reading speed. A 300-page book in a couple hours?! Do you retain it?
If I were you I’d read a book a day and I’d be in heaven.

I retain it no less than if I read it more slowly.

My all-time record was 39 books in 27 days. Was on a bus trip of the United States. Every other day we'd be traveling on the bus for 8-12 hours. I preferred to read books rather than socialize with the other people on the bus so would read 2-3 books a day on those every other days. Back then we had cassette tapes so I was also listening to music on those cassette tapes while reading.

I also remember that just before we left a got about 16-20 cassette tapes on investing. I sat next to my CPA friend and he and i listened to all of those and discussed them some.

[dualstow]

I can’t read on the bus either. I get carsick.
I can only imagine how many books you’ve read in 70+ years.

[yankees60]

I can’t read on the bus either. I get carsick.
I can only imagine how many books you’ve read in 70+ years.

By the time I got my driver's license I was lost 1 mile from my house because as soon as I got in the family car my head went down to read and it did not come up until we got to the destination. So, I had ZERO conception of anything in between our driveway and how we got there.

My father supported this habit by providing me with a light for the back seat so I could continue to read for any night time driving that we did.

In third grade I read an entire book under the covers with a flashlight.

Someone aptly said of me, "for Vinny, reading is breathing."

Hence why I generally eschew having on any videos that require me to actually look at them while not also engage in reading of some form. Of course, watching a TV show or a movie is an exception for that as that is what I'm choosing to do and not in the background such as I am doing this right now with a radio is playing music. yesterday's NBC Meet the Press is on this computer, and MSNBC is on my TV.

[Xan]

Completely tangential: your mention of Meet the Press reminded me of the music "The Mission" by John Williams. It was commissioned by NBC News in 1985. The first movement contains the iconic trumpet fanfare used for the nightly news, and the fourth and final movement was (still is?) used as the theme for Meet the Press. I'm not sure what they ever did with the other two.

In any case, it's great music.

[yankees60]

Completely tangential: your mention of Meet the Press reminded me of the music "The Mission" by John Williams. It was commissioned by NBC News in 1985. The first movement contains the iconic trumpet fanfare used for the nightly news, and the fourth and final movement was (still is?) used as the theme for Meet the Press. I'm not sure what they ever did with the other two.

In any case, it's great music.

I've been listening to it and all the other Sunday News Shows since 2005 when I got my first (portable) XM satellite receiver, which allowed you to record up to six hours of material.

Each Sunday night at midnight C-Span radio would rebroadcast them all with no commercials. I'd then later listen to them twice during the week wherever I was.

After I stopped with XM radio .. I've been going online to play them through this computer (This Week With George S. on now).

[dualstow]

I can’t read on the bus either. I get carsick.
I can only imagine how many books you’ve read in 70+ years.

By the time I got my driver's license I was lost 1 mile from my house because as soon as I got in the family car my head went down to read and it did not come up until we got to the destination. So, I had ZERO conception of anything in between our driveway and how we got there.

I had to read the above paragraph twice to realize you weren’t driving the car with your head in a book.
I *still* don’t know where anything is. My sense of direction is nonexistent, except when it’s the opposite of the correct answer.

[dualstow]

Completely tangential: your mention of Meet the Press reminded me of the music "The Mission" by John Williams. It was commissioned by NBC News in 1985. The first movement contains the iconic trumpet fanfare used for the nightly news, and the fourth and final movement was (still is?) used as the theme for Meet the Press. I'm not sure what they ever did with the other two.

In any case, it's great music.

Code: Select all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9VJ1GfWwg0

Great music indeed. My friend interviewed him, so I guess I’m one degree of separation. I love his music.

There’s a guy here with a Nick Nolte avatar (handle: Vagrant?). I might be remembering this wrong, but I think he posted about how bond king Bill Gross of of PIMCO had a dispute with neighbors and it came out — also tangential — that Gross loves Gilligan’s Island.
Back when John Williams was “Jonny”, he did the music for the show