Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
Look at yours and the picture to make sure it's correct, HP has a habit of making minor changes to parts but keeping the same part number
Can anyone recommend an old laptop?
- Thread starter Beachcomber
- Start date
@Beachcomber :-
Keep us posted as to when the new fan turns up. I'm pretty sure we can find an iFixit video or something similar that'll show you just what needs to be done. Fans are not hard to replace; the main thing when tearing any computer down is to be methodical about it; take your time, and make sure you know where everything you remove comes from!
It's handy to use small trays or saucers (or similar) to put all your screws in. Use more than one if you have different sized screws. Patience is very definitely an advantage when doing this sorta stuff.
Fixing this needs to be your first priority. We'll worry about getting you sorted out with a suitable Linux distro once this is done & dusted.
Mike.
Keep us posted as to when the new fan turns up. I'm pretty sure we can find an iFixit video or something similar that'll show you just what needs to be done. Fans are not hard to replace; the main thing when tearing any computer down is to be methodical about it; take your time, and make sure you know where everything you remove comes from!
It's handy to use small trays or saucers (or similar) to put all your screws in. Use more than one if you have different sized screws. Patience is very definitely an advantage when doing this sorta stuff.
Fixing this needs to be your first priority. We'll worry about getting you sorted out with a suitable Linux distro once this is done & dusted.
Mike.
Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
Either that or Cornwall, but we do have at least one zider drinking worzel basher on the board
OP
Beachcomber
New Member
Thanks both. I'll definitely double check it's the same fan before trying to replace it, and I'm guessing I'll probably need some guidance when it comes to the actual tinkering!
Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
Although it will be one of the first parts to remove, the battery on HP's can be a pig at times.to put back
@Beachcomber :-
It's better all round if people get fed-up with Windows of their own accord, come to the conclusion that there HAS to be a better way of doing things, decide they'd like to try Linux and THEN do the rounds of the Linux forums seeking assistance. This is when we try to help to the best of our abilities, since most of us DO appreciate the concept of "freedom" that Linux imparts, really enjoy using it.....and are happy to educate others about it.
Most fora tend to specialise in a particular distro (or family of distros).....but whilst we DO have specialist sub-forums here for those who already know what they want, we tend to be, first & foremost, a general Linux forum.....for helping anybody out with queries (especially if they really aren't sure how or where to start).
We just take it from there.
Mike.
As m'colleague says, "It's what we do". We're not 'evangelical' about it, either. I learnt a long while ago that there's precious little mileage in trying to 'persuade' confirmed Windows users of the benefits of using Linux! Most people are kinda 'set in their ways'; folks are comfortable with what they know, and are used to.....even if it does drive 'em crackers much of the time.
It's better all round if people get fed-up with Windows of their own accord, come to the conclusion that there HAS to be a better way of doing things, decide they'd like to try Linux and THEN do the rounds of the Linux forums seeking assistance. This is when we try to help to the best of our abilities, since most of us DO appreciate the concept of "freedom" that Linux imparts, really enjoy using it.....and are happy to educate others about it.
Most fora tend to specialise in a particular distro (or family of distros).....but whilst we DO have specialist sub-forums here for those who already know what they want, we tend to be, first & foremost, a general Linux forum.....for helping anybody out with queries (especially if they really aren't sure how or where to start).
We just take it from there.
Mike.
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OP
Beachcomber
New Member
Thanks KGIII, I didn't notice there was a laptop section.
No problem and no worries. I didn't even notice it myself. Someone filed a report to point out that it should probably be moved. So, I moved it. No harm, no foul. It's all good.
Years ago, I got online with Walmart and ordered a refurbished laptop. A Dell Lattitude e7240. Got it for under $200. I immediately defenestrated the windows and installed Ubuntu. I service a WISP system so I carry this thing around with me in all types of weather and it has never failed me.
My other laptop is an Ecohero BCL570. It's fast, does everything I need. Right now I've got PCLOS powered by Debian running on it. PCLOS is more similar in layout to windows so a windows user would find it somewhat intuitive to use.
PCLOS or PCLinuxOS has two very helpful forums and also publish a magazine every month. Both of the main versions of PCLOS are very easy to use, one uses the RPM repositories and the other uses Debian. Mandrake Linux forked into PCLinuxOS about 20 years ago, so it's well developed with a long user history.
Another thing to consider about buying a laptop is don't pay the extra for for a built-in CD/DVD player, just get a cheap remote DVD player that can plug into the laptop via a USB port. The built-in players are the first component that goes bad and cost more.
One other thing, you can migrate a lot of your stuff on the windows system to the Linux. Such as your email, your text files, spreadsheets, photos, etc... . Of course the applications are windows exclusive, but for almost every MS application, there is a Linux application that will do something very similar.
Get used to freedom. What's the point of windows where there are no walls?
My other laptop is an Ecohero BCL570. It's fast, does everything I need. Right now I've got PCLOS powered by Debian running on it. PCLOS is more similar in layout to windows so a windows user would find it somewhat intuitive to use.
PCLOS or PCLinuxOS has two very helpful forums and also publish a magazine every month. Both of the main versions of PCLOS are very easy to use, one uses the RPM repositories and the other uses Debian. Mandrake Linux forked into PCLinuxOS about 20 years ago, so it's well developed with a long user history.
Another thing to consider about buying a laptop is don't pay the extra for for a built-in CD/DVD player, just get a cheap remote DVD player that can plug into the laptop via a USB port. The built-in players are the first component that goes bad and cost more.
One other thing, you can migrate a lot of your stuff on the windows system to the Linux. Such as your email, your text files, spreadsheets, photos, etc... . Of course the applications are windows exclusive, but for almost every MS application, there is a Linux application that will do something very similar.
Get used to freedom. What's the point of windows where there are no walls?
I'd recommend try looking for something with an i5-xxxxxH(Q), i7-xxxxxxH(Q), or a ryzen 3 pro, ryzen 5 pro CPU. Basically avoid the "U" intel ones, as these are mostly 2c/4t which is fine if all you do is browse the web and do some docs as long as you don't try to have 100 tabs open and work on dozens of spreadsheets at the same time, but honestly, they're about the same price, so you might as well just got the other ones. Ryzen "U" series have (at least most of them, I think) 4c/8t as well as Intel's H(Q) series, meaning they're good for multitasking. Dell latitude models 5840 (or 5480, don't remember), E5470 and Dell precision 3510 some of them have intel's i5 or i7 H(Q) series CPUs, other models might as well, but I know these do. Lenovo ThinkPads some have ryzen CPUs, again, I guess some other models do too, but I just know for certain those do. Also, take a look here https://laptopmedia.com/top-laptop-cpu-ranking/
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
OP
Beachcomber
New Member
Something that put me off moving to Linux for a while has been moving off Microsoft Office, as I don't know how easy it is to share files from something like LibreOffice? So, if I wanted to share spreadsheets with an accountant, could he easily open and read the files without having to download any additional software?
@Beachcomber :-
AFAIK, LibreOffice is pretty much always compatible with whatever the latest .docx (or relevant) standard happens to be (I believe Excel is .slx, yes? Something like that....) There ARE other choices, though.
I like OpenOffice - LibreOffice's 'parent'; the latter was forked from the former some years ago when the team had something of a major 'internal' disagreement on the direction the former was taking. Half the OpenOffice team left to pursue their new 'vision'.....and so, LibreOffice was born.
(Myself, I never have a need to 'share' documents with anyone that uses Windows, so it's a non-issue for me.)
Another good choice that is marketed as 100% Windows-compatible is SoftMaker's 'FreeOffice'.....the free & open-source version of their paid 'Office' suite.
One last tidbit for ya. Many years ago, an acquaintance donated to me, free, gratis and for nothing, a copy of the Office 2000 2-disk installer......along with the installation 'key'. Having it in this format gives you the choice of installing as many or as few components of the suite as you want.....so I've got just the Word component installed - by itself - under WINE, because as far as that goes, it's actually a pretty good standalone word processor (daft as that may sound).
Just another example of the kind of versatility with which Linux is imbued!
Mike.
AFAIK, LibreOffice is pretty much always compatible with whatever the latest .docx (or relevant) standard happens to be (I believe Excel is .slx, yes? Something like that....) There ARE other choices, though.
I like OpenOffice - LibreOffice's 'parent'; the latter was forked from the former some years ago when the team had something of a major 'internal' disagreement on the direction the former was taking. Half the OpenOffice team left to pursue their new 'vision'.....and so, LibreOffice was born.
(Myself, I never have a need to 'share' documents with anyone that uses Windows, so it's a non-issue for me.)
Another good choice that is marketed as 100% Windows-compatible is SoftMaker's 'FreeOffice'.....the free & open-source version of their paid 'Office' suite.
One last tidbit for ya. Many years ago, an acquaintance donated to me, free, gratis and for nothing, a copy of the Office 2000 2-disk installer......along with the installation 'key'. Having it in this format gives you the choice of installing as many or as few components of the suite as you want.....so I've got just the Word component installed - by itself - under WINE, because as far as that goes, it's actually a pretty good standalone word processor (daft as that may sound).
Just another example of the kind of versatility with which Linux is imbued!
Mike.
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As much as some hate to admit it, MSFT has some great software.
They did kill one of their best pieces of software - Outlook Express. (Not Outlook, the full-blown suite.)
Also, I have no personal experience with this but I've heard it repeated many times that LibreOffice/OpenOffice will open old Word documents with better formatting than the most recent versions of Word.
OP
Beachcomber
New Member
See, that was one of the reasons I wanted a CD drive - I use Office 2007 that I have a disc for, and it's useful to be able to install old software like that that you have to subscribe to now. Photoshop would be another example - my brother complains bitterly about that one!
Microsoft are constantly ruining programmes that worked perfectly well. Outlook Express used to be good. I currently use Windows Mail, but they're switching it over to their new Outlook and I can't get my business email address to work on it! It works fine on the old one.
It's good to know there are options for (hopefully) compatible software. I forgot I also need to be able to edit and return craft fair booking forms that are always sent in Word!
Microsoft are constantly ruining programmes that worked perfectly well. Outlook Express used to be good. I currently use Windows Mail, but they're switching it over to their new Outlook and I can't get my business email address to work on it! It works fine on the old one.
It's good to know there are options for (hopefully) compatible software. I forgot I also need to be able to edit and return craft fair booking forms that are always sent in Word!
Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
If you are worried about needing Windows programs then, once you have fixed the HP, install Linux as a dual boot, then you can use/learn Linux most of the time, and re-boot into windows to use the winds progs you need.
Have a look here
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Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
He lives in Northern Scotland
Guess that is a ways from Florida -
