(no subject)
So, I'm sitting here, typing on my brand new laptop.
On its Canadian Standard bilingual keyboard.
Soooo not happy about the fact that 90% of laptops sold in Canada now have bilingual keyboards. I really wouldn't care, but there are two extra keys where Enter and left-Shift used to be (those buttons are now smaller) and they are UTTERLY USELESS WHEN YOU DON'T TYPE IN FRENCH. Both of them when you're using English are \ and (shift) | . Both of them! I never used that key at all in the first place! So my typing is littered with backslashes. Do I really have to suck it up or buy a computer from the US? I mean, I found a registry hack that I could use to re-assign the keys (haven't tried it yet), but that's ridiculous. I have yet, in several hours of Googling on and off, to find out when this standard was implemented or why or by whom.
I'm also not 100% convinced on the laptop. Part of it is that when I merrily announced to a hardware-savvy friend of mine that I'd bought an HP, he just said, "Oooooo." Also I'd read that HPs are the most likely to break of any brand - but reliability of internet info is questionable? It was really cheap! $399 for 3 GB of RAM and a 350 GB hard drive with a 15.6" screen! I don't need anything more than that! *sigh*
I'm also finding the design of the front of the thing a little... non-ergonomic. Now, when I bought it I was impressed because it does not have a number pad (which I do not use and which makes the main keyboard off-centre), and the arrow keys are nice and large. Also, it has a snazzy textured touchpad which I like the feel of. HOWEVER. The wrist-rest surface of the laptop is perfectly flat, forming a smaller-than-90-degree angle with the front of the machine... and it's kinda sharp. As in, the front edge of the computer where my wrists rest and brush all the time during regular use is starting to chafe me. And (I can't believe this might be a deal breaker for me, but what can I say...) the touchpad "mouse" button is really freaking hard to depress. I keep going to right-click things with the gusto required, missing the button, and just pushing really hard on my computer. XD
Oooh, guess where the hotkey for bringing up the calculator is? (I'm actually pretty happy with there being a calculator hotkey, as I always hated going into "Accessories" when I needed it.) RIGHT WHERE THE CTRL KEY SHOULD BE. I've had so many instances of looking up and being utterly confused by the 4 or 5 calculator windows open blinking at me when all I was trying to do was copy & paste or close a tab.
Is it a case of "grass is always greener" syndrome? I dunno, my wrist skin is getting pretty sore.
I read on CNET that there's an ASUS with 4 GB of RAM and the same HD and screen size for $150 more... might be worth it to get something I can actually use.
How about you guys? Any laptop-purchasing experiences to share?
(And while I'm being complain-y, UGH I hate doing my daily mandatory muscle-balancing exercises. I always leave it til like 11pm when I'm feeling unreasonable and tired.)
On its Canadian Standard bilingual keyboard.
Soooo not happy about the fact that 90% of laptops sold in Canada now have bilingual keyboards. I really wouldn't care, but there are two extra keys where Enter and left-Shift used to be (those buttons are now smaller) and they are UTTERLY USELESS WHEN YOU DON'T TYPE IN FRENCH. Both of them when you're using English are \ and (shift) | . Both of them! I never used that key at all in the first place! So my typing is littered with backslashes. Do I really have to suck it up or buy a computer from the US? I mean, I found a registry hack that I could use to re-assign the keys (haven't tried it yet), but that's ridiculous. I have yet, in several hours of Googling on and off, to find out when this standard was implemented or why or by whom.
I'm also not 100% convinced on the laptop. Part of it is that when I merrily announced to a hardware-savvy friend of mine that I'd bought an HP, he just said, "Oooooo." Also I'd read that HPs are the most likely to break of any brand - but reliability of internet info is questionable? It was really cheap! $399 for 3 GB of RAM and a 350 GB hard drive with a 15.6" screen! I don't need anything more than that! *sigh*
I'm also finding the design of the front of the thing a little... non-ergonomic. Now, when I bought it I was impressed because it does not have a number pad (which I do not use and which makes the main keyboard off-centre), and the arrow keys are nice and large. Also, it has a snazzy textured touchpad which I like the feel of. HOWEVER. The wrist-rest surface of the laptop is perfectly flat, forming a smaller-than-90-degree angle with the front of the machine... and it's kinda sharp. As in, the front edge of the computer where my wrists rest and brush all the time during regular use is starting to chafe me. And (I can't believe this might be a deal breaker for me, but what can I say...) the touchpad "mouse" button is really freaking hard to depress. I keep going to right-click things with the gusto required, missing the button, and just pushing really hard on my computer. XD
Oooh, guess where the hotkey for bringing up the calculator is? (I'm actually pretty happy with there being a calculator hotkey, as I always hated going into "Accessories" when I needed it.) RIGHT WHERE THE CTRL KEY SHOULD BE. I've had so many instances of looking up and being utterly confused by the 4 or 5 calculator windows open blinking at me when all I was trying to do was copy & paste or close a tab.
Is it a case of "grass is always greener" syndrome? I dunno, my wrist skin is getting pretty sore.
I read on CNET that there's an ASUS with 4 GB of RAM and the same HD and screen size for $150 more... might be worth it to get something I can actually use.
How about you guys? Any laptop-purchasing experiences to share?
(And while I'm being complain-y, UGH I hate doing my daily mandatory muscle-balancing exercises. I always leave it til like 11pm when I'm feeling unreasonable and tired.)