A laptop bought for a fiver in a charity shop. How do I turn the thing on?

[mybike]

I'm going to take it into that computer shop today. I plugged it in last night to 'play' with it. I noticed after it'd been on half an hour that it was quite warm and had a smell about it. A year or so ago I knackered my current laptop's power lead by accidentally dropping it in water. I tried to dry it out, but when I plugged it in it blew up. I asked the computer shop bloke if he had a spare lead that would fit my laptop. He told me that you can't just use any that fits as they have different voltages and a too powerful one could set my laptop on fire. I'm wondering if the lead that came with the fiver laptop isn't the original one and it could be an accident waiting to happen.🤔

It may well be full of dust that's causing it to overheat & smell.

I'd go with the suggestion of a lightweight Linux. It's not too difficult to do.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I didn't take the laptop to that shop I mentioned earlier and I'm glad I didn't, as I passed it last night to see it's now been turned into ANOTHER hairdressers! So, let me see that'll be about 15 hairdressers and 'nail bars' in a town of about 14,000.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'll just put it away, then when my current 3 year old laptop conks out I'll 'tune it in' to the internet and simply use it for my usual basic things.

 

[CXRAndy]

It will be glacial slow, even browsing the internet. There is a reason its £5 in a junk shop.

Good luck with it.

Id stick it on auction site for spares or repair

 

[Dogtrousers]

You could try unblocking you drain with it if you don't have a suitable tool to hand.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It will be glacial slow, even browsing the internet. There is a reason its £5 in a junk shop.

Good luck with it.

Id stick it on auction site for spares or repair

I'll keep it as a back up laptop. If my current 3 year old one conks out I won't get it repaired. There's too much dodgy stuff on it for anyone to find! I'll use the fiver one till I buy a new one, either from somewhere like PC World or off the internet. I'll probably be without an up to date laptop for a few days when this one goes to that big laptop heaven in the sky, so an old slow one is better than none at all.

 

[Jameshow]

Does this thread include non bike bargains if so I brought 5 £3 tenon saws for my men's shed tonight what a bargain! Might keep one for myself but the shed will get 4.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Bought in a charity shop this afternoon for a fiver. I know the manager of the shop fairly well, so she let me have it for less than they'd normally ask and also said "It's only just come in today, we haven't tested it. If it doesn't work just bring it back for a refund".


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I've plugged it in. It didn't blow up and a tiny red light's come on, so I think it's working. The thing is I can't find the button to turn it on. Yes, I could take it into a local computer shop tomorrow, but I need to know now!!

It's still here in my flat, yet to be used by me. I have a question. My current laptop is over 5 years old and looking knackered. I'm thinking of buying a new one from Currys. This is like my current one, also bought from Currys.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspir.../B0C4FFMXMF/ref=sr_1_5?crid=9XYFFBHVXBJT&dib=
If my current one is over 5 years old and has served me well in that time, why should I buy a far more expensive one like this one, I ask?
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/a...lus-intel-core-ultra-5-512-gb-ssd-grey-102639
I don't need a laptop for work etc, so why pay for something that offers this and that when I just want one for basic use. 🤔

 

[HMS_Dave]

Your links don't work, have you dropped your monocle again?

I get the gist of what you are saying though. But does your Laptop function? It might look like a bag of old spanners but if it gets you surfing for tweed, then i don't see a reason to rush out and get one, until at the very least early next year...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

@Accy cyclist I got 10 calculators for 50 pence. How do I install an email app on them?

 

[Accy cyclist]

Your links don't work, have you dropped your monocle again?

I get the gist of what you are saying though. But does your Laptop function? It might look like a bag of old spanners but if it gets you surfing for tweed, then i don't see a reason to rush out and get one, until at the very least early next year...

You're right, they don't work! I've been tying for half an hour now, but they just will not show/appear!! Anyway, One was about 150 quid, the other about 600 quid. My question still is do I need one costing 600 quid, or will one costing 150 quid do?🤔

 

[HMS_Dave]

You're right, they don't work! I've been tying for half an hour now, but they just will not show/appear!! Anyway, One was about 150 quid, the other about 600 quid. My question still is do I need one costing 600 quid, or will one costing 150 quid do?🤔

Looking at the specs of your current one, it must be pretty slow, but then if all you do is occasional shopping and typing on here then and you're happy with its capabilities then i see no reason to upgrade, in my opinion.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Looking at the specs of your current one, it must be pretty slow,

So are you saying that the more you pay the faster pages load up? 🤔

 

[HMS_Dave]

So are you saying that the more you pay the faster pages load up? 🤔

Technically, yes. But they'll load up eventually on yours.

It's largely about specs. Yours has an EMMC storage, so is pretty slow. I can see by the text in the link of the one you were trying to link that it has an 512gb SSD which means its more than likely a NVME storage which is significantly faster. This mean's everything will load up quicker from the laptop turning on and booting into Windows to loading up your web browser. It also has a more modern Intel Ultra 5 CPU and it will likely have more RAM so it will be a fast little machine and a really good upgrade.

Im coming at it purely from a money saving perspective. You don't need that new one. But if your aims are to improve the speed of computing you do then yes, that £600 one will do that. Generally, buying computers is a case of you get what you pay for, but there's always some over priced hardware out there that people try to flog to people not that clued up. If you do upgrade, i would perhaps ask here or elsewhere for opinions if you are unsure.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Technically, yes. But they'll load up eventually on yours.

It's largely about specs. Yours has an EMMC storage, so is pretty slow. I can see by the text in the link of the one you were trying to link that it has an 512gb SSD which means its more than likely a NVME storage which is significantly faster. This mean's everything will load up quicker from the laptop turning on and booting into Windows to loading up your web browser. It also has a more modern Intel Ultra 5 CPU and it will likely have more RAM so it will be a fast little machine and a really good upgrade.

Im coming at it purely from a money saving perspective. You don't need that new one. But if your aims are to improve the speed of computing you do then yes, that £600 one will do that. Generally, buying computers is a case of you get what you pay for, but there's always some over priced hardware out there that people try to flog to people not that clued up. If you do upgrade, i would perhaps ask here or elsewhere for opinions if you are unsure.

Well a woman I got chatting to in Currys the other month, who sells their laptops told me not to bother with the 600 quid ones as the ones for about £250 to £300 are just as decent. 🤔