K peeps, thanks to everyone who helped me figure out what kind of laptop I needed to buy. Now can I impose further on your tech-savvy goodwill to help me adapt to the new machine?
Is there a way to migrate as much stuff as possible from my old laptop over the net? I didn’t buy the $40 USB-USB cable. Was that a mistake?
Can I get bookmarks, etc., from my old Firefox to the new? Can I migrate software–programs, exe’s–without the discs? All my discs were stolen this summer. I have a “passport” external drive, if that helps.
Again, I understand that this is a one-way street: all I can offer in return is gratitude and attitude. So I humbly appreciate your help.
Moving your Firefox bookmarks is easy; first export your bookmarks by going to Bookmarks, Organize Bookmarks, Import and Backup, etc. Move this exported file to your new laptop (it’s so small you can even just email it to yourself). Then import the bookmarks into Firefox in your new laptop. Generally, you cannot just move a Windows program by copying it from one computer to another. For those you will have to find the program discs. Data files, however, can be simply copied to our new laptop. If your old laptop has a CD burner, you can simply use that to do the transfer. A USB flashdrive will also work. If you have a ton of stuff to move, my suggestion is to just take the disk drive out of the old laptop and hook it up to your new laptop using an external USB disc drive case. They’re fairly inexpensive. Or you can copy everything you want to your external drive, then hook this up to your new laptop and copy the stuff there.
I used Mozbackup for getting my bookmarks and email (I use Thunderbird) moved over when I got my new lappy. Most everything else can be a direct transfer, and should be able to be done over the wireless if you don’t have a cable or other viable means as nivlac suggested . The only things I usually have any trouble with are games which place files in directories other than the ones I create for them.
Thanks all. Meanwhile a couple insurmountables have cropped up. First thing I did was download Firefox. Second thing I did was download Adblock. Third thing I did was notice that the ads aren’t blocked. And I can’t figure out why. It seems to be turned on, there’s nothing in the filters yet, but yet my Dope experience has taken a turn for the obnoxious. Clues?
Also, old laptop, all the power saving stuff–turning display off, going to sleep–were suspended when I was watching a movie. Not so this new one: 10 minutes into a movie, the screen goes black unless I tickle the fingerpad. Now I know how to turn all that stuff off, but I’d rather have it place when I’m not watching a movie, and to turn itself off when I am, like the other one did. Couldn’t figure out the setting to do that.
I couldn’t connect my Asus to the internet, and after almost an hour on the phone with Mumbai (who knew it was pronounce “ay-SOOS”), was told that it was apparently defective and that my “option” was to take it back to Best Buy. So I did, and to indulge a little buyer’s remorse I got a Sony VAIO instead. Doesn’t have the gig of “dedicated memory,” but it does have a bluray player and 1080p display. And it was like $200 cheaper.
So now I have to figure out why the Western Digital Passport that I was going to use to transfer files from my other laptop is recognized by the new one, but not the old one. Awesome.