Hi all - need some help. Looking at all the specials Dell recently had on refurbished notebooks made me salivate, until I realized that a) I couldn’t really afford a new one, and b) I already have one I don’t use much, for dumb! I appeal to your higher knowledge for upgrading my laptop - it’s a Dell 5000e, Celeron 650, 6 GB hard disk, 64 MB RAM.
I’d like to upgrade to 512 MB RAM (as that’s all my computer can take), look into getting a new hard drive, and perhaps add a DVD-ROM to replace my CD drive. I’m reasonably computer versed (I’ve added memory, a new hard drive, and a new disk drive to my desktop computer, but I haven’t built my own or anything like that). Now with the questions:
I need SO DIMM SDRAM memory. I know this. However, do I need the 144 pin or 200 pin? (It appears I also need to dig out my computer manuals at home!) I’ve seen some really good deals on www.pricewatch.com offering “generic” 256 MB memory upgrades for $30ish, but is “generic” memory reliable, or should I spend rather a lot more to get a name brand from Dell or BestBuy?
Hard drives - I’ve been thinking about getting a new OS, since my Windows 98 SE is soon to be desupported. If I stay in the Windows world, XP will cost me 1/3 of my harddrive space (and eat all current available memory, but I digress). How easy is it to swap harddrives in notebooks? Once I’ve got the new in there, how easy is it to install the OS again? I’m not so worried about getting the stuff off the old harddrive, as I can transfer it to my desktop if it’s really needed (which most of it probably isn’t).
DVD-ROMs - the Dell website yesterday told me that while they do offer a DVD drive for notebooks, it’s not compatible with my 5000e. Can I find an off-market one for my notebook? Or should I rather speak with a Dell rep to see what they can offer me? Alternately, I’ve thought of buying an external DVD drive, which I could then use with my desktop.
Thanks for the help - it’s greatly appreciated!
Snicks