"New" Laptop - Program Suggestions Wanted (Updated)

[Tsume Xiao]

So now that I have graduated my college laptop becomes mine (which we totally paid for with tuition). Part of the process is that my laptop is given an factory HP image and all the school programs (SolidWorks, SurfCam, MATLAB, MS Office Complete, etc) are removed.

 

More to the point, I have to install programs on it again. This laptop is NOT my main computer and does not need all the things that I have on my desktop. I'd like to keep it pretty clean and quick with the bare minimum of programs on there. I will still be using for school related work as I am continuing to help with the senior design project I was apart of. I want to see our design go to competition and don't want to leave the rest of the team SOL.

 

 

Here are the hardware specs:

Hewlett-Packard EliteBook 8540w

OS: Windows 7 Professional

Processor: Intel i5 M520 2.4GHz

Graphics: Nvidia Quadro FX 880M

HDD: Western Digital Scorpio Black WD2500BEKT (Supposedly 250GB but is showing 180GB available)

RAM: 4.0GB (Type Unknown. Will find out when I hook it up to the web)

Not sure if there is anything else worth putting here

 

 

 

 

Here are the programs I am considering on installing:

General

-Firefox or Chrome. I cannot decide which. I use FireFox on my desktop and used Chrom on my laptop. Firefox tends to be a memory hog at time while I have noticed Chrome will have several instances of its process running at times. Is there any benefit to either or is it just user preference now? I brilliantly forgot to back up my bookmarks before the wipe so importing them isn't a factor.

-MS Office. I can get this for dirt cheap at my school store.

-Skype. The only IM type thing I am on regularly.

-Baller as Ffff background image of a Merkava Mk.4 in a white-on-black schematic.

 

Utility

-DropBox. Never used it before but I see more and more using it so I figured it could be a good idea.

-VLC Media Player

-PDF Creator

-Audacity. For the few times I need to do sound editing and am not on my desktop.

 

Protection

-AVG AntiVirus Free (Seems to be the best rated free AV out there)

-Malware Bytes (Has saved my ass a few times over the past years)

 

Gaming

This isn't my gaming computer but I put a few games on it so when I am traveling, such as home for holidays, I have some.

-Teamspeak 3

-Planetside 2. This is honestly only because I cannot run PS2 on my desktop due to insufficient GPU. :(

-Firestorm or Exodus Viewer. I don't like Exodus as much but it seemed to run better on my laptop. Either way I had to have everything slammed down to minimum. This is for work related stuff honestly.

 

 

Is there anything you would suggest against / suggest a substitute or anything critical I am missing?

Edited March 11, 2013 by Tsume Xiao

[Odin047]

I'd say to pop a couple of single player games on there or emulators and roms for when you are without internet.

 

As for Firefox and Chrome, I pop back and forth between the two on my desktop. From what I have seen if you have a lot of tabs chrome seems to use more memory in total over a bunch of processes.

[Tsume Xiao]

I'd say to pop a couple of single player games on there or emulators and roms for when you are without internet.

 

As for Firefox and Chrome, I pop back and forth between the two on my desktop. From what I have seen if you have a lot of tabs chrome seems to use more memory in total over a bunch of processes.

I have been trying to find / set up a ROM/Emulator for the old Hydro Thunder boat racing game. Can't figure it out. :(

[d3rp3nguin]

Chrome feels faster for me, and I think (?) it's less taxing than firefox, unless you open a lot of tabs, in which case firefox is faster.  I think I read that somewhere anyways.  If you need me to, I could dig up the article without too much trouble.

[Xoza]

• I'd go for Chrome, been using it since release almost, even use it on a VERY old laptop I have as it won't run anything else smoothly.
• If you have a Google account, you can use Google Drive for just about everything, even offline and PDF creation, Open Office is also a good option for 'backup'
• I have Google Drive Sync and Dropbox Sync, but honestly rarely use them... If I want to put something into those folders, I just use my bookmark and drop it in.
• I personally do quite a bit of content creation when I'm running around with my laptop and not much gaming, so things like Audacity or whatever you use to create, isn't a bad idea.
• The only protection I use is Microsoft Security Essentials, I've never been a fan of the other crap and I'm not an idiot with my browsing and Chrome keeps you safe as well.
• I honestly don't think I have any games on my lappy, I often have it sitting next to me playing some TV show or video (been using Winamp since it came out), or I use it on the side while I have games open.
• I used to use it for Teamspeak, but found it annoying having to press a distant key, or a button on another mouse to talk. I do use it for Skype, IRC and other chat's. Really anything that I would need to alt-tab to open or use if I'm in-game on my desktop.

[Tsume Xiao]

• The only protection I use is Microsoft Security Essentials, I've never been a fan of the other crap and I'm not an idiot with my browsing and Chrome keeps you safe as well.

Honestly I have never had an issue and don't run much in the way of Anti-Virus. If WSE works for preventative measures then I am fine with that.

[Guest Afevis]

http://ninite.com/

 

This is a time saver. <3

 

Also, what version of Hydro Thunder are you trying to emulate? (Console wise, that is)

Edited February 27, 2013 by Afevis

[Tsume Xiao]

http://ninite.com/

 

This is a time saver. <3

 

Also, what version of Hydro Thunder are you trying to emulate? (Console wise, that is)

The original one, so it could be the N64, Dreamcast, Playstation or even Playstation 2 versions.

[Guest Afevis]

Wait... Why emulate when you can just play the PC version?

Edited February 27, 2013 by Afevis

[Dascede]

Are you sure PS2 is going to fly on the lappy?

 

I have a MacBook Pro--Late 2011 model. It has an intel i7 quad-core CPU running at 2.4 GHz (same speed as yours), 4GB RAM, and an AMD Radeon HD 6770M. They're almost neck and neck in performance, give or take a tiny bit. I have Windows bootcamped onto my laptop, so I can run Windows-exclusive video games--but I have tried repeatedly to get PlanetSide 2 going, and I can't get a liveable framerate even on the lowest graphics settings. It hitches like nobody knows and it is no fun at all.

 

People have told me that it's just the fact that the laptop was not designed with Windows in mind and that the graphics drivers are the problem, but I am not sure. Either way, good luck I suppose. :) Never hurts to try, yeah?

 

 

As an afterthought, I really should just be using this as a work machine--using it all the time, every time, for video games puts on a lot of extra strain and shortens its life considerably; I already replaced the logic board once as a result of overheating a few months ago--less than a year into its use... but I don't have a desktop to use instead!

Edited February 27, 2013 by Dascede

[Tsume Xiao]

Dascade. I have been playing PS2 on my laptop the entire time because my desktop's GPU is on the "it might run PS2 but we won't even let the program start up" list. My laptop can run it on a modifed graphics setting that is pretty much below their "Low" setting. I also used the tutorial to try an improve perfomance by modifying the UserOptions.ini file and unparking CPU cores. I get about 15-20FPS in normal combat, but in heavy combat that drops down to about 10. It isn't pretty, it isn't the most stable, but it allows me to play with my Ordo buddies <insert Oscar acceptance speech style sniffle and tear wiping away here>.

 

Also I just installed everything using the amazing Ninite utility Afevis provided.

In addition to the programs listed I also added a few Add-Ons to firefox: DownThemAll, New Tab At End, Bookmarks In New Tabs, Session Manager.

 

And thanks to Afevis, I also have.....

 

 

THank you so much for giving me the PC version of this Afevis. Omfg.

[Cygna]

• I'd go with Chrome over Firefox, personal preference. The majority of browsers today, even the new IE, leave the same effective footprint on your computer (differences are negligible). The reason for my choice of Chrome is I like the interface it has of the other browsers and I use many other Google products so they play well together (Calendar, Tasks, Docs, Google+, Maps, Latitude, Voice, Analytics)

If you plan on dealing with .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, etc. documents then install MS Office. Otherwise it's a waste of space.

Skype/Dropbox/VLC/Audacity/TeamSpeak/mIRC/JMP/Steam all have negligible footprints and you should get them if you plan to use them.

For virus protection I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, made by Microsoft for Windows, and it's not too heavy or invasive.

True SL viewer (non-text based, etc) is based on personal preference, they all have the same effective footprint (differences negligible).

VLC player is a good choice of media player because it supports a wide range of codecs all in one easy package.

As for PS2, it will be a heavy footprint but none of the above software I mentioned will affect its performance on your computer (if it does there's something wrong).

Matlab/Mathematica/Solidworks/Photoshop will have heavy footprints, only install if you plan on using them.

I hope this helps.

[Tsume Xiao]

• I'd go with Chrome over Firefox, personal preference. The majority of browsers today, even the new IE, leave the same effective footprint on your computer (differences are negligible). The reason for my choice of Chrome is I like the interface it has of the other browsers and I use many other Google products so they play well together (Calendar, Tasks, Docs, Google+, Maps, Latitude, Voice, Analytics)

If you plan on dealing with .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, etc. documents then install MS Office. Otherwise it's a waste of space.

Skype/Dropbox/VLC/Audacity/TeamSpeak/mIRC/JMP/Steam all have negligible footprints and you should get them if you plan to use them.

For virus protection I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, made by Microsoft for Windows, and it's not too heavy or invasive.

True SL viewer (non-text based, etc) is based on personal preference, they all have the same effective footprint (differences negligible).

VLC player is a good choice of media player because it supports a wide range of codecs all in one easy package.

As for PS2, it will be a heavy footprint but none of the above software I mentioned will affect its performance on your computer (if it does there's something wrong).

Matlab/Mathematica/Solidworks/Photoshop will have heavy footprints, only install if you plan on using them.

I hope this helps.

 

All the fancy Engineering programs are what was removed when I got the graduation wipe. PS2 is only on there because I can't play it on my laptop.

 

As for MS Office, Yeah. What else would you use it for?

Edited February 28, 2013 by Tsume Xiao

[Tsume Xiao]

Laptop doesn't seem to like PS2. SO looks like I am SOL for that until I get a new GPU for my desktop.

[Inoue Katsu]

Install both chrome and Firefox .. you'll end up preferring one over the other at some point and its not like they'll conflict.

Both AVG and MS security get most positive ratings because they're free, not because they are actually awesome.

Use K-Lite codec pack for multimedia, it comes with media player classic which is the old XP media player 6.4 lookalike that plays everything without having the bulky interface.

 

For everything else .. install what you are planning on using in the near future.. install other stuff when you actually need it :P

if you really feel that you need to install a whole array of bulky software that puts you at like 100-150gb used, get a bigger disk for it. If its a 2.5" disk they are priced the same-ish as desktop drives.

The missing 60GB is odd, perhaps a recovery partition ?

[Tsume Xiao]

Install both chrome and Firefox .. you'll end up preferring one over the other at some point and its not like they'll conflict.

Both AVG and MS security get most positive ratings because they're free, not because they are actually awesome.

Use K-Lite codec pack for multimedia, it comes with media player classic which is the old XP media player 6.4 lookalike that plays everything without having the bulky interface.

 

For everything else .. install what you are planning on using in the near future.. install other stuff when you actually need it :P

if you really feel that you need to install a whole array of bulky software that puts you at like 100-150gb used, get a bigger disk for it. If its a 2.5" disk they are priced the same-ish as desktop drives.

The missing 60GB is odd, perhaps a recovery partition ?

 

You are way late to the party. :P

My laptop is all set up. The little update was just to say that PS2 is apparently no-go so until I get a new(er) GPU for my desktop I cannot play with everyone. q-q

[Inoue Katsu]

It should work with a quadro ? :o Unless its just not playable because of low fps >.>

[Achtas]

Is the space still missing? Just in case you might want to check for the extra partition or the status of the drive. As the shadowstorage part should generally be around 12-ish GB and definitely not 70. Just go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management.

 

From there you should be able to see if the main partition was made too small, if there is a second hidden partition that for some reason is missing a drive letter. Or what the case is.

[Tsume Xiao]

Is the space still missing? Just in case you might want to check for the extra partition or the status of the drive. As the shadowstorage part should generally be around 12-ish GB and definitely not 70. Just go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management.

 

From there you should be able to see if the main partition was made too small, if there is a second hidden partition that for some reason is missing a drive letter. Or what the case is.

 

 

There is indeed a partition that I am not seeing in the magical "My Computer" window. Below is a list of the partitions

SYSTEM: 1.05GB

C: 171.22GB

HP_RECOVERY: 53.50GB (This is where the space was hidden!)

HP_Tools: 7.12GB

 

HP Recovery explains the missing space for the most part. I don't know its purpose 100% (Obviously it is some kind of back-up location) or if it needs to be 53.5GB. At the very least, I know where the space is.

 

With all those drives added up it means that there is 232GB out of 250GB accounted for. I don't think 18GB for the OS and Formatting is unreasonable.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Tsume Xiao

[Guest Afevis]

Instead of giving you a recovery disk they just partition your disk with the data.

[Tsume Xiao]

Instead of giving you a recovery disk they just partition your disk with the data.

So instead of a DVD that has maybe 8 gigs, they hog up 53 gigs of my HDD? WTF.

[Achtas]

So instead of a DVD that has maybe 8 gigs, they hog up 53 gigs of my HDD? WTF.

 

Difference in functionality. One is a recovery disc that just has basic tools, but as for the HP Recovery partition, as much as I understood it has a compressed image of your current OS drive.

[Inoue Katsu]

Instead of giving you a recovery disk they just partition your disk with the data.

This.

 

And yea its an image of everything pre-installed at the time you bought it probably.

[Achtas]

With all these assumptions going on, I decided to finally take a few minutes to look it up and copy paste what the partition is good for, with the tool found in Control Panel as well. Too many uncertain answers and I am just bored at work with just coffee to entertain me through the final hour. xD

 

 

 

(As taken from http://h20331.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/cache/312352-0-0-225-121.html )

Edited March 25, 2013 by Achtas

[Tsume Xiao]

This.

 

And yea its an image of everything pre-installed at the time you bought it probably.

 

Again, I didn't buy it. As I stated above it was the school laptop and when you graduate you just get it wiped to the factory image. There was nothing on it but a few small HP programs.

 

 

Also, if I can just make discs, does that mean I don't need the partition? That block from HP's site helps answer why it is there, but not why it is about 1/4 of my HDD space.

 

Is that just the space it has allotted to it to back-up data?

Edited March 25, 2013 by Tsume Xiao