Experience with HP?

[Drezha]

Just wondering what peoples experience was with HP. I’m getting rid of my MBA after approximately a month (expensive mistake!) as I’m finding that if I need a browsing machine, it’ll be the iPad Pro I go for and that I miss Windows when I need the laptop away from the house.

I was considering the Asus G14 Zephyrus, but it’s a touch on the pricey side, so I thought I’d settled on the HP Envy x360. It looks like reasonably good value for money and comes with the new Ryzen processors.

However, Amazon has since thrown the 15″ Pavilion towards me.

£150 less, but similar internal specs – looks like it’s forgoing a bit of portability, battery life and a touch screen for some more graphical oomph, so now I’m not sure if it’s worth going for the cheaper option.

Was looking for a laptop that I can take with me when I need to, but has some graphical prowess for some gaming in the front room. The Pavilion appears to have that slightly more than the x360, though I wasn’t thinking AAA games, but some of the older ones in my collection that I’ve not been able to complete.

If I can get over the larger size (and required charger, rather than being able to charge via USB-C), I believe that the Pavilion will be the better purchase.

However, both are HP and wondered what people’s thoughts were on HP? The last HP I tried I think was a blue HP Stream which was OK for the price but that was a while ago, and relatively cheap.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Dave Rice]

HP are OK if you avoid the plasticy cheap ones. Personally I’d go for the Pavilion.

[Drezha]

I thought the Pavilion looked like a cheap plastic one 😉

Have done some digging online and generally the x360 gets very good reviews. However, I think the cheaper Pavilion will be more along the lines of what I want, so I think that’s perhaps the better purchase.

I also have some concerns with my current gaming PC – there’s been some nasty noises recently, and I think the hard drive may be on it’s way out, so this could be a potential replacement. 🙁

What with expecting our first child in September, I’m not sure I’ll get the chance for much gaming going forwards!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[The Duke]

Congratulations on the incoming child👍 but your correct, your gaming days are numbered now. 😒

[Drezha]

The Duke wrote:

Congratulations on the incoming child👍 but your correct, your gaming days are numbered now. 😒

And tech spending I imagine. Out with the iPhone and in with the nappies!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[JayCeeDee]

Drezha wrote:

What with expecting our first child in September, I’m not sure I’ll get the chance for much gaming going forwards!

Congrats :good: :yahoo: – alternatively you could well find yourself falling asleep in front of the monitor, mid-game, following all those sleepless nights ahead!! :wacko:

[The Duke]

Pro tip, if you keep the kid living in the bath, and jet wash it down as needed, you won’t need nappies, and can keep the ipones. :good:

[Ed P]

Congratulations on the expected arrival. However it does not mean the complete end of your gaming days they will come back a little as the child reaches 4 or 5, just that the ultra-violent games will be of the Lego Ninjago or Peppa Pig variety! As the child gets older you will find to your chagrin that he or she has faster reactions than you, and that really will be the end of your gaming days for a while!

Pro tip, get the grandparents to buy pads that have pen input. Kids brought up on plain pads are usually quite slow to learn how to write as they struggle with the ‘pen-grip’ and associated hand-eye coordination, especially if left-handed.

[Bob Williams]

“ What with expecting our first child in September, I’m not sure I’ll get the chance for much gaming going forwards! ”

Congratulations, hope the pregnancy is not as tiring on you as the missus! Another tip: the Expectant One is usually fine until around 6 or 7 months in. Then Ratty Mode can emerge. Expect missiles launched at you if you make the slightest error in speech. But babies are a great gift and the birth of your own is just unbelievable. Picking up your new sprog is a feeling like no other.

Hope it all goes well.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

No expertise with babies but the noise from your PC is probably a fan 😁

[Dave Rice]

You’ll get plenty of advice but there’s no way of knowing what sort of child is coming your way nor how it may affect you both (post natal depression is no fun and can be hard to spot). But overall it’s great fun, especially Christmas time.

[Ed P]

+1 for Dave’s comments, but I will give just one bit of advice. Communicate very regularly TO your child with plenty of eye contact and not just over its head in a side conversation with your wife. Learning to make eye contact could be labelled a social skill which is almost as important as learning to walk.

Very few people are natural parents so do not feel at all inadequate when asking for help or advice from parents and close friends. Unfortunately Covid restrictions and geography could still rob you of some of the close support you would otherwise get from your parents etc, so do at least make sure that they are tech savvy enough to use Apple Talk, Zoom, Skype or whatever in plenty of time before the big event,

With those comments I’ll now shut up and just wish you and your wife all the very best.

[PlaneMan]

Good luck with the forthcoming succession of your collective genes.

When my niece was being toilet trained, nephew still in nappies, she had a ‘moment’ at mum’s house.

Brown stuff all over the stairs and herself.  :negative:

I was so glad I didn’t live there. It was hideous. Brother and his then wife toiled for about 3 hours cleaning up. So I was told,  I was home shortly after, taxi booked half an hour before the mishap.

[The Duke]

Ed you are so spot on. I use to love fifa untill my lad hit about 9. The i decided it was time for me to hang the game pad up!

[Drezha]

Thanks for the well wishes.

We’re at week 29 now, so we’re almost in the last quarter. Thankfully no missiles coming from SWMBO yet… though we’re getting to that 7 month period!

Nursery is painted, though still have to buy a cot – but we’ve a while for that as some friends leant us a lot of stuff before they try for their second! So pram, basket, car seat (which we trust them for it being good), clothes etc has been dropped off recently so we’re quite good on that front.

We know we’re expecting a girl at this stage. Covid has meant that I haven’t been able to visit the midwife with the wife and if it continues, I’ll have a very limited time at the hospital once she goes in (labour dependant!) Luckily, we’ve got a private scanning surgery nearby that has reopened so we’ve been to that so I could have some of the pre birth experience. Thankfully no cravings at the minute, so I’ve not had to go out for McDonalds or anything since lockdown! My parents thankfully know how to work FaceTime or Facebook Messenger, so that’s helpful, and we know a few couples nearby with young ones.

Can’t promise when she’ll get a tablet… we’ll see how things go! A while before that yet!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Bob Williams]

I suspect that any daughter of yours will not be allowed to grow up in ‘Princess mode’. Equal opportunity is usually the norm today. However she develops, is of course the business of you and your lady, but of all my grandchildren, I have had to try hard to repress  favouritism of youngest gdaughter. Always a tomboy, hated dolls, hates pink, loves jeans and is in RAF cadets. At 15 now, latest (jokey) ambition is to be a burglar! Takes after her mum, who I taught car maintenance and tells mechanics exactly what is wrong with her motors.

Our other gd is 22 and totally different, which is how it should be: all humans are individuals and it shows as they grow.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

I’m afraid it is not the male’s choice whether tom-boy or not. Nature has its say and so do the other females in the family Grannies in particular love dressing up their grand-daughters.

[Bob Williams]

You misunderstand me Ed. I would have loved junior gd from the moment of birth, whether she was tomboy or princess. Just as I love her 22 yo cousin, who is most definitely princess material, although a bank worker. All my 4 grandbrats are different, which makes them individuals. which in turn is what life is all about. My philosophy with children has never changed: allow them to develop in their own way, but provide checks, balances and borders from the day they can understand them.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Drezha]

In regards to the RAF cadets – that may go one of two ways, as she may want to join along with her dad, or rebel by wanting nothing to do it (or really rebel and join the Army Cadets instead! :wacko: )

I fully imagine the grandparents will dote on her, as it’ll be he first grandchild for my wife’s side and first granddaughter for my parents side.

At the minute we’ve only got the plans for one… I guess we’ll see how things plan out!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Bob Williams]

Her dad has been ejected by her mum and also by their daughter, for spendthrift and lying about the fact that he had lost his job, but still continued to spend money as if he was working. Guy has 2 other (male adult) kids by 2 different mothers.

Strangely, he bought a huge Winnebago and has moved about 50 yards up the road to a large pub car park. He took out a loan for this and also has a 750 cc Yamaha and a Mondeo. He pays rent to the pub landlord and lives actually atm directly opposite our son, works shifts in a dead end job. His debts must be enormous, but the house is daughter’s and she wanted him gone. What a weird situation.

Gd is not at all interested in ACF, even though grandad insists that the AAC is in many ways an improvement upon the RAF! Dad is far more interested in the sons than in his daughter. I would not trade her for the world, but my daughter has always had terrible taste in men. Gd’s words when mum said she was ejecting him, “When does he leave?”

She asked us for astronomical charts and a wall display for the bedroom. Maybe considering an astronaut as a career. Whatever she decides upon, she will take an A* education and will have the backing of us all.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

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