Laptops – your views please

[blacklion1725]

Thanks Boris – I used to use Start10 (from when it was Start8 with the borderline unusable Widows 8.0. I’ve decided to lump it with the W10 Start Menu so as I don’t go looking for options which aren’t there when I use a different PC. My old thinkpad is the communal laptop here and still going strong. Stuck an SSD in it (it is an older I5) and still lightning quick. Agree about the keyboard on the old’uns…. superb even if the laptops are not the prettiest. My personal weapon of choice is still the HP Elitebook 840 G1 as recommended by Dave – it is fully pimped with an M2 SSD, WiFi-AC card and a WWAN 3G card.  Just about perfect size and specs for me and a doddle to tinker with as the back lifts off with the slide of a switch/catch.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

If you still want to use the W10 start menu like you did with W7 then you need to scroll down the list apps until you get to Windows system. Most of the “missing” stuff is in there and you can pin it where you like. I have the control panel on my task bar.

[The Duke]

I just use search for e earthing. Also now do thst on android. I couldn’t tell you most of the settings etc actually live.

[blacklion1725]

I’ve managed to find and pin stuff to the start menu and taskbar. It is useable and I can get by with it – just don’t like it. I don’t like searching for stuff either – don’t know why – maybe reminds me of Windows 8.0. I’ve got a microsoft mouse that has a button on the side that launches the start menu – and can get by. On the plus (and more important) side can’t remember the last crash I had on Windows 10 – its been incredibly stable – even with the avalanche of massive updates that comes along every so often.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

For the last actual BSOD crash I had that wasn’t hardware or virus related I have to go right back to the early days of Windows XP.

Apparently there was a spate of crashes with Windows Vista as manufacturers got used to the new driver model but as I went straight from XP to 64 bit 7 I missed it ?

MS took the opportunity to enforce driver signing with 64 bit W7 because any driver written for it had to be new anyway.

[Dave Rice]

The other factor I’ve noticed is that hardware (especially the cheaper end) has overtaken the needs of Windows and it’s being run on machines up to the job. The sub £250 laptop market still quickly run out of steam but they are at least up to the basic tasks of social media, email and a document or two. But just £50 more gets you the amazing HP 255 G7 Ryzen 3.

[Ed P]

BL, apparently the W10 Start Menu causes immense dissatisfaction among many users. Perhaps as a result MS have signalled that they will give users a chance to give input on their dislikes with it. link

I’m not sure it will do much good as they have totally ignored previous similar surveys, most of which said bring back the Win7 start menu with more customization options. I suspect that too many top brass had signed off on Win8/10 menus, and job preservation intervened!

[blacklion1725]

Cheers for that Ed.

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