For last 2 weeks, I’ve been observing a slow agony of my desktop machine running Windows XP – random restarts and freezes, BIOS settings resetting on every boot, etc. In Friday, these problems entered the final stage. In Sunday, my machine was dead.
This is not a high quality computer but the only I have to run Windows operating system on it, and very important projects I’m working on under Windows system got suspended for a while. I really don’t like low cost desktops…
I decided to jump for shopping to find some new-old but stable machine to be able to continue my Windows work on it. So, I defined quite short list of requirements for new system: well-known brand, stability, no more desktops, plus good price but not a low-cost computer. Ah, I’ve for got about one: no Windows Vista – a hardware killer :-)
I decided to visit a notebooks reseller where I bought my first Dell Latitude D600 one year ago. After a year working on Dell laptops I felt in love in this computers and I completely confirm what you can read about Dell Latitude laptops brand on the Wikipedia – standardized parts are used throughout the line. For me, that means you can expect high stability and operability.
Finally, I found another piece of Dell Latitude D600 but a bit newer, manufactured in 2005 and equipped with newer CPU than my first Latitude model. Here is the specification overview:
- CPU: Pentium M 1.8 GHz, 745 series, codename Dothan with 2 MB cache, 90nm process
- RAM: 1024 MB
- HDD: Hitachi Travelstar DK23FB-60, 60 GB, 5400 RPM, ATA-5
- ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 with 32 MB memory
- Screen: SXGA+ with 1400×1050 display resolution
My first D600 is almost the same, but it is equipped with older release of Pentium M CPU. So, I’d say I’ve got Dell twins now :-) . I know Latitude brand laptops well and they are very stable thus perfect for professionals.
Unfortunately, Windows installation didn’t go as smoothly as buying new laptop :-). I have Windows XP CD with Service Pack 1. I installed the Windows XP system, then I installed Visual Studio 2005 and a lot of other software I use every day. Next, I started the big task of Windows Update and after 3 hours of trying to a) download and b) install Service Pack 2 I gave up. The Service Pack 2 installation was hanging every time while collecting configuration details. Seems it was just too easy to be true so far.
Today morning I attempted to get Windows box working task again. I got newer Windows XP CD-ROM bundled with Service Pack 2. After 40 minutes the system was working on my laptop. After next ~1.5 hours I got Visual Studio 2005 on it too. After next 2 hours it was after the big Windows Update. Yes, big is a very appropriate word to describe the update because it needed to download ~500 MB of fixes, packs, and updates. Now, I’m going to copy all my projects and data from old disk drive what will surely take a few more hours ;-).
The main conclusion I’ve came to is that having a stable and long-lasting hardware and software environment is a bless. All spring-clean and re-installation is a real pain in the ass.
Why didn’t you just take your old hard drive out of the old machine and put it in the new machine. If it really was that close maybe Windows could have just “understood” which drivers it needed and you would have been all set. I would still reccomend it as a trial so you don’t have to move all your files over.
I didn’t it that way because I was migrating from dead desktop computer to new laptop. So, it’s physically not possible to replace disk drive.
So, no I have my old Dell laptop with Linux, new Dell laptop with Windows box which replaced my broken desktop machine.