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Archive through July 08, 2014

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions: All Things Technical: The Help Desk: Laptops/Netbook Purchase: Archive through July 08, 2014 users admin

Author Message
Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 4:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
LOL, I hardly ever use my cd drive, the most I have done is back up my files, LOL. And what would I need Bluetooth to do? I know I have seen it on some of the research I have done but I wasn't sure what it was for. TIA.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 4:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Naja, thanks so much, this is exactly the stuff I need to understand so I have a clue about what I need and want.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 4:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Dipo, bluetooth is a wireless connection that will connect you to all kinds of fun accessories. Like speakers, headsets, keyboards, mouse, and other blue tooth devices.

And Jimmer, I do like my tablet, but I have yet to see why a touchscreen would help me on my full sized laptop or at my desktop.

Mamapors
Member

07-29-2004

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 4:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mamapors a private message Print Post    
I have no optical drive on my Mac. Have never missed it. Bluetooth is how you would connect to a wireless mouse, wireless printer, etc.

Brenda1966
Member

07-02-2002

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 4:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Brenda1966 a private message Print Post    
I am able to connect to my wireless printer through my router I believe. ANd my wireless mouse has a little usb type thing you plug into the laptop. I guess I'm old school. LOL.

And yes, I use my optical drive a lot -- I rip music off of CD's and load it into the kids mp3 player. I burn CD's of music (like old school mix tapes) and I save my photos onto CD and DVD.

I have a Dell at home and I really like it. I have an HP at work, and I don't like it as much as the dell, but it's a good machine.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 4:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Dipo, do you ever buy tv show seasons on dvd? Or have any dvd movies?

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 5:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
LOL, nope, I think I have one DVD movie and I have a dvd plyer on my vcr.

So if I have Bluetooth I don't need my wireless router?

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 5:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Yes, you still need your wireless router. You can buy a bluetooth router, but why would you? Any of those laptops still connect to your current router not using bluetooth..

And the reason I asked about the dvds, was because if you did, then for sure you wouldn't want to skip the optical drive.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 8:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but the main reason for bluetooth seems to be to NOT have to stick a little USB transmitter into a USB for every wireless device. One soon runs out of USB ports.

Colordeagua
Member

10-24-2003

Thursday, June 12, 2014 - 5:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
LOL, nope, I think I have one DVD movie and I have a dvd plyer on my vcr.

LOL I've got DVDs out the whaaazzzooooooo! I've never watched a DVD on my laptop though. Just stick it in my MacBook Pro's optical drive? Drive is part of my MBP. There are now models without.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, June 12, 2014 - 9:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Yes, Color, and you can also watch your DVD's away from home on your MacBook Pro. IF you go away from home, which you should.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Friday, June 13, 2014 - 10:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
I'm not sure what you are laughing about, Colorde.
If you actually leave home, your laptop can be a portable dvd player...alone or to hooked to another tv. I'm not sure what's funny about it.

Plus, those of us that actually used our dvd burners to burn piles and piles of movies, tv shows, music, and data to dvds, we also want dvd drives on our new computers to access all that stuff we burned.

What's funny about it?

Colordeagua
Member

10-24-2003

Saturday, June 14, 2014 - 6:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
Just laughing because Dipo has ONE DVD and I got 'em up the whaaazzooooooooo! (How can you have only ONE? ) LOL But then, there are those that probably have more than I do.

Only a few months ago I got rid of a many, but not all, CDs. I've gone digital only on a lot of music.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Saturday, June 14, 2014 - 9:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
It's amazing how technology changes. I had a friend years ago who had the most wonderful collection of classical albums. I hope he still has them.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Saturday, June 14, 2014 - 1:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
LOL, color it always amazes me when people have so many DVD's. I just never think of watching a movie on a dvd since I have so many channels on cable.

Colordeagua
Member

10-24-2003

Saturday, June 14, 2014 - 2:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
That explains some of it. I've never had cable or satellite and don't plan on it. Over the air TV only. (Laugh at that?) So I buy or sometimes rent DVDs of TV series. Streaming more lately. More HBO now on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Saturday, June 14, 2014 - 5:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Totally makes sense to me since I pay for cable I don't rent DVDs, LOL.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Saturday, June 14, 2014 - 8:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
I may not have ANY DVD's. Well, I have a whole stack of blank ones up there on a high shelf to give to Bigdog if he needs a couple to burn slide shows he makes and sends out to people we have gone on trips with. And, of course, his DVD's with our past trips on them are also my DVD's, but it would not occur to me to rent or buy a DVD to watch on the television monitor.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 4:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
This may sound stupid, but when you have a tablet or a kindle fire, how do you get the internet? Is it like a cell phone and you have buy a service, also do you have to charge them all the time, like a cell phone, LOL.

Obviously I don't have one yet, but I was thinking about this the other day when I saw one on HSN that looked like a really good deal for a lot.

I am going on a cruise so I was thinking of a kindle fire, but if I got some other tablet can I still get ebooks on it? Or does it have to be a kindle or nook or whatever that other one is called?

Thanks.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 5:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Dipo, hotels or cruise ships "usually" have a hotspot, and when you scan available wifi connections, it will show up and you click on it to connect. Sometimes it will need a password you get from the front desk, sometimes it will be open and you don't need a password.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 5:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
But isn't that dangerous, like not secure? I have concerns about identity theft.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 5:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Dipo, millions of people use the hotspots at coffee shops and other places every day. I'm sure there is a checklist somewhere online of safety precautions before using one.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 6:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
LOL, I know it just makes me nervous.

Brenda1966
Member

07-02-2002

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 6:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Brenda1966 a private message Print Post    
We have a kindle. Yes, you need wifi to hook to the internet to load books or movies on it or to do anything live on the internet, like use google or youtube or facebook or download games or watch netflix.

You can use it offline, which is what my child does at grandma's -- where there is no wifi. She reads the books on there or plays games. When we travel we download rented movies to the kindle -- you get 24 or 48 hours to watch the movie once you start watching it, and then it's gone. We buy those from Amazon.

We will connect to hotspots in hotel rooms, etc. But I don't do anything while connected that I consider risky -- I don't log into paypal or my bank or credit cards or pay bills -- I only do that on my home wifi.

AS for using your kindle on a cruise -- using any wifi on a cruise is iffy as it can be expensive and unreliable (at least it was the last time I cruised). So, I wouldn't count on it as it's generally via satellite. Mostly when cruising you're just offline. But you could load books and movies on there before you go and when you're in port you may be able to hit a hotspot.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 7:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Thanks, Brenda, I was thinking it would be easier to take a kindle to read books then taking the hard backs, but I may just go check a bunch out of the library and load up a suitcase.