New Laptop, help if at possible required (1 Viewer)

[Gildersleeve]

Features of laptop are as follows...



Mobile AMD Turion 64 ML-30 Processor(35W 1.6GHz)

100GB Hard Disk Drive

ATI PCI Express Graphics(Mobility Radeon Xpress 200 upto 128 MB shared memory

1024MB DDR RAM memory

TV Tuner(DVB-T and Analogue Tuner)

Multi Standard DVD/CD Burner(with dual layer support)

Wireless working with WLAN* and Bluetooth(WLAN 802.11b/g, upto 54Mbit/s and Bluetooth-standard v1.2

High definition audio system with 4 speakers and 1 subwoofer

Firewire IEEE1394 connection

Audio out

Microphone in

Infrared interface

DC in

DVI monitor interface

VGA out

Video/S-Video out

1xModem(RJ11)

DVD Burner

6 x USB 2.0

LAN(RJ45)

SP/DIF Digital out

Audio in

PCMCIA type II

4 in one card reader

Li-lon battery

RF Remote Control

Carrying Bag

Mains adaptor

17" Widescreen Glare Type LCD Display WXGA with 1440 x 900 pixel

3 year Guarantee



Software:Microsoft Works 8.0

MS Auto Route 2005

MS Encarta Encyclopedia 2005

MS Flugsimulator 2004

MS Picture It Premium 10

Nero Burning Rom 6

Nero Recode 2-SE

eTrust Antivirus

PowerDVD 6

Power Cinema 4.2

Power Producer 3.0

Musicmatch Jukebox 9.0



I'm no expert, I'm a novice with computers but maybe someone can tell me if this is a pretty good purchase but here's the problem...



I have an ordinary phone line coming into the house.

Where it enters the house it goes to a phone situated in the lounge, using an extension cable the line continues into my bedroom where it goes to a separate phone and into a modem installed internally in the desktop pc.



I hope to go broadband with my present ISP soon(Madasafish)when I do the ISP send out some things that stop interference on the line and allow ordinary calls to be made whilst using the pc and they also supply an adaptor that you plug into a a USB port(in which I assume you put the phone cable and bypass the original modem)



Upon getting home I have discovered reading the laptop manual its internal modem will work with an ordinary line but it states that it must not be connected to an ISDN line or broadband as the different voltages will damage the internal modem and possibly the laptop. Not a problem at present as its an ordinary line.



Is possible to plug in the laptop so it will work with broadband, do I have to change the internal modem? Will it be a case of buying another broadband adaptor which placed between the incoming line and the connection to the laptop? Can I join up with broadband by using a wireless connection and how difficult is that as I probably would like not to be tied physically to a phoneline.



The main reason for getting a laptop was to avoid having to keep coming upstairs to the main computer, I wanted both so to be able to use my broadband connection(when I get it)and to be able to stay downstairs in the lounge and use the laptop to keep on top of and access messageboards like Birdforum and send e-mails more than I am able now.



But if its going to be a big problem I probably could get a refund and return it quite quickly as its unused and is unable to do the main reason it was purchased for.

I assume though I live in the UK this problem is similar in any country with an upto date telephone/internet system.



Any help really would be appreciated.



Thank You



Gildy

 

[Pie Face]

ISDN modems plug into the USB ports or ethernet sockets only.
To give yourself total freedom get a wireless modem router c.£40 - 80 as the laptop already has wlan, you will be able to surf the net anywhere in the house.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

Hi Gildy, not a bad spec on your laptop!

Your ISP will (probably) send you a USB ADSL modem when they switch your line over to ADSL. This will be ok but you'll still be limited by the cables needed. As the guy with the funny moustache () says, a wireless modem router is the best option (and, with the addition of a wireless adapter in your main PeeCee, allow both machines to be on the 'net simultaneously).

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[Wickham]

As far as the different voltages are concerned, I don't think you need worry.

When you get broadband, the broadband connection goes via the ADSL modem (or better still a wireless router) but the internal modem connects through the old telephone line (which will be split into the ADSL and original telephone circuits).

You can't connect the internal modem into the ADSL circuit, your computer knows which to connect to! You can go to network connections and disable one before clicking connect for another and the computer uses the correct route.

Your ISP supplies the splitters for use with your ordinary house phones.

 

[Tannin]

Don't ever purchase a laptop on specs and price. Always, always buy on build quality and manufacturer backup for the hardware. Unlike desktops, especially the better desktops, laptos generally have short warranties (12 months only is typical) and cannot be repaired in the majority of cases. Never, ever buy a no-name or poor brand of laptop. The repair cost can stun you.

 

[Gildersleeve]

Don't ever purchase a laptop on specs and price. Always, always buy on build quality and manufacturer backup for the hardware. Unlike desktops, especially the better desktops, laptos generally have short warranties (12 months only is typical) and cannot be repaired in the majority of cases. Never, ever buy a no-name or poor brand of laptop. The repair cost can stun you.

Thanks everyone for your help...

I probably could've/should've bought a well known make but the company sells lots of good quality items and has been around 50 years.

And it does have a 3 year guarantee so hopefully it will do the trick. It may seem foolhardy but if I get a few years out of it, if I get stung I will look for another and perhaps rather than repair buy new.