75ZT Community

Thought I'd start a new thread on this, as the previous one has changed direction a bit now!

So, I've bitten the bullet and ordered a new laptop, another from the Argos "Manufacturer refurbished" ones spotted on eBay. Managed to find a Toshiba for just under £270 with a 17" screen, so as we've always had and liked Toshiba's, I've plumped for this

It's Windows 8, so when it arrives, first job will be to upgrade to W10 before it stops being free!

Then I need to shift all my stuff from the current laptop to the new one. Easiest way I guess is over the local network via wi-fi, but then that will take an age. Is it possible to do the same job, with the same network and router, but via LAN cables? This would speed it up I'd hope. I seem to recall that it is possible to directly link two laptops, but also recall it wasn't as easy as might be expected? I guess another option is to whip the HDD out of this one and into a caddy for copying. I have a caddy somewhere but can't recall where, and think it's an older, clunky thing suited to the HDD from an old tower PC, so probably the laptop HDD wouldn't even fit

Any ideas you good folk might have would be appreciated!

There was a program called Laplink that I have used in the very distant past that was very good. Just looked and it is still available but at a very high price.

http://www.laplink.com/index.php

That's the sort of thing I need I think Paul (as long as the machines can be physically connected, as I think doing it all wirelessly will take an age, and have to be monitored whilst it takes this age, as the network has regular dropouts)

Perhaps something a little cheaper too, although not as bad as I thought it would be before I clicked the link!

Just thinking back and it must have been 20 years ago ND THE PROGRAM CAME WITH a data cable to connect the two machines oh the good old days, when memory was £25 per Mb (work out the cost of 8Gb) PC were running at 33 MHz, a large HDD was 120Mb and the choice of operating system was Windows 3.x or DRDos.

It should work fine via LAN though you will need to connect both machines to the router. You could get another router or direct connect but not 'plug and play'.

Do you mean I could use a router other than the one that we get our broadband through, ie just use it as a device to connect the two laptops, not to connect to the Internet? If that would work, we've got an old router or two, so sounds good to me!

Get a x-over ethernet cable (or you can make one) so you have direct connection and you can then map a drive from one laptop to another, and then use a bit of software called unstoppable copier from www.roadkil.net and you can the push or pull the files.

Sounds interesting! How much are these cables of which you speak? (Does "x-over" mean "cross-over"?)

Should be the same price as a normal one - just means the wires are connected differently.

Just had a look and they seem to be fairly cheap, so thanks both! Also the free Roadkil software sounds like what I need, so more thanks!

Before I click the "Buy" button, will this one do the trick?

If you are doing something without a router, something in the setup is going to have to give the computers their IP addresses. Normally the router does this (using a thing called DHCP). No idea if Roadkill sorts this or of you have to arrange it yourself.

Your old router ought to work as it should give IP addresses to both PCs. Then normal cables should work. The software suggested might still help.

Cheers Duncan!

I think I'll buy the cable anyway, and see what happens there with the recommended software, but if I struggle, then it's loft ladder out, and a quick root for the router and LAN cables!

OK, I now have the new Toshiba laptop, and the cable.

Also got the Windows 10 upgrade sorted as soon as it arrived (I know I said elsewhere that I don't want W10, but I sure as heck don't want Windows 8!)

All good so far.....

However, this morning I tried a few things with the new laptop, one of which was listening to music. The sound is appalling! Now I know that the physical size of laptops means smaller speakers, but for one thing, this one is a 17" (should mean a little more room for speakers) and more pertinently, my old laptop (also Toshiba 17", typing on it now still) had/has really good sound, better than our iPod dock.

So, I've looked into sending the new one back, and apparently I can do this for free. Also therefore looking at getting another one, specifically this one Now there's two issues here (surprise!)

[1]I've read a review that says the sound is good, but as there are so many variants on laptops, can I be sure that it applies to this machine? Also one of the reviews on the advert for this HP laptop says the sound is pants, so which is correct?
[2]If I order the HP, it should be here by Wednesday 27th, but if there's any delay, then I might miss the window for the free update for W10. Not going to pay for it!

So, what to do? I was wondering if there was some sort of plug-in soundbar (as in becomes part of the machine almost rather than trailing wires). A quick search is not showing anything Toshiba specific. Does anyone know about such a product?

I guess most of the time, if I play music, I'll be able to stream to my Denon hi-fi now, but equally I'd like to be happy with the new laptop, and the sound really is so bad that even system sounds are grating.....

I have a bluetooth soundbar with my laptop, so no wires and better sound.

Does it fit on, or under the laptop? Or is it placed away from it?

If the former, sounds ideal!

There is a sort of clip on it so it can be mounted on top if the screen if it is not too thick but I use mine on its stand away from the laptop.
I do this more from idleness so that I don't have to recharge the battery, normally keeping it connected to the charger.
Its not brilliant but much better than the tiny inbuilt speakers. Here's a piccie-



Should've put a plain backdrop to see it but you get the idea.

Cheers for that, and don't worry about the backdrop, as your room looks very cosy!