Preparing for the New Arrival
I feel like an expectant parent preparing the nursery for baby. Even though it will be another two weeks before the laptop arrives, I'm thinking about where it will stay, what I must do to keep it safe and give it enough but not too much attention, and wondering if I really know the first thing about little laptops. How do I hold it? What if I drop it on its little head, and it's never right again? Will it keep me up nights? What if it gets sick, out here so far in the wilderness? If I smile at it, will it smile back? Being a new father is so stressful.
Okay. Enough already with the bad analogies. But seriously, I have concerns. One is that I not suffer the musculoskeletal complaints I've been able to eliminate from my desktop setup, applying all the good ergonomics I used to preach when I was a practicing physical therapist. With screen and keyboard inseparable, there are new risks, but there are some ways to adapt. Here are Five Tips for Laptop users from the Ergo department at Cornell. And (not just for laptops) a good explanation for the wisdom of using negative keyboard positioning. I used to have such a hard time making people understand this. And I still go into a place like the local or Tech library and all their keyboards are cocked up high in the back! I know they wonder who keeps coming in there messing with the keyboards!
And, I have a newbie question re laptops: other than using a USB memory-key or CDRW disk, how does one get files uploaded from the laptop to the desktop? What's the best way? Is there a cable of some sort for this purpose? Will it come with the machine or do I need to purchase it? It is too late to take a class for anxious laptop owners?
Comments
Under Programs/Accessories/SystemTools/Files and Settings Transfer Wizard will help you transfer your files. I can't remember, but I think it uses a USB cable. Hmmm... must be a double-ended one. You might want to double check on that.
You probably already know this, but you should transfer files, not programs. You'll have to reinstall the programs, so make sure you still have diskettes and your downloads. And the e-mails (if you've bought them online) with the authorization keys, etc.
BTW, my experience with Dell is that they usually get it made waaaay earlier than the date they tell you. Insurance in case things go awry. I understand that.
Enjoy!
Posted by: lauragayle | April 19, 2005 7:48 AM
*I’m liking this conversation of yours related to lap tops. The next computer I buy will most likely be one.
*I’m trying the negative keyboard positioning. It takes some getting use to but I can see were it would help the wrist I’m not so sure of the shoulders. If I had a larger keyboard were my hands could spread out I think it would be more comfortable.
*A friend of mine with a laptop uses a cord to down load files to her desk top. I would call your Dell rep. I’m sure he/she can answer that question by simply looking up your spec’s.
Posted by: cindy lee | April 19, 2005 7:57 AM
You are a major, major geek. Seriously.
But to answer your question, my wireless network makes transferring files from one to the other pretty simple.
Posted by: Trey | April 19, 2005 8:18 AM
I like my USB drive but I also use email. Gmail or yahoo give you lots of space. Email files to myself that I want to share between computers.
You can use a program like laplink but it's slow.
Take Care
Michael
Posted by: Blogin Idiot | April 19, 2005 12:14 PM
Hi Fred - I have a similar setup - a desktop behemoth and a laptop. I got an external hard drive that I could plug into either machine; the drive holds about 80Gb. Plenty of space for the music projects I planned. I don't know current prices, this was about 3-4 years ago and ran about $200. They didn't have those "thumb-drives" (USB memory-key) then, but it's the same idea.
I keep thinking that to "really do it right", I would network the two machines, that way I have easy access to everything from either machine, and most of my software would work from either one. I just haven't had time to try it, or sufficient need to do it I suppose.
You're gonna love your lap-top! Just beware of cpu-rivalry :-)
Posted by: rosalie | April 19, 2005 12:40 PM
Use the force Fred.
Your wireless hub can server as a router/network switch for the desktop to create a local area network:
POTS
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DSL Hub
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Wireless Hub
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: Desktop
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:
laptop
The whole point of a laptop is mobility, resist the urge to load it up with crap you'll seldom use.
Posted by: BJ | April 19, 2005 7:30 PM
Fred--Congrats on the new laptop! It's all that I use for my computing and I love it. I have it on an iCurve laptop stand and use a regular full size keyboard connected to the laptop. Underneath this I have an external hard-drive hooked up to the laptop. I use this external hard-drive to do my backing up, on a very regular basis. Hard drives will fail, or things get mucked up and well, it's always good to have the backup. You could connect an external hard drive and transfer files that way, or create a network between the two machines, or . . .there are several options. If you get stuck or aren't sure, I'm sure that one of the locals who know computers would be glad to stop by and help out if need be. Laptops are fantastic--enjoy it! -
Posted by: Sean | April 19, 2005 8:00 PM