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Of Computer Manufacturer Websites.
Now that my Active Duty is over (Reserve Duty it is for me, until the next World Economic Forum[^]) I'll start a job as Junior .Net Dev in a small company by May 1st. My new employer asked me to choose my favourite development Hardware (something that ain't that common around here). After browsing the Websites of different Manufacturers (Dell, HP, Lenovo - You get it) I was really disappointed by the lack of a possibility to compare _every_ model of a manufacturer online. There were basic comparison possibilities, but I found all of them far from customer friendly.
Example 1: Oh, you want a Laptop with exactly 8 GB RAM? Here are all the models with 4 - 8 GB RAM.
Example 2: You want it to come with a Docking station? Too bad, we can't tell you if we offer a Docking Station for this model.
Especially the Docking Station thing is something that pissed me off, since I _need_ a Docking Station: No cable salad, just easy "Remove Laptop and Go see customer".
User friendly is a word most Tech Company Web Devs didn't hear in a long time.
/rant
Now that I've written this of my soul, what did I miss?
The console is a black place
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Marco Bertschi wrote: what did I miss?
Well, apart from @chris-maunder sending free beer tokens to anyone who responded to his posts, not a lot.
veni bibi saltavi
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Did you claim one, or were you too busy drowning your sorrows about him offering the wrong free beverage in another case of gin?
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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For Dell, AFAIK docking stations are limited to the Latitude (and possibly the Precision) line. A dock is Serious Business (tm), consumer orientated products (Inspiron, XPS, Alienware) or corporate cheapskate lines (Vosotro aka Inspiron with business support) aren't Serious Business (tm) and need not apply.
For HP/Lenovo, no idea since I've never used their business oriented products. I suspect you'll have to go to the small/medium business sections of their stores and click down to the add accessories pages for individual models to find out what lines they sell docks for.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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Dan Neely wrote: I suspect you'll have to go to the small/medium business sections of their stores and click down to the add accessories pages for individual models to find out what lines they sell docks for.
You suspect right. But then again, often I was able to "guess" that there probably is a Docking Station for this certain model - But there are as many docking station models as Laptop models out there, and the Lenovo ones sometimes even diversed by which Graphics Card Configuration your Laptop model has, all in all it's just a big mess.
The console is a black place
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Other than an abortive experiment with a wireless 60ghz "dock", AFAIK all of dells Laptops for the last half dozen years have used the same E series connector. You just get a few different options over how many ports you get, or if the dock stand has a monitor shelf, or has a monitor arm to hold a 2nd screen above the open laptop.
For other brands, no idea since I've never used them professionally.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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A few farther thoughts, if HP or Lenovo aren't offering a single standard dock (or in the process of transitioning from dock standard v.last to v.next) that seems like a good reason to go with Dell. OTOH the E series dock dates to 2008; I half suspect that by the time you're buying your next work laptop it'll've been replaced anyway.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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HP has docking stations. I know this for a fact. Other brands? I don't know. Maybe Lenovo, or Toshiba, but you're gonna have to check.
Your choices for laptops opens way up when you shop for one that has 2-4gb but that can be expanded to 8 or 16gb. That way, you can buy the laptop with the other features that are more important, and add the amount of memory you actually need.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: HP has docking stations. I know this for a fact.
Yep. Used them, not bad. But - Is it customer friendly to let someone hunt the right Docking Station (since HP has, as Lenovo does, different DS models for different Laptop models)? See, that's the point where they pissed me off.
The console is a black place
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well they don't want you using your old DS on your new lappy do they, much better to force you to buy another one
You cant outrun the world, but there is no harm in getting a head start
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
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Welcome back Marco!
Congratulations on the job...
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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These days, a docking station is a USB port with a USB hub plugged into it.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Not for me - Few (if any) laptops have more than one Video output port, and a DS enables me to have more than just one Screen.
The console is a black place
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Can second what Dan says, it's only the pro models that supports docking stations (Latitude and Precision).
Dell has two docking stations, the normal and the plus. You need the plus if you either need a serial or parallel port, or a second monitor using DVI. Both models have displayports so if your monitors support chaining it won't matter.
Personally I have a E7440 and couldn't be happier with it. 8 hours on battery for normal use, much less if processors are on heavy load though
Two things.
* Make sure you get the pro support. It really makes a difference if you need to call them.
* Also make sure you get a SSD. The difference it makes can't be described
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Lose the female fish perhaps? (8)
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Sturgeon
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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No swearing!
veni bibi saltavi
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Not sure how you got that - but it's not the answer! 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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fishmeal[^]
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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Misplace
Miss Plaice.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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Congratulations! You are up tomorrow!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I knew the answer as MISPLACE but I still had no idea how "Fish perhaps" is PLACE?
Can you throw some light on it please?
cheers,
Super
------------------------------------------
Too much of good is bad,mix some evil in it
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Lose the female fish perhaps?
The female -> Miss
fish -> Plaice, and "perhaps" as it's just a common name used for flatfishs and is not an actual fish.
Miss Plaice -> Misplace -> to lose
You have just been Sharapova'd.
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The "perhaps?" says "this is close, but not quite" so it becomes
"Lose something that sounds like a female fish"
So "MISPLACE" ~= "MISS PLAICE" because the pronunciation is the same.
The clue could also have been "Lose the female fish we hear" as well for the same result.
The idea is to confuse and befuddle, to divert you off on wrong trains of thought, and such like!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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