Help a Cow with a Computer

[Cowperson]

So . . . .

I'd like to get a laptop. And a smart phone.

I don't actually use my home computer for a wide variety of things, only a few specific things.

I have about 47,000 jpeg images and you'd probably expect that to go to 100,000 at some point. I back them up using an external hard drive. That's easily the biggest thing I'd have and the administration of said is the primary purpose.

I'll want to have Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (I have Photoshop Elements right now). Again, relating to the above. Right now, I can't shoot in RAW and the upgrade is to provide for that.

I have Microsoft Front Page (I know, I know) to administer my dog's web site. Pretty simple and doesn't have to be different.

I've really only used a computer for two games - Microsoft Flight Simulator and a Microsoft WWII flight simulator. I wouldn't really anticipate any other gaming as I use a PSP to amuse myself otherwise.

I can integrate with my office from home and they provide the encrypted security, which, in my business, has to be the best available. But that doesn't seem to be a big deal.

Aside from surfing the net, those are pretty much the only things I use a home computer for. I never download music or movies.

I live in the country, out of sight of radio towers so currently using satellite internet access. Not bad, not great and pretty limiting if you're using it a lot (they slow you down as there seems to be a quota). Therefore, I'd like to also get a smart phone, perhaps with Android technology, and, if I'm understanding what I'm reading right, use that to plug into the computer and use as the internet source, speeding things up (hopefully) while also giving me some further portability with the smart phone. If I cared, I'd have to use a Blackberry to access my office but that doesn't matter to me so any smart phone will do.

So . . . . . . any suggestions for a laptop/smart phone combo, understanding that my home location is west of Okotoks, still in the cell phone zone but if you go about 10 miles further west there is no cell phone service (I hear proximity might make a difference to the speed a smart phone might be able to handle for internet access)?

Just asking. Thanks in advance for any replies. I'm not a particularly tech-savvy person so it probably wouldn't be a good idea to make it too complicated.

Cowperson

[I_H8_Crawford]

Do you want your notebook to be portable as well?

If you are using photoshop on it, I would suggest you look at a laptop with a larger, high-res screen for working on your photos (and by extension, these laptops will generally be more powerful as well)

As for phone, if you live just outside Okotoks, any company should work, but I would lean towards Bell/Telus as I believe they have better coverage outside of the major metro centers.

[mykalberta]

Do you have cell reception?

If you do you might be able to upgrade your internet to a hotspot from Bell or Rogers and ditch satellite.

[silentsim]

Do you have a dislike of Apples?

[Barnes]

If your going to tether your phone for internet, make sure you can reliably get 3g service. Not sure if Bellus even offers Edge service but Edge on Rogers/Fido would be unusable. I am able to get 3g in Okotoks.

[redforever]

I live in the country and have satellite service as well. As you mentioned, there can be a lag sometimes as broadband has to be shared. That was affecting the big programs my husband had to use.

So we now have a static IP address, which I think we only share with a maximum of 20 people? Makes a huge difference for speed.

Now ours was part of a package we got upon renewal, but even without a package, it would be something like $10 a month extra. Well worth it if you use large programs that can stall and even cut out on you at prime time for use of the net.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Do you want your notebook to be portable as well?

If you are using photoshop on it, I would suggest you look at a laptop with a larger, high-res screen for working on your photos (and by extension, these laptops will generally be more powerful as well)

As for phone, if you live just outside Okotoks, any company should work, but I would lean towards Bell/Telus as I believe they have better coverage outside of the major metro centers.

I would like my laptop/notebook to be free enough to wander around the house with it. I have a desktop in a home office right now. Who doesn't want to surf while watching TV? But I don't have any particular plans to use it out of the house although. I've never been one to exchange more than an e-mail or two with an assistant while on vacation and I can do that with a free hotel computer.

If your going to tether your phone for internet, make sure you can reliably get 3g service. Not sure if Bellus even offers Edge service but Edge on Rogers/Fido would be unusable. I am able to get 3g in Okotoks.

I do have cell service at my house. I also have a Kindle that does wi-fi most excellently there.

But it's not too much further west before you have trouble with cell service. I tried to make a call from Millarville the other day and didn't have a signal, and dips, hills and valley's are problems in the area. We have a beautiful view but we're tucked nicely away into the side of a hill, sheltered from Okotoks.

So, yeah, I've heard the 3G thing is important. Not sure how I'd test that though.

So we now have a static IP address, which I think we only share with a maximum of 20 people? Makes a huge difference for speed.

Who is your provider? I hadn't heard that before.

My current computer, I think, is stuffed to gills, so that isn't helping either.

Cowperson

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

So we now have a static IP address, which I think we only share with a maximum of 20 people? Makes a huge difference for speed.

Who is your provider? I hadn't heard that before.


Cowperson

We are with Platinum Communications.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by redforever

We are with Platinum Communications.

I cannot use Platinum. I'm hidden behind a hill. People a mile and a half away can use them but we can't due to line of sight issues with the existing tower. Myself and the neighbours tried to get them to build another tower to help us out but we wouldn't be enough customers to make it worth their while. This is a common rural problem in our hilly terrain.

Cowperson

[ricosuave]

well, first of all, I'd recommend getting a gateway computer...