I just had a contract with a company that is strictly Lenovo....... I kinda like them.

Whatever you decide get more than 16 ram. A bunch of Usb ports are nice to have.

Since yer coming from an older machine.....

Decide if you want a strictly wifi laptop as they now, depending on the model, come without nic cards.

17 hours ago, Agent23 said:

Are you working as like an outside consultant? Otherwise they should be supplying you with a computer. (I personally liked the Lenovos I’ve had, but work recently ended their partnership so my business laptop is back to being a Dell)

It's not a Consultant job. Heck it's only a Part Time position, right now, 20 - 25 hours a week. So I have to supply my own equipment. Need a new desktop too. 😬🙃

Yeah I've heard really good things about Lenovos.

Thanks for responding, guys.

i swear by lenova; still use my off the shelf from 13 years ago however finally looking into replacement. have been researching mini computers

ie.

3 hours ago, LacesOut said:

It's not a Consultant job. Heck it's only a Part Time position, right now, 20 - 25 hours a week. So I have to supply my own equipment. Need a new desktop too. 😬🙃

Yeah I've heard really good things about Lenovos.

Thanks for responding, guys.

does it have to be a seperate desktop? ive been using my laptop in a "dock" (its called a dock but its just a box that my laptop plugs into) to connect to my 2 monitors, keyboard and mouse at work. then i just take the laptop home at night.

1 hour ago, BFit said:

does it have to be a seperate desktop? ive been using my laptop in a "dock" (its called a dock but its just a box that my laptop plugs into) to connect to my 2 monitors, keyboard and mouse at work. then i just take the laptop home at night.

I dock too (not like that @hputenis ). 2 monitors, keyboard, track ball, power and wired internet all through a single USB-C connection.

I do 3 days in office, two at home so it’s really nice to just to have to connect one cable for all of that.

1 hour ago, BFit said:

does it have to be a seperate desktop? ive been using my laptop in a "dock" (its called a dock but its just a box that my laptop plugs into) to connect to my 2 monitors, keyboard and mouse at work. then i just take the laptop home at night.

Hmmm, I need to check on that exactly. I think it does need to be a separate desktop. Thanks man.

I worked for JPMorgan Chase the past 10 years (don't ever work there!) One of the few good things Chase did was allow you to WFH with any device, and when you logged in, you logged right into your Chase desktop. Easy peasy. One of the bad things Chase did was monitor your keystrokes, so, they knew when and how much you actually worked.

Thanks Paco. I was kind of waiting for you to assist, LOL. I almost PM'd ya. I knew you had/have mucho experience with this ish.

Also, I'm NOT very Techie.

14 minutes ago, LacesOut said:

Hmmm, I need to check on that exactly. I think it does need to be a separate desktop. Thanks man.

I worked for JPMorgan Chase the past 10 years (don't ever work there!) One of the few good things Chase did was allow you to WFH with any device, and when you logged in, you logged right into your Chase desktop. Easy peasy. One of the bad things Chase did was monitor your keystrokes, so, they knew when and how much you actually worked.

Thanks Paco. I was kind of waiting for you to assist, LOL. I almost PM'd ya. I knew you had/have mucho experience with this ish.

Also, I'm NOT very Techie.

Just a heads up, if you go the USB-C docking station route, make sure the laptop of choice has a USB-C that supports it, e.g. DisplayPort Alt Mode, Thunderbolt, or USB4.

Not all USB-C ports are created equal. And of the 3 I listed, they are not the same either.

DisplayPort Alt Mode (DP Alt Mode)

Function: Allows a USB-C port to carry a native DisplayPort video signal.

Performance: Varies; supports one video stream, potentially up to 8K@60Hz with DP 1.4/2.0, but often limited to 4K@60Hz or 4K@120Hz depending on the host GPU and cable.

Key Feature: Simple video/audio transmission, sometimes combined with USB 3.2 data.

Thunderbolt (3 & 4)

Function: A high-speed protocol (40Gbps) that tunnels DisplayPort, PCIe, and USB over USB-C.

Performance: Guarantees features like dual 4K@60Hz displays or single 8K displays, plus high-speed PCIe for docks/GPUs.

Key Features: Daisy-chaining up to six devices, dynamic bandwidth allocation, mandatory Power Delivery (PD) in T4, greater consistency.

USB4

Function: An open standard built on Thunderbolt 3's foundation, supporting DP & PCIe tunneling.

Performance: Highly variable; can achieve high resolutions (like 8K) with DP 2.0 tunneling but without T4's guarantees, depending on the cable and host implementation.

Key Features: Dynamic bandwidth sharing (USB, DP, PCIe), often more affordable than Thunderbolt, uses hubs instead of native daisy-chaining.

In Summary:

Guarantees: Thunderbolt provides strict minimums (e.g., dual 4K displays, PCIe), while USB4 doesn't, making performance less predictable.

Daisy-Chaining: Thunderbolt supports it natively; USB4 relies on hubs.

Cost/Licensing: USB4 is an open standard (no fees); Thunderbolt has licensing costs, making devices pricier.

Technology: USB4 leverages Thunderbolt's core but lacks its strict spec; DP Alt Mode is a simpler video-only mode.

TL:DR - Get Thuderbolt or USB4

12 hours ago, paco said:

Just a heads up, if you go the USB-C docking station route, make sure the laptop of choice has a USB-C that supports it, e.g. DisplayPort Alt Mode, Thunderbolt, or USB4.

Not all USB-C ports are created equal. And of the 3 I listed, they are not the same either.

DisplayPort Alt Mode (DP Alt Mode)

Function: Allows a USB-C port to carry a native DisplayPort video signal.

Performance: Varies; supports one video stream, potentially up to 8K@60Hz with DP 1.4/2.0, but often limited to 4K@60Hz or 4K@120Hz depending on the host GPU and cable.

Key Feature: Simple video/audio transmission, sometimes combined with USB 3.2 data.

Thunderbolt (3 & 4)

Function: A high-speed protocol (40Gbps) that tunnels DisplayPort, PCIe, and USB over USB-C.

Performance: Guarantees features like dual 4K@60Hz displays or single 8K displays, plus high-speed PCIe for docks/GPUs.

Key Features: Daisy-chaining up to six devices, dynamic bandwidth allocation, mandatory Power Delivery (PD) in T4, greater consistency.

USB4

Function: An open standard built on Thunderbolt 3's foundation, supporting DP & PCIe tunneling.

Performance: Highly variable; can achieve high resolutions (like 8K) with DP 2.0 tunneling but without T4's guarantees, depending on the cable and host implementation.

Key Features: Dynamic bandwidth sharing (USB, DP, PCIe), often more affordable than Thunderbolt, uses hubs instead of native daisy-chaining.

In Summary:

Guarantees: Thunderbolt provides strict minimums (e.g., dual 4K displays, PCIe), while USB4 doesn't, making performance less predictable.

Daisy-Chaining: Thunderbolt supports it natively; USB4 relies on hubs.

Cost/Licensing: USB4 is an open standard (no fees); Thunderbolt has licensing costs, making devices pricier.

Technology: USB4 leverages Thunderbolt's core but lacks its strict spec; DP Alt Mode is a simpler video-only mode.

TL:DR - Get Thuderbolt or USB4

16 hours ago, paco said:

I dock too (not like that @hputenis ). 2 monitors, keyboard, track ball, power and wired internet all through a single USB-C connection.

I do 3 days in office, two at home so it’s really nice to just to have to connect one cable for all of that.

Two older songs that I keep listening to.....

• Post Malone - Circles

• Eminem - 8 Mile

Go Bills, they deserve one.

Pepperoni, by itself, is somewhat disgusting.

Put it on a pizza?? DELICIOUS!

2 hours ago, LacesOut said:

Pepperoni, by itself, is somewhat disgusting.

Put it on a pizza?? DELICIOUS!

Man..... toss you back into employment and you start coming off with some strange stuff.

Are you trying to empty the head out to make room for work stuff?

Jk man.

On 1/15/2026 at 8:40 PM, Steve 17 said:

Man..... toss you back into employment and you start coming off with some strange stuff.

Are you trying to empty the head out to make room for work stuff?

Jk man.

LMAO

My wife bought some pepperoni, it's in a small bag. I'm like WTF is this? I tried a couple of pieces. It was gross. I'm like, ummmm this meat belongs on a warm pizza AND nothing else! So go buy us a pepperoni pizza!!!

She didn't go buy us pizza.

I swear, I never win any arguments. 😬🤓

35 years on and I just agree with Mrs. 17..... it actually make my life easier

Trade her in on a new model.

Too tired to be bothered..... plus she holds the health care insurance.

1 hour ago, Steve 17 said:

Too tired to be bothered..... plus she holds the health care insurance.

maybe redden is coming up with a deal (a deal deal) ?

I'm not heavy enough and have lousy hair

So they’re saying that this looks likely to happen. Potentially the worst snow storm we’ve ever had. Pray for us.

Sat 24

Day

31°

89%

NE 10 mph

Watching a potential winter storm. Snow showers early, with a steadier snow developing late in the day. High 31F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulating 3 to 5 inches.

Night

15°

94%

NE 9 mph

Watching a potential winter storm. Cloudy with snow. Low around 15F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. A foot or more of snow expected.

Sun 25

Day

21°

89%

NNE 9 mph

Watching a potential winter storm. A wintry mix. High 21F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 90%. Snow and ice accumulating 3 to 5 inches.

Night

17°

59%

N 6 mph

Watching a potential winter storm. Snow showers early. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 17F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.

We were in Greensboro for a year.....I remember.... you guys don't handle snow very well. An inch and everything shuts down...... this ?

This is a pray to the God of your choosing situation, have your affairs in order, buy extra batteries, ammo and spam.

Be sure to have a mad frenzy at the supermarket for milk, eggs and bread.

Let us know when law and order completely break down.

It was nice knowing ya.

5 hours ago, Steve 17 said:

We were in Greensboro for a year.....I remember.... you guys don't handle snow very well. An inch and everything shuts down...... this ?

This is a pray to the God of your choosing situation, have your affairs in order, buy extra batteries, ammo and spam.

Be sure to have a mad frenzy at the supermarket for milk, eggs and bread.

Let us know when law and order completely break down.

It was nice knowing ya.

went through the same thing outside of Columbia back in the late 90s. soon as i saw the size of the flurries, told the crew to pack it up. these local yokals thought it was play time.
took us two hours to go 15 miles.

On 1/19/2026 at 11:08 PM, Redden said:

Trade her in on a new model.

A great thing about my wife is that she is 13 years younger than me. So if anyone is getting "traded in", it will be me. 😝🤓

Could get anywhere from 5 to 22 inches of snow this weekend in DE. Yay.

Getting just 2 inches of snow pizzes me off. I'm ready for sunny and 80 degrees.

On 1/20/2026 at 9:49 AM, Steve 17 said:

I'm not heavy enough and have lousy hair

More importantly, you don't have a virgina.