PRS-300 Charging seems totally random. Unable to get full charge at all

[Sirtel]

For what it's worth, I don't throw away my older laptops, tablets or ereaders - I sell them. Sometimes pretty cheaply (depending on the device), but I've always found a buyer. True, none of the devices I sell are over a decade old - usually 5-8 years. And they've always been in good order and gently treated, often looking almost new.

So I don't have an enormous heap of old stuff gathering dust in a storeroom. In fact, I only have the devices I'm currently using (plus my two ancient Kindles which are too old to bother selling them).

[John F]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

...

With a desktop it's simpler - you can upgrade RAM, internal drive etc easily enough, and buy a newer monitor (if your computer is capable of working with it). Unfortunately I can't sit in one place for several hours when using a computer - I need to be able to move around with my device.

Interesting. I can't recall the last time I haven't been able to upgrade my laptops; RAM, SSD, HDD, 2nd monitor (this is for Windows). Although I haven't tried upgrading a video card.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

Interesting. I can't recall the last time I haven't been able to upgrade my laptops; RAM, SSD, HDD, 2nd monitor (this is for Windows). Although I haven't tried upgrading a video card.

I don't use monitors - as I've said, I need to be able to move around with my laptop. And there are limits how much you can upgrade a laptop over a decade old. I didn't say you can't upgrade it at all, you just can't do it indefinitely to keep up with advances in technology. I couldn't fit 32GB RAM in my 2013 laptop; perhaps it's possible, but I don't have the technical background to do it.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

RAM and storage were also not sufficient; being a laptop, they couldn't be upgraded to today's standards (I need at least 32GB RAM and 1-2TB storage). And the screen was not 4K, which is what I need these days.

You obviously do a LOT more photo editing than I do. 16 GBs works fine for what I need. I also don't need 1 to 2 TB of storage.

Originally Posted by Sirtel

With a desktop it's simpler - you can upgrade RAM, internal drive etc easily enough, and buy a newer monitor (if your computer is capable of working with it). Unfortunately I can't sit in one place for several hours when using a computer - I need to be able to move around with my device.

Okay. Different usage patterns than mine. My Optiplex Micro 9020m desktop computers (7"x7"x1.5"), external power supply, actually have both M.2 SSD slots and 2.5" SATA slots, so I could have quite a bit of storage in them (if I needed it). Same with my Latitude E7440 laptop (same two slots). I am limited to 16 GBs of RAM on both, however. (For what I do, 8 GB would be sufficient, but the RAM is cheap for these now and they run nicer with the extra RAM.)

Also Linux does more with lower spec hardware than does Windows.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by John F

Interesting. I can't recall the last time I haven't been able to upgrade my laptops; RAM, SSD, HDD, 2nd monitor (this is for Windows). Although I haven't tried upgrading a video card.

The older Dell Latitudes upgraded nicely. I think the newest ones (the Ultrabooks at any rate) have now gone "Mac-ish" and have soldered on RAM and SSDs.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Also Linux does more with lower spec hardware than does Windows.

Undoubtedly. As I have no IT or technical background, however, and command line stuff is Chinese to me, I have to use Windows. I could install a Linux version with a nice GUI, of course, but the first time I ran into a problem would probably be the last time I used it. When I have a problem on my Windows computer, I google for a solution and usually find it in a language a layperson can understand; most Linux advice I've come across sounds like it's written by aliens for aliens.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Undoubtedly. As I have no IT or technical background, however, and command line stuff is Chinese to me, I have to use Windows. I could install a Linux version with a nice GUI, of course, but the first time I ran into a problem would probably be the last time I used it. When I have a problem on my Windows computer, I google for a solution and usually find it in a language a layperson can understand; most Linux advice I've come across sounds like it's written by aliens for aliens.

Desktop Linux has gotten a lot easier during the last few years, especially if you use a "flavor" that closely resembles the Windows Desktop (like Linux Mint). I've always had pretty good luck finding the solution to issues in Linux on the Internet. Now I'm almost useless when trying to support my wife's Windows computers — everything seems convoluted. But I understand that it depends on what you're used to using.

When my wife's computer blue screened to death after doing a mandatory upgrade, I must have tried 20 different ways (that I found on the Internet) to get it to boot again. I finally gave up, used a Live Linux USB to to retrieve her data, then rebuilt the Windows computer from scratch. (I had to do this twice, both times I tried multiple "fixes.") But she hasn't had any problems in the last five or six years, so I think Windows 10 (now 11) is more stable now than it was back then. (For which I'm grateful.)

She uses newer computers, like you. I just upgraded her desktop RAM to 40 GBs and her SSD to 1 TB.