Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Two questions: Are notebooks and PDAs still OK on planes? And, what to do in Chicago?

This is topic Two questions: Are notebooks and PDAs still OK on planes? And, what to do in Chicago? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 04-17-2007, 08:40 PM:

The first may seem like a silly question, but it's been more than 1 year since I last traveled by plane with a notebook, and rules change all the time. Can I still take it, but not use it? What about PDAs like the Dell Axim my IE-35 is running on? I don't like to put these into the tool case.

And, since I will be flying into Chicago and then visit customers in Illinois and Michigan, I won't have much time in Chicago itself, but maybe I can squeeze in a few hours during the trip to check out the Windy City at little. I have never been there.
What I am mostly interested in isn't really touristy stuff, but sights to see and do which are truly representative of a place, which show its unique face and character.
Since I won't have much time anyway, I want to concentrate on just getting a good first impression of Chicago.
Where "do the locals go" at night? Chicago used to be famous for its Jazz club scene. Are there still authentic clubs left or is it all overpriced pseudo-chic now? And where can I inhale true samples of the famous pizza?

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-17-2007, 08:52 PM:

You can take them on. They'll just run it through an x-ray and check for explosives.

Though they may ask you to turn it off during takeoff, due to the mistaken belief that laptops make the airplane's communications go dead. In reality, they've tested this and communications don't fail from laptops or any other electronics. The belief stems from once where a plane's communications went dead and the only thing they could attribute it to was laptops but this was a long time ago and the types of laptops in this situation haven't been made for a long time as well.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 04-17-2007, 09:29 PM:

Pizzeria Uno, or one of the places Downtown are probably considered to be the definitive pizza places in the city. Lou Malnati's is another one. But my personal favorite is Renaldi's Pizza Pub in the Clark and Diversy area. They've got really good stuffed pizza. And get the garlic cheese bread while you're waiting. It's really easy to get to by El, and the area's pretty cool too. It's where all of the 20-somethings hang out.

As far as what to do, if the Sox are in town, you should go down to the South Side and watch some baseball! Otherwise, you might want to check out Second City for some good improv or something like that.

If you need directions or whatever, let me know.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-17-2007, 10:54 PM:

Mike,
You're not even close! Having grown up and been exposed to all of the types of Pizza in the Chicago and burbs Pizzera Uno is so way overrated as to almost be garbage. Give me a good thin crust pizza like that from Home Run Inn, Barone's in Glen Ellyn, or Don and Angie's. Aruellios is also right up there in my book... excellent stuff.
There is no better pizza than these. The thick crust crap costs them zero to give you and is bad for you to boot, its whats on top that matters and what costs.

Here is the official "Best Pizza guide for Chicago" and notice that Home Run Inn is #1 as usual [thumbsup]

.

Home Run Inn
A South side favorite for more than 50 years More ...

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Buttercrust and suburban start make Lou's unique. More ...

Giordano's Restaurant
Perhaps the first stuffed crusts -- perhaps not. More ...

Gino's East Pizzeria
Chicago's signature deep-dish pizza. More ...

Aurelio's Pizza
Hurray-lio for Aurelio's More ...

Pizzeria Uno
The home of deep-dish pizza. More ...

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder
Quiet neighborhood bar steps away from the scene. More ...

Piece
Hand-formed East Coast pizza rolls into town. More ...

Pizza Doc
North Side pizza joint claims it's the real thing. More ...

Pizza Metro
There's no place like Rome, but this comes close. More ...

Chicago is great for live music, architecture and museums but not good for much else except alot of congestion. Be sure to go here for a game....

It'll take you a dozen trips there to see the stuff you need to see so don't expect to see much in one trip.

Mark

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-17-2007, 11:31 PM:

Laptops are no problem. You will have to take it out of the case when you go through security. This can be a pain in the arse when you are holding a carry-on, a coat, laptop bag, liquids/gels in a baggie, cell phone and your shoes. They will not let you turn on your laptop until the plane reaches 10,000 feet though. They will also make you turn it off for landings. Same rules apply to all electronic devices.

I just drove through Chicago today on my way to Milwaukee. If you like blues music I would recommend Kingston Mines. [thumbsup]

As far as pizza goes, I ate at Gino's in downtown once when I visited while in college. It was pretty good.

Fogo De Chao in downtown is great place to eat but they have 5 or 6 locations in North America and aren't exclusive to Chicago. They give you a coaster that is green on one side and red on the other. Men walk around in Gaucho pants with meat on skewers. There are about 10 different kinds of meat available. If you want them to bring you more you turn the green side up. To stop service you turn the red side up. It is all you can eat and it is excellent. [thumbsup]

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 04-17-2007, 11:58 PM:

Thanks for the tips so far. Going to Second City seems like a really good idea. It wouldn't have occurred to me, although I love comedy. Going to a baseball game would never occur to me either, for different reasons.

quote: Joshua Waaland
when you are holding a carry-on, a coat, laptop bag, liquids/gels in a baggie, cell phone and your shoes

That's why I put my coat/jacket into the checked bag. You normally don't need it inside the airport and plane (unless it starts to snow or rain in the cabin). I thought "liquids and gels" were totally outlawed these days. Don't they make you drink and taste everything you want to carry on? But that's not a problem either. You can pick up toothpaste and shampoo and all that virtually everywhere. I guess it should still be OK to put it into the bag/suitcase that you check? I don't think I really need toothpaste on a 4h flight anyway (thankfully it's a dirct connection).

quote: Joshua Waaland
Men walk around in Gaucho pants

Is that a gay place?

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
There's no place like Rome, but this comes close.

I thought Chicago pizza was totally different from Roman pizza - deep soft crust vs. the very thin crispy crust of Italian pizzas (or "pizze").

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 04-18-2007, 12:18 AM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Give me a good thin crust pizza

In Chicago? Chicago is know for its deepdish pizza. OMG...yeah go to Chicago and get thin crust pizza. [Confused]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-18-2007, 01:17 AM:

Mike, get a Chicago hot dog while you're there!

To add to what Mark said, you can probably get Pizzeria Uno in CA. Those are all over the country.

Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 04-18-2007, 01:48 AM:

quote: Michael Schaffer
I guess it should still be OK to put it into the bag/suitcase that you check?

You could even check a (properly registered) gun if you wanted to. You'd just have to properly declare it. [Wink]

It's just the carry-on stuff that they're so touchy about.

If you're going to be out late embibing adult beverages, a great way to end it is by making a stop at Weiner Circle. It's an experience everyone should have at least once. (No, it's not a gay place LOL)

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 04-18-2007, 01:57 AM:

Mark, I wasn't endorsing Pizzeria Uno. I was just stating that it's considered by many to be the quintessential Chicago pizza. Frank's right. In Chicago, eating thin crust pizza is like going to a Cubs game. Good or bad, the alternative is way better.

I agree that Home Run Inn is awesome. But most of my exposure to it has been the frozen stuff, so I never think of it. Best frozen pizza ever, though. And Giordano's is my default pizza. Both thin and stuffed are excellent. But it's such a big chain here in Chicago that I never really think of it as "Chicago Pizza." Regardless, both of these are really good. But don't count Renaldi's out either. And if you're in the near-west suburbs, get a Double-Decker Lumberjack from Old World. The only pizza you'll ever order where the order-taker will ask you, "Are you sure about that?"

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-18-2007, 02:33 AM:

I'd be reluctant to stick a laptop in checked luggage, because (i) the bags can be bashed about quite a bit in the automated baggage handling systems, and (ii) items get stolen from checked baggage all the time.

Most airports, but not all, make you remove the computer itself from the bag and put it through the x-ray machine separately. I presume the reason for this is that some of the more modern scanners can look at a laptop within a bag, but that most airports haven't invested in them yet. Doing so would make the queues move a lot quicker, IMHO.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-18-2007, 06:42 AM:

I would never check my coat with the baggage. My rule is never check what you can't afford to lose. Like you said, toiletries can be bought anywhere so thoes go in the suitcase. My jacket does not...though I could buy something at my destination...I like my jacket and don't want to replace it.

You won't have a problem with the laptop as others have said...in fact about 30% of the people pull them out nowadays once the plane is up in the air. I too will use one to catch up on things or even to use as a DVD player on long trips.

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-18-2007, 08:42 AM:

quote: Frank Dubrois
In Chicago? Chicago is know for its deepdish pizza. OMG...yeah go to Chicago and get thin crust pizza.

Its actually the other way around! Don and Angies had been in Glen Ellyn since my dad was a kid, hand tossed thin crust that was awesome! That thick crap didn't come in till the late 60's or early 70's... someone figured that people would think they are getting more for their money... dough is cheap... cheese still stands as the single most expensive pizza ingredient. If you enjoy eating a loaf of bread then go for the thick stuff [Eek!]

. Stuffed pizza was introduced in the Chicago area in the late 70's, its not bad but not traditional... at least you're not eating a loaf of bread. Fortunately we have one Conneis Pizza here in SLC so I can still get my Chicago "fix" once in a while.
Mark

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-18-2007, 11:52 AM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
Most airports, but not all, make you remove the computer itself from the bag and put it through the x-ray machine separately.

Won't that erase the hard drive? I've had credit cards blanked by airport x-rays before.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 04-18-2007, 12:10 PM:

The real reason for the no electronics usage below 10,000 feet is for emergencies. They don't want stuff to be out and in the way and also don't want anything distracting to you. The airplane audio or video is ok because if the pilot or flight attendent makes an announcement, it mutes out the entertainment audio.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-18-2007, 12:13 PM:

That explanation I can understand. However why do they make a big deal about turning off the wi-fi on your laptop when at 30,000 feet?

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 04-18-2007, 12:33 PM:

quote: Tim Reed
Won't that erase the hard drive? I've had credit cards blanked by airport x-rays before.

No, x-rays do not affect magnetic devices.

quote: Brad Miller
That explanation I can understand. However why do they make a big deal about turning off the wi-fi on your laptop when at 30,000 feet?

The official reason is that there is a risk of radio transmitters interfering with navigation equipment.

I have a problem with my Apple Macbook; I have never taken it on a plane, indeed I didn't have it when I made what will probably be my last one in May last year, but there is no facility to disable hardware in BIOS, as there is with a normal pc, I can switch off the wireless in both Windows and MAC OS X, but what happens is that as the machine starts up, the wireless is enabled, and sometimes even makes a connection, but it is then disabled again at some point in the operating system start up, and by the time this is complete, and the machine is ready to use, the wireless is turned off. I seldom use wireless, and normally keep it turned off in both systems, but I haven't found any way to start the machine without it being enabled for a few seconds. There is nothing about this in the Apple documentation.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-18-2007, 01:59 PM:

It's mostly a matter of RF interference with navigation equipment, especially GPS receivers. Many consumer devices, especially those that use microprocessors, are inadequately shielded and emit RF spurs.

Each airline's engineering department sets the guidelines for use of personal electronic equipment on that airline's aircraft, based on that company's experience and history of interference problems. So the restrictions vary with each airline. And of course the aircraft's captain has the final say - s/he can order devices turned off at any time if s/he determines continued use is a safety-of-flight issue. But sometimes just changing seat assignments may fix the problem - moving the emitter away from an aircraft antenna for example.

The only device that the FAA and/or FCC have outright banned for in-flight customer use (as opposed to flight crew use) is the cellphone, mostly due to the overloads caused within the ground cell tower network when an airborne cellphone hits hundreds of towers at a time. But even that rule may be relaxed fairly soon in the US - the FAA (or was it the FCC?) had a NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rule Making) out recently soliciting comments from the public about allowing cell phone use in-flight. The overwhelming opinion was to continue the ban - apparently many people feel that the inside of an airliner is one of the last bastions of freedom from having to hear other people's one-sided conversations.

Flight crews can and do routinely use cell phones in-flight, as they are the one's in position to immediately detect any interference issues. At my company a cell phone is part of each aircraft's required equipment list.

As for liquids and gels on US flights, since last September the TSA permits personal quantities in carry-on baggage, but they must be packaged in 3-oz or smaller containers, and all of the containers must fit into a single 1-quart clear ziplock-style bag.

Current TSA Permitted and Prohibited Items

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-18-2007, 05:03 PM:

quote: Stephen Furley
No, x-rays do not affect magnetic devices.

Thanks, Stephen. My mistake, it must've been the metal detector that erased my cards...

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 04-18-2007, 05:17 PM:

That would seem more likely, though I've never taken a card through one. I doubt if they would normally erase a card, but if one was marginal anyway it might be just enough to finally stop it working. I haven't had problems with taking film through hand-baggage x-ray machines either, but I've only taken 100 iso colour and 125 black and white 35mm in metal cassettes. I think higher speed film, or roll or sheet film might be more of a problem.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-18-2007, 05:26 PM:

Your credit cards would get demagnetized fairly easily by all sorts of things; roughly anything with a decent magnetic field. There's no shielding on your credit card.

Your laptop, though, isn't nearly as likely to have this happen as one might think. Modern hard disks are magnetically shielded and strength of magnetic fields drops pretty rapidly as well. In fact, when I was in a computer security class a couple years ago the teacher said in a previous quarter one student (instead of doing a paper) did an experiment where he took a hard disk and placed it on an electromagnet. This magnet was powerful enough that the HD couldn't be pulled away; he pushed the thing parallel to the magnet until it came off. One would expect the magnetic field to wipe the disk. But the disk booted and had no data missing. Essentially, nothing happened to the disk.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 04-19-2007, 03:31 AM:

Well, I got my first impression of Chicago today - really bad traffic. Took me more than 1h to propel myself 20 miles south from Midway airport. Of course, it happened to be 4:30pm, probably one of the worst times. Once I cleared the metropolitan area, there was amazingly little traffic. Looks like IL is mostly farmland. I headed straight to Peoria in central IL because that's where the first customer is. But I will be passing through the Chicago area probably twice in the next weeks, and if I can spare a little time, I will try some of the tips. It will definitely not be a problem to find interesting things to do.

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 04-19-2007, 06:03 AM:

Shouldn't we all be concerned if a simple wi-fi device or cell phone can fuck with navigation equipment? How delicate is that?

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-19-2007, 07:46 AM:

Michael,

I was passing through again the same time you were yesterday. Isn't Chicago traffic f-ing great?! I could never live there just because of the traffic. No to mention all of the construction going on right now and all of the tolls. I usually spend 9-10 dollars going through Chicago to Milwaukee in tolls. It's also a hassle cutting across all the lanes of traffic to get to the cash toll booths every 5 miles. I finally went online last night to buy one of those prepaid automatic tolling units for my windshield. This way I don't have to keep getting off the freeway to pay the tolls with cash. [thumbsup]

Okay enough ranting....

quote: Michael Schaffer
Is that a gay place?

No but it sure sounds like it doesn't it?

quote: Michael Schaffer
I thought "liquids and gels" were totally outlawed these days. Don't they make you drink and taste everything you want to carry on? But that's not a problem either. You can pick up toothpaste and shampoo and all that virtually everywhere. I guess it should still be OK to put it into the bag/suitcase that you check? I don't think I really need toothpaste on a 4h flight anyway (thankfully it's a dirct connection).

Liquids and gels need to fit into one sandwich bag and be less than three ounces each. If you check them then there are no restrictions. This is to keep terrorists from mixing explosives on airplanes. [Frown]

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 04-19-2007, 08:45 AM:

quote: Joshua Waaland
Isn't Chicago traffic f-ing great?! I could never live there just because of the traffic.

But the beautiful thing about Chicago is that the public transportation is so great that you don't even need a car.

That, and the no-hitters. [thumbsup]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-19-2007, 08:25 PM:

quote: Chris Slycord
Your credit cards would get demagnetized fairly easily by all sorts of things; roughly anything with a decent magnetic field. There's no shielding on your credit card.

This was about 20 years ago, and airport security was the only explanation that made sense; the cards worked before going to the airport, but not afterward. Since then, I've always put my wallet in the tray with my keys and change.

quote: Michael Schaffer
I headed straight to Peoria in central IL because that's where the first customer is.

Let me guess... Rave?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-19-2007, 10:44 PM:

quote: Paul Mayer
are inadequately shielded and emit RF spurs.

I think its the harmonics that are the prime concern. RF Harmonics are not all that well comntroled in inexpensive consumer devices....

quote: Mike Schindler
But the beautiful thing about Chicago is that the public transportation is so great that you don't even need a car.

In Chicago yes... but there is no way to Peoria without a car. Peoria has got to be the least exciting place to ever have to go!

Mark

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 04-20-2007, 01:36 AM:

If you're there on the weekend, check out the Princess II in Watseka IL. It's only about 70 miles outside of Chicago.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-20-2007, 12:36 PM:

Yes, we need updated pictures on that place.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-20-2007, 03:25 PM:

Yea Mike.... Go for it! An update is badly needed around here and you can give that new Canon of yours a work out [thumbsup]

.

Mark

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-21-2007, 09:07 AM:

quote: Tim Reed
Won't that erase the hard drive? I've had credit cards blanked by airport x-rays before.

It almost certainly won't nuke it in one fell swoop, but a recent experience suggests to me that it won't help.

I flew to Boston for a conference just over three weeks ago. Going through the x-ray before boarding the flight at Amsterdam the laptop was stopped in the x-ray machine for around 10 minutes while the bag in front of it was removed and hand search before they restarted the conveyor belt through the x-ray.

When I got to the hotel at Boston, the computer booted OK but seemed to be running very slow to me. The following morning it simply wouldn't boot at all - error message 'Cannot find operating system'. The BIOS screen listed a number of parameters, including 'HDD type = None, HDD serial no = None'. In other words, the HDD was totally knackered and the computer couldn't even detect it.

When I got home, I bought a new HDD (only £48 for a 120gb one - I was expecting it to cost more), restored the Windows system image from the Acronis backup I'd made to an external HDD sitting at home and everything worked fine. So the original laptop HDD had definitely failed. The laptop has functioned fine since, so I don't think anything else can have been affected.

The laptop in question has been lugged through airports, railway stations and all over the place, and so it's quite possible that the HDD failed through mechanical wear and tear, pure and simple. But the failure coming so soon after it was nuked for 10 minutes continuously in an x-ray machine makes me a tad sceptical at the assertion that x-rays have no effect whatsoever on hard drives.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 04-21-2007, 11:22 AM:

That the hard drive parameters (serial number, size, type) seemed to not function suggests that the problem is not with the magnetic information stored on the drive, but rather with some part of the drive controller. Perhaps an EPROM chip on the controller board got erased?

The point being, this might not have implications for the data, which is stored magnetically...

I'm pretty surprised that they might keep the machine running continuously for 10 minutes. There are lots of things that can be damaged by long exposure to X rays, but can easily tolerate a few seconds'. You know, undeveloped camera film (hmm, few tourists carry that anymore), young children left in the baggage (oops!), pygmy monkeys hidden in underwear (there was a recent New York Times story...ah, smugglers), etc.

--jhawk

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-22-2007, 03:31 AM:

Point taken. I didn't have any children or animals in the bag, but there was indeed a roll of camera film. Thankfully, it had just been loaded into the camera and no photos had been taken on it. After its prolonged stay in the x-ray machine I didn't even try to use it - I just binned it and bought another roll.

As a general rule I take exposed but undeveloped films back with me, get them developed at a nearby shop and scan them at home. But if x-ray machine incidents like this are going to become commonplace, I might think about getting them developed at a one-hour place in the city I'm visiting, before getting checking in for the return flight.

Posted by Joel N. Weber II (Member # 3530) on 04-22-2007, 02:32 PM:

I wonder if the change in air pressure might also stress the drive. The cabin inside a jet is normally pressurized to approximately what the atmospheric pressure is 8,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.

Obviously drives normally survive the experience, but I suspect for a drive that was near dying, that pressure change might be enough to finish it off.

I would certainly not make the assumption that all drive firmware will reliably return the drive type during a major mechanical malfunction; this doesn't necessarily strike me as a case that the firmware authors would test extensively. I could also imagine firmware which might react to the loss of the first couple tracks by not being able to return the drive type. (Is there any publicly available information on whether modern drives might be storing some of their firmware in hidden sectors on the magnetic platters?)

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 04-22-2007, 02:44 PM:

From Wikipedia:

quote:
The hard disk's spindle system relies on air pressure inside the enclosure to support the heads at their proper flying height while the disk is in motion. A hard disk requires a certain range of air pressures in order to operate properly. The connection to the external environment and pressure occurs through a small hole in the enclosure (about 1/2 mm in diameter), usually with a carbon filter on the inside (the breather filter, see below). If the air pressure is too low, there will not be enough lift for the flying head, the head will not be at the proper height, and there is a risk of head crashes and data loss. Specially manufactured sealed and pressurized disks are needed for reliable high-altitude operation, above about 10,000 feet (3,000 m). This does not apply to pressurized enclosures, like an airplane pressurized cabin. Modern disks include temperature sensors and adjust their operation to the operating environment.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-22-2007, 06:45 PM:

Yes, typical airliner cabin pressure is equivalent to around 8000' to 8500'. We try not to let the cabin get to 10,000' since at that point the overhead oxygen masks will automatically deploy. At that point we get to see who paid attention to the pre-departure cabin safety announcements. [Big Grin]

My company flies non-stop into Rockford, IL and South Bend, IN from here. Three days off every week and free Space-A travel. Hmmm, a short Chicago area vacation...

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-22-2007, 07:39 PM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
The laptop in question has been lugged through airports, railway stations and all over the place, and so it's quite possible that the HDD failed through mechanical wear and tear, pure and simple. But the failure coming so soon after it was nuked for 10 minutes continuously in an x-ray machine makes me a tad sceptical at the assertion that x-rays have no effect whatsoever on hard drives.

One possibility is that during the 10-minute wait on the conveyer belt, the HDD was exposed to strong magnetic fields from the conveyer belt drive motors or braking system.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-23-2007, 01:13 AM:

quote: Paul Mayer
We try not to let the cabin get to 10,000' since at that point the overhead oxygen masks will automatically deploy. At that point we get to see who paid attention to the pre-departure cabin safety announcements.

Apparently Prince William's now former girlfriend, whose mother was a flight attendant, would be repeatedly wound up by his friends at parties, who would chant 'The bag may not inflate!'.

What charming company he kept...

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-23-2007, 01:46 AM:

I have a Apple Powerbook G-4 laptop computer with a 12 inch screen and I have been using it for almost three years and I love it. However, I had two major problems with it last December when the hard drive died and it was replaced. Two weeks after getting the computer back from my local Apple store with a new hard drive when they worked on it in house for two days, my screen went dark and it had to be sent out for a new one. Ever since I got my laptop back with a new screen, I have been having no problem with the computer so far. My Apple Care protection plan expires in July and I am now wondering if I should invest in a new laptop at that time or wait until it dies than buy a new one? What is the expected life of a three year old Apple laptop computer after it got a new hard drive and screen recently?

-Claude

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 04-23-2007, 02:12 AM:

...if your looking for a good laugh, go visit any one of the Nova Cinemas. Its film done wrong. They have a few places all over the place, but I believe IL is their homebase. I had the displeasure of visiting a couple of their cinemas. Scratched prints, incompetent employees, horrible presentation. Its worth the ticket price just to experience EVERYTHING not to do. [thumbsup]

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-23-2007, 02:34 AM:

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
My Apple Care protection plan expires in July and I am now wondering if I should invest in a new laptop at that time or wait until it dies than buy a new one? What is the expected life of a three year old Apple laptop computer after it got a new hard drive and screen recently?

Personally I wouldn't see any point in buying a new one before your existing one dies, unless there are things you want to do with it that it's now not powerful enough for, e.g. run processor intensive applications. It probably doesn't make much sense upgrading a three year old laptop (e.g. putting more memory in it), because the additional components are unlikely to be recyclable into a new one: but if you're happy with the performance of your existing machine I can't see any point in replacing it before you have to. The later you leave it, the higher the spec you'll get within a given budget for a replacement machine.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 04-23-2007, 03:12 PM:

It may be a little late for Chicago suggestions, but Gino's East is definitely good pizza! Hands-down the best pizza I've ever had. Going there for supper and then going to McClurg Court's basement theater made for a great night's entertainment!

I don't care for thin crust pizza, so I can't vouch for the places that Mark recommended.

Pizzaria Uno, even in Chicago, is unremarkable. We went there once when it was too far to get to Gino's East, and that was a mistake.

I've never had a chance to check out Lou Malnati's in person, but their frozen delivered pizzas are great! If they're better in person, that would be worth checking out as well.

The downtown Ed Debevic's was fun back in the late 80's, but I haven't been there since. No pizza, but diner food that represents all that is bad for you but great anway.

It's not pizza, but if you like caramel corn, stop by a Garrett's and pick some up. I got some CaramelCrisp when I was there in February. Good stuff!

Oh, and distances in Chicago are always measured in minutes, not miles. While I'm certain that it can't hold a candle to really congested areas like L.A., you can never predict accurately how long it will take to get from point A to point B.

I worked in Oak Brook and lived in St. Charles, which is about an 8 mile drive. It normally took 45 minutes, but could extend to 90 minutes on a bad day. I also made the trek from various western suburbs to Milwaukee for a couple of years back in the late 80's, and even at 2am, the freeway could get backed up for no apparent reason. I don't think that has changed at all. Now, when I need to go to downtown Chicago, I take Amtrak or Metra. It's much easier on the blood pressure!

If you happen to be driving past Oak Brook Mall, stop at Hamburger University (McDonalds HQ). By far, the best quality McDonalds I've ever eaten at. They would have executives come down and work the counters once in a while, and people had to work at area restaurants and apply to work at this one in particular after proving themselves capable. I don't know if they are still there, but it's worth a stop if you're in the area.