Yea, it is me again, but I made it into the apple store and...

First off, I know I have posted here before. I know I have posted a similar post before. I know I do not know a lot about computers. I know my spelling is bad. I know there is a form I should fill out (which I have 4 times and can be found if you do a search under "Kooler," and I know there is a lot to this post. I have heard all the stuff that does not help me many times. Just so you know in case you have this overwhelming desire to put me down or knock my post.

My Gateway notebook that was 6 years old all of the sudden will not bring anything up on the display. I hooked up an external monitor on the back of it and it says, "pres any key to take the computer out of safe mode." I have all my fitness and nutritional programs on it, my clients’ information and records in the fitness and nutritional software.

I have been looking for some time for a notebook to replace this one since I knew it was coming to its end. No, nothing was backed up.

I have a job, which is a small business. I do a lot of online coaching where I meet my clients on a platform through the American College of Sports Medicine website and we do the wellness coaching there. We both have headsets, cameras, and the coaching occurs that way. I can send the client most information and receive most information from various areas of the web platform. I do not play games, no video editing, do about 20 % of the coaching out of the office, and do travel around some doing fitness and nutritional evaluations face-to-face.

I have wanted a MACBook or MBP really bad, but I think getting the hang of that machine and installing XP so that I can use my programs is so overwhelming. The coaching is very demanding since it involves major multi tasking (hard to explain here all that is involved in a 30 or 60 min session), the clients are demanding and use to the best service (they are actors, athletes, very rich people, etc.). I have narrowed my search down to several machines that I can get fairly quickly, are not full of bloat ware, ad ware, and other stuff I do not need. I am not excited about Vista since it seems like it is a game I am using. I have been looking for machines that will come with XP Pro.

The Think Pad T61 15.4 screen is one but Lenovo says the wait is one month, a MAC (which is a whole other topic) and I could go to the Apple store and get one of those, and the latest HP that keeps getting high reviews.

I need Core2duo, T7400 or 7200 is I switch to Vista one day, at least 120 GB HD, 2 gb RAM (would prefer the 2 gb be in one stick so I can just get one stick later, if I need it but all the notebooks I have looked into come with 2 sticks with 1 gb per stick), Bluetooth for a headset and a mouse, office for small business, WiFi (which I know nothing about and I am concerned about client confidentiality), several USB ports, I have no idea what fire wire is or these other slots for various cards that the ThinkPad come with and probably many more.

So, in short, are there any suggestions on trying to get the Gateway display to come alive again or what I should do. Also, what is the best machine for a small business when the small business is not a typical small business? I need the cleanest and fastest machine that can take a little beating since I am clumsy, expandable (for the future if I get Vista or whatever). I really want a MB or MBP but not sure I can handle the OS for the MAC and get a new XP and try to transfer my HD from the GATEWAY to the new machine, and do my online coaching at the same time.

Thanks.

I have been to several with no help. they wanted to sell me a new notebook and then they would try to see if they can save the data or what is the problem. I also went into the Apple store and love the MB and MBP.

the Gateway is very sick if not dead. it is very old. yes it did what I needed but we all get old--some even old and are replaced. :-(

It is interesting to hear the comment several times, i can walk into any computer store and get what I need. I have tried 4 huge computer stores, walked in with a typed sheet of what I need and a brief description of my job (primary job that the notebook is for). Not one said a place like a mega computer store is a place for your specific needs. i did not disagree because I have always known that I would not be able to get what I need at those places. However, I would never tell an "expert" i can not do what they are recommending. Especially since it has been said many times.

Although my job might sound like any notebook will do, that is so far from the truth and I do not even have much knowledge about the internal workings of these machines. I am learning a lot.

Anyway, I appreciate your help all along. I know I am hard to deal with. just be glad you are not the salesperson whose boss says; 'you have to deal with that customer. go sell him a computer.' Eventually, the like me because they realize my questions are real and most of the time they cannot even answer them their-self but some act like they can until they get so lost in what they have told me they get mad and walk away or say they can't help me.