Laptop Buying Advice

[ThatWhiteCivic]

I'm looking to buy a new laptop because I decided to go back to school. I am coming from MAC laptops, so I don't know what is what with PC laptops.
Can you recommend a laptop for me.
I don't play games and I'd like it to last for a few years.
I don't need a tiny netbook.

[88Nightmare]

I bought a run of the mill Sony Viao back in January of 2006 and it still suits me just fine for what I use it for... browsing the interweb, ms office products, an occasional game (but nothing too resource demanding). I believe its a 1.8 or 2ghz, I cant remember how much ram, maybe a 60gb HD. Nothing off the wall, but it still works great, still fast like it was new.

[pOrk]

Could build one for 500, can buy them for 600 all day long.

[Rocket Power]

Paid $450 for mine a couple weeks ago. 250GB hd 2.1pentium duo core, 2 gb memory, and 14.1" screen because I wanted it to be smalller for hauling to school.
Got it at best buy

[Waver]

as far as makes go:HP, toshiba, or sony......stay away from all else (I used to sell them). Also get somthing with at least 3 gig and 160 hd space. It can all be had for around 650, the sony a little more

[88Nightmare]

Paid $450 for mine a couple weeks ago. 250GB hd 2.1pentium duo core, 2 gb memory, and 14.1" screen because I wanted it to be smalller for hauling to school.
Got it at best buy

damn thats cheap

[Rocket Power]

damn thats cheap
So am I:rolf
My wife has a Toshiba we paid 900 for last year with the 17" screen but I don't need anything that big for homework/surfing and it would just be more of a PITA to haul around.

[ThatWhiteCivic]

Looking at a Lenovo SL500?

[88Nightmare]

my 3 year old Vaio is a 17" widescreen with a built in dvd burner. It was the shit 3 years ago.... still gets the job done today

[Russ Jerome]

So happy with my wifes Dell Inspiron I pitched my desktop for my
own. Im probably a year into mine and I havent had a single issue
with it, plays movies with incredible picture, has huge storage and
apears bullet proof. Im quick to break stuff if it piss's me off and I
still care for this thing like a new GF. Not cheap I clicked every
upgrade available online...get what you pay for I think.

[BoosTT]

Go cheap. Your much much much better off getting a $500 laptop now and another new $500 laptop in a year or two, rather then a $1000 laptop now. The batterys die, and in general laptop get a lot more use and abuse. I'd be pissed if a key fell off my $2000 mac laptop or the screen cracked.... $500 aint so bad.

[TurboAWD2.0]

Best Buy has a bunch of acers, compaqs, and toshibas for under 500 that are actually decent systems.

[Jsho13]

My Sony Vaio lasted me 5 years and is on its way out (think the hard drive is shot). I just got my MacBook Pro in the mail today and loving it so far. Sony was a great computer, just wanted to try something different.

[70challenger452]

Looking at a Lenovo SL500?

I've got a lenovo R61, it's fast as hell. All i do is type papers and surf the web and it's perfect for that, nothing special but gets the job done well.

[Russ Jerome]

Dells are in the 4-500$ range, $700 will get you a smoking
fast machine with more space than you will ever use.

[badass88gt]

We bought an Acer and it is the biggest piece of shit Ive ever wasted money on. I'm a firm believer of "you get what you pay for". After 3 months it stopped recognizing the DVD drive, I replaced the drive and it still doesnt recognize it. After 5 months the touchpad died and the integrated wireless internet stopped working and I ended up doing a factory restore to get it all back. I shouldve just bought a wireless card for it. The Bluetooth adapter has never worked since day 1, and the ONLY thing keeping me from smashing this thing is the fact that its not mine its my girlfriends and she wont let me.

[Rocket Power]

That's what I got was an Acer, the dude said it was a decent one, not like he was trying to sell me a super expensive machine. We'll see how it is, they did try to sell me the warrenty that pays half of a battery, I figure if the battery craps out, I'll get a new computer. My desktop cost me $550 like 4 or more years ago and is still chuging along

[300pny]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/08/dude-youre-getting-a-drink-dell-dude-now-a-waiter/

[wrath]

HP has a $50 rebate on some of their laptops right now. If you watch the office stores and best buy you can get a decent one for $410-$450.

If you scour around you can find a coupon code and a login for tells EPP program and get a pretty bling Vostro for $500.

If you scour around you can find a coupon code and a login for either the EPP program or contractor program and get a nice Lenovo laptop for $800.


I wouldn't spend more than $800 on a laptop right now unless you need a laptop that has features that requires the price go higher.

[srt4eh]

I bought the cheapest laptop available at Best Buy before I deployed because I didn't want to care when it got fucked up. Well....9 months in and it still kicks ass. Got a Gateway...

[Waver]

ACER= THE BIGGEST PILE OF CRAP ON THE FACE OF PLANET.....I even told my customers that.....I would do everything I could to get people off of them......we had more people returning the shit piles.....

Compaq.....rebadged hp

Toshiba......well that is what I got and other than the damn flashcards (short cuts for some of the diagnositc shit) popping up every now and again I have no real complaints

Sony.....good computers, just is it worth the extra amount you are paying for a name?

Hp.....good, what can I say, they have been doing this for a while.

gateway.......allright, but there are still some issues with them.....not the best if you are looking for somthing that will last a while

Dell........best thing about them is that they arebuilt to order, however you can get a compairable hp for about 500 less and you dont have to pay shipping


any no name computers, stay away from......you get what you pay for, and if you want to just giveyour money away, I will be more than happy to takei t

[Rocket Power]

ACER= THE BIGGEST PILE OF CRAP ON THE FACE OF PLANET

Well I guess I'll see, so far so good, and it's not like I abuse my computers, they get a pretty easy life, running word and surfing with maybe a low end game. The whole point of getting the cheaper computer is not being as mad if it breaks:goof

[Waver]

I would still get mad.....I hate feeling I waisted money

[88Nightmare]

We bought an Acer and it is the biggest piece of shit Ive ever wasted money on. I'm a firm believer of "you get what you pay for". After 3 months it stopped recognizing the DVD drive, I replaced the drive and it still doesnt recognize it. After 5 months the touchpad died and the integrated wireless internet stopped working and I ended up doing a factory restore to get it all back. I shouldve just bought a wireless card for it. The Bluetooth adapter has never worked since day 1, and the ONLY thing keeping me from smashing this thing is the fact that its not mine its my girlfriends and she wont let me.

sounds more of a software issue

[88Nightmare]

seems like HP is basically the playskool equivellant in the PC world. All flashy and loaded with all sorts of stuff to "hold your hand" through your computing experience. If you are a competant PC/Laptop user and are looking for something more impressive, might want to look elsewhere. As far as actual equipment goes, HP is just fine, but there is so much extra crap and software on their computers

[Waver]

seems like HP is basically the playskool equivellant in the PC world. All flashy and loaded with all sorts of stuff to "hold your hand" through your computing experience. If you are a competant PC/Laptop user and are looking for something more impressive, might want to look elsewhere. As far as actual equipment goes, HP is just fine, but there is so much extra crap and software on their computers


Unfortunatly that is how it is with most mainstream computers these days, unless you get one custom built, you wont find too many with out al the free trial shit, and the extra crap that they come with

[Rocket Power]

That was the first thing I did was dump all the extra crap including the trial MS office. I am not a fan of vista , seems overly complicated, XP was just fine wish it would've come with xp.

Like I said we'll see how it goes, I wasn't buying a warrenty weather it was 450 or 1000 so I'd rather break the 450 one. Until this thread I had never heard anything bad about Acer ,but I had about dell in the past but my dell is still running fine years later and so are all the ones at work.

[badass88gt]

sounds more of a software issue

I dont know what to do about it, I have all updates, updated the Bios, etc. Still junk, and all this laptop is used for is internet so its not like its being used beyond its capabilities or anything.

[lordairgtar]

I've been thinking of upgrading the DJ service to hard drive instead of carting CDs everywhere. It will never be on the internet and the library will actually be on a separate hard drive.