Picking out a laptop, suggestions?

[billeisele 130]

tryin to pick a laptop for a gift, too much confusing info on the net, any suggestions?

my IST folks advise an HP, own a Dell that has worked OK

need Windows and wi-fi, after that everything is an option

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[yamtx73 0]

I just got the Dell Inspirion 1705 and love it... the version I got came with XP and has built in WiFi

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[billeisele 130]

the 1705 looks like a sweet machine, i've got a 1505 that seems to work well, just don't want to spend a ton of $$

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[yamtx73 0]

I definitely like mine.. haven't had a chance to use it much though, it was delivered yesterday...

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[airtwardo 7]

DOOD!

Yer gettin' a D E L L !

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[billeisele 130]

go pack your reserve or plan a demo or something, i'm getting a brain pain dealing with all these computer options

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[Cudlo 0]

dell laptops are kinda known for the power socket breaking off from the mobo.

HPs.. well.. don't get me started.

Sony is good (assuming they stopped distributing those batteries that burn up)

_________________________________________
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." - Kierkegaard

[el_chester 4]

I know PC people tend to doubt switching to Mac, but given that the new intel macs CAN run windoze (if you should REALLY need it), IMO you can't go wrong with a MacBook

It all depends on your needs.

Microsoft Office does run great on macs. Never in over 7 years have I had a problem sharing documents with PCs

Here's apple proselitism to try to get PC people to switch to macs.

--
Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

[siddacious 0]

Most people I know use either a dell or a mac of some manner. Dell refurbs can be had for pretty cheap, and are a great deal if you get them with the extended warranty (3 year on site service is the shit).
dell refurbs

In terms of picking a model, generally popular features include being fairly light, good battery life, and decent sized screen. It's been a while since I looked, but the Dell inspiron 640m looks like the newer version of the 600m that all my friends were buying 2 years or so ago.

If you're thinking about getting a dell, check the cupon sites such as http://www.4computercoupons.com/ before buying. Might save you some mulah.

A dolor netus non dui aliquet, sagittis felis sodales, dolor sociis mauris, vel eu libero cras. Interdum at. Eget habitasse elementum est.

[Calvin19 0]

You can run windows on the MacBook Pros, i have one. i love it. lit keyboard, wifi, 2 GB ram, duo processor, 100gb drive.

[freekflyguy 0]

Another convert to the MacBook Pro here.

I have Win XP installed on a partion but find that I never need to use it.

Office for Mac is a peach, and looks alot better than Office XP.

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

[jumpdr 0]

MacBook, definitely. Been using Macs for 15 years and have seen them evolve tremendously. The newest Mac OS is fantastic. They just work. Am slowly converting the world...

Skydiving is more than a sport and more than a job: skydiving is pure passion and desire which will fill a lifetime.

[Skysurfer_Rob 0]

I bought a 1705 back in August, only problem I've had (minor one at that) is I wish I would have bought a truebright screen. The standard screen isn't great, but it most definitely works.

Here are some awesome coupons for Dell, if you spend over the specified amount:
http://www.notebookreview.com/dellCoupon.asp

Also, check out their reviews on notebooks...pretty good reviews.

"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil...For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
SR-71 hangar entrance sign at Kadena AFB, Japan

[SmilingPhoenix 0]

If you have the money, Mac is the way to go, but if you are looking for something less expensive - I vote HP. mine has this QuickPlay thing that boots your DVD drive WITHOUT loading windows and it just ROCKS! It doubles the battery life and it boots in a flash. Send me a PM if you need help configuring something, I bet I can find you a good deal. It can be confusing if you haven't bought one in a while, but I have gotten 3 new HP laptops in the past year.

Because life is an adventure - it may not be the one you planned, but then it wouldn't be an adventure!

[simplyputsi 0]

Whatever you do, never ever buy a Toshiba. Stay away from all Toshiba products. Specially the computer ones.

Sony is what I would get these days, if I had the money.

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[GravityJunky 0]

Three words;
DELL, DELL, DELL
-------------------------
Go to their web site & they'll walk you through the whole process, with an affordable trustworthy laptop, custom made to suit ALL YOUR needs.

*My Inner Child is A Fucking Prick Too!
*Everyones entitled to be stupid but you are abusing the priviledge
*Well I'd love to stay & chat, But youre a total Bitch! {Stewie}

[LloydDobbler 2]

Hey, BSG -

I'll have to throw my hat in with the Mac folks as well. A few reasons:

1) I just love mine. Made the switch about 5 years back (after spending most of the 90's scoffing at Macs because, at the time, they were in fact crappy), and computing has been a different experience ever since. This, from someone who was a DOS wiz & used to hack around in places he shouldn't in the early 90's.

2) How many Windows peeps do you hear who are as happy with their computers as those with Macs? I used to scoff at the fanatacism, but now I find it's there for a reason.

3) A Mac actually costs roughly the same, if not cheaper, if you're comparing oranges to oranges. Sure, you can't get a MacBook for $600 like you can a Dell notebook...but that Dell will have a slower processor, not enough RAM, and few bells and whistles (all Mac notebooks, for instance, have a webcam built in...).

You can find lots of cost comparisons on this by Googling. A Dell configured with the same hardware as a Mac notebook runs more.

4) Better service. I spent the better part of last year working in an office that used all Dell notebooks. Our IT dept was always in a bad mood. Not a day went by without an issue on one of the machines (mine included)...and when the issues did occur, the IT dept. had a horrible time trying to deal with Dell's Premium Tech Support (which the company was paying extra for). And this was for a small computer software company, no less.

5) Now that you can run Windows on a Mac, why not get one? If you find you like Mac's OS better (most people I've met do), you ditch Windows. If you find you want to stay with Windows, that's okay too, because tests have shown that Macs actually tend to run Windows faster than Dells (when you load Windows via the free Boot Camp software).

Anyway, I think Apple has positioned itself to really take a bite out of the Windows world. They've been getting Editor's Choice awards at PC Magazine recently. I'd highly recommend you at least check one out. Whoever you buy it for will be glad you did.

Happy whatever,
KC

Signatures are the new black.

[aardvarkeater 0]

I think the first thing you should do is ask yourself what you or the person you are getting for for wants to do with it. Do you just want to brows the web, and check email. Do you want to play games on it. Will it be sitting on a desk mostly or will it actually travel frequently with the owner? If it were a desktop system, it'd be simple matter of getting the biggest baddest equipment that you can afford. However when a laptop comes into play you need to consider the aforementioned items. Buying a computer on brand alone is not a good idea.

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[Fast 0]

Quote

I think the first thing you should do is ask yourself what you or the person you are getting for for wants to do with it. Do you just want to brows the web, and check email. Do you want to play games on it. Will it be sitting on a desk mostly or will it actually travel frequently with the owner? If it were a desktop system, it'd be simple matter of getting the biggest baddest equipment that you can afford. However when a laptop comes into play you need to consider the aforementioned items. Buying a computer on brand alone is not a good idea.

Yeah. Also, note that when you come on the web people will throw around recomendations like they do with rigs. Most of the time it has to do with what they have. That is why you hear so much about dell being great. I don't really think it is. That is why I stopped buying them for the law firm I support. I now only buy Lenovo/Thinkpad because they were good before and are still good now. I have different needs though. I don't have to play games and I want them to last a long time w/o breaking. I can also spend more.

I find the best way to deciding on buying a laptop is to ask people about the problems they have had with them. That way you get to find out if it will affect you.

My current laptop is a Sager (alienware knock off) and I hate it. It is really loud, overheats, the screen-base connection is cracked, I had to remove the screen backlight switch because it stoped working and the LCD backlight wouldn't come on. I would not recomend this brand of notebook.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[WyoNewb 0]

Once you decide what you want to get, you should look into getting it refurbished. I get all of my laptops refurb, and they almost always come with a full factory warranty just like the new ones do. Ive never had a refurb that didnt look or run brand new. Usually half the price also.

[ryoder 1,590]

Absolutely a Mac.

I bought my first laptop 3.5 years ago. It was an iBook with maxed out RAM and wireless card. I paid $1400 for it. Never had a bit of trouble with it. I just bought a new MacBook, and sold the iBook for $510. So owning the iBook for 3.5 years cost me:

$1400 + $100 (OS upgrade) - $510 (resale) = $910

$910 / (365 days * 3.5 years) = $0.78/per day.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[normiss 798]

Etch a Sketch!

[boyd38off 0]

Another vote for Macbook Pro here. Got one, love it, would DEFINITELY get another. Suck it up and spend the $$. It's worth it.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out and shouting,
".... holy crap....what a ride!"

[wingnut 0]

if i had the money i would get a mac but i'll have to suck it up for a while longer whith my 700mhz dell...

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[billeisele 130]

Quote

Etch a Sketch!

now that is probably the most unbiased advice - lol

what a pain in the ass, they don't make this easy

i appreciate all the advice, if nothing else I learned a lot doing the research

the decision has been made, just placed the order, did not go MAC but only because i have 4 other non-MAC products and I know how to administer them and was not willing to make the change, the refurbs looked good but could not find one configured any where close to what was needed, so Dell won out, partially because of some ole-fashioned TX advice and that someone pointed me to a sneaky back door to get a 20% plus 8% discount
more jump money, at least what will be left from the scotch i'll buy tonite to kill the brain pain

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.