View Full Version : Laptops



Bostonfan
10-20-2008, 04:39 PM
I've searched through the threads and haven't seen anything on buying laptops, so I thought I'd start one. I'm currently looking to buy one (my first laptop). Basically because my desktop is pretty old and I'm looking to free up space. My price range is 500 to 1000. Just looking for some suggestions on where to buy, brand to buy, etc.

GWB
10-20-2008, 04:48 PM
I've searched through the threads and haven't seen anything on buying laptops, so I thought I'd start one. I'm currently looking to buy one (my first laptop). Basically because my desktop is pretty old and I'm looking to free up space. My price range is 500 to 1000. Just looking for some suggestions on where to buy, brand to buy, etc.

Go to the Apple Store in Penn Square Mall or go here Apple (http://www.apple.com/)

Midtowner
10-20-2008, 05:15 PM
Go to the Apple Store in Penn Square Mall or go here Apple (http://www.apple.com/)

Only get an Apple if you're wanting to spend a LOT of extra money for MacOS. Powerbooks are alright, but you can do much better in terms of power vs. performance with other brands using Vista.

You can usually find pretty good deals/coupon codes at gotapex.com.

Luke
10-21-2008, 07:18 AM
For the price, Apple is actually the best deal. It can run Windows when you have to, and Mac for everything else.

A Macbook running two OSes for $999 isn't bad at all. Plus, you always get more for the money with Apple. Finally, they're the Honda of computers. You will be able to get more for it in the long run.

Apple Store (U.S.) - MacBook (http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook)

Chynna802
10-21-2008, 09:05 AM
Have you tried online reviews? I have found cnet to be helpful. Laptops & notebooks: Laptop computers, notebook computers - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/). That is a link for reviews of all different kinds of laptops.

I have had a Toshiba Satellite for a year and I really like it. It really depends on what you are going to use it for too. Here is a link that will help you decide what kind of general features you will need on your laptop depending on what type of user you will be. Laptop buying guide - CNET Reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-buying-guide/?tag=leftColumnArea1.0)

Hope this helps!

Oh GAWD the Smell!
10-22-2008, 02:14 AM
About the only useful advice I can give on purchasing a laptop is counter to my advice on almost any other expensive item, and that is....BUY THE WARRANTY. It's the only item I'll spend the extra $$$ on a warranty.

Computer parts are cheap, widely available, and computers are easy to repair. Laptops are NOT. They're also prone to weird failures due to most of the components not being very robust because of their size. I had the screen fall off one of my laptops!

If you want a Mac, get a Mac. If you want a PC, get a PC. It's an opinion thing. They've both got their pros and cons.

Personally, if I had to buy a new laptop today, I'd probably go with an IBM (made by Lenovo these days).

SoonerQueen
11-04-2008, 09:28 PM
Go to Best Buy. They have a big selection of lots of different brands and price levels. I had a Toshiba Satellite until recently. My only problem with the Toshiba was that my granddaughter yanked the power cord out and shorted out the motherboard. I just bought a Sony laptop and really like it too. I would recommend either a Sony or Toshiba.

MadMonk
11-04-2008, 09:34 PM
They aren't sexy, but Lenovo (a.k.a IBM) laptops are pretty solid. I'm brutal with LTs and I've torn Dells and HPs to pieces. I've never owned a Sony or Toshiba. My Lenovo T61 takes a lickin' and ... well you know.

bishop186
11-05-2008, 01:29 PM
Ugh, I'm sorry to have to disagree with you SoonerQueen, but I would never suggest Best Buy. Not only are they wildly overpriced, they just don't have that great of a selection. Check out Newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/) though. They're my go-to computer site.

Toshibas, if I remember correctly, are pretty solid. Definitely take a look at the CNET review. Honestly, though, without any information I'd suggest getting ASUS' netbook. Cheap thing that packs more of a punch than you would think.

Honestly, the type of laptop you want should drive your search. It sounds like you want a desktop replacement and we've established a pricerange but there are many more questions. Are you going to want to play games on it? What features are you looking for? Does screen size matter? Do you want it to play BlueRay? etc.

BailJumper
11-05-2008, 07:06 PM
We use both PC's and Macs in our home and business. We have 3 PC laptops, a new 24" iMac and a Powerbook Pro.

I agree, you must have a need for a Mac to justify the cost. You can't even get into their laptop for less than $1000. Yet, Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples, etc. often run ads as the Christmas season approaches and you can get a laptop from $400 and up.

Also, despite what the techno geeks will try and tell you, most people only need a cheap laptop - something that plays/burns CD/DVDs, will run office, a game or two and get on the Internet.

If you have been using an "older" desktop then your demands on a computer are probably pretty light.

You only need a higher end laptop if you're editing videos, running applications like Photoshop or like to have multiple application running at the same time.

The wife just bought one of those $299 linux laptops from Target and LOVES it. Personally, it won't do anything I want to do, but all she does is go online, run a couple of office applications and watch movies. PERFECT for her.

I like the little Acer laptop for about $400. Probably getting the oldest teenager one for Christmas.

bishop186
11-06-2008, 09:03 AM
Exactly. It depends on what you need to do with it. Honestly, I would suggest just looking up netbooks and buying one of them. They're cheap, in the $400-$700 range, and while they aren't going to be a gaming beast and you won't be doing any 3D modeling but they're good for the average user.

CG23
11-06-2008, 05:50 PM
I have an IBM ThinkPad (as someone else said, Lenovo now). I specifically purchased one with Windows XP and NOT Vista. I have Vista on my desktop and I HATE it! I've used a ThinkPad for work for years until changing jobs, and am now using a Dell at work, which is okay.

Chynna802
11-06-2008, 08:57 PM
I have an IBM ThinkPad (as someone else said, Lenovo now). I specifically purchased one with Windows XP and NOT Vista. I have Vista on my desktop and I HATE it! I've used a ThinkPad for work for years until changing jobs, and am now using a Dell at work, which is okay.

Just curious as to why you hate Vista so much? I have heard people say that quite a bit, but I have Vista on my laptop and my desktop at work and have had no problems whatsoever with either. What is so bad about it?

OKCisOK4me
11-06-2008, 11:42 PM
I have an IBM ThinkPad (as someone else said, Lenovo now). I specifically purchased one with Windows XP and NOT Vista. I have Vista on my desktop and I HATE it! I've used a ThinkPad for work for years until changing jobs, and am now using a Dell at work, which is okay.

You should check out Mojave....IT'S RADICALLY BODACIOUS, DUDE!

BailJumper
11-07-2008, 05:17 AM
Just curious as to why you hate Vista so much?

While some people may have valid complaints (techie geek types mostly) I've used Vista and work with many others that also use Vista and it works fine. Considering most people use their laptops for Office applications, email and the Internet it works fine.

I had a few hardware issues, but they were because the maker had yet to provide a Vista upgrade.

I think it's herd mentality. You hear other people say it enough and you believe it. Just like people who claim Mac is so much better than PC.

Luke
11-07-2008, 06:33 AM
But seriously, you can pay for one Wintel machine and get one OS. Or you can pay for one Apple MacBook and get two OSes. Remember Apples run on Intel chipsets now, so it's not that Windows is emulated on the Mac. It's a full speed version of Windows that can run on the Mac. The best of both worlds.

bishop186
11-07-2008, 09:03 AM
Or you could just go for an Ubuntu (or other Linux distro to your liking) system and not pay for an OS at all. :)

CG23
11-07-2008, 08:00 PM
My gripe with Vista has to do with Excel. I'm a heavy Excel user, and part of it is just that I'm used to where to find everything on XP. On Vista, the menu items are split onto different tabs - and it drives me crazy to have to keep flipping between tabs to get to the function or button I need. A little thing to most, but like I said, I spend hours every day using Excel, but the hunting and switching tabs is enough to make me irritable. :) Other than that, I don't really notice a difference in terms of functionality.

Lord Helmet
11-10-2008, 03:17 PM
My gripe with Vista has to do with Excel. I'm a heavy Excel user, and part of it is just that I'm used to where to find everything on XP. On Vista, the menu items are split onto different tabs - and it drives me crazy to have to keep flipping between tabs to get to the function or button I need. A little thing to most, but like I said, I spend hours every day using Excel, but the hunting and switching tabs is enough to make me irritable. :) Other than that, I don't really notice a difference in terms of functionality.

Excel (and its menu system) has nothing to do with Vista. It sounds like you're referring to Office 2007, which has a different menu system than the older versions, no matter what OS you're running.

CG23
11-11-2008, 07:33 AM
Thanks for the correction Lord Helmet. So in that case - I truly don't have anything against Vista - but I hate Office 2007! :)

bishop186
11-11-2008, 08:30 AM
The thing that bothers me the most about the succession of Windows OSs is that every new system is less and less friendly to the keyboardist. Until the keyboard is a totally outmoded input system, I'm going to be using it for as many of my functions as possible, so stop removing my options!

Bostonfan
11-11-2008, 04:34 PM
Thanks for all the info. I don't really need an expensive laptop with a lot of junk on it, but don't want to feel I'm out of date within a month. Yes, I am going to get one in place of a desktop to save some room. Use it for internet, email, music, movies (would like blueray but not a must), and the only gaming I do would be the flight simulators (one day hope to fly for real!), so I think a good graphics card is needed. Heard good things about the Toshiba and Sony and I'm starting to lean that way. Glad to hear good reviews of them on here. Probably go with 15 inch screen or less. I will defiantly check CNET and newegg out. I did talk to Best Buy and the Geek squad will clean it up, put on security and all that for around 125$. Is that worth it, or should I do that somewhere else? Thanks again!!

Bostonfan
11-11-2008, 04:37 PM
Oh, forgot to ask this. What are some of the issues with laptops getting hot and low battery life? Some brands better than others? Is it that big of a problem?

Chynna802
11-11-2008, 04:55 PM
Oh, forgot to ask this. What are some of the issues with laptops getting hot and low battery life? Some brands better than others? Is it that big of a problem?

I don't have a problem with my Toshiba overheating, it gets warm, but nothing too bad. (They also have lapdesks made for laptops that have fans in them to keep the laptop cool, I think. Not sure how much they are or anything. I haven't found it necessary to have so I haven't really researched it.) As far as the battery life, I don't think they vary too much among brands, but if you are just using it as a replacement for your desktop, you should always be in reach of a plug-in.

jackirons
11-15-2008, 10:30 PM
Dell Laptops / Notebooks: Colorful laptops, small laptops, light weight laptops, gaming laptops (http://www.dell.com/content/products/results.aspx/notebooks?c=us&cs=19&dt=SmallGrid&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn)

Here's some cheap laptops.

If you're going Vista, get at least 1 GB of RAM, 2 would be better.

Karried
11-21-2008, 10:47 AM
I'm looking for a cheapie 'mini' notebook such as the Asus or ??? for the kids.

Is there one similar under $400 bucks with a CD/DVD drive?

BailJumper
11-21-2008, 04:44 PM
Amazon has an Acer mini in my opinion that is better than the Asus and is only $100 more. It has Windows XP, etc. BUT no DVD/CD drive.

Sam's has an averatec laptop that's small (12.1") with a DVD for about $500+.

venture
11-23-2008, 08:40 AM
A lot of good suggestions here, but really - go with that you want and need. It seems a lot of people aren't "listening" to some of the things mentioned - especially price. If a person wants something for $500-1000...don't recommend a $999 laptop - because after tax an all you are looking at close to $1100.

I deal with reselling Dell on a daily basis - both new and refurb. I personally have two Dell notebooks and rarely have any issues with them. The new Dell Studios are what I sell a lot of and tend to be pretty hardy machines. If you are looking for a Desktop replacement and to run most programs coming up in the next 3-4 years or so, you'll need something like...

RAM: Around 3GBs
Hard Drive: 250GB should cover it
Processor: Definitely a dual core of whatever brand. Try to stay around 2.0GHz.
DVD-ROM: Most will be DVD+/-RWs now, but it must be a DVD reader of some sort. Most if not all new software releases will end up being on DVDs due to the size of programs and the ability to have just 1 install disc instead of 6.

That is pretty much going to be it for the system. I use one of my laptops as a desktop replacement in a spare office with a separate monitor/keyboard/mouse hooked up. The one thing that I would recommend is a cooling pad to set it on. They are cheap and are just a couple fans that help keep the notebook cool. Targus makes some good ones and are pretty cheap, under $20 I think.

Like others said, stay away from Best Buy or any of the big box stores. They are marking product up 15-30%, sometimes 40% on computer related items. Newegg is great, and direct from the manufacturers is always good. Refurbs are also good deals and you can usually get extremely nice systems for pretty cheap. When looking at Refurbs you'll want to look for something like Canceled/Returned Order or something to that nature. Those are machines that were completed, boxed up, on the truck waiting to go but the order got canceled. All they do there, is take them back off the truck and set them aside to sell as refurbs. They can't sell them as new because they technically left the original factory.

So just look around and don't feel you need to get the biggest and best, just make sure you get the essentials taken care of and you'll have a trusty machine that'll last awhile.

NativeOkie
11-26-2008, 06:39 PM
anyone know anything about the touch screen notepads?
I would love to be able to hand write and then convert that to text.

Karried
12-02-2008, 07:40 AM
I've been researching those as well... check out Lenova.

NativeOkie
12-03-2008, 11:43 AM
Thank You.