Cactus Game Design Message Boards
Open Forum => Off-Topic => Topic started by: DaClock on June 22, 2009, 09:20:05 PM
-
I'm thinking about buying a new laptop for school this fall, probably don't want to spend more than $1,000. Any suggestions? I've looked at a bunch of different ones and don't really know what I want. I don't really want to get a Mac because they're expensive.
-
but they're the best. you can get a good macbook for around $1000.
-
I've purchased both Macs and PCs in the past couple years and worked on both in my vocation. Unless you're working with graphics don't spend the extra money on a Mac.
If you're looking to get the most bang for your buck out of a PC then a Dell is hard to beat. They're usually pretty reliable.
My personaly preference for a quality laptop is a Sony. If I was looking for something in your price range I'd find one that had the features I'm looking for and buy it.
-
I've been looking mainly at HP and Dell. The Sony computers with similar features are much more expensive.
Also, I've found refurbished computers for a few hundred dollars less than the same ones new, are refurbished computers reliable?
-
Eee PC and a Lager Flat Screen Monitor
-
Eee PC and a Lager Flat Screen Monitor
I don't know that I want something that small, I don't think it'd be comfortable to type on that.
-
If your looking for a compy that wont fail you get a Sony or Mac both of which cost a bit more but take alot more to kill. Dell is the best company to get the biggest bang for your buck as you can get a very good laptop for around $600 and you can go crazy if you spend $1000 though they arent as Uber. I would also recomend not getting Vista as it some times acts really funky and isnt very Game friendly. Btw dont you have a Mac laptop right now?
-
i seriously wouldnt recommend a dell or hp...they're just about a step up from acer. pc-wise i've had alot of good experience with toshibas...very reliable laptops.
-
If you're looking at a PC, I suggest an HP or a Toshiba. Honestly, in my opinion, any computer is good as long as you take care of it, depending on what you use it for, etc. If you're going to do multimedia stuff though, Mac is the way to go.
~Marti
-
What all do you want to do with the laptop? Graphic design and art? Photos? Video? Music? Just essays and web?
If you just want a portable Word document/web browsing/email/music type laptop, a netbook is likely the way to go. That Eee PC has a loyal fanbase, and will get you a good machine at half your budget, as would the HP mini. If you want to do gaming in any sense of the word, watch DVDs, etc, these won't do the job (though you can likely get a TV+DVD player for the cost difference).
My dad buys hp/Compaq laptops when he can. Good value and good tech support/repair service if needed. On the flip side, I personally don't trust Dell's tech support and repair team (way too many horror stories from friends), but their low price points are still tempting, and their mid/higher range models are good machines, especially the XPS line (you don't know how much it hurts a Mac fanboy to say that). My only experience with Toshiba was trying to fix a friend's, and their online help was enough to figure out the problem.
Refurbished laptops are hit and miss. If you get one, get it directly from the manufacturer. I've found the refurbished Thinkpads (IBM/Lenovo) to be surprisingly reliable and well priced. I'm pretty sure the HP my uncle bought was refirb, and it's done well. And though you are right that Macs are usually premium priced, Apple's refirb'd Macbooks are priced a bit more reasonable, though still in the top range of your budget. (My youth pastor buys refirbs from them and they are just as sound). But fair enough if you want to go for a lower price point.
By the way, be sure to see if the manufacturer will give you a student discount. May also want to check with the university bookstore -- mine has a few laptops priced a few percent under MSRP via manufacturer bulk discounts.
-
Isildur, I currently own a Dell and I believe it's probably getting to the end of its years.
SK, I've been thinking about this quite a bit. I mostly use my PC for the light tasks that a netbook can accomplish. However, occasionally I use it for watching movies. I'm not sure if the occasional movie watching is worth having a 15-17 inch screen or if I'd be better off buying something small and getting a TV/DVD player to watch movies.
-
The other thing you could do, if you watch movies, is to find an old monitor from a desktop (if you have one) and hook it up as a second monitor. If not, it may just be worth it to buy a cheap TV + DVD player.
And I agree with sk... I've heard WAY too many horror stories about Dells, and have tried to fix them so many times that I found they mess up again soon after i fix them... frying motherboards... ahh... stuff I don't want to deal with.
And also, like sk said, some manufacturers give sweet student discounts. Take advantage of being a college kid! :)
~Marti
-
Isildur, I currently own a Dell and I believe it's probably getting to the end of its years.
SK, I've been thinking about this quite a bit. I mostly use my PC for the light tasks that a netbook can accomplish. However, occasionally I use it for watching movies. I'm not sure if the occasional movie watching is worth having a 15-17 inch screen or if I'd be better off buying something small and getting a TV/DVD player to watch movies.
i cant justify ever purchasing anything bigger than a 14 inch screen. laptops are supposed to be portable and light, not hulking pieces of hardware. i love toshibas 14" line of laptops...very light and very good specs. if i ever want to watch a movie on a bigger screen, i simply stream my media from my laptop to my xbox 360 using the windows media center.
i suggest taking a look at the toshiba satellite e105-s1402 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9022979&type=product&id=1218009474848 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9022979&type=product&id=1218009474848)). nice processor (intel processors are considerably better than amd's for a laptop), 4gb ram, hefty 320 gb hard drive, 14'' screen, webcam, fingerprint reader, wireless-n, etc. and its $250 under your pricepoint. a very solid machine.
-
I have an XPS desktop myself (ain't it perty? (http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z18/Lambo_Diablo_Svtt/XPS004.jpg)), and I can tell you I havent had any major problems with it in the year I've owned it.
Also, XPS owners get a seperate help and support service. A week ago, the monitor I got with my computer randomly went kaputz on me, so I grabbed a different one, and went on to the XPS help chat. After about 10-15 minutes of waiting (2 people in que and I did it on sunday... so probably less staff), I told the person my problem, and confirmed some info for them... then out of nowhere he was like "Ok, a replacement is on its way." Problem fixed in about 30-45 minutes, and the monitor got here FAST.
Just my two cents on the subject. As far as laptops, I'm afraid I'm not much help.
especially the XPS line (you don't know how much it hurts a Mac fanboy to say that).
:rollin:
-
I've had some experience with Dell tech support before and they aren't too bad as long as everything is under warranty.
Back to the main topic, when I started looking for laptops I didn't want to spend more than $400. I realized that this wouldn't buy me much more than a netbook. These are pretty small and I have big fingers so I wasn't really interested. After looking into the $600-$800 range I realized that these aren't extremely different from the one I have. Laptops in the $800-$1000 range seem to be more of what I'm looking for, but it seems like a lot of money to spend on a computer.
Marti/SK, I'll definitely look into student discounts. That could be a good option and I haven't really looked into it yet.
-
i seriously wouldnt recommend a dell or hp...they're just about a step up from acer. pc-wise i've had alot of good experience with toshibas...very reliable laptops.
Agreed on all counts.
-
I'm not sure that the Eee PC has a DVD drive, and the resolution of some of them is barely that of a glorified CRT (old monitor). If movies are important for you, you should probably go for a more mainstream laptop in the $500-600 range.
On the flip side, if you can, see if you can test the weight of a 15 or 17 inch notebook (perhaps try to carry a friend's for a few minutes, or even try holding one at Best Buy or something). I find that it's too big of a machine for me to carry around regularly, though that is entirely personal preference. If you plan to take it into your classes, just make sure it seems manageable to you.
After looking into the $600-$800 range I realized that these aren't extremely different from the one I have. Laptops in the $800-$1000 range seem to be more of what I'm looking for, but it seems like a lot of money to spend on a computer.
What all do you want in a machine that you don't have in your current laptop?
-
I wouldn't suggest windows for a laptop. The mac would be about 1,700 because of tax remember. So I would suggest a Toshiba. Dell would also work pretty well too.
-
I would suggest Dell or HP. I bought a nice $1300 HP customized media/gaming laptop a little over a year ago, and have had no problems at all with it. Without the extra graphic card, extended battery, and the other accessories I put into it, you could drop it down to a good $900/$950 (it's also probably down in price due to it being a model from last year). It's fairly big, and has nice big keys for people (like me) with big fingers.
And Lambo, watch your back, I'mma comin' to take your XPS. >.>
-
I wouldn't suggest windows for a laptop. The max would be about 1,700 because of tax remember. So I would suggest a Toshiba. Dell would also work pretty well too.
The two you just suggested both run windows. I don't get what you meant...
And Lambo, watch your back, I'mma comin' to take your XPS. >.>
Oh no! Not my precious with a 2.4ghtz quad core, two 8800GT 512mb cards, 4gb ram, and 1tb hard drive!!! You cant take it! :o
-
I wouldn't suggest windows for a laptop. The max would be about 1,700 because of tax remember. So I would suggest a Toshiba. Dell would also work pretty well too.
The two you just suggested both run windows. I don't get what you meant...
Although I'm confused by the 1,700 comment as well, Dell does offer Linux on some of its models. Toshiba may as well. Although this can drop the price by a good $100+, you lose the ability to use any of your Windows software (ie, MS Office), so it's not usually a popular choice except for the tech freaks.
-
Yes Linux thats what I couldn't remember. Get linux if you can its the best computer eeeverrr.
-
Yes Linux thats what I couldn't remember. Get linux if you can its the best computer Operating System eeeverrr.
Fixed, even though I disagree. :P Windows XP ftw.
-
Linux is NOT ready for mainstream use. You can't run anything but a browser, and you are limiting yourself. Windows 7 RC1 FTW. Faster than XP, most secure than even Vista, pretty, and lighter on resources than even XP.
-
seriously, toshiba is your best bet if you're not looking to get a mac. excellent hardware, affordable price point, awesome customer service, and the warranty covers EVERYTHING.
if you have your heart set on an hp though, i suggest the hp pavillion dv3510nr (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9027714&type=product&id=1218010176167 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9027714&type=product&id=1218010176167)). has alot of the same specs as the toshiba, offers a smaller screen of 13.3'' (regarding laptops, smaller is better in my book), and it has better benchmark scores than alot of the other laptops in its class.
-
Linux is NOT ready for mainstream use. You can't run anything but a browser, and you are limiting yourself. Windows 7 RC1 FTW. Faster than XP, most secure than even Vista, pretty, and lighter on resources than even XP.
I respectfully Disagree, I run Linux and I most certainly run far more than a browser. Switching to Linux is like learning a new language, seems simple at first blush, but is very difficult if you are accustomed to using windows. But almost anyone can get a simple Ubuntu distribution up and running in a fairly short amount of time.
-
I don't disagree that mainstream can GET Ubuntu running, but it is not IMHO powerful enough or streamlined enough for everyone to use. What happens when your grandparent has linux and they need to run a normal windows program? They aren't going to set up Wine or a VM. I shall rephrase: Linux works really well, but it is not ready for mainstream use because it cannot nativly run the apps that 99% of people need.
Don't call me a Linux hater (I'm definitely not), I just don't think it can help mainstream people.
-
SK asked what I'd like in a laptop that I don't already have, here's a list.
-Smaller screen (less than 15.4")
-Longer Battery Life (mine lasts around 2 hours)
-Lighter (mine is probably 6.5 lbs)
-Brighter/Clearer Screen
-Quicker (currently have 1.73 GHz processor, 2 GB ram)
-Larger Hard Drive (currently have 100GB)
-Wireless-N (have this currently, want it in next computer)
Other add-ons I've thought about but aren't vital.
-Ability to Burn DVDs
-Graphics Card
-Ability to play Blu-Ray (I don't own a blu-ray player but thought this would be kind of cool)
-Bluetooth
For those of you talking about operating systems, I'll be using Windows. Linux may be nice but I don't want to spend the time to learn a new operating system and finding ways to run my Windows programs. However, I'm not sue that I want to have Vista when Windows 7 is supposed to be coming out soon. I definitely don't want to spend a bunch of money upgrading operating systems a few months after I buy it.
-
Windows 7 is so much better than Vista, I would suggest waiting for it.
-
SK asked what I'd like in a laptop that I don't already have, here's a list.
-Smaller screen (less than 15.4") toshiba satellite E105-S1402: 14.1"; hp pavilion dv3510nr: 13.3"
-Longer Battery Life (mine lasts around 2 hours) toshiba: 5 hours 30 minutes; hp: 4 hours 15 minutes
-Lighter (mine is probably 6.5 lbs) toshiba: 5 pounds; hp: 4.6 pounds
-Brighter/Clearer Screen: toshiba: WXGA TFT-LCD widescreen with TruBrite technology (1280 x 800); hp: WXGA high-definition widescreen with LED BrightView technology (1280 x 800)
-Quicker (currently have 1.73 GHz processor, 2 GB ram) toshiba: 2.26 ghz processor, 5400 rpm, 4gb ram; hp: 2.0 ghz processor, 5400 rpm, 4gb ram
-Larger Hard Drive (currently have 100GB) toshiba: 320 gb; hp: 320 gb
-Wireless-N (have this currently, want it in next computer) toshiba: a/b/g/n; hp: a/b/g/n
Other add-ons I've thought about but aren't vital.
-Ability to Burn DVDs
-Graphics Card toshiba: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD; hp: NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics
-Ability to play Blu-Ray (I don't own a blu-ray player but thought this would be kind of cool)
-Bluetooth toshiba: Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR support; hp: yes
-Price toshiba: $749.99; hp: $899.99
For those of you talking about operating systems, I'll be using Windows. Linux may be nice but I don't want to spend the time to learn a new operating system and finding ways to run my Windows programs. However, I'm not sue that I want to have Vista when Windows 7 is supposed to be coming out soon. I definitely don't want to spend a bunch of money upgrading operating systems a few months after I buy it.
-
Windows 7 is so much better than Vista, I would suggest waiting for it.
I read somewhere that new laptops purchased after July 1 would get a free-upgrade coupon. Do you know anything about that?
MKC, those both look like good options. Thanks for the recommendation.
-
I heard that July 1 thing, too. I think it's just hearsay, though, so I'd wait for an official announcement before putting stock in the date.
By the way, KChief, are those machines single or dual core?
-
dual core, of course. i would never suggest a laptop with a single-core processor.
-
Didn't think so, but wanted to double check.
By the way, Microsoft has announce the upgrade program will begin this Friday, according to CNET.
-
The who and the what what upgrade?
-
If you buy a new computer on or after June 26th, you can get a free (or very low cost) upgrade through the manufacturer.
When Vista came out, it was about $5-10 (shipping/handling costs) to have Dell or hp send you an upgrade copy of Vista if you had gotten a computer from them recently.
Just as a related side note, Microsoft also announced that preordering Win 7 would be $49 for the Premium version and $99 for the Ultimate. (Meanwhile, us Mac users are preparing for the $29 Ultimate version of Snow Leopard...)