Laptops

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Looking at purchasing a laptop. Trying to get ideas and see what is out there.

Done a little bit of looking around and they all seem to be so similar. Let me remind you now that I don't really have a clue when it comes to computers, so take it easy //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I'd be using the laptop for word processing, surfing the internet, and burning CD's (maybe one of those fancy DVD guys would be cool). I will not play games on this ... so I was hoping that maybe I could save a little bit of money there with a typical video card and get some more memory or something.

I have two computers sitting here - they are both Pentium 4, and one is a 60GB + 512MB and the other is a 4GB + 256MB ... I think that's how you put it. Anyways, I can't and won't deal with the 4GB one - maybe I click too fast, but I need the speed of the other one.

So as I said, I don't need anything too fancy - just need to be able to use Word, Excel, etc + internet (needs to be quick) + burn CD's.

Want to just buy something ... not looking to do anything/buy anything after the fact and plug it in.

About $1300 USD sounds about right. Toshiba, Sony, IBM ($), Fujitsu - am I on the right track?

Oh, this isn't in any rush - so if something brilliant is going to come out in the next year or two I'd rather save my money and wait. I don't have a problem purchasing in 2007 or whatever if it means me getting a much better notebook than I'd be getting now.

Thanks for any help and direction.

- Steve

Click to read more...

 

[swaptrex 10+ year member]

i have a Toshiba and love it! Very nice computer.

 

[Bigrick31 10+ year member]

well i got a gateway 450SX4 works excellent. has a dvd burner network card and modem. and you can use all the programs you listed on it. has something like a 1.5gig processor and about 40gigs of hard drive space. 17"lcd works well for me. you should be able to find one on ebay for about $1000

 

[Damaso87 10+ year member]

First of all, are you going to be using it on the go alot? Did you fill up the hard drives of your other 2 PC's? I doubt youd need more than an 80 gig hard drive...especially on a laptop.

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

First of all, are you going to be using it on the go alot? Did you fill up the hard drives of your other 2 PC's? I doubt youd need more than an 80 gig hard drive...especially on a laptop.

I don't think so. Perhaps on the odd plane or car ride. 90% or more of the time I'd have it indoors, whether it be at home or work.

I've filled up the 4GB computer ... I've got a bunch of music and programs on my 60GB, and I've only used 10.8GB. I would say that a 40GB or 60GB hard drive would be more than enough for me.

It just needs to be quick ... I can't deal with a slow computer.

- Steve

 

[Damaso87 10+ year member]

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=34-115-176&depa=3

Lots of ram baby...lots and lots of ram. Not to mention those Pentium M's are great too.

Hell, if i was in the market for a notebook, id buy that baby right now...the only problem is having it shipped out to good ol' Canada. You may want to have it shipped to a member here to forward it up there.

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

That thing looks awesome. Little more expensive than the ones I was initally looking at, but I guess it's worth it - I definitely don't want a piece of junk, so spending more is ok.

Can I use a DSL connection with that one?

Oh, and you don't think it's worth saving my $1500 and waiting a year or two?

- Steve

 

[ShakinSupra 10+ year member]

I have a Apple Powerbook G4, it's an awesome computer, though a little more than what you're looking to spend, but you can get a comparable 12" iBook G4 for $999 or a 14" for $1299. It will run all of the programs you need, surf the internet, burn CDs, it's pretty compatible with you're PCs, and it runs Mac OS X, which is an awesome Unix based OS. My Powerbook has crashed twice in 2 years, I almost never shut it down, there is no viruses or spyware for it, it does everything I need and more. I love it, it just always works as it should.

 

[jtomsic 5,000+ posts]

there will definately be better in 2 years but why wait right after u buy that computer they will put something newer and faster out..if ur computer u have now is working for u, maybe just wait till u run into problems with it then buy a new one.

 

[LooKin4Boom 10+ year member]

i have a toshiba a752209 it has a pentium 4 the person i talked to said someone who is going to use a laptop indoors most of the time witha powersource wont need a centrino since it gives up speed for battery life as i was told dont know if that helps....oyea toshiba kick *** laptop...

 

[davidfre21 5,000+ posts]

go hit up cuircut city...

after all the rebates my laptop is gonna be $1100, before rebates $1600

lets see now umm..

80gb HD

512 DDR ram

15.4 bright view sreen

AMD athlon 64processor @ 3.2ghz

Nvidia grafics card

wireless modem

memory card reader

and dvd burner

i dont think i left anything out lol

all in a Compaq Presario r3340us

 

[liar2 10+ year member]

If you aren't going to use it for gaming or any form of multimedia design, then you really don't have much to worry about. Pretty much any laptop will work for you. "Out of the box", most any computer will be fast, because it has nothing to be bogged down with... except for the crap the OEMs install on it. I have heard good things about the toshiba laptops. If I were you, I'd look into buying a refurbed laptop. They'd be a lot cheaper, and it would still do what you need it to do.

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

PM me if your interested.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=316613&pfp=hpf1

http://www.compusa.com/products/products.asp?N=200334&Ns=display%5Fprice%7C0

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Thanks for the tips and links everybody.

David, looks like a nice one - lots of rebates //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I might have to go to Future Shop and take a look at what they have. Overpriced or worth purchasing there?

That's another thing ... I doubt I'd order online. I'd probably purchase it through a local store. I'm sure they'd be able to order what I point out to them.

Oh, I keep looking at all of these laptops, and they are all so similar ... however, the price difference from brand to brand is sometimes hundreds of dollars. I guess this is just like buying anything else out there with a brand name?

- Steve

 

[slack 10+ year member]

go hit up cuircut city...

after all the rebates my laptop is gonna be $1100, before rebates $1600

lets see now umm..

80gb HD

512 DDR ram

15.4 bright view sreen

AMD athlon 64processor @ 3.2ghz

Nvidia grafics card

wireless modem

memory card reader

and dvd burner

i dont think i left anything out lol

all in a Compaq Presario r3340us

there is no such thing as an AMD processor that operates at 3.2ghz. I think u meant the amd 3200+ which operates at 2.2ghz

fastest AMD runs at 2.4ghz which is the AMD athlon 64 4000+ and the fx-53