Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

If you want it to last for more than a few years, look for a laptop with a sturdy case. If this is your first purchase of a laptop, try and avoid the online scene, because other than functionality you're going to have to like the way the product works. Go to stores, test out a similar model to what your looking for and make sure you like the feel of it because you're going to be using it for so long. Then purchase it online if thats how you wish to pursue it.

I currently have 2 dell laptops one I got in my freshman year of school, it needed repairs after the first year. It still works today (me being a senior now) but when I switch from my newer version to the older on, it takes me a while to get used to the layout of the keyboard.

In the end

• Look for a sturdy case.
• A product that will produce what you are looking for it to produce.
• One that will have some upgradeable hardwaree
• A warranty that covers many FRU's (Field Replaceable Units)
• Make sure you get an extended warranty if you want it to last 5 years
• make sure you're comfortable with the layout
• And just a good rule of thumb, make the hardware fit the software, not the other way around.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

As was mentioned before... Thinkpads are very durable, and If you are looking for a machine that can do any word processing/spreadsheet action while still being able to play a mean game of Fable, I'd look for something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Thinkpad-T42-1-7GHz-Notebook-WiFi-Wty-A-WOW_W0QQitemZ320049731010QQihZ011QQcategoryZ140083 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-ThinkPad-T30-2-0GHz-512MB-Model-2366-86U-DVD_W0QQitemZ200047865498QQihZ010QQcategoryZ140083 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

they both fall well under your price limit.



EDIT: Also, if youa re looking for something that doesn't end within the next hour, Check this out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Thinkpad-T30-Laptop-P4-1-6Ghz-512MB-30GB-DVD-WinXP_W0QQitemZ230056074789QQihZ013QQcategoryZ1400 83QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

I call BS. I've worked around Macs now for 6 years doing help desk or selling work, and I can tell you for a fact that Macs are made better. Not invincible, not perfect, but better. My sister's iBook G3 that was used in the Henrico Country iBook pilot program from 5 years ago is running great without a hitch (only problem is the speakers are going out). And we're talking a high stress environment, not your typical laptop situation. At UD I'm working with our Mac labs and currently see iMac G4s that are 4 years old working great, along with old TiPB, who's only main problem is they need a replacement battery. Yet on the flip side I'm seeing PCs that are falling appart after one year of use that many students thought would be a good investment. There's a trend on campus for students to eBay their current laptops and get MacBooks, I've pesonally met a few who have done that.

The price of Macs are falling, the OS is secure, and they are well engineered machines (my Macbook has no external moving parts, not even a latch, to fail.) The Mac isn't for everyone, but to simply dismiss it because people here are saying they're good machines and well built is the same as us discrediting ThinkPads.

NOW....

For Mac, get a MacBook refurb, it won't have a DVD burner, but it does include a built in iSight camera and other cool features.

For Windows (as both Mac and Windows are PCs, but I digress), get an HP or ThinkPad. I've heard nothing but good things about both.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

This comment as well as many before should be in the Mac/PC thread. Freddy asked for help buying a laptop... not for a useless arguement that is supposed to be confined to another thread.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

I agree with you on this Cody. Thank you.
Jane

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

yeah, no starting flames.

I've heard some bad things about HP's customer service, along with their laptops from several people... their advice would be not to touch them, or if you do, then get the extended warranty.

Question:
Why a laptop and not a desktop? do you want to move with it, and save desk space? You can customize a desktop alot easier, and much cheaper than a laptop....

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

I want to be able to move around with. I was thinking desktop but when I am on the road or at school, I want to get my assignment done with.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

Try going to www.Overstock.com they have some pretty good deals. And Like many said before if you take care of it it will take care of you.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

Toshiba, Dell, Sony, IBM or Apple all make good computers with good service. Apple has the best service desk of the five, followed by Dell, Sony, IBM and Toshiba. DO NOT BUY EMACHINES!

Word to the wise: "open box" items are not the same as refurbished. If you want something that has a higher chance of working great the first time, don't get an open box PC.

They were both discontinued laptops that were really not worth buying unless you just needed a cheap temporary computer.

Wrong. All Windows computers purchased since mid-October from major retailers can get free upgrades to Vista, since M$ is finally giving out free coupons for something.

I have to agree. Student software discounts are much better than any price offered at a retail store. I've seen several thousand dollar software items for just a hundred.

On a note of warranties, do not buy the warranty you find at the store (on a related note, I work for Circuit City where it is my job to sell warranties and software installations). You might get a cheaper or more effective one from the manufacturer of the computer. On the other hand, some store warranty call centers aren't located in India, so it might be a little easier to talk to the people you call up. Do not expect the basic warranty you get to cover every problem with the computer. I recommend (from personal experience) getting an accidental protection plan soon after unless the parts for it are relatively easy to replace and are cheaper than the plan itself (replacement LCD screens for laptops can be up to $300-400 each, which should be about the same as several years accidental coverage).

If you were to compare Windows-based computers as a whole to Apple computers, Apple would win, simply due to several manufacturers making shoddy products. Many brands are better than others though. I've seen iBooks in schools go from good to terrible in a few months, slowing down to a grinding halt frequently, while their PCs have been problem-free. My school has about 60 Acer desktops. Only one has gone bad in the past three years. I saw more iBooks go bad in the same sized group at my last school. Its all based on personal experience and personal preference.

On the other hand, Apple computers can run Mac OS X, Windows XP (of course Vista too) and every flavor of Linux, which will allow for a lot more flexibility in the programs that you can use. You can't run Mac OS X legally on a standard Windows computer, since that requires reverse-engineering the software.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

I'm going to vote for the laptop that I have right now, an HP Pavilion 5000 series. I have had no problem with it whatsoever, and it does an excellent job following your requirements of word processing and Internet. It has a big screen, which tends to draw lots of battery power at full brightness, but it's easier to read web pages and other text. Checking the HP website I found the refurbished laptops for $900.
An added plus is that it has USB ports on both sides, which doesn't seem like a lot until you plug in other devices and its starts to get crowded on one side.

Haven't had the opportunity to deal with HP's customer service, so I don't have an opinion on that yet.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

Going back to the topic, found a nice series from HP...

Bam!

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

Well, If you want to buy a laptop now that lasts about 4-5 years, consider doing it NOW! ... The deals are here for Thanksgiving, and will be again for Christmas time at stores like, Best Buy and Circuit City ... Things you want to look for are The Express Upgrade to Windows Vista... (You should get AT LEAST Windows XP Media Center Edition now which = Windows Vista Home Premium Edition). You want a good processor, preferably an Intel Core 2 Duo or the AMD Counterpart, which i believe is the Turion64, and 1 - 2 GB of RAM, with at least 128 MB of Video RAM (for Vista). At the sale times you can get it for around $8-900 ... Here would be a good example of one that is good now, and is quite expandable (in the RAM department) ... Hope this helps!

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

Hey,

Woot is offering a Gateway M275 Tablet Convertible PC for $599.99.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

DO NOT BUY DELL.
When you do decide what to buy make sure you buy an extended warranty. When they make laptops they will have parts to make 2000 of them. Then a year down the road it breaks the parts will be hard to find. I bought a laptop fours ago took out a four year extended warranty it has been replaced three times parts were not available to fix it when it broke. When my son went to college last year a bought a new computer foe him and a four year warranty. When he came home for the summer a couple of keys were sticking. Also the wireless was in and out. I would put his computer next to mine his would drop signal and mine stay hooked up. Two weeks before school started I bought back to the school bookstore told them what was going on. They put in a new keyboard and put in a new wireless card NO CHARGE.

Re: Buying a Laptop!
 

Should I wait until Windows Vista comes out?