What Laptops do you recommend?

[vivek16]

Hi, I want a laptop that I can use for around the house but also with the latest versions of inventor (you only get the latest versions of inventor with the free copies given to the teams right?) and buy for under 1000 dollars.
processor: c2d (enough to run the latest versions of Inventor)
RAM: 2gb
Storage: atleast 80gb, more would be nice
video: not integrated. decent enough for inventor.

So far I have been looking at a dell vostro 1500 and those have pretty good deals for under 1000 dollars with great specs.

what do you guys think about running inventor on a laptop and what to buy and who to buy from?

thanks in advance, vivek

[basicxman]

dells a good choice, dont get a gateway, my school bought a few and they overheated and well u get it...

[Tottanka]

LG and IBM t61 are highly recomended.
the new inventor will be fine with 1gb ram too by the way..

[Grant Cox]

Saw this one on Engadget the other day, seems to be getting some pretty good reviews. We were going to get my sister a replacement laptop for her birthday [more on that at the bottom], we're thinking about this one.

Dell Inspirons are also very good, and can be fairly cheap if you find a rebate or something (one of my mom's coworkers found some random combination of deals and got a totally spec'd out one for under $1000).


Do NOT get an HP. They're alright for PC's, but their laptops are abysmal. My sister, dad, and several friends have had serious problems with them (combined with terrible tech support). I won't get into the slew of problems my sister's has been plagued with; suffice to say that she's become so frustrated with it that she just goes on someone else's computer most of the time and I've decided that it would be more beneficial to just get a new one than try to fix/upgrade this one.

I second the Gateway advice, I've heard similar stories about ridiculous overheating.

[Schnabel]

One word, Macintosh! It will last you forever and it is just beast down to the core.

[Grant Cox]

That's what I forgot to mention. Yes, the MacBook Pro (dual booting with XP or Vista) is quite possibly the best laptop I've ever used... if you feel like selling your car and refinancing your house to afford it

[vivek16]

lol, as a poor sophomore without a car or a house to refinance. I think im going to pass on that. unless I sold my parents car..... >_>

[Schnabel]

If at all possible, wait until January! Right now all of the prices are going to be jacked up for the holidays, and well, January is not a very big selling season for anyone because of them. So to make up for that, places like Best Buy will put really good deals out on Sundays (Hint) that you can pick up. I know I got my last two laptops that way and both were cheap. The first one wasn't the greatest, but this one that I have now is great, for only $500 too! I have a 1.6 dual core with 2 gigs of ram (from previous laptop, originally 512mb), 80 gig HD, and a DVD burner. Not to mention the 2.5 hours of battery life!!! Just check all of the ads to your favorite electronics store during that time and you will get a good deal. WARNING!!! DO NOT BUY A LAPTOP ON BLACK FRIDAY!!! They are always bare bare minimum and normally you get more for your money (which is normally about the same price) in January!

[boy_scout72688]

my recommendation, don't get a Dell. I am an employee of a college who does billion dollar work with Dell and we still get really really bad support calls.

[vivek16]

thanks, that is a great tip. although I really like customizing laptops online.

I think ill look for deals then. it is possible to do that for me.

**it makes me feel like i have little elves running around and assembling the laptop for me when i customize it online **

[vivek16]

Originally Posted by boy_scout72688

my recommendation, don't get a Dell. I am an employee of a college who does billion dollar work with Dell and we still get really really bad support calls.

i prefer using the intraweb for tech support. but thanks, ill keep that in mind. They do have really good deals though.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by boy_scout72688

my recommendation, don't get a Dell. I am an employee of a college who does billion dollar work with Dell and we still get really really bad support calls.

I'd take this with a grain of salt. 100 people on this website probably have negative experiences with a given company, and another 100 have positive experiences.

However, it is a little hard to believe your college does a BILLION dollars of business with Dell.

[Schnabel]

$1,000,000,000 / ~$500 = 2,000,000 computers. Depending on the size of the university, it is possible. (1 laptop per student, computer labs, professor computers, ect.)

[artdutra04]

For laptops, I usually recommend Macbook Pros, Dell Inspirons or Macbooks. (Usually in about that order.) Edit: Lenovo/IBM Thinkpads are also good Windows business-class machines, although unless you are an Excel number-cruncher I usually don't recommend them.)

If you want a wicked awesome computer, get the Macbook Pro. A medium-spec Macbook Pro at $2500 (with a lifespan of like five years*) is basically the same price as two cheap (about $1000) Windows laptops each lasting two-three years.

After that, my second recommendation is usually split between Dell Inspirons and Macbooks, depending on your usage. I've owned an Inspiron for almost two years now, and it's still going strong [with everything except CAD].

If you're planning on doing a LOT of intense CAD work, I might lean towards the Inspiron with upgraded RAM and video card running XP Pro. Although you can use Boot Camp and install XP Pro on the Macbook, and do the same thing if you want to.


* Team 228 has always owned more Macs than PCs. We used several circa-1999 iMacs up until about 2005 as some of our main computers; and we're still currently using a circa 2003-iMac as one of our primary computers.

[whlspacedude]

If you want a wicked awesome computer, get the Macbook Pro. A medium-spec Macbook Pro at $2500 (with a lifespan of like five years*) is basically the same price as two cheap (about $1000) Windows laptops each lasting two-three years.

Interesting.... I have 1993 Packard Bell Laptop that i use every day for programing and i still run windows 3.11 for workgroups and it has lasted 1 years.

Anyway i would buy one of these:


Acer Aspire 9300 5349 Open Box Notebook PC - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 1.8GHz, 802.11b/g Wireless, 1GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, DL DVD RW, 17" WXGA+, Integrated Webcam, Windows Vista Home Premium $649.97


Gateway MT3423 Refurbished Notebook PC - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 1.8GHz, 802.11g Wireless, 2GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD RW, 14.1" WXGA, Windows Vista Home Premium $649.99

Toshiba Satellite A215 S7422 Notebook PC - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-58 1.9GHz, 802.11b/g Wireless, 1GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD RW, 15.4" WXGA, Windows Vista Home Premium $729.99

HP Pavilion dv6625us Notebook PC - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-58 1.9GHz, 802.11b/g Wireless, 1GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD RW, 15.4" WXGA, Integrated Webcam, Windows Vista Home Premium $804.99*

HP Compaq 6715b Laptop PC - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 1.8GHz, Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g/draft-n Wireless, 1GB DDR2, 120GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD RW, 15.4" WXGA, Windows Vista Business $959.99


*rebate