Looking at a new laptop

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Hello, I am pretty limited in my knowledge of computers and I have done some research and have discovered that I am completely out of my element when it comes to purchasing a laptop that suits my needs.

I am mainly going to be using the laptop for word processing for school and basic internet browsing, I don't really play any games and I have a decent sized television that I would watch most, if not all of my movies on. I know most of what is on the market right now would be able to do this without any problems but I am just looking for something reliable that will last for a few years and not fall apart.

I was looking into some of the Asus laptops as they were near the top of the reliability lists that I found on the internet - but being the Luddite that I am, I know next to nothing about the company and where I would even buy the computers.

Anyways thanks for any help.

[Mad Mel]

Not sure if it's still the case, but MemEx used to usually have pretty good prices and good selection.

15" Asus Laptops

[DownhillGoat]

Memory express carries Asus. They've also got a really knowledgeable sales staff and decent prices.

[CokeMachineGlow]

memex is the place to go, they are a fantastic operation with great staff who like working there cuz they are treated and get paid well

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by CokeMachineGlow

they are a fantastic operation with great staff who like working there cuz they are treated and get paid well

I wonder what that's like.

[photon]

*cough*macbook*cough*

Really, tough, reliable, great hardware. I love mine.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by CokeMachineGlow

memex is the place to go, they are a fantastic operation with great staff who like working there cuz they are treated and get paid well

Having friends who work at MemEx, I certainly will say that in some of the stores, that's not the case.

As always, when buying at Memex. Check what you are buying @ Shopbot.ca first because Memex will almost never have the lowest price. Find the lowest price and price match it at Memex at the till..

For instance:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...27209(ME).aspx
$659.00

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/226284/ASUS/K50IJ_H1/
$623.70

***

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...ufacturer:Asus
$779.99

http://www.cendirect.com/main_en/tec...746938&rSrc=sb (2 incoming to their Calgary store, wait until it's in stock to price match)
$728.00

[Vulcan]

If a person knows what they want, it's a good idea to shop around, even at the big chains like Best Buy, Staples and Future Shop. Computer parts are very badly priced there but laptops seem to be more than competitive.

[Sly]

All I can say is don't buy a Macbook.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Sly

All I can say is don't buy a Macbook.

Is there a reason? Or is that purely speculative?

[burnin_vernon]

Costco will give you a 2 year warranty when you buy from them. Add an extra year if you pay with most credit cards.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

I looked at the laptops available at the Costco near where I live and I was disappointed to find that they only had HP and Acer Laptops, both of whom have poor performance records according to the research that I have done.

[stignasty]

Originally Posted by Sly

All I can say is don't buy a Macbook.

I got a Macbook for my birthday in November and I couldn't be happier.

[Mad Mel]

Originally Posted by burnin_vernon

Costco will give you a 2 year warranty when you buy from them. Add an extra year if you pay with most credit cards.

Does Costco take credit cards now?

[Rathji]

I will toss my hat in the ring.

Mac books are great machines and as Photon says their quality is really second to none. However, you mention you need to just do simple tasks like word, and internet. As a result if you buy a Mac, you will be paying for a lot of great hardware that you really don't need.

The simple fact is that a laptop is a disposable device. You will only get 3 years on average of use out of any laptop you buy, a little bit more if you are not looking for high performance use. Add added chances of damage due to dropping, bumping, etc \.

Take this dell 10" laptop, you can get even the most customized model for $400, or a base model for $300. Also, consider this 15" model, the base model being $400 some reasonable upgrades bring it to $600 - $700.

Now look at a Macbook. If you check here, the 13" models starts at $1099-$1299. A 15" Pro model runs $1799. I don't doubt they are fantastic machinces, but even Apple says right on that page these are High Performance computers. You don't need high performance to surf the web, or watch a DVD, or even play basic games.

So by considering these numbers, you could buy a mid range Dell Inspiron which is probably still overkill for your needs for half the price of a Mac.

If you were wanting a high end laptop, I would totally say to consider a Mac but as these number say. Unless you are interested in the 'cool factor' of having a Mac, it doesn't make sense to spend twice as much money, for way more than you need. It would be like driving a Porsche instead of a Honda to drive 20 mins in rush hour back and forth to work everyday. It sure will look cool, but you really are not getting the use out of the car that you paid for.

Regardless of the route you choose, always compare the prices online to in the store. I have found online purchasing actually causes less headaches if you need future because if you expect to go to BestBuy and have them fix your computer half the time they will end up referring you to call Dell anyway.

Another thing, you can probably get a RAM upgrade for a lot cheaper than what Dell or Mac charge, so check it out at www.crucial.com to make sure you are not getting ripped off. Consider doing that upgrade separately after you purchase.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by mad mel

does costco take credit cards now?

amex only

Originally Posted by Rathji

It would be like driving a Porsche instead of a Honda to drive 20 mins in rush hour back and forth to work everyday.

That is so very different.