Need a New Laptop

[Temporary_User]

My piece of ---- HP finally died. The cord won't produce a charge and on the computer side the plug in won't securely hold the cord.
I don't have a budget set out for my new computer yet, I am a student so the cheaper the better. Essentially I just want to get the best bang for my dollar. If one computer is more expensive than the other why should I get it over the cheaper?

I'm open to anything At this point as long as it is good and will last me a while. so reccomend me some things (macs, pc, specific brands, specific computers, anything but a HP or Compaq)
In the past I've normally stuck to 15" screens as I've seen them as being big but still portable. I am open to other suggestions though.
Also with the new Starcraft coming out I guess I would like to play it on my new system.

Thanks guys

[Phaneuf3]

Dell Inspiron 15 is the way I'd go. Even the most barebones version of it should be able to handle SC2 well with no problem.

2nd on avoid anything made by HP or Compaq. Terrible, terrible company.

[MickMcGeough]

Really hard to recommend something without any real information. Other that Starcraft 2 and taking notes, what are you going to use it for? Office? Photoshop? Web Design? Programming? Making music? How important is portability? Are you tech savvy or do you need good tech support?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

Dell Inspiron 15 is the way I'd go. Even the most barebones version of it should be able to handle SC2 well with no problem.

2nd on avoid anything made by HP or Compaq. Terrible, terrible company.

I'd go with a Dell Vostro 3500 before the Inspiron.

Also there are some good entry level choices by Lenovo if you use their EPP site. There's info about that at RedFlagDeals.

[BloodFetish]

Hard to recommend a specific laptop to you. I've heard some customer service horror stories from HP and Acer. I actually just bought a HP ProBook 5310M and it's a sexy and solid piece 'o hardward for under $1000, but designed for business and portability, not gaming :-(

Anyway, NotebookCheck.com does very in-depth reviews to help you narrow down your choice, or at least reaffirm your decision...

[Flames0910]

Well, Fanin80 hasn't done it yet so I guess the torch falls to me:

Have you thought about a Mac? If the only game you're really worried about is SC2 a Macbook Pro might not be a bad idea. If you go that route though, find an education discount (are they still give out free ipod touches?) and buy extra RAM separately.

[Temporary_User]

i don't do much with my computers internet, email, listen to music, watch movies, take notes, write essays, etc.

i know enough about computers that tech support is not a top priority to me but i do appreciate good customer service.

so dell vs. mac

why a dell vostro over inspiron?
why a macbook pro over a simple macbook?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

Well, Fanin80 hasn't done it yet

I don't recommend products to people on this board, except on very rare occasion.

Since I've now posted in this thread, though, I will contribute to the topic by recommending the OP stay away from Acer products. Of course, I bet even that will get some arguments from some people...

[Rathji]

If I was buying a new computer for someone that did not require any specific apps which are only available on one operating system I would ask these questions:

Do you have previous experience with any operating systems. If so, then you should give preference to that OS.

Will you be carrying this laptop around every day? possibly with other items? If so, consider a 14" or smaller screen.

If this your main PC? If it isn't then consider a netbook as a possiblity. Cost and Size are very nice if you are not relying on it to run heavy duty applications that your current desktop might already handle.

If you have a limited budget, then you should consider an entry level PC as your first choice. Otherwise Macs are probably an option.

Do you need anything more than the 3Ws of computing? (Web Word and Wacking) If so, then you might want to consider more than 3GB of RAM and possibly an actual video card as opposed to an integrated card.

For me, if I was buying a new computer as a student on a limited budget. I would consider a netbook (Dell Mini 10, Acer Aspireone, or the HP netbook all seem good and fully upgraded run $350-$400), an entry level laptop (Dell Inspiron 15, $500-$600), or a 16" Toshiba Satellite ($650-700).

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

so dell vs. mac

why a dell vostro over inspiron?
why a macbook pro over a simple macbook?

IMO, you haven't defined too many specifics on what you need and the ones you have aren't that demanding. The inspiron would be the cheapest way to cover all of them and, IMO, is the best bang for your buck. It depends on what your budget is I guess as a little extra computing power never hurt anyone. When I was a student, money was pretty tight for me especially when it came to frivolous things like a shiny new computer that can boot 3 seconds faster or play a game at a slightly higher resolution/frame rate which is why I'd go with the barebones Inspiron.

Upgrading it - looking at some of the higher end lines that dell offers or even considering macs - is an option if you're not super cash strapped. $400 gets you started in the 15" Inspiron line. $500 gets you started on the 15" Vostro line. $1000 gets you the basic 13" macbook.


*shrug* That's just my $0.02 and the reasoning behind my recommendation.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

My ACER has died, 3 months old. Don't buy an ACER, you will regret it. And on another somewhat related note, backup your files often...

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

why a macbook pro over a simple macbook?

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/m...les/61978.aspx

MBP gets you 2GB more RAM, Firewire, SD card slot, backlit keyboard, aluminum unibody.

You get plenty for the extra $200, IMO.

Of course, if you want a 15", you have to go MBP.

I love my MBP but I would not recommend it for real gaming. I'm sure it's cool if all you want to play is SC2 and some older games, but for $1249+ you can get something else with a lot more gaming horsepower.

If gaming isn't a big deal I highly recommend a Macbook Pro. I've owned laptops from Dell, Acer, Asus, HP, and Gateway. Of those, I'd only consider buying a Dell or Gateway again (many would argue against the Gateway and they might be right, but mine's been good). But I haven't enjoyed any of them as much as my MBP.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

so dell vs. mac

why a dell vostro over inspiron?

Also, if you can fit a MBP into your budget, you should check out the Dell Studio XPS 16. Definitely more bulk (and probably overkill for your needs) but they're great machines too.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

why a dell vostro over inspiron?
why a macbook pro over a simple macbook?

The Vostro seems to be better built and it comes with more options standard. The Inspiron might be cheaper to begin with but if you upgrade the processor to an i core and RAM while adding a camera and bluetooth, the Vostro is cheaper.

For me the white keyboard of the macbook is reason enough to choose a MBP over it.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

The Vostro seems to be better built and it comes with more options standard. The Inspiron might be cheaper to begin with but if you upgrade the processor to an i core and RAM while adding a camera and bluetooth, the Vostro is cheaper.

The Vostro is the business equivalent of the Inspiron, which tends to have more multimedia type features included. Neither are as well built, or built of as high quality components, as the Latitudes. I would trade a more feature-full Vostro or Inspiron for a Latitude any day of the week, if you want a well built and longer lasting laptop.

I can’t find the reference right now, but the Vostro’s are close to being a disposable computer - they were engineered to last the average hardware refresh cycle of businesses, and not much longer.

Build quality becomes an important factor if you will be moving your laptop around a lot. If it’s just going to sit on your desk at home, its less of an issue overall.

[pylon]

I haven't seen Toshiba mentioned in here. I have been running Toshiba's for the better part of a decade, and they have never let me down aside from 1 hard drive failure that was probably my fault anyway. I had 1 HP laptop in there that was literally the worst computer I have ever owned, I literally copied the Hard drive over to an external, destroyed the old drive, took out the ram and threw the rest of it away. I will never ever own another piece of HP hardware again after the crap that thing put me through. I just replaced it with this:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...0%28ME%29.aspx

This is what I am running now, I picked it up a couple months ago for $750 at London Drugs. For the money, the specs are pretty decent. What I have always liked about Toshiba, is their tank like build... but they definitely aren't the "sleekest" machines you'll find. But I guess suppose that's the trade off with with the cute pretty machines. And something built to last. So far it has performed flawlessly. A little on the big side, but I rarely tote it around outside of the office to the couch.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by pylon

I haven't seen Toshiba mentioned in here. I have been running Toshiba's for the better part of a decade, and they have never let me down aside from 1 hard drive failure that was probably my fault anyway. I had 1 HP laptop in there that was literally the worst computer I have ever owned, I literally copied the Hard drive over to an external, destroyed the old drive, took out the ram and threw the rest of it away. I will never ever own another piece of HP hardware again after the crap that thing put me through. I just replaced it with this:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...0%28ME%29.aspx

This is what I am running now, I picked it up a couple months ago for $750 at London Drugs. For the money, the specs are pretty decent. What I have always liked about Toshiba, is their tank like build... but they definitely aren't the "sleekest" machines you'll find. But I guess suppose that's the trade off with with the cute pretty machines. And something built to last. So far it has performed flawlessly. A little on the big side, but I rarely tote it around outside of the office to the couch.

I think Tosh has recently updated their lineup too - that was one thing that irked me about their laptops, they seemed to consistently lag behind their competitors in CPU and chipset choices. Just took a peek, and yeah they have updated their lineup pretty substantially from 4-6 months ago.

[Regorium]

Might sound like an Asus shill, but I truly don't own their stock or have any interest in them, just love their products. Have 3 notebooks, motherboards, vid cards, basically anything from them, and have never had any issues. They also moved near the top rankings in reliability and service in the last couple years, so I don't think it's just me that's been very impressed with them. I also find their products to have ridiculously high specs for the price.

Here's one from MemEx:

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...27213(ME).aspx

i7, decent graphics chip, 500GB, USB 3.0, 1366x768 screen, 6GB RAM - all for $1169. It's a bit on the high end, but bang for buck + future proofing, I would say this is second to none. Consider that I play SC2 on my 3 year old Asus Laptop that cost me $1000. They build their products and spec them so that they last for a long time.

[Temporary_User]

Thanks for all the replys.
Right now I'm leaning towards a Dell from all the posts. Seems like it is the most recommended brand here. Looking at dells website looks like I can get a decent machine for just under $1000. Is this true?
Here in order is what I need:
1) reliability for now & future years
2) specs that will be good for years and play SC2
3) price

Spec wise I don't know what specifically I'm looking for yet. Really I just broad the Internet and watch the odd movie. So I think I want a lot of ram and the larger the HD the better.

Right now I'm planning on buying and shipping this to an address I have in the states to save money. Does anyone know how this will affect my warranty?
Also I normally think of them as scams, but would anyone recommend the extended warranty?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

Thanks for all the replys.
Right now I'm leaning towards a Dell from all the posts. Seems like it is the most recommended brand here. Looking at dells website looks like I can get a decent machine for just under $1000. Is this true?
Here in order is what I need:
1) reliability for now & future years
2) specs that will be good for years and play SC2
3) price

Spec wise I don't know what specifically I'm looking for yet. Really I just broad the Internet and watch the odd movie. So I think I want a lot of ram and the larger the HD the better.

Right now I'm planning on buying and shipping this to an address I have in the states to save money. Does anyone know how this will affect my warranty?
Also I normally think of them as scams, but would anyone recommend the extended warranty?

My experience is ordering online will require them either to ship parts to you to replace, or ship the machine back to them. Both might be complicated by an our of country address.