penguinfaery | (no subject)

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When school starts I'm going to pull out a loan and get a laptop. And I'm looking for some computer advice.

What I'm NOT getting:
-A mac. I have my mac and I love it, but I can get two good PC laptops for the price of one mac. I have my art mac and past that they're sorta stupidly expensive.

-One of those bitty ones. I understand why they're cool, but it's not what I'm looking for.

-Something over $1000

I don't think I NEED anything particularly on it. I just want it to be reliable and a decent quality. I probably will work on art on it, plus surf the web, have music, etc, etc. I can't think of any features I NEED, but if you can, you should lemme know.

Any suggestions? I'm probably gonna grab it from microcenter nearby as they are more computer friendly.

I just get sorta overwhelmed by computers...so any help would be appreciated so I don't drop $1000 on a lemon.

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Less than $600: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~cabcat0500000%23%230%23%2311a~~cabcat0502000%23%230%23%23o~~f865%7C%7C57696e646f7773~~nf518%7C%7C4c657373207468616e2024363030&list=y&nrp=15&sc=abComputerSP&ks=960&usc=abcat0500000&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuid&list=y&iht=n&st=processingtime%3A%3E1900-01-01

Less than $900: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~cabcat0500000%23%230%23%2311a~~cabcat0502000%23%230%23%23o~~f865%7C%7C57696e646f7773~~nf518%7C%7C24363030202d2024383939&list=y&nrp=15&sc=abComputerSP&ks=960&usc=abcat0500000&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuid&list=y&iht=n&st=processingtime%3A%3E1900-01-01

I know very little, but as far as making sure your computer isn't uber slow, you want to be sure to get a dual core processor instead of a single core processor. Also I would recommend getting an external hard drive with the back-to-school sale if you don't already have one. That way, you won't have to deal with your computer slowing down because your hard drive is full. Also you want high RAM, I can't remember what good ram is these days, I'm thinking 4 Gigs or so. Ram is your present-tense processing, like how many websites you have open at once along with ten other programs open with shit going on. I would recommend that you go have a look-see at the place and write down the top 5 computers with the best specs, then go research them online and see what the computer geeks say in their reviews about it. Sometimes everyone is going on about how great some computer is (hi Dell) but then you find some forums where the nerds are saying their computer freezes on them, and you don't want that. So you want good specs and good geek reviews. <3

I really wanted a Mac desktop but I was able to buy a huge monitor and super powerful desktop for half the price one an iMac... and really there are 20 of them I can use on campus in a lab soooo I went with more for less. (2 years ago)

Unless you know someone in your life who can repair laptops, get a laptop from somewhere you can purchase insurance for it. The way laptops are generally made is that every components is like... part of the motherboard. So if anything essentially fails, it could fuck up the entire computer. That's what happened to the laptop I had you mom come in with me to yell at CompUSA about lol. Your mom wins btw.

Keep an eye on for sales around now. I got a HP tablet PC in January for $700 which it was almost $1,000 before. (And yes, its the last computer I'm buying for the next several years XD, this one actually does everything I want and is the right weight).

What do you intend to to on the laptop? How intensive is the work you're going to do on it? I do various Adobe CS3 as well as various Microsoft 2007 software without issues. Also while playing iTunes. The only sort of issue is when I play WoW, I have to switch the battery to high performance for it.

I have:

Also FOR THE LOVE OF CRAP do not purchase a Dell or Compaq. I've owned or know people who've owned both and they have a tendancy to overheat from minimal use, and customer service suuuuuuuuuucks.

And if you get a laptop with insurance (lie Best Buy or through a manufacturer), save any and all documentation you get, especially for the repairs. It's the nature of these companies to make money which means NOT wanting to fix you computer, or enact their no lemon policies. My mom and I had this issue with Best Buy several years back... we had the same laptop and same coverage, and SAME multiple issues. I saved my documentation, had to be up their collective asses to get anything done, but I managed to get the no lemon exchange and got that computer I ended up selling to you. My mom was not so lucky because she saved jack shit.

Whatever you do, don't pay extra for additional RAM. You can buy it really cheap off Newegg.com or eBay and install it yourself really easily.

Eh, both of my Compaqs run fine. The only problems I've experienced is crashing (desktop, though it's ~5 years old) and my AC adapter dying (laptop), for which I was able to get a replacement for free after e-mailing support/customer service.

Edited 2010-08-18 21:50 (UTC)

Haha, I cannot add anything intelligent to this conversation, really, but I've been in love with Sony Vaios for ages. It was the first laptop I ever had, and I've kept the brand since then (with one interlude with a Mac, which didn't work out well). They're reasonably priced (under 1k) and there are lots of different kinds to suit what specifications you're looking for. And so pretty, too! :D

Yeah, the Viaos are the ones I've been eyeballing g most thoroughly (As well as one really cheap alien wear I found).

Is the tablet PC the one that had the swivvling top that the screen became a tablet? How did that work out?

I will keep your advice in mind. Generally this is a "Fun and school work" computer (Internet, messenger, Itunes, youtube, that kinda thing). I'm gonna get some more RAM on my Mini mac and clean that up so it's ONLY for art.

Yay! I've heard Alienware is great for gaming and easily upgradable, although I know they're heavy as hell. Bulky. You do what you want, of course, but I'm glad you're looking at Vaios. Not many people seem to have them and they're slim and stylish, as well as dependable. Let us know what you end up with!

It still works, I gave it to my current roommate because her laptop had died, and I wouldnt have been able to sale it for much. Soooo it's been doing pretty well over the last 3+ years.

My current one is a lot more sensitive, and has a webcam and microphone as well. Works well for the fun part, and for the work part. I use Microsoft OneNote with it... omfg best application in the world. Saves paper and my sanity lol.

I recommend Dell, and Toshiba.

HP places their fans on the bottom of their computers. It's stupid, and causes the components to melt.

Get something with a windows7 Operationg system, or a windows7/windowsXP operating system. (Because they have those, and they are fuggin amazing.)

15" screens are the most comfortable, but 17" is really easy to find in a toshiba, and they're cool,

I wasn't signed in. HAHA. But that was me. Just so you know. <3

I would like to make multiple suggestions, starting with the most important one, and then some other thoughts in no particular order.

1. Try narrowing it down to 2-3 that you like, and then ask us to go over them and point out the features and benefits of each.

2. Most manufacturers will sell a laptop with only a minimal amount of ram. Enough to run the OS. Ram is reasonably cheap though so seriously consider buying it maxed out on ram. The problem with upgrading is often you are talking about having to pull out the existing RAM to fit in bigger modules. You can sell the "used" ram on CL but its a hassle. If you have a laptop with extra memory slots available, give me a holler and I'll help you install more ram when you buy it.

3. A SSD drive, while faster performing, will not save power. Don't fall for that line.

4. Accessorize Accessorize Accessorize... What options are available for your laptop? I have a Levono Thinkpad with an extended use battery that looks like it has a tumor growing out of the back. But it rocks for extended use without worrying about shutdowns.

5. On the same line of thought... a well-equipped laptop for $600 with a couple hundred bucks in add-ons will give you a better experience than a bare-bones $900 laptop. Get a dock, and an external keyboard and mouse. The Dock saves on wear and tear with the power jack and other ports.

6. You're taking it to school? LowJack for laptops.

7. Surfing and sharing? Don't go cheap with a freebie or near-free antivirus/anti-spyware solution. Also look up Vidalia for TOR access if you like to frequent torrent sites.

8. Buy a GOOD pair of USB headphones. I use Plantronics DSP400 Noise-canceling folding headphones. Solid, folds up easily so you can through them in a bag. I've used/abused mine for 2 years with no problems.

9. How about a WACOM tablet with that laptop? Run's about $100 on NewEgg.

10. The stuff in the laptop quickly becomes worth more than the laptop itself. Buy a Firewire/USB external hard drive (why firewire? Sony and others use it and so do macs if you are sharing) with at least a half a TB of storage, and then set it up to do a full image backup frequently. You'll have room, compared to whats in the laptop itself, to make several full backups.

11. Some laptops are starting to show up with hybrid graphics processors, which shut down when you are not doing graphics intensive tasks.

12. Dual core very good. Well worth the cost.

13. If you buy from BestBuy and/or buy their extended warranty, I will kill you. ;-)

14. If you want to buy local, go to Microcenter. Let me know when you are going and I can make sure you get directed to one of the professionals there that will really help you.

15. NewEgg if you are buying online. Check the return policies if you buy it and then decide it is not going to work for you.

16. Enlist the help of a pro to help you with the final purchase, to make sure you don't overlook something that will make life suck.

17. Whatever you buy, BACK IT UP! Make sure you have a working set of recovery disks. After a couple weeks of use, updating drivers, loading your favorite apps, tweaking the settings, etcetera, BACK IT UP AGAIN! Then, if you get hit with an uber-nasty malware bug that makes you have to wave the white flag, you can quickly get things back the way they were.

18. Geeks are easily bribed with food, did I mention that already?

Yay! About time.

Yes Newegg.com is pretty awesome.

I have an Alienware Area-51 and I can tell you, it's not worth the money. They are expensive, and customer service sucks. And strangely, one of my hard drives bit the dust the day after my warranty expired.

After getting it and shopping around, I found that I could get a better laptop for so much cheaper. My laptop was stupid expensive.

Hey! Just wondering if you guys were coming to Jamie's partay tonight. I don't think tickets are all sold out so if you haven't gotten them yet it's probably still ok. :) If so, seeya there!

The ASUS brand lappytops seem to be decent as far as bang for the buck. Sleek black bodies, too. (LOL that sounded kinda erotic >_>)

I'm considering an HP Pavilion and going to microcenter. When I get my loan, do you think you could run down there with me and help me get what I need? And then we could all go chill at your place and watch tron in preparation for the new movie and I could make popcorn cause that's about the only food I can bribe you with possibly killing you with fail!cooking.

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Aand.

Laptop hunt

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SORRY THIS REPLY IS SO LATE