Need help picking a laptop

APreciousDragon

APreciousDragon

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So, I have been trying to suss out a laptop and have been asking everyone I know what I need to look for in it and just keep getting more and more confused!!


I am about as computer unsavvy as they come and have never used Mac (so would want to stick to PC).


I am looking to mainly watch movies online/photos/interneting/etc. It will not be used for gaming at all. I tend to be pretty harsh to my computers, so, something that would hold up well would be better.


Any suggestions on what I should look for in a laptop or any suggestions on laptops? (for instance, would ghz? make a difference for what I want to do?) .


Thanks!! :bouncy:
 
If it is just for the basics I would just go as cheap as possible. If you are getting Vista just make sure you have 2 GB of RAM. Any dual core processor should work just fine for the things you listed. I would go to HP.com, add the DV5Z (found here), customize it to have 2 GB of RAM (a free upgrade) and use the coupon NB3089 for an additional 5% off. The total will then be about $550 and HP has about the best build quality out of any computer manufacturer so some bumps here and there shouldn't mess it up. Sadly that computer would be even faster than mine.
 
Haha! Thanks Dr Foo! :)

I have heard mixed reviews about HP though and had one a LONG time ago that went out pretty quickly (although it wasn't a laptop) and would be skitish about trying it again.

So 2gb with Vista? Is it still possible to get XP, because that is definitely what I would prefer! What about all the other techy stuff they have you run through? And do all computers come with the Dual core or is that something you have to request?
 
[quote name='Shan82']Haha! Thanks Dr Foo! :)

I have heard mixed reviews about HP though and had one a LONG time ago that went out pretty quickly (although it wasn't a laptop) and would be skitish about trying it again.

So 2gb with Vista? Is it still possible to get XP, because that is definitely what I would prefer! What about all the other techy stuff they have you run through? And do all computers come with the Dual core or is that something you have to request?[/QUOTE]
I guess I can't blame you for being hesitant to buy an HP PC again, but just know that mine has been perfect so far (I'm now typing on it instead of my desktop) and the one I linked to has a 4.7/5 from 11 reviews. If you still don't want to get HP I would go with Dell. Never get an Acer. They have good prices but at the expense of build quality. My friend's Acer has problems with the audio and networking so fairly often he has to reboot his computer a few times before it works completely.

I'm not sure if you can still order XP directly from manufactures. Maybe some refurbished computers would have it. If you do get XP then you would only need 1 GB of RAM, but RAM is so cheap these days you pretty much might as well get 2. I would go with Vista anyways if I were you. Really there are very few problems with it and it's pretty much a better looking XP with a few nice features.

I don't know what you mean by all the techy stuff you have to run through, but as far as dual cores go almost all PCs come with dual core processors these days. Just look for the processor and it should say dual core somewhere in it's name.
 
Yeah, I was leaning toward Dell, but from what I can find, they all only come with Vista now. I had heard bad things about Vista as well, so did they get those kinks worked out?

What about IBM/Sony/Gateway/etc. Any other brands that are high quality to compare to or is Dell the way to go?
 
If you want a no nonsense laptop, get a Lenovo Thinkpad.


Vista is inferior to XP, but I doubt you'll find anywhere that will still give you an XP laptop.
 
The only reason Vista is worse than XP is that it requires some more memory. Other than that it is currently at least as fast, secure, and stable as XP (after updating it, of course). I did hear a lot of bad things about Vista when it first came out but I never used it then so I'm don't know very much about that. I've installed it in 3 computers in the last year and none of them have had any problems with it.

And I would just go with Dell then. Dell has similar coupons and prices to HP so you should be able to find a pretty good deal.
 
Both of my HP laptops were epic failures. 3 more in the family have been absolute crap as well.

Buy Dell, Toshiba, or Gateway. Acers are ok but tend to be a little shoddy and might fall apart on you.
 
newegg has an acer extensa for $399 with free shipping, you'd need to add 2gb, but that is under $40.
If you aren't interested in gaming, it's a great value
 
I'm don't want to spend more than around $1000, (less is preferable of course); so I will have a look.

That makes me feel a bit better about Vista. I had just heard a lot of horror stories regarding it before so was rather concerned!

For computers, is it easier to go directly through the place (like dell.com) or to pick one up from like a computer store/electronic store (such as Best Buy)?

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys!! :)

PS: Liquid, I haven't heard of the Lenova thinkpad. How does it compare to Dell/etc in regards to price/durability/features? Thanks!
 
Well, it is easier to return items to places like Best Buy because you don't have to pay for shipping. Also if the sales staff are commission-based you can often haggle a notebook case, wireless mouse, etc out of them.

Lenovo is superior to Dell in terms of durability and build quality. They can be configured virtually the same, except they have production class GPUs rather than consumer (they are essentially the same with different driver sets). Dell is probably a little cheaper but you can find good Lenovo code online. Notebookreview.com has a section for Dell and Lenovo coupons.

From Dell you can also get a laptop from their small business section without actually owning a business. Then you can downgrade to XP. Vista is fine though, and cheaper.
 
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