Laptop? More Like...Flap...crop...

[Jacoby]

Okay, I want to get a laptop, but I haff to ask a few questions about it because I'm not too good with hardware choices.

First of all I want a laptop that won't crap the bed on me like my last one did. It had an overheating problem (I think) and it would just shut down after about 45 minutes of use.

Is this a problem that all laptops go through? Was it just because I jammed a lot of useless crap into a cheap Gateway lappy?

Anyway, I was wondering if you guys have any thoughts on some really good laptops. Any models that are worth having over a PC? (Or should I just opt for a PC since you get more bang for the buck?) Should I spring for a macbook and think dirty thoughts about Justin Long?

Any advice on the topic will be helpful as I'll probably purchase in a month or two.

[frodo1511]

Well Jake, first question would be: What will you use the new lappy for? Gaming? Movie making? School? Photography?

Once you have that figured out, then we can discuss essentials.

[Jacoby]

Originally Posted by Flightfreak

Macbook pro all the way! If i had the money i'd buy one right away. Although you might want to wait for the new operating system Leopard.

Macbook pro looks nice but is so expensive! I wish I had a nicer financial situation, or I'd probably give that one a better consideration.

I've done more research, though and I'll probably go with a PC. They're cheaper and if you shop around you can get better deals than with just the laptop.

I'll probably get a nice little desktop with a 19" wide monitor and make it look all sharp.

I'll be using the comp for small amounts of gaming, small amounts of artistic expression, lots of downloading (music, movies, porn), and your everyday bullshit.

[hasselbrad]

I got a Toshiba laptop in January, and I've been quite pleased. I just got something basic because I'm not a gamer or anything, but I may upgrade the RAM soon so motion downloads smoother. It's got a nice wide screen (17") so DVDs look great on it. It was something like $499 after a $200 rebate.
Just a thought.

[Keira lover]

i have a Compaq Presario v6000z from Hp, and i love it (i'm using it right now).

For you, go for an HP pavilion from the home and home office section in the entertainment subsection. Or a dell with the same specs:


Get one with a dual core (or a 4 core if u can) processor. get as large a hard drive as you can, and as much RAM as you can afford (or, buy as little as you can, and order more from Newegg.com for a much better price. it's up to you). Get an optical drive with the ability to burn and read to DVD+/-/R/RW (which by default means it will burn to and read every form of CD). Make sure it has a lot of USB hubs, and if you can get it with firewire, go for it. When it comes to Operating System. I recommend Windows Vista Home premium, business, or ultimate. (go for ultimate if you can afford it) Make sure it has built in wi-fi. A built in webcam is optional, but nice to have.

software:

you need antivirus:
download AVG free. it is free and it is the best anti-virus program i have ever used.

anti-spyware:
Spybot: Search And Destroy:
it is free, and is a great program.

P.S. if you can afford the mac, go for it

[frodo1511]

Dell's got their new Inspiron desktop fleet that has a slim-fit tower, Jake, that you could get a decent sized HDD, 2 gigs of RAM, decent grafix card and a nice HD monitor for not too much..let me get a link for you.

http://www.dell.com/content/products...=19&l=en&s=dhs


Dunno if actual real-world space would be an issue here-the slim fits take up considerably less counter space then a conventional tower.

[Jacoby]

Originally Posted by frodo1511

Dell's got their new Inspiron desktop fleet that has a slim-fit tower, Jake, that you could get a decent sized HDD, 2 gigs of RAM, decent grafix card and a nice HD monitor for not too much..let me get a link for you.

http://www.dell.com/content/products...=19&l=en&s=dhs


Dunno if actual real-world space would be an issue here-the slim fits take up considerably less counter space then a conventional tower.

I like what I see from the highest version of that dell, and space-saving would be nice but it's not too much of an issue. I honestly wouldn't mind a bigger chasis if it saved me money and allowed for better specs/ability to upgrade.

Originally Posted by keira lover

Get one with a dual core (or a 4 core if u can) processor. get as large a hard drive as you can, and as much RAM as you can afford (or, buy as little as you can, and order more from Newegg.com for a much better price. it's up to you). Get an optical drive with the ability to burn and read to DVD+/-/R/RW (which by default means it will burn to and read every form of CD). Make sure it has a lot of USB hubs, and if you can get it with firewire, go for it. When it comes to Operating System. I recommend Windows Vista Home premium, business, or ultimate. (go for ultimate if you can afford it) Make sure it has built in wi-fi. A built in webcam is optional, but nice to have.

Is built in wi-fi hard to find on a PC? That would be very ideal beacuse my house is wi-fi right now, but I'm using a shitty Dell usb receiver that I got three years ago.

And Flightfreak, I think you're right, I'm going to try to keep it under 1000 for sure. The worst case scenario is it would go over 1000 after the tax but I still think that's too much for my uses with the computer.


A few more computer questions:
How well do PC tablets work on a program like photoshop. Is it actually similar to drawing on paper, or does it work out more like a Nintendo DS. I can't quite wrap my mind around it. And what is a good price to pay for a pc tablet? Like 100?

Also, do most graphic cards have DVI output. Because I'll get a HD monitor, and DVI would be ideal (that's the best right? Or is it something else?)