Buying Laptop - Suggestions?

[BobVigneault]

Dave, you are using a definition of faithful that is new to me. What do you mean when you say faithful?

Are you using it as in: I am a faithful husband but I prefer my neighbor's wife any day. She's better!

Hmmmm?

Don't get a mac! As a faithful mac owner, I can tell you that PC's are better.

As for a laptop, I would suggest getting an ASUS Eee PC. Personally, I'd get it with Linux as the installed OS, but you can get it with XP. It's cheap, small, and can do everything the average person (read 90% of people) uses a computer for.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Thanks for all the great feedback, guys. Based on some responses, I'll refine and ask some more.

I'm pretty sure we're going the PC route. I'm intrigued by Mac, but not ready. Also, wife isn't sold on them. Size/weight is an issue for us. We've decided small (I need portability) but not netbook small, so about 14" with a little slide room. Our performance needs are in between basic and gamer (if I really wanted to game, I would get a desktop), so I want lots of RAM, but don't need a discrete graphics card. That's how I got to my current preference. However, if you guys know of comparable machines that I can get good deals on, I'm definitely willing to go for a different model.

I will soon start a new thread about operating systems. Lots to learn!

I reiterate a recommendation for the Lenovo T400. It's got all the specs you just defined.

 

[JohnGill]

Thanks for all the great feedback, guys. Based on some responses, I'll refine and ask some more.

I'm pretty sure we're going the PC route. I'm intrigued by Mac, but not ready. Also, wife isn't sold on them. Size/weight is an issue for us. We've decided small (I need portability) but not netbook small, so about 14" with a little slide room. Our performance needs are in between basic and gamer (if I really wanted to game, I would get a desktop), so I want lots of RAM, but don't need a discrete graphics card. That's how I got to my current preference. However, if you guys know of comparable machines that I can get good deals on, I'm definitely willing to go for a different model.

I will soon start a new thread about operating systems. Lots to learn!

If you're going the PC route, then make sure you partition the drive and install FreeBSD(UNIX) on it. Use it for all the heavy tasks and internet use. Try to get XP and NOT Vista. However if size and wt are an issue, explain to your wife that the mac uses the intel chip and its OS is superior to Windows as it is UNIX. Then buy their thinline notebook. Also as stated before, you can run windows on a mac. (It runs better on a mac.) So when you get tired of constant crashing, viruses, blue screens of death, etc. you can reboot in OS X. But if you absolutley must go PC, then PLEASE put FreeBSD on it.

 

[ServantofGod]

Hey, I'm replacing my old laptop (HP Pavilio dv4000) with a new one. Right now I'm looking at the Toshiba Satellite M305-S4848. If any of you computer guys have inside information, or strong suggestions, or anything at all, let me know.

I just bought a Toshiba Satellite (L305-S5907). Duel Intel processor 2.0 ghz/ 4 gb ram, 320 gb hard drive space: $550. It's excellent, except for the fact it runs Vista. My second Toshiba, and there is no reason to go elsewhere.

 

[ManleyBeasley]

If you're not a "computer guy" get a Mac (they're more user friendly for people who aren't so familiar with puters). If you are a "computer nerd" you're getting a PC anyway (way more options and you won't get a virus if you know what you're doing) so I don't have to tell you.

 

[CharlieJ]

Well guys, after some more looking and negotiating with my wife, we picked out a model pretty similar to the one I originally posted, and I think we're going to be very happy with it.

Toshiba - Satellite Laptop with Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology - A305-S6872

 

[panta dokimazete]

You'll like them - I bought 2 of the 17" versions for my kids, they really like them

 

[Scynne]

Dave, you are using a definition of faithful that is new to me. What do you mean when you say faithful?

Are you using it as in: I am a faithful husband but I prefer my neighbor's wife any day. She's better!

Hmmmm?

Don't get a mac! As a faithful mac owner, I can tell you that PC's are better.

As for a laptop, I would suggest getting an ASUS Eee PC. Personally, I'd get it with Linux as the installed OS, but you can get it with XP. It's cheap, small, and can do everything the average person (read 90% of people) uses a computer for.

Maybe loving would have been a better term. As in, I do dearly love my 17" MacBook Pro, and treat it with tender kisses every night before bed, but I won't buy a Mac computer ever again. That said, I'll have this laptop until the day I die, considering I prefer a desktop PC for all the processor-intensive stuff.

 

[R. Scott Clark]

Still love my MacBook. The new one's with the aluminum (or as my English friends say, "Al-you-mini-um") case are even better. I'm trying not to wait. My mac is probably good for quite a while yet.

 

[SemperEruditio]

My MacBook fell on its side and corrupted the drive. It's a work computer so naturally I was forced to get a new MacBook Pro...

I know it sounds suspicious but it was not done intentionally. While I was a beta tester for the new Mac Logos I much prefer Logos on the PC side. Now that I have this machine with the dual core I can have the best of both worlds....Mac and Logos on PC....not sure what else a PC is good for.