# Buying A Laptop

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-laptop/251045>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 18, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-laptop/251045 "2004-06-18T15:10:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-laptop/251045/21 "2004-06-20T00:08:20Z")

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Does Dell use proprietary parts that you have to buy from them? I thought I heard that.

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**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-laptop/251045/22 "2004-06-20T01:40:29Z")

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How big do you want it? Smaller is more expensive. Personally, I love the IBM thinkpads. Sturdily built and excellent support.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-laptop/251045/23 "2004-06-20T05:30:05Z")

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> [@Cardinal](#):
>
> Does Dell use proprietary parts that you have to buy from them? I thought I heard that.

All notebook systems use proprietary parts.

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**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-laptop/251045/24 "2004-06-20T12:55:37Z")

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Over the last couple of years, we have owned:  
Acer travelmate  
Averatec low end laptop  
Apple iBook  
Apple Powerbook 15 inch  
Apple Powerbook 17 inch (what I’m on now)

Both of the PCs were very disappointing, but both were low end. Low end PC laptops suck. Low end Apples are robust & reliable. (the power cord on the ibook frayed more than I was happy with, but that was my only complaint. The baby pushed it off the couch a number of times, it had a bit of cosmetic damage).

Top end PC laptops are great, from what I understand, but haven’t owned one.

The top end Apples are also great.

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