# Help with choosing a laptop to buy, please **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901 "2009-11-01T01:32:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/21 "2009-11-02T19:00:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’ve got a question for _you_. I’ve got a question for you. Why don’t you go through your two new lists and find the software that you think is competitive with Photoshop for less than $100? I did you the courtesy of going through your entire list, and would appreciate the similar courtesy of not being tossed yet another list in response. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/22 "2009-11-02T19:15:52Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I just finished shopping around and bought this [Sony Vaio laptop](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+VAIO+Laptop+with+Intel%26%23174%3B+Core%26%23153%3B2+Duo+Processor+-+Silver/9556241.p?id=1218124208177&skuId=9556241&st=sony%20vaio)on Saturday. > > It’s got: (clipped) I own an earlier version of this laptop, the FZ-180. Same layout, less Mac-ish style. > [@](#): > > It also has a really nice keyboard where the keys are spaced out so as not to feel cramped. I typed almost 4000 words on it yesterday for the first day of NaNoWriMo and loved it. It’s what really sold me on the computer. The keyboard is excellent, the keys are where I need them (fire should rain down on the heads of any keyboard designer who puts the Delete key anywhere other than the upper right-hand corner). I wish the second USB port was on the left side of the keyboard, or at least one on the back. > [@](#): > > That and the price of $700 ([Amazon had it for $100 more](http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VGN-NW270F-15-5-Inch-Windows-Premium/dp/B002PHM0MW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1257183368&sr=8-1)than Best Buy, so even with Taxes vs free shipping, Best Buy was a better deal). That’s nearly half of what I paid for the FZ-180. But then, the FZ-180 has a BluRay burner - which I have used exactly **once**. And I shoot and edit HD video! > [@'\[Undecided](#): > > Adrian;11731408’]That’s true for Windows XP, but if you go the Windows route today you should definitely buy Win 7, where there’s a sensible UAC system that is less annoying than in Vista, but still should take care of that. The whole idea of UAC is that it forces people to answer constant questions they really don’t know the answer to. It appears to have been designed by Microsoft’s lawyers, it says “whatever happens, it’s your fault, you clicked on it!”. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/23 "2009-11-02T19:20:39Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I’ve got a question for you. Why don’t you go through your two new lists and find the software that you think is competitive with Photoshop for less than $100? I did you the courtesy of going through your entire list, and would appreciate the similar courtesy of not being tossed yet another list in response. Thank you. The GIMP. Free. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/24 "2009-11-03T06:33:28Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The GIMP. > Free. You’re not even trying. First off, if you read what I said earlier, I excluded free software that exists on both platforms - there really isn’t any advantage to using The Gimp on a Mac over using The Gimp on a PC. Face it, 5% of the market isn’t all that attractive to developers. I know the pain of being a operating system partisan - been there with Amiga and BeOS. Hell, I was doing 24-bit computer graphics on Targa boards using a 286 when the Mac was a 9" B&W screen and a decent paint program cost $6000. And I’ve tried The Gimp, and no, it is NOT ready for prime time. Maybe the Gimp offshoot Cinepaint will be - if it ever gets to a finished state, but it’s going to be available for various flavors of Linux before it comes out for OSX. The last news about it was in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![deanc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@deanc2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deanc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/25 "2009-11-07T09:37:45Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I just finished shopping around and bought this [Sony Vaio laptop](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+VAIO+Laptop+with+Intel%26%23174%3B+Core%26%23153%3B2+Duo+Processor+-+Silver/9556241.p?id=1218124208177&skuId=9556241&st=sony%20vaio)on Saturday. > > It’s got: > Blu-Ray drive (and DVD±RW and DL burning) > 4GBs of RAM (expandable to 8GBs) > 320GB Hard Drive > HDMI output (unfortunately only 720, not 1080) > 2.2 Ghz Dual Core Processor > Windows 7 Home Premium > Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) > It does not come with back-up discs which shocked me as being rather cheap. So that’s the first thing I did. I looked at the VAIO’s but they all seemed to have a very insensitive touchpad, and a couple of them didn’t scroll down at all using the touchpad. I’m very much a touchpad user and I can’t stand touchpads you can’t control well. I actually chose this HP laptop when all was said and done: [http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Laptop+with+AMD+Turion%26%23153%3B+II+Ultra+Dual-Core+Mobile+Processor/9556296.p?skuId=9556296&id=1218123847586#tabbed-customerreviews](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Laptop+with+AMD+Turion%26%23153%3B+II+Ultra+Dual-Core+Mobile+Processor/9556296.p?skuId=9556296&id=1218123847586#tabbed-customerreviews) It’s only $729.00, which I think is a very good deal for a dual core 2.4 ghz, 500 gbt, 4 gb ram, long battery life, Blu Ray playing, and lastly Windows 7, laptop. You should check this one out. D. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/26 "2009-11-07T09:58:51Z")
> **[Lenovo Official US Site | Laptops, PCs, Tablets & Data Center | ...](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/?category-id=653343E0DE54435882FABC3CE1BC569A&filter=Graphics_2)** > > Find & buy the right laptop, tablet, desktop or best server. ✔️Build your own PC today or call our sales team ☎ 1-855-2-LENOVO (1-855-253-6686) ordered on 10/23. ship date was on 11/5…moved to 11/26 Basterds!! I realize you already ordered and all. just tossing another on the pile for anyone else looking to buy. (edit) forgot to add that mine is the first on the list. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/27 "2009-11-07T10:17:40Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > [Lenovo Official Site | Laptops, Desktop PCs, Tablets, Monitors | Lenovo US](http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:find-config?category-id=653343E0DE54435882FABC3CE1BC569A&filter=Graphics_2) > > ordered on 10/23. ship date was on 11/5…moved to 11/26 Basterds!! > > I realize you already ordered and all. just tossing another on the pile for anyone else looking to buy. > > (edit) forgot to add that mine is the first on the list. It they’re like every other laptop company I’ve associated with (okay, Dell), it will come way before the date they claim. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/28 "2009-11-07T20:08:58Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > [Lenovo Official Site | Laptops, Desktop PCs, Tablets, Monitors | Lenovo US](http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:find-config?category-id=653343E0DE54435882FABC3CE1BC569A&filter=Graphics_2) > > ordered on 10/23. ship date was on 11/5…moved to 11/26 Basterds!! > > I realize you already ordered and all. just tossing another on the pile for anyone else looking to buy. > > (edit) forgot to add that mine is the first on the list. I have an n270 based Lenovo s-10 netbook which I like, and I looked at that unit but I couldn’t see paying around $ 600 for a setup with such limited drivespace and low CPU horsepower. The ION video is nice but I think Lenovo wants too much of a premium for it. ---
**Author:** ![wasson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@wasson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wasson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901/29 "2009-11-09T00:33:38Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I’ve got a question for you. Why don’t you go through your two new lists and find the software that you think is competitive with Photoshop for less than $100? I did you the courtesy of going through your entire list, and would appreciate the similar courtesy of not being tossed yet another list in response. Thank you. > **[Pixelmator Pro](https://www.apple.com/pixelmator-pro/)** > > Pixelmator Pro is a powerful, easy-to-use image editor that brings professional tools and powerful AI features to everyone across Mac and iPad. $60 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-choosing-a-laptop-to-buy-please/515901.md?page=1)