Ok, I’m theoretically getting a laptop for Christmas. This means, I have to choose one, within limits. Maximum is $1000, preferably closer to $800. I do not want a Mac.
What it has to have: XP professional to allow a connection to the campus wireless network. An internal modem to allow me to connect from home would be nice, but I do have a desktop that works.
I mainly do word processing, some PowerPoint, Excel, and internet searching (through various online databases). The biggest use will be word processing.
I don’t even know where to begin - I am going to stop by the campus computer store on Monday to pick up price lists from there, but I really think I can get a better price elsewhere, at least potentially.
Another thing to look into is an extended warranty on the laptop. Since you’ll be lugging it around, it will have a greater chance of having something go wrong with it.
Normally I consider extended warranties a rip-off, but with a laptop it might be a good idea. My general rule is that if the laptop only has a one year warranty, try to add another year onto it. By the time the second year expires, you will probably be looking at another machine.
I second Carcosa’s recommendation of IBM laptops. We pretty much try to stick with them, although we’ve had decent luck with Dell laptops in the past.
IBMs may be a bit pricey, but I swear by them. Durable, fast, and fun.
Be sure to know whether an internal floppy and/or CD or CDR is essential to you; some of the lightest, neatest systems don’t have them, or have them in an external docking station arrangement. I like to have an internal CD/R, but that’s just me.
Oh, and think about battery life; make sure the system you have will last as long as you need it to.
Do not buy an HP Pavillion of any sort. That is, unless you want to have to constantly take it in to get fixed–if that’s the case, go for it. In fact, stay away from HP all together.
That’s really all the advice that I can give. It was more than I got.
IMHO the most important thing is to try out different models at a well stocked store. It’s especially important that you like the keyboard and pointer because you can’t replace them on a laptop. One time my father gave me a new laptop - the specs looked awesome on paper but it turned out I absolutely hated the keyboard and touchpad, and the whole laptop felt flimsy and cheap. I asked him to return but he loved it and ended up using it himself, so it’s a very subjective choice.
I also like the IBM ThinkPad series. I’m on my 4th one now. They are well built and have awesome keyboards. I do wish I chose one with a built-in CD-ROM drive. The docking station is a bit large to carry around and sometimes a CD-ROM drive comes in handy during a trip, like installing drivers to use someone else’s printer.
Another HP Pavilion (N5431L) user checking in, although it sounds like I’ve been blessed with better luck than Angel. I’ve had mine over a year now, with no problems whatsoever, and was so impressed I bought their PSC750 print/scan/copy combo to go with it. Most likely, I’d buy HP again in the future.
I did purchase the extended warranty, because in my case it also bought a higher level of service from the retailer; faster turnaround time on repairs (3 days rather than 2-6 weeks), plus a free helpline instead of the usual premium rate number. That said, I’ve had no use for the warranty so far. Still 2 years to go until it expires, but it will probably be £200GBP down the drain.
scr4 makes a good point about taking a hands-on look at the unit itself. Some keyboards flex under the slight pressure of normal touch typing, others can be somewhat cramped or poorly laid out. Check the CD tray as well, as that can also be a weak spot on some models.
Since you’re in the lower price range, you might look into a Compaq. I heard a few horror stories when I bought mine in August, but aside from one call to tech support to get the CD burner working (software problem) it’s been perfect. I found one with a CDR/DVD combo drive, 1.3 MHz Athalon processor, 256, and 20 gig harddrive for $1400, less $200 in rebates. I think the similar computer with a plain CD Rom drive was around $1,000.
Actually, I just checked, and the exact computer is available at Best Buy for $1100 with a $100 rebate.
If you’re really only needing to run some basic programs, you migh also be happy with a refurb or a used computer. If there’s a Computer Rennaisance or similar in your area, check with them to see if last year’s model is available for less.
I like my Dell. Especially because of the 3-yr onsite next day warrantee I got with it, for an extra $199, if I’m not mistaken. They had to replace the entire motherboard (costs about 1/2 the price of the whole computer) because the plug-in thingy connection broke (got dropped). No paperwork, no deductible, no hassle, next day, onsite. Definitely worth it.
I’ve been debating Computer Rennaisance, but I’ve never purchased anything from them. There is one in the area, and it might be worth a trip over there to see what they have. I’ve got a bunch of work that I’m doing between now and Tuesday, so there’s not a chance of me getting there until Wednesday at the earliest. (stupid take home exams)
Is there anything I should watch out for when looking at a refurbished/used laptop?
On HP Pavilions: I had one for a little while. It didn’t really bother me. The only problem was that it was built with XP Home and back when I bought it in July the Pavilions were only sold with XP Home, which is why I returned it. I read something on the internet about XP Home interfering with campus networks/incompatability cakes blah blah blah and returned it.
I now have a Gateway-also known as Sir Tiberius or the Gatekeeper of Hell. I wouldn’t recommend them, though I am fond of him in my own way. I should have gotten the Fujitsu that I really liked but they also started making them standard with XP Home and attached a ridiculous no return policy if you changed any of the pre-set modifications.
Make sure it has what you need. I got a laptop a year ago that you have to switch the floppy and CD and the wrong one is always in the machine, which means running a utility, putting it in sleep mode, swapping drives, hoping it wakes up, etc. Also, I bought a mail order machine (from Dell) that I returned because the key repeat rate was too slow and Dell couldn’t do anything about it. Also I like to plug in an external mouse and use it when mousing heavily and the on-board mouse otherwise and Dell’s are not set up to allow that. When the external is plugged, the on-board is disabled. Both Toshiba and IBMs that I tested worked the way I wanted it. Bottom line: probably mail order is a bit chancy because it is impossible to discover the flaws above except by trying out the machine. Except for the drive swapping, they will not show up on any spec sheet.
Also look around BestBuy.com when you are ready. The other day they had a 1.8ghz Toshiba for $550 after $350 in rebates. You would have to add XP Pro to it.
Also look around BestBuy.com when you are ready. The other day they had a 1.8ghz Toshiba for $550 after $350 in rebates. You would have to add XP Pro to it.
Also look around BestBuy.com when you are ready. The other day they had a 1.8ghz Toshiba for $550 after $350 in rebates. You would have to add XP Pro to it.
Sorry, handy, but I won’t go to Best Buy - whether a physical store or online. I’m not going into the reasons why (if I were, this would have to be moved to the Pit), but I’ve not dealt with them for over a year. Thanks for the info though.
I would recommend a dell. theyve always been pretty reliable and whenever ive had a problem, their support has been pretty good (and in one case they sent out a guy to fix it the next day!)