Buying a Laptop, Suggestions?

NiGHTSNiGHTS San Diego Icrontian
edited December 2005 in Hardware
So I've decided this christmas should be the time I go mobile in my computing world. Long overdue, I've decided a computer to take class notes on, watch DVDs, very lightly game, and browse would be good to have.

What I need is the best bang for my buck. I'd love to keep it around the ~$800 range, up to ~$1100 max.

I've looked at Lenovo Thinkpads, ABS.com, newegg, tigerdirect, and the barebone acer.(?) Each site seems to hold its own adv/disadvantages over the next, of course, but I'm never really quite sure which are more useful in real-world applications.

What would you guys suggest in buying a new laptop? What do you like/dislike about yours, what would you keep your eyes on when buying again, etc.


I guess ultimately what I'm asking for is a rundown of what to stay away from, and what to start moving towards?
    Pentium M vs. Sempron, Pentium M vs. AMD64
    256Megs vs. 512MBs RAM
    5400 40GB HD vs. 7200 40GB HD
    Intel Extreme Graphics 2 vs GMA 900 vs Mobility Radeons (x300, 700, 9700)
    SCREEN TYPE~! ...honestly, I'm confused to death on all the WXGA+, XGA, XGA+, resolution size...HELP!

Comments

  • BIGGIBIGGI Fort Meade, MD
    edited December 2005
    AMD64 is going to be your top notch processor. When it comes to AMD/INTEL its all personal preference.

    256vs512? I would say go with either 512mb to 1gb if possible. (DVD and Games will benefit)

    5400vs7200 - Will notice a difference in load times around the board. If you are patient 5400 is cheaper :)

    Graphics, I'm very biased, I love ATI. I would go with ATI and do research on 300, 700 and 9700 and see what best suites your needs.

    Screen, xga, xga+ yadda yadda is just the interface. For gaming and dvd viewing you want a fast refresh rate(2ms-12ms) and a high contrast ratio if possible (500:1 - 700:1) I'm not sure if this applies to lap top screens though :| :scratch:






    I hope I was some help :thumbsup::wtf:

    Like Dell?
    http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m140?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~tab=specstab#tabtop
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    In this case, quality is more important than speed. If your peripherals start failing, that speed ain't worth a darn. If it's a cheap flat panel, nothing looks right. If the battery only lasts four months, your mobility becomes limited. If the motherboard fails, you've got a big paperweight. Look for quality first, then as your budget permits, find speed - CPU, RAM, and GPU. I would strongly suggest 'test drives' before purchase. For instance, my laptop screams like a wounded monster under even low CPU stress. It has a cheap, shoddy, CPU heatsink. Quality? I can tell you one laptop NOT to get: Gateway 600YG2. What's so bad about this laptop (anecdotal - don't know if they are all this way):

    CDROM/writer went out
    battery is dead
    very poor heat dissipation
    mediocre flat panel - terrible colors
    two bad motherboards (on third motherboard now)

    Fortunately this technical abomination is not mine, but issued me by my employer. I think I've used four different brands of laptops. In my limited experience, I'd say Dell is the best quality for the big brands.
  • NosferatuNosferatu Arizona
    edited December 2005
    You can get a pretty nice dell laptop down to under $1000 with coupons since they will stack (allow you to use multiple coupons). Coupon codes can be found on sites like Slickdeals and FatWallet
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited December 2005
    Go pentium M they use little power and proform very well.

    edit: your probably goina want a machine thats about this

    Pentium M 1.7ghz
    512mb of ram
    5400rpm hdd
    Ati X600 or better
    15.4" screen

    This is assuming you don't want it pluged in all the time if you want it pluged in then get a faster hdd and a a64 cpu
  • FlintstoneFlintstone SE Florida
    edited December 2005
    I agree with GrayFox's last comment. I have an HP Pentium M1.6, 15.4" lappy that runs about 4 hours on a charge. I just bought my mother a Sony Pentium M 2.0, 17" screen, abg wireless, 100 Gig Hdd, X600/128 MB video, etc., etc. ad nauseum. The battery lasts less than 2 hours. But, it being basically a stationary machine (she's 76 years old!), weight and battery on time don't matter as much.

    Enjoy the shopping!!

    Flint
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