Help me pick a lappy.

CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷDer Millionendorf- Icrontian
edited April 2007 in Hardware
Please help me compare these two laptop deals:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11205268&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4017754&Mo=10&pos=8&No=7&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4774&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&ec=&topnav=

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8224762&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat103700050015&id=1166840116855
^This one says "Sold Out" on the Website, but I was just at the store (wont order from BB online anymore anyway!) and they have the same sysem in stock, and on sale for $800

Or if you know of any other deals in the same price/performance range, let me know... Thanks, guys :)

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    I've never used a Compaq laptop before but I have owned (business) Gateway. My experience with the Gateway was so bad, almost as bad as my 1995 Packard Bell, that I could never recommend that brand. Given AMD X2 mobile versus Core Duo mobile, I'd take Core Due without a second thought. If the money is available, I also wouldn't consider any LCD panel smaller than 14".
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    Okay, no Gateway... I've decided I don't like Best Buy's return policy anyway...

    What about his one:

    http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0254153

    A little more than the Costco one, but instead of a dual core proc, it has a 2ghz proc. Is that a good trade off?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    I'll let you be the judge of gaming, as I don't engage in it. If you plan on doing multitasking, any dual core CPU - AMD or Intel, is significantly superior to a single core. If you keep looking, I'm sure you can find a quality laptop with both dual core AND a real video card (as opposed to el cheapo GPU chip on the motherboard).

    I just would advise anyone who's purchasing desktop or laptop right now - single core is the technology of the past.

    I've not used HP laptops, but I've heard nothing bad about them.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    Then I have a terminology question: Is the speed rating of a dual core the speed of each of the proc or is it the speed of both?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    Both Intel and AMD, the specified frequency will be for each core. For instance, the Pentium D 930 is 3.0GHz, that is 3.0GHz for each core. Ebay can be different though. Some of the sleazy seller there will combine the frequency of the cores and advertise the sum (impossible in reality). For instance, a T2400 CPU, 1.83GHz might be advertised as 3.66GHz.

    Concerning processor 'speed'. Just as processor frequency became less relevant for AMD four years ago vis a vis Intel's inefficient P4's, the same can be said for Intel's Core 2 Duo CPUs. A 2.0GHz C2D will significantly outperform a P4 at 3.0 or even 3.5GHz.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    Okay, then I'd certainly prefer a 1.6 dual core over a 2.0...

    It looks like that Referb from Costco will be the best bang for my buck. Is there anything wrong with getting a referb?
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    I've never had a problem with one. And they usually come with the factory warranty. Some people just don't like them because of the stigma. But in all reality, they are probably better than a new unit because a person has actually sat there and fixed everything that was wrong with it.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    Refurbished - just ensure that it has a factory warranty that is satisfactory to you. Most of us here can work in our desktops and fix them. Laptops are another matter.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    Is there a reason you're going with store laptops? I alway order mine custom. Mine is from Compaq and she's over three years of, not so kind, heavy use. The only issue is the CPU fan is on its way out.... Stable and reliable.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    I had decided against custom due to price. I figured I would have to buy an older laptop in order to stay at or under $800...

    Is there a service that would let me customise within that price range? What would be the advantage over just finding a laptop at the store which meets my needs?
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited March 2007
    When compared to the cosco one, that's about as low as you can get without be a crappy lappy.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    I'm going to assume you're picking up the Costco one. When it arrives, you'll need to have some blank DVDs handy to burn the system restore discs, most likely. Most of the new HPs and Compaqs don't come with the disc any more, but offer a utility for creating them yourself.

    There's also going to be quite a raft of bloatware that you'll need to strip away before the machine is even remotely efficient.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    Indeed.
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