knowledgable computer people..need your opinion

[Cinderella]

I need some opinions on laptops.......i have a few possibilitys in mind.....im talking around the $500 price line.......with wireless....

basically to be used for travel, etc.

 

I would like to know which would be the best buy with the best processor, memory, etc...of the ones ive chosen or are there better choices for the $$$ amount i want to spend

 

 

 

post to this thread and i will pm you the info on them.....

 

Thanks in advance

[mkrieg]

Shoot me the specs and I will tell you the one I would get?

[FreezyRider]

Computers and networks are my profession. Send me your specs and I'll give you my opinion.

 

Joe

[Guest seuadr]

don't buy a HP. we've had 2 now, and they have both given us a ton of problems. just my but we had a couple cooling fan failures, and a couple processor failures. We used a laptop cooler with 3 huge fans on it, and the temp monitor never gave a beep.

the newest one, some of the external ports don't work, and hp warranty is still in effect, but they tell us it will be 3 months for it to be repaired.. it's my wife's buisness computer, we can't afford that. again, just my

 

- Jared

[tsigwing]

I need some opinions on laptops.......i have a few possibilitys in mind.....im talking around the $500 price line.......with wireless....

basically to be used for travel, etc.

 

I would like to know which would be the best buy with the best processor, memory, etc...of the ones ive chosen or are there better choices for the $$$ amount i want to spend

 

 

 

post to this thread and i will pm you the info on them.....

 

Thanks in advance

 

Just bought my wife a Samsung NC10 netbook. No DVD drive, but she really likes it, very light and long battery life, but only a 10" screen.

[a1bummer]

I would try to stay away from anything with Vista on it. I liked where they were going with it, but what they ended up with was a tragedy. To many driver, networking, etc. issues.

 

Also, with some manufactures, if it has Vista installed on it when you buy it, and you want to roll back to XP, you may void your warranty by doing so.

 

I had Vista on my Acer when I bought it. I had some issues with my networking. I called Acer support and they told me it was a Microsoft problem and I had to call them. I called Microsoft and they knew exactly what the problem was. I was then told that my version of Vista was a OEM version and that it would cost me $86 for thier help. I told them to go to hell. I later found it was an Acer software issue.

[bongobobny]

OK nowdays just about every laptop haqs built in wireless adapter, but you still need to have a wireless router for home wireless use. They can be has for $50 or so, or less depending on how big an area you have to cover. I have been very happy with my Toshiba but there are a lot to chose from. Consumer Reports gave the Gateway M-152S a "Best Buy" award and lists for $650. Apple is overpriced IMHO. Watch for sales, and don't waste your money on "Extended" warranties...

[rosebud]

I would try to stay away from anything with Vista on it.

 

If you buy a laptop now with the VISTA OS you are suppose to be able to upgrade to MS7 when it's available at no additional cost - so when you do purchase your laptop make sure that that is included in your deal.

[SilvrT]

All I can add is that I am a Dell fan.

[Hummingbird]

Computers and networks are my profession. Send me your specs and I'll give you my opinion.

 

Joe

 

Oh man alive - you shouldn't have said that where I could see/hear it. it seems I'm always in one jam or another.

[Hummingbird]

I'm a MAC fan but I partitioned my laptop and put XP pro on it. The best of both worlds, mac ease and Windows versatility:thumbsup:

[juggler]

In that price range they are all pretty much junk and considered disposable. A new but increasingly common option for ultra portables are net books. These are tiny little buggers that could fit in most purses and cost only $200 - $400. They are good for web surfing, email and moderate work.

 

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook[/ame]

 

http://news.cnet.com/what-is-a-netbook-computer/

[BigG]

Asking this question among computer people is like asking about which is the best oil or tire among motorcycle people. There are as many opinions as there are..... people. For myself, we are a Dell shop at work and I can't speak badly of them on the commercial/educational side but they seem to be a little overpriced on the consumer side. At home I run two laptops from Acer America and one from Toshiba and couldn't be happier with the value to price ratio. Lenovo also has some good offerings. Apple is always greate but pricy. Unless you want a netbook (small, very small) you might have to add another $100 to your price point for something you'll be happy with for a few years. To see what's out there feature/value wise check online at newegg or tigerdirect and read the customer reviews for the equipment you are considering.

[Gray Ghost]

Ditto on everyone having their own opinion. I have had very good luck with HP. Took an older one to Iraq fully expecting it to die from the heat, but it never missed a beat. I carted it many miles traveling for work before going over, and of course it got some rough travels there. I have replaced it with a bigger HP, have a 17" now.

 

Suggestion. If you plan on traveling with it on the bike and are not doing any resource intensive work on it, go with a netbook. I see a lot of folks traveling with them now and the ones who have them at work are very pleased. And in the space saved you can carry more bon-bons and crumpets.