Laptop advice

[Larry Flyntz]

I know it's a year away, but I'm planning on getting a new laptop for graduation. I was hoping one of you computer guys could make a recommendation based on what follows.

I don't really play graphics-heavy games.
I download a lot of music.
I do some limited music and photo editing.
I do a lot of word processing.
I tend to run a lot of programs at the same time (downloading, listening to music, burning CDs, writing, surfing the web at the same time).
I want to do CD and DVD burning.
I have a PC bias, but if someone can make a compelling argument for Macs, I might consider switching.

I don't know anything about processors or memory. I figure more is better, but I don't know if I really need much.

Any help is much appreciated.

[Shire Le Buff]

Have you considered getting a Desktop?   They would be able to handle all that for cheaper and they can be upgraded hardware wise while laptops cannot.

But anyway.

Processing really doesn't sound to be the issue with you.   You'll want to focus on harddrive space and RAM.   Anything below 512 RAM will be dinosaur slow for you in my opinion but you may want to spoil yourself and go for 1 - 2 Gigs of RAM.

PS - I love my Mac.   I use it just as much as I use my PC.   I'll even make a wager with you to let you borrow my Powerbook for a week or so to see if it's something you might be interested in.   I'm just trying to spread the good word.

[Larry Flyntz]

I ruled out desktops because I plan on taking my computer to and from classes while I'm off at law school. Plus, I can't imagine what sort of hardware upgrade I'd need later on.

And why are Macs so expensive? Is it like Urban Outfitters? Because it's "cool?" I think I asked this question before, but I don't remember getting a very convincing answer.

[Shire Le Buff]

I believe it is mainly because of how they are produced.   Apple creates all aspects of a Mac computer, from its hardware to the software it runs on.   This is one of the reasons the computers are able to work so well with themselves and with their user.   PC's are made by tons of different people.   Someone makes the components, someone makes the software (Microsoft) and then someone puts it all together for you.   Each person is trying to do their job as cheaply and quickly as possible and so those price cuts eventually make their way to you.

Although I do not think Mac's are that much more expensive.   I got my Macbook for about 1200 dollars, which is pretty much how much a person is going to spend on any decent laptop.

[Shire Le Buff]

Another thought Flyntz.   Manufactures often don't sell all their computers but take them off the shelves in order to make room for the newer stuff.   With this in mind a friend of mine called a tablet pc company and asked them if they had any older cheaper models.   He ended up with a 500 dollar tablet PC and is very satisfied with it, especially since the cheapest one they had available off their website was 800 dollars.  

So if you're looking at a ThinkPad or something along those lines try calling the company up and hearing what else they might have even if it's not listed on their web page.

[Violent Unrest in Allentown]

So if you're looking at a ThinkPad or something along those lines try calling the company up and hearing what else they might have even if it's not listed on their web page.

There's a great Thinkpad market on eBay.

[steev]

New Dell Ubuntu laptop?

They're supposed to come out today.

[Shire Le Buff]

Dell's are good for College students and for no one else.   Since I'm assuming you'll be taking this computer past your education years I recommend you steer clear of anything from Dell.

[Larry Flyntz]

Dell's are good for College students and for no one else.   Since I'm assuming you'll be taking this computer past your education years I recommend you steer clear of anything from Dell.

Why?

My "education years" are going to go on for three or four years after graduation, so shouldn't I still consider Dells?

I'm so skeptical because I've owned exclusively Dells after making the switch from Mac to PC, and I've never had any significant problems.

[Larry Flyntz]

Bump!

You never answered my question, Elmer. For shame!!

Also, since I'm not considering Macs (please don't try to convince me), is there any PC brand that is better than others in some way? I still don't see what's so bad about Dells.

[Shire Le Buff]

My main beef with Dell's is that they have hardware components exclusively for their own systems and sometimes when you're trying to upgrade a component, you can only get it from Dell because that's the only part that'll fit in your machine.   Other manufacturers try to make their components universal so they have a bigger market, while Dell is trying to herd you into a personal monopoly.

I know you're not really of the mindset of upgrading hardware, most people aren't and think its only for eccentric computer nuts.   Still, it is a lot cheaper to by some more RAM than it is to buy a whole new computer.   And most often, more RAM is all you need to speed up a computer significantly.

Another biggie is that Dells tend to have more hardware problems.   Every "blue screen of death" I've ever come by has been produced by a Dell so I tend to have a bias against them.   But since you said yourself you've had no problems with them before maybe you just have "the touch" for them.

I said that Dells are good for the college years because they tend to be cheap, they have those dandy service plans to help with any campus related blunders, and 4 years is pretty much how long they'll last for the average user.   Ok, that last one wasn't exactly "good", but you get the idea.

If you're happy with Dell, then I suggest sticking to what you know.

Again, specs wise, you'll want hard drive space (which is super cheap these days) and a healthy amount of RAM (about 1 Gig).   You can get Dual Channel RAM (SDRAM), or whatever its called, but that's more for processor heavy applications which you don't seem too interested in.   SDRAM won't be bad for your computer, so don't worry if its something they're forcing upon you.  

Forgot about this, sorry!

[Shire Le Buff]

What'd you end up with Flyntz?

[Larry Flyntz]

I'm not actually getting this until graduation. I like to plan ahead. I'll probably end up with a Dell. My brother recently got a Toshiba, and I tinkered around with it a bit, and I don't like it all that much.

[TemporalRift]

I'd go Acer since there's still time Flyntz. They have a much more solid tech support record, they're sturdier in my experience, and they're cheaper than Dell's with the same specs. I picked my sister up a dual core machine with a gig of RAM and a 160 gig harddrive for less than $900

[Larry Flyntz]

I was under the impression that Acers were pretty low quality. Is this untrue?

[TemporalRift]

Personally, and this is key, I've had nothing but great experiences with them. Plus they're definitely cheaper than Dells of the same configuration.

But that's just my opinion, I can't back it up with hard data. It might be worth looking into though, it might save you some money.