Laptops anyone?

vilia · 12-09-2007, 02:24 PM

My husband would like a laptop for Christmas .... not high end, he just wants to use it for word processing and the internet, so it will need video and audio. I've seen prices for around $500 at Dell. I would also have considered refurbished if the guy who used to fix our computers was still around, but his franchise closed down and he's disappeared which is a major bummer. Honest, good and cheap is soooo hard to come by.

I know absolutely nothing about laptops, so my question is for those more knowledgeable out there. Do you have any recommendations?

*Shira* · 12-09-2007, 03:17 PM

Hi Vilia! Here are a few things to help shape your thinking...

There are a few different categories of laptops. When you go to a web site or talk to a vendor, this is the terminology you can expect to be thrown around:

Ultra Portable. Best for people who travel a lot, like to use their laptops on airplanes, and want something small, long battery life (5-6 hours), and lightweight (3 pounds). Dell and Sony are the leading vendors in this arena. I love my tiny little Sony, but it was very expensive. Definitely not for everybody.
Portable. Bigger than ultra-portables, but still meant for people who travel a lot. Weigh about 5-6 pounds. Battery life around 3-4 hours. Typically pretty affordable. This might be the best fit for your husband.
Desktop Replacement. These have a bunch of USB ports into which you can plug your printer, your scanner, a keyboard, and any other devices. They tend to be larger and heavier than portables. Meant for people who take them back and forth between home and work. Designed to work with a docking station.
Multi-Media Machine. Meant for people who plan to play video games on their computers. High-powered video card for showing the video game's graphics, and high-powered processors for implementing those displays. Expensive, but joyful for people who like gaming.

I'm guessing that of the above categories, "portable" or "desktop replacement" would suit your needs.

Here are some features to look for:

A slot into which you can stick the memory card from your digital camera so the computer can read from it directly, without having to fuss around with cables. Most laptops these days have them, the trick is finding one whose slot can hold whatever type of memory card your particular camera takes.
A firewire port. This is a type of cable often used to connect video cameras, external hard disks, and other devices to your computer.
Several USB ports. My larger Sony has only two - I wish it had more.
Writeable DVD/CD drive. (Keep an eye out for this - some manufacturers are still trying to sell drives that write CD's but not DVD's. Even if you don't plan to use this computer for video work, the writeable DVD's are great for making backup copies of data from the computer because they hold a lot more than a CD.)

*Shira* · 12-09-2007, 03:20 PM

By the way, I strongly recommend buying the 3-year extended warranty. Once a laptop gets to be about 2 years old (or older), stuff starts going wrong. My Gateway's motherboard died after 2.5 years - fortunately, it was still under warranty so I could take it in to Best Buy and say, "Fix it!!!" When it reached the 3-year mark, I renewed it. The machine is otherwise still working like a champ. I've also had IBM machines start having trouble after 2 years. This is pretty typical of all brands, actually.

naiyahayal · 12-09-2007, 03:25 PM

Since I'm the resident dinosaur, my only recommendation is based on years of trusting anything with "Hewlett-Packard" or "Compaq"'s name on it. I am still working in DOS on an "ancient" HP computer and the printer .... I got my laptop from Home Shopping Network about five years ago, though and it's still OK......so far, go good. Have you checked Office Max? They have some good sales......

rassicahl · 12-09-2007, 04:19 PM

MacBook..simply the best..

vilia · 12-09-2007, 06:31 PM

Thank you everyone! That list is going to be especially helpful, Shira. I will print this thread out.

danidance · 12-09-2007, 08:40 PM

I recently bought a Toshiba Satellite with high def 17" screen and it is the best. I love it.

I'm done with Dell. and, by the way, i like Vista.

Sashy · 12-10-2007, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danidance

I recently bought a Toshiba Satellite with high def 17" screen and it is the best. I love it.

I'm done with Dell. and, by the way, i like Vista.

2 weeks ago i got a good deal at Best Buy for a Sony Vaio CR,the ones in cute metallic colors

.By the way,i love my Vista,too.

danidance · 12-10-2007, 08:14 AM

I liked the Sony Vaios as well, I think the price was better on the Toshiba when I got it Memorial Day weekend. I was prepared to hate Vista based on all the comments about it on bhuz and elsewhere but I've found it pretty efficient thus far. I'm actually getting more annoyed with XP these days which is on my desktop.

Love having my laptop. I can compute from bed....how lazy is that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sashy

2 weeks ago i got a good deal at Best Buy for a Sony Vaio CR,the ones in cute metallic colors

.By the way,i love my Vista,too.

Sashy · 12-10-2007, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danidance

I liked the Sony Vaios as well, I think the price was better on the Toshiba when I got it Memorial Day weekend. I was prepared to hate Vista based on all the comments about it on bhuz and elsewhere but I've found it pretty efficient thus far. I'm actually getting more annoyed with XP these days which is on my desktop.

Love having my laptop. I can compute from bed....how lazy is that.

When i get home i usually go straight to my desktop pc,because have to confess im a laptop newbie and still trying to get used to the compact,flat keyboard...it's either too small or my hands are too big for it!

amity · 12-10-2007, 06:37 PM

BUY THE WARRANTY!!!! That $200 bought me 4 new laptops!!!

amity · 12-10-2007, 06:39 PM

My friend sells them cheap: Products

vilia · 12-11-2007, 06:57 PM

I went ahead and bought one today from Microcenter today. I don't usually like buying from them, but they had the best deal. I decided I wanted XP Pro, so that he could move documents from the PC and back and we could use all our own software. It also came with a free printer (after mail-in rebate, ofcourse). I got the DVD burner as well as a camera card reader and it has about 3 USB ports.

Oh, and I definitely got the 3 year warranty!

Thanks everyone.

*Shira* · 12-11-2007, 08:49 PM

Vilia, it sounds great! I'm sure he'll be happy with it!

I think you were smart to go with XP rather than taking your chances on Vista. When I got my new computer last April, Vista was horrid, absolutely horrid, due to still having tons of bugs in it that caused my programs to freeze up at very inconvenient moments. At least the regular supply of Microsoft updates has fixed some of the most noxious bugs.

Anyway, I hope he enjoys the new machine!

Lisa Michelle · 12-12-2007, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Shira*

By the way, I strongly recommend buying the 3-year extended warranty. Once a laptop gets to be about 2 years old (or older), stuff starts going wrong.

I would really agree with Shira on this unless you plan on doing an upgrade in a few years to a new model. My husband and I have found that so many things are often just not made that well anymore and those extended waranties can really save money in the long run. They have saved us a number of times from electronics to dishwashers.

Enjoy your Christmas gift to each other!

Lisa

jenlindseys · 12-20-2007, 09:34 AM

Toshiba's have an awesome monitor! Sony is comparable...but I have had Toshiba & Gateway laptops....toshiba has a beautiful image. If you're looking for something to watch TV/movies on...or do digital image processing, I would recommend it.

On a side note... I think waranties are BS if you know anything at all about computers. I have bought them and had countless problems getting things fixed. sorry for the negativity, I just don't think its worth the money. If you are buying a laptop for 500$ DO NOT spend 300$ for a 3 year warranty. You might as well buy a new lap top.

*Shira* · 12-20-2007, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenlindseys

I think waranties are BS if you know anything at all about computers. I have bought them and had countless problems getting things fixed. sorry for the negativity, I just don't think its worth the money. If you are buying a laptop for 500$ DO NOT spend 300$ for a 3 year warranty. You might as well buy a new lap top.

Jenn, I see your point. For what it's worth, the repair done by Best Buy on my Gateway went flawlessly within the promised time frame. But I acknowledge that computer repair doesn't always go so well.

You make a valid point regarding price of a laptop versus price of a warranty, and it's well worth considering. Here's why I decided to get the warranty anyway:

If you buy a new laptop, you might not be able to use some of your old applications that worked perfectly on the old one. For example, my machine used Sygate as its firewall, which I liked a lot. It is no longer possible to obtain and install Sygate because Symantec bought it and killed the product. Sygate's install process looked to a remote computer to find out whether your product key was valid, and when Symantec killed Sygate they also killed that remote server. So even though I have the original installation files and entitlement information for Sygate, I can not reinstall it. (Grrr.) That really bit me when one of my computers needed a new hard disk, and I had to reinstall all of my applications. There are other applications, such as music and video CD/DVD burners, which might not know how to talk to newer hardware, and you'd have to purchase an upgrade in order to get them to work on a new laptop.

Another issue is transferring product licenses from an old, retiring machine to a new one. Some software companies, such as Microsoft, require you to connect to their servers to complete your registration, and they check whether your product key is already in use on a different machine. If it is, they won't let you complete the install. Some software companies will let you transfer the license from one machine to another, but that tends to be a tedious, painful process.

I did buy a new laptop in April, and I've been bit really hard by the fact that it came with Vista as its operating system. At a time when I was stressed out (from the failure of 2 other computers AND being pressed for time), the LAST thing I needed was to learn all the ins and outs of a VERY buggy unfamiliar operating system. Some of the applications I relied on for my video work, including freeware such as DVDx, wouldn't run under Vista at all. I still can't fully do everything (video-wise) on Vista that I could do on my older XP machines.

jenlindseys · 12-20-2007, 10:39 AM

I hear ya Shira-
I guess I take for granite that I have grown up with computers and know quite a bit about them. If I don't know something, I typically know enough to be able to take it apart and figure it out or go to the right resource and fix it.

I also want to have an up to date machine which means I will need to purchase updates or buy a new computer about every 3 years anyhow. Laptops are funny things and many many people make the mistake of pouring their coffee (or whiskey) into the keyboard, so warranties can be a good thing. Different things for different people, but I am pretty picky with where I spend my money and I just look at it this way-
I'll save the money now...and if I mess something up, it is my fault I have to spend more later. Hah. Others assume that something will go wrong and they will need to get it fixed.

On a side note- even if you don't purchase the warranty....I have yet to find a computer that doesn't offer manufacturer warranty. They even pay for shipping and I had very good experiences going through Gateway. Sometimes those warranties last for 2 years. It just depends. This covers and core hardware issues. I had the power button of my gateway get jammed inside the case (yeah kind of stupid), but they did replace the whole case to my Gateway!

Laptops anyone?

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