LAPTOP??

[JanaknJanet 1]

Just got a call from my MOMMA... .. big surprise.. for christmas... she wants to give me $$ towards a much needed Laptop...

I never look at them since I know I dont have the funds to go towards one.. sooo ... :help: .

Friday she will give me $600 for a laptop... I have seen some at costco..COSTCO LAPTOPS

HP dv6500t 15.4"

T7250 2.0GHz 2GB DDR2 120GB HDD

Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG

ExpressCard™/54 Slot

$799.99

Item # 258300

I have no idea what to look for.. my soninlaw says .. try and get min:

2GB duo core 2.. with min 120 gig HD..

I dont know what is the difference.. in batteries.. or such..

what do people have.. what do people here like..

I think if I look around... Im sure I can find something in the $600 range... ya think?

edited for link

Edited November 28, 2007 by JanaknJanet

[JanaknJanet 1]

what .. no one has opinion?

[Fandango 1,440]

Sorry, woman...I picked mine cos it's red

D was the spec guy to run all the rest by, hahahaha.

The only thing I'd say is make sure you get one with an integrated webcam. Those things are the shiznit!

[MKCT 0]

Sorry, woman...I picked mine cos it's red

D was the spec guy to run all the rest by, hahahaha.

The only thing I'd say is make sure you get one with an integrated webcam. Those things are the shiznit!

My bro recently got one with an integrated webcam...I cannot remember the brand now but my gosh!!! It was awesome! I borrowed it on sunday cause it was my SO's bday and it worked perfectly!!!! I can see everything very very very clear!!!! Not like an usb camera I had on a desktop computer! It sucked!

[JenT 0]

Just bought this one for my daughter for her 16th bday:

http://www.dell.com/content/products/produ...;l=en&s=dhs

Loaded with what I wanted for her, it came to about $950. Arrived in a week. I LOVE IT. So does she.

[MKCT 0]

If I were you I would add 2GB OF RAM!!!!!

Edited November 28, 2007 by Mirla

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Ever used Craigslist? You can often find nearly new laptops for a reduction of the price thanks to people often wanting to upgrade. As long as you know the specs you want I think you can find a resonably good used laptop there.

Edited November 28, 2007 by OlivianWaleed

[Fandango 1,440]

Ever used Craigslist? You can often find nearly new laptops for a reduction of the price thanks to people often wanting to upgrade. As long as you know the specs you want I think you can find a resonably good used laptop there.

I'd never buy a secondhand laptop. One could always apply for a store credit card (Office Depot, Best Buy, etc) and get the 6 mos no interest option....

But I'd always get the warranty. Which obviously one cannot do when buying a secondhand lappie. I think for a true comp geek, a secondhand one could do well enough providing they get it for a cracking price....but otherwise, if one has to ask about spec (like me)...how does one get it fixed should any trouble arise?

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Ever used Craigslist? You can often find nearly new laptops for a reduction of the price thanks to people often wanting to upgrade. As long as you know the specs you want I think you can find a resonably good used laptop there.

I'd never buy a secondhand laptop. One could always apply for a store credit card (Office Depot, Best Buy, etc) and get the 6 mos no interest option....

But I'd always get the warranty. Which obviously one cannot do when buying a secondhand lappie. I think for a true comp geek, a secondhand one could do well enough providing they get it for a cracking price....but otherwise, if one has to ask about spec (like me)...how does one get it fixed should any trouble arise?

There's loads of places for that. Egghead squad, cactus computers, ect... and even your local university CS major. Most of these laptops have nothing wrong with them except that their not brand spanking new but three months old and the owner wants to upgrade even further. I wonder even if the warrenty would stay with the product that is 3 months old if the original owner got one in the first place. I'd ask about the warrenty on the used product cuz it might come with one. There's always room for negotiations.

Edited November 28, 2007 by OlivianWaleed

[Fandango 1,440]

Ever used Craigslist? You can often find nearly new laptops for a reduction of the price thanks to people often wanting to upgrade. As long as you know the specs you want I think you can find a resonably good used laptop there.

I'd never buy a secondhand laptop. One could always apply for a store credit card (Office Depot, Best Buy, etc) and get the 6 mos no interest option....

But I'd always get the warranty. Which obviously one cannot do when buying a secondhand lappie. I think for a true comp geek, a secondhand one could do well enough providing they get it for a cracking price....but otherwise, if one has to ask about spec (like me)...how does one get it fixed should any trouble arise?

There's loads of places for that. Egghead squad, cactus computers, ect... and even your local university CS major. Most of these laptops have nothing wrong with them except that their not brand spanking new but three months old and the owner wants to upgrade even further. I wonder even if the warrenty would stay with the product that is 3 months old if the original owner got one in the first place. I'd ask about the warrenty on the used product cuz it might come with one. There's always room for negotiations.

Yeah, but my point is that if one is not tech savvy re: computers, then taking it places to get fixed where ya hafta pay is kinda like being an easy mark.

I mean, unless the second hand laptop was being sold for a song.

[JenT 0]

A agree with LisaD. If you do take the risk of buying secondhand, you have to be prepared for the possibility of needing service more so than if you buy new. I'd consider myself pretty computer savvy but I couldn't dismantle a laptop and put it back together.... I'm sure there'd be a piece or two leftover.

[Dan J 277]

The question what do you plan to do with your laptop, how mobile do you need it to be, and do you have any special needs or requirements.

[Jamie76 0]

Stay away from Vista and the new 07 Office Suite. They suck. I bought a new Dell Inspiron with 2GB RAM in May and both Vista and Office 07 have been problematic. Very slow, closing down or freezing up etc. If you can find one with XP, get that.

[Drew and Tik 0]

I have no idea what to look for.. my soninlaw says .. try and get min:

2GB duo core 2.. with min 120 gig HD..

He must play video games and download a lot of movies and music. If you play video games, then yeah, go for a lot of RAM, a graphics card, and a fast processor. If you want to have an extremely huge library of media then get a big HD, 120 GB should be quite enough (I have 141 and only use about 36, I don't download a lot of stuff, but even if I did it would probably still be below 100).

If you're looking for something just nice and good enough to get on the internet and run a few simple apps like word processors you can easily find a laptop for well under $600, even after tax. Like if you're getting something with only 512 MB of RAM and less than 100 GB of HD I wouldn't pay over $500 for it.

So it depends on what you're going to use it for really.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I agree you have to ask what you are going to use it for first to know what specs you need.

And I also agree stay away from the new vista right now as with any new software there are glitches and bugs that need to be worked out.

Consider whether you will be using your computer for advanced applications or simply for email, internet and word processing and upgrade accordingly.

Suggested computer specifications, if buying new

I cannot guarantee that a computer with the following minimum specs will last for the duration of a 4 year undergraduate degree without needing to be upgraded. If you hope to have your computer last longer, you should purchase above the minimum specs listed below.

Minimum 1.3GHz processor

Minimum 512 MB memory (RAM)

Minimum 40 GB disk space

CD-RW/DVD

10/100 Ethernet

Wireless internet capability (if laptop)

Windows XP Operating Systems with Windows Service pack 2 (see software note below)

All Windows updates

Anti-virus software

Laptops Pros

mobile

can take advantage of wireless service where available on campus

fits in a bag

allows you to take your work and favourite applications wherever you go

frees up desk space for other things

Laptop Cons

can be more expensive

battery life is finite so need a plug in

can be heavy, too

not easy to upgrade

more chance of becoming damaged or lost

Today, there are three main processor manufacturers: AMD, Cyrix and Intel. Each of these companies have good and bad reviews, and really each of them are very close in compatibility and reliability.

The names of the processors can be very confusing and are generally used as a method of helping to sell a computer or computer processor. Below is a listing of some of the more commonly used names and a brief description on each of them.

Intel family names:

Pentium - The 80586, or P5, the Pentium is the generation above the 486 processor line.

Pentium Pro - Chip designed to help speed up Windows 32-bit software

Pentium with MMX - Processor with additional 57 new instructions and enhanced speed to graphics and multimedia software. MMX is now included in all Intel processors that have been released after this processor.

Pentium II / III - The first of the Intel processors to include the Slot adapters. These processors were the next generations of the Intel Pentium processor.

Intel Coppermine - The Socket (FC-PGA) version of the Intel Pentium III / IV.

Intel Flip Chip - Another name for the Intel Coppermine.

Intel Celeron - The low end Intel processors designed to help lower the prices of the computers by reducing or at first eliminating the level 2 cache.

Pentium IV - The next generation of Intel processors, these processors were over 1GHz and were the FPGA processors.

AMD family names:

AMD K6-2 - Socket 7 processor with the 3DNow! technology and first to have the 100MHz bus.

AMD K6-3 - K6-2 chip with Level 2 cache memory that runs at the speed of the CPU.

AMD Duron - Like the Intel Celeron, the AMD Duron is an affordable solution processor allowing for the price in the overall computer to drop.

AMD Athlon - AMD generation with features such as the 200MHz bus speed

AMD Thunderbird - The latest AMD processor, this processor is the socket version.

The speed of the processor is an important consideration as it is what will rate the speed of the computer and help the computer run faster overall.

When looking at the speed of processors available do not purchase or consider purchasing a processor that has just been released. The price of the processor will be at a premium price and if you give that processor 2-4 months it will drop in price dramatically.

Consider a machine with a slower processor, such as an Intel Celeron or an AMD processor, for running just basic applications, such as word processing programs.

Consider a computer with a middle-of-the-road processor to retain functionality for two or three years.

Look for a machine with a state-of-the-art processor to retain functionality for four to six years.

Choose the fastest Pentium III processor you can afford if you'll use demanding multimedia software, either for editing graphics, sounds, or video or for playing graphics-intensive games.

High-end and low-end chips are rarely a good value. Usually, the best value is the third chip down - as long as it's in the current generation of processors.

DualCore processors are popular because there are two processors doing the work.