Suggestions for a new laptop?

[Keneva]

I need a new laptop. I want a lightweight laptop (4-5.5 lbs/2-2.5kg) that will last me 2-4 years, at least. It needs to be able to run MS Office Business and Adobe CS3. It will be used mostly for personal use (email, photos, music, etc.) and occasionally for work (photo editing, creating of newsletters, brochures, etc.). It also needs to have dependable wireless and be tough enough to withstand traveling.

Mac devotees, I know you love your Macs, but I need a PC-laptop for work. Besides, KoC-related programs just don't seem to work well on Macs! ;)

I was almost ready to buy from an electronics store, but heeded a suggestion to have Dell build one for me. The Dell Latitude I configured would cost about $2200 - but I figure that all of the others I looked at which cost $1000 - $1300 would go up substantially once I added MS office and an on-site warranty and some peripherals. My desired upper range cost was $2000, but I can go to $2500. Some possibilities, but not all are below... I could greatly expand the selection if I wanted to get a heavier laptop. With the exception of the Dell Latitude, I was looking at these laptops on www.bestbuy.com.


Dell - XPS M1330 T5450 Laptop - (PRODUCT) RED - cool, but fewer features (slower processor, smaller HD, only 2 USB ports) for the money... like the lightweight.

Dell Latitude D630 - more boring, but customizable with some pretty nifty features - gets expensive by the time I have what I want. must wait 10 days for building and delivery. I looked at the less expensive Vostro line, but couldn't get all the features I wanted, and it ended up being only about $200 less.

HP - Special Edition Pavilion Laptop with AMD Turion™ 64 X2 - Black/Bronze - looks cool, but is currently sold out online

Sony - VAIO Laptop with Intel® Centrino® - Sangria (color negotiable) - heavier than some at 5.5 lbs

Toshiba - Satellite Laptop with Intel® Centrino® - Onyx Blue Metallic - slower processor (1.67Ghz), smaller HD like the Dell Red (not in


Some people hate HP - have had bad experiences... others say to stay away from Dell. But then others will swear that Dell is best, and best customer service, etc.... I know at least two people who love their Toshibas.

Since my original plan was muddled by all the input that I got, I figured I'd ask for some more opinions.... which might muddle things up more, or it might make my decision crystal clear.

And yes, it's been noted that I like the colors - I do! I'll make the decision based on the best computer for my needs for my money. If it looks great, that's just a very nice bonus. ;)


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Keneva
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[krethera]

you can get parallel for mac and still run windows. you can load vista or xp on parallel, but they "suggest" using vista. although i run xp on my work laptop using parallel and it works just fine.

i've had wonderful experiences with the apple geniuses. they give great help.

and i have had bad experiences with hp computers and gateway.

[Anubis478]

Dell - Crappy, just because you can build your own doesn't make it good

Gateway - Not as crappy but still sucks.

HP - Ew, AVOID

Lesovo (ThinkPad) - Never heard of these so probably not very good.

Sony - Teh uber computer!

Toshiba - Decent computer probably #2 on this list

Apple - Mac's suck. You will come to fear the spinny rainbow. As well as being unable to do like anything

Other (please comment)

I say your best bets are Sony or Toshiba. But what ever you do dont get vista. Vista makes every computer suck.

[Maximus-]

I vote HP... I currently have one that lasts for 6 years and with a new fan it would work great :p

never had problems with HP...

I'm currently buying this one:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?docname=c01361785&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

though it's too heavy for you...

[cham]

Don't bother with apple. for your purposes (photo editing, koc), it's not your computer. Parallels doesn't work seamlessly.

[Walaw]

i love my gateway ...

[Arimos]

I have had an HP for about 9 months now and it works AMAZING. I love it. i have both MS Office 2007 and Adobe CS3 on it, and it works wonderfully with both.

My comp is a bit heavier than what you are looking for, but HP has a smaller size one for like only 150 more base price,

And built myself, with as much as I could crank into it without getting rediculous, mine still only ran about 1k.

Has:
AMD 64X2 Processor
120gb hard drive
3 USB ports
15.4 brightview screen
integrated wireless abg, could have added bluetooth, but didnt, for like another 20
Nvida graphics card with integrated 5-in -1 card reader (digicam cards)
Dual-layer DVD RW +/- drive.
Mine came with Vista Premium, and I like it.
Integrated cam and a Durable Finish on it.
Some other shit too, and it was like 1100 total. So Anything you want to add, is still going to run you much less than 2K.

[maroukai]

One of my buddies has a Sony and it works amazingly well with him, he has a lot of music writing programs on it and he has adobe on there. I believe he has Microsoft office set.
I have an HP laptop, it is a bit on the heavier side from others but it works really well with photos, videos, and other stuff, while it is 3 years old and could use some work it has not died on me yet. I have had some problems with it but of all the people I know around here who have HP it was probably something with the production, you either get a good one 99% of the time or a bad one 1% of the time and have to send it back and forth to get it fix.

My bf has a Dell and it works very well with office work programs. He has not had many problems with it at all, the problems he has had are not with the hardware itself but with the outer look of the laptop.


I would definately suggest the Sony because it can be work and home laptop for you. If it is at all possible not to have Vista on it then it would be good. I have had my share of problems with Vista and I hate it. I guess we need to wait till next year for Vista to comes out with better bug fixers. The problems I have had is putting stuff from Powerpoint from XP to Vista and sometimes it does not work correctly.

[Shiggity]

I voted Toshiba, since that is what I have and I <3 it. Mine is heavier than I like because I bought the one with extended keyboard (numpad) and 17" wide screen, since I do a lot of work on it via remote connection. I haven't had any problems with it. But my comments are based solely on my experience and not my expertise. :D

If I buy again, it will either be a Toshiba or a Sony Vaio...and it will be a pretty one! ;)

[PODfreak]

i voted toshiba of course since my past 2 have been awesome....only problem ive had is best buy service center....constomer service is incredible only spent about 15min when ive called

hp and sony are also close runners up...havent heard complaints about either of em

dells are shit...b/w my dad and sister they have gone through 6 hardrives and 3motherboard and about 3hrs of wait time everytime they call constomer service

gateways are also crap

dono if emachine makes a lappy but their towers are amazing

there also a new company with a laptop that ive heard good things about but i cant remember its name

i just asked my co-worker and he said sony or hp...he said hp has the best bang for the buck

[emike55]

Dell - You can get a good dell if you know what you are doing.

Gateway - Is just as bad or worse than HP.

HP - Sucks, I have had several HPs.

Lenovo (ThinkPad) - IBM, yes? IBM is not very good at all anymore, infact I had to replace the IBM hard drive in my last laptop.

Sony - They are great, but expensive.

Toshiba - Pretty good.

Apple - Probably won't work for you.

Other (please comment)

Asus, I already mention this to you but truthfully they make some of the best components, whether it be motherboards or other internal components. Some of my best computer builds are built around a Asus motherboard. I know many people that swear by their parts, and their laptops are definitely up to the same par. Actually I believe Jaketo just posted a picture of his new and upcoming build, I believe I spotted an Asus motherboard in there. Not only are they great, but they are relatively cheap too.

So I vote other, if you choose any of the others above I would be very disappointed if you go with either an HP, gateway, or a thinkpad.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=32&name=Laptops-Notebooks
Newegg is where most of the computer g33ks in the US buy their stuff. They are pretty cheap, ship fast and you can get about anything that is currently sold. I recommend looking there before looking anywhere else.

[Keneva]

I've configured one of the pretty HPs: HP Pavilion dv2700t Special Edition series
http://www.shopping.hp.com/notebooks under travel/mobility
It costs just under $1800.

Operating system Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit) edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.20 GHz, 4 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB) edit
Display 14.1" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800) edit
Memory 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Graphics Card 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS edit
Personalization HP Imprint Finish (Verve) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone edit
Networking Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM) edit
Broadband Wireless Verizon Wireless V740 ExpressCard (Service Activation Required) edit
Hard Drive FREE Upgrade to 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive from 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive!! edit
Primary CD/DVD Drive FREE Upgrade to LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support!! edit
Primary Battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery edit
HP Featured Software Computrace LoJack for Laptops, One Year edit
OS and Recovery Media System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit) edit
Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Office Small Business 2007 edit
Included Accessories HP 14" Reversible Notebook Sleeve


The Dell Latitude D630 I configured - $2,245.
www.dell.com

My System Details
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7500 (2.20GHz) 4M L2 Cache, 800MHz Dual Core edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business, with media edit
LCD PANEL 14.1 inch Wide Screen WXGA+ LCD Panel edit
MEMORY 2.0GB, DDR2-667 SDRAM, 1 DIMM edit
HARD DRIVE 160GB Hard Drive, 9.5MM, 7200RPM edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 8X DVD+/-RW w/Roxio and Cyberlink Power DVD™ edit
VIDEO CARD 128MB NVIDIA® Quadro NVS 135M™ edit
WI-FI WIRELESS CARD Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Dual-Band Mini Card edit
BLUETOOTH WIRELESS Dell Wireless® 360 Bluetooth Module for Vista edit
MOBILE BROADBAND AT&T built-in mobile broadband (HSDPA 3.6) edit
FINGERPRINT READER OPTION Touchpad with UPEK® Fingerprint Reader edit
BACKUP OS DRIVERS AND SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION Resource DVD - Contains Diagnostics and Drivers for Vista edit
My Accessories
BATTERY 6 Cell Primary Battery edit
PRIMARY POWER OPTIONS 65W A/C Adapter edit
FLOPPY DRIVE No Floppy Drive edit
My Software
PRODUCTIVITY Microsoft® Office 2007 Small Business Edition and Adobe Acrobat 8.1 S edit
My Services & Warranties
WARRANTY & SERVICE 3 Year ProSupport for End Users and 3 Year NBD On-site Service edit
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE SERVICE 3 Year CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service

I'm building a Sony now... but that's going to be expensive!

[emike55]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220162
$1,299.99
Same thing you are building except 1 gig less ram, upgrade the ram for $50 dollars or less and you have got the same thing =). The F3 series laptop is the one I have, they have higher performance or more business laptops also, just a different series. One more thing, you will need to get the software these things come pretty barebones. So a couple hundred in software =), I personally just pirate, but don't tell anybody that. The graphics card is a much higher grade, I believe you wanted to do some graphics work?

[Keneva]

* Keneva grins, loving all this input - even if it is delaying her purchase - again!

emike, I like that site -and the computer looks fine except it's heavy for me at 6.5 lbs...

www.sony.com
This was the version with a choice of colors ;) I chose Sangria... the options for customization were quite a bit more limited with Sony, even with the other models.

VGN-CR4000 Configure-to-Order $1,949
VGN-CR4000 CTO Series Notebook
Customization Details

* Standard Battery (BPS9/S)
* WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n w/Integrated Bluetooth®
* LCD 14.1" WXGA+ (XBRITE-ECO™)
* DVD±R DL / DVD±RW / DVD-RAM Drive
* 160 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
* 2 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-667, 1 GBx2)
* Sangria
* Microsoft Windows Vista Business
* Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz) [Estimated ship date 2/19/08]
* Norton 360™ All-In-One Security (60 Day Trial)
* QuickBooks Simple Start
* Video Standard
* Photo Standard
* Microsoft Office 2007 Small Business
* Engraving
Temporarily out of stock. Estimated ship date: 02/26/2008.

VAIO® Optical Mouse
VGP-UMS20/R
In stock. Estimated ship date: 02/18/2008.

2 Year Onsite Service Plan plus Accidental Damage from Handling Protection
DSES2SLPA

[riptorian]

Id say HP, only because you want to travel alot with it, and HP doesent seem to be able to break. My stepdad has one which is almost 10 years old and it is running better than his cheap japanese new one :o

[emike55]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2030260032%2050001315&Manufactory=11447%2C1315%2C1259&PropertyCodeValue=393%3A23203%2C394%3A28831%2C394%3A28979%2C402%3A28921%2C402%3A28834%2C402%3A29027%2C402%3A29331%2C402%3A28835%2C402%3A29364%2C402%3A30586%2C2923%3A18470%2C406%3A20507%2C406%3A28503%2C406%3A14856%2C406%3A31750%2C406%3A16981%2C406%3A24679%2C406%3A14737%2C406%3A27789%2C406%3A27347%2C406%3A33097%2C410%3A22610%2C410%3A10743%2C410%3A10741%2C410%3A6877%2C410%3A10742%2C445%3A14144%2C445%3A14141%2C445%3A14142%2C445%3A14143&bop=And&Order=RATING
That's a product search for everything you are looking for. Selection goes as such.

Manufacturer - Asus, Sony, Toshiba
Ram - 1GB~4GB
Weight - 2lbs~5.9lbs
HD - 120GB+
CPU - Core 2 Duo 2.20 GHz~2.40GHz
Graphics Cards - Geforce 8400M G~Geforce 8700M GT

I am not big on ATI's graphic cards so I didn't know what the ATI equal was for graphics cards. ATI is fine I just usually go with a NVIDIA.

And sorted according to best rated. Don't worry about RAM amount, you can upgrade that easily and cheaply. Worry more about I guess weight, cpu, and graphics card. HD is also very upgradable, not as easily and cheaply as RAM however.

[Maximus-]

I'm an Asus fan as well... although I've never had one laptop from them... just components.

I've never had problems with the 2 HP laptops at my house. My sister's has close the same age mine has (6 years) and it works great... never had a problem. I left mine on too long for too many days several times... so only needs a new fan. Besides that it works great for internet and such. Pentium 4 with 512 MB Ram :p

Service customer (in Portugal) is great. Called once, answered me swiftly. Sent several emails... always got a response and one time they even called me to find out if I had the problem solved (it was a software problem, not hardware btw). So pricewise HP are better than any other brand and I disagree they give problems. Way I see it, every brand gives problems if you have bad luck.

[emike55]

HP's are known for throwing substandard no name parts in their computers. All brands do it to some extent but a majority of HP's parts are such.

[The_Last_Dawn]

yeah most of the votes seem to have gone with HP. but that would be the brand name talking I suppose. But I used to have toshiba and it turned out pretty pathetic. Although I didnt exactly use it the right way:p. IMO any laptop is good enough but if you want GOOD go HP and probably take care of it better than I did. =]

[cham]

My hp would have probably worked better if I hadn't dropped it so many damn time. It began to go because of this, but other than that, it was a good machine.

[retarted_azn]

haha u dropped ur laptop, stupid cham at its best!

[psr4]

i vote gateway, i had one that lasted almost 8 years that i could still use internet, but the software got a little slow and the processor needed updating, but it still worked nonetheless.

[Nemesis-]

If you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on software you can always get the free ones:
http://www.openoffice.org/
http://www.gimp.org/

OnT: Never owned a laptop but I'd probably go with an Asus. :)