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Community Newsletter: Q&A: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy?
- 8/10/06 5:55 PM
USB and flash drives
by coakleycrl - 8/11/06 1:49 PM In reply to: Wayne's winning answer by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Is these drives known for going bad easily? I have had one each go bad losing my data. I always use the system tray Icon before disconnecting these drives.
The LG flash drive just stopped working. The Western Digital 160 gig drive stopped working after my computer suddenly and for no apparent reason rebooted while I was moving data to and from the WD drive. As you can guess the warranty had just expired and WD just shrugged. I ended up replacing the drive in the case with an old 2 gig drive I had laying around.
I no longer feel safe saving my data to flash, USB externals, Zip disks or CD-RW disks or the hard drives. I have all of these fail me and lose data and more then once. The only disks that have not failed me is CD-R and DVD-R backups.
Your opinons and recomendations? With Windows these reboots and crashes happen all the time and if these do damage drives it can become expensive and painfully time consuming to replace lost data if that is possible. Thank you.
Jim Vetor trasher123@earthlink.net
Honorable mentions
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 8/10/06 6:42 PM
In reply to: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Honorable mentions
Answer:
Depending on what you are looking for there are a number of good low-cost (and high end) options available.
For simplicity and ease of use (not to mention security and virus-free
enjoyment) you always have Apple's iBook line to consider. Apple's store (http://store.apple.com) has a section (see the link on the far right column for student discounts) specifically for students even.
The baseline iBook G4 models run from around $950 (1.33 Ghz G4, 512MB DDR333, 32MB DDR ATI Radeon 9550, 40GB HDD, Air Port Extreme (802.11a/b/g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and the nifty "Sudden motion sensor"
(protetction from dropping the machine accidently)). This is the 12"
screen model, the slightly faster 1.42Ghz G4 14.1" screen size also sports a larger (60GB) hard drive and a "superdrive" (DVD+ - RW and
CD-+rw) compared to it's smaller sibling's "combo" drive
(CD-+RW/DVD-ROM).
Their "MacBook" (Intel CPU based) notebooks are similarly priced, baseline at $1,049 for the 1.83Gz Intel Dual Core Duo (these are smoking fast - the 1.83Ghz is misleading as it acts as two CPUs - Windows sees it as two on PCs), also has 512MB DDR RAM and a Combo drive; but offers a 60GB SATA HDD and a 13.3" widescren (1280x800) resolution monitor. The next two steps up maintain this screen size and only vary in hardware by raising the CPU to a 2.0Ghz speed (both of the upper models have this same speed), adding a superdrive and upping the hard drive size. The middle line model is the best deal here for the difference(s) you get between either model above and below it at $1,199.00.
And of course their "refurb/closeout specials" in the Apple store are always a great place to find bargains. Open Office is freely available for the Mac (X11 mode, but it runs and handles just like it does for the PC (X11 is the Linux graphical desktop engine)) and the Mac OS comes with a slough of preisntalled USEFUL (ie: Not demo or ad-laiden software like most Windows machines come overburdened with) applications like iCal, Mail, iTunes, iMovie, et al. All of which interact nicely. You can have your iPod (if you have one - and what college student doesn't these days it seems) sync your iCal calenders, Address Book addresses, and even keep a simple notebook list of notes you create from the "stickies" and/or SimpleText (a built-in RTF text editor on the Mac)). This is all done seamlessly and with as little configuration from the user as possible of course.
The downside, Apple is a little more expensive, but they offer a decent financing option that won't break the bank. But like most financing deals it's best to pay a little extra and avoid as much interest as possible. ^_~
Now you can get good deals from other companies too, and certainly cheaper prices (avoid the "rebate-only" type savings as those require waiting for the rebate, some are "coupon offers" on other third-party software, and you need the cash up front of course); but what you save in price you gain in headache - by way of security, virus, and adware/spyware concerns. Windows (most PC laptops have Windows only - some, not those offered by the "big name companies" sell machines with Linux; among these the "www.sub300.com" website sells laptops starting around $650 with "Linspire" (a Debian-based Linux). The Linux Store
(www.thelinuxstore.ca) also has software and systems for sale around this price).
E-Machines, Dell, and HP/Compaq all list laptops around $599 that are comparable to the above. Some customization is possible - bringing their prices up accordingly - and allows just as much flexibility as one could use/need (as does the Apple store, something not mentioned above).
However, it needs to be mentioned that upon buying one of these windows machines you'll have to take some time to set it up - first removing all unwanted partially installed "try me now" applications, removing unwated preinstalled software (does anyone make use of HP and Dell's "alert" type tray/status bar like applications that post adds to your desktop all the time?) and then go get what you need - OpenOffice (Windows DOES have wordpad and textpad), Firefox (IE is known to be insecure, even the federal government advises against its use for security reasons - there was a CNET.com article about that I believe), get Spybot, Ad-Aware, some sort of Anti-Virus, Firewall (I like ZoneAlarm for this) protection; and of course turn off the Windows [useless] Firewall, and the score of services and "talking" OS portions you won't need/use (how many of us want "remote registry process" running? I don't like the idea of a remote user changing my registry settings thank you...)
There are tons of available options. I'd suggest doing your homework before selecting one and looking at what you can afford to spend and how long that the machine will last you and do what you're needing it to do. Also, check with your school to see if there are any software requirements. Some schools are very good in allowing just about anything for a student to use, while others are very communistically minded and want a single OS, a single Office suite, a single browser, no music apps, etc on student machines accessing their network(s).
Those are important things you need to know BEFORE you buy a laptop for school.
Primarily, I'd research the following:
Any 64 bit CPU (for using next-generation OS's), Dual Core CPUs (either 32-bit for really fast current level OS/applications or 64-bit for next gen. software); RAM - most laptops have 2 RAM DIMMS slots.
Many with 512MB RAM have one 256 non-removable and one 256 removable - this is a bad thing because breaking a matched pair of RAM DIMMS on DDR means you lose the bonuses of having the dual-sync feature of the RAM. 512 on ONE DIMM is better - well, better really is 1GB on 2 512 DIMMS or better. ^_^ But let's not get greedy.
A 40GB HDD will do, but 60GB+ is more likely going to be better worth it for you. A DVD burner is a nice toy, but not essential even today, a "combo" DVD-ROM/CD-+RW drive may be better (and opting down to this can save up to $100 on many "stores"). Wifi is a MUST, bluetooth is a nice toy as well (especially if you have bluetooth PDAs/toys you want to use with it), as is the "x-in-1 Card Reader". I've got a 5-in-1 on my laptop I've never used... Those media cards (like Digital Cameras) use are great disks, but with USB drives and larger HDDs on the laptop (and online storage free on sites like "box") who needs these cards for data xfer?
Display sizes are nicer bigger, but clarity and resolution is more important. I have a friend that bought a 17.1" (17.something, I think it's 1) that does 1024x[something]. My laptop is a 15.4" that does 1280x800. MUCH better, full 1024x768 desktop, plus some realty to spare. Very handy indeed. However, a larger screen means larger machine, means more weight to lug around. My laptop is about 7.5 pounds, my other buddy's 12" iBook is under 5. Not too much in numbers, but a lot less in your arms or bag across campus and back all day long!
Battery life - this is critical. If your campus isn't wired for laptops you'll need a good battery life for using the machine in classrooms where you can't always plug it in (this is where slower CPUs and the AMD Athlon 64-bit excel with it's CPU-"Scaling" allowing it to run slower on less power) so make sure you look at this. Many retailers have an option to move up from the Ni-Cad battery with an average of 2-3 hours to a Lithium-Ion battery with up to 5 hours for a nominal fee (around $100 difference for my machine - and I WISH I'D DONE THAT - a lesson learned). Learn from my mistake, battery life is KING in the laptop world.
Other than that there's little you can't learn/see that I can tell you that you'll not see on the sites for the various retailers. ALWAYS look for their "specials" or "deals" and "offers" - anything free, be it a small step in CPU speed, a wifi built-in upgrade (this is practically essential), or even an extra desktop printer... Free stuff is great stuff!
--Submitted by: M. Bartlett
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Answer:
Collin,
Congratulations on heading off to college. It seems laptops are needed, even required at many schools these days. The biggest question is the purpose of those laptops. You mentioned that you want to be able to do word processing, build spreadsheets, browse the web, manage MP3s, and maybe play some games, too. (Let's hope you don't do too much of the latter; you need to study!) Fortunately, you can't buy a new laptop these days that won't handle all of those tasks well, with the possible exception of games, provided you aren't too demanding. This includes wireless communications as you almost can't find a laptop nowadays that doesn't include 802.11g wireless factory installed. The only other consideration is giving the operating system enough breathing room to run the applications well.
Gaming can drive you to buy ever more powerful computers with fancy graphics cards, high powered CPUs with large caches, etc.
Assuming that you aren't going to be a real gamer with that kind of desire for the best money can buy, you should focus on the games you think you'd be most interested in playing. Then, determine the system requirements of the most demanding of those games, give yourself some breathing room on each of the system requirements, and you're finished.
I'm glossing over many details purposely because you can get mired in those details and garner little benefit from them for most situations. I said that any laptop will handle everything but gaming well. However, if you're like me, you'll run Firefox with *many* open tabs, Thunderbird for e-mail, a word processor document or two, perhaps open a few PDFs, and still want to synchronize a PDA or launch another application here or there. In that case, you're making more significant demands of the system and need to feed it better.
In the following I will assume you'll be running Windows on the laptop. Linux makes different (generally smaller) demands on a machine, but I won't try to address it further here. An Apple laptop is different still. I don't know much about Apples, so I can't offer help in comparing them. It is my understanding that Apple machines generally cost a bit more, provide more functionality out of the box, and are more reliable. The downside is that you can't find as much software, may struggle with compatibility issues, and may be required to use a Windows-based laptop by your school. With those caveats aside, I'll move on to discussing Windows-based laptops.
The most important thing to feed your system is memory.
Windows XP Home works extremely well with 1G of RAM under my conditions. Windows XP Professional is a little more demanding, but you aren't likely to need to exceed 1G. The question is whether 512M is sufficient. If you're not going to hammer your machine as much as I do, 512M will be fine. What you want to avoid is leaving too little room in memory, because that leads to paging. Paging is the process by which the operating system can run a suite of applications that require more memory than you have installed by using some hard disk space as temporary storage. The problems with this are that a hard disk is slower than RAM and it uses battery power. My system is currently making very good use of nearly all of my 1G of RAM. You'll have to decide whether you want to pay for that much memory.
The other important factor is processing speed. While this can be overshadowed by too little memory, once you have enough memory, you need to consider processing speed. This is a complicated area, but I've found http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html to be particularly useful in comparing the myriad CPU/chipset combinations available today. You select a benchmark that you think is representative of some usage scenario you care about, and see how the various processors stack up. You can consider a 2GHz Pentium 4 to be a very good choice and then decide how much you want to buy beyond that.
The final performance related feature is the hard drive. You want a large hard drive to hold all of your applications and documents, but you'll also consume a great deal of space with those MP3s you mentioned. There is a point at which bigger is no better. While it isn't too difficult to fill a 40G drive if you collect a lot of pictures and MP3s, more than 80G is probably overkill. Hard drives have different performance characteristics, too. Most modern hard drives have very good access times, so you only need to concern yourself with spindle speed. The faster a drive spins, the faster it can find the data you want and the fast it will deliver that data. Unfortunately, faster drives also use more power and thus drain your battery faster. The cheap drives spin at 4500 RPM. The best at some 15000 RPM. For a laptop, 5400 RPM is probably the sweet spot, while 7500 RPM is best for desktops.
Now, having addressed the performance aspects, you must still decide on a few ergonomic issues. Laptop keyboards come in many shapes and sizes. You need to decide how important key layout is to you. The wider laptops give you a keyboard that is closer to what you're used to with a desktop system, but the wider screens they include usually increase the cost. You also have to decide on the maximum screen resolution you want. For most tasks,
1024x768 is very nice. I prefer 1280x1024, but many find that resolution too high. The larger the screen, the better 1280x1024 will look, but the larger the screen, the more power it takes and the less time a given battery can run it. So, choose the screen size and resolution wisely.
As I've alluded to several times now, battery life is an important characteristic that is affected by the components in your laptop. The run time for laptops varies widely. It is in some measure dependent upon the speed of the CPU, but some CPUs are more energy efficient than others. Here's an article that will help you understand energy usage better:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/07/13/the_amd_and_intel_energy_crisis/.
Googling for something like "low power mobile CPU" will get you many hits that can help you understand this better. The bottom line, however, is that a CPU designed for mobile applications is designed to consume less power and should help with battery life, but a bigger battery or a spare can often do more for you.
I should also mention that some manufacturers do better than others at building products that don't need repair and providing useful technical support and repair services. Consumer Reports, PC Magazine, PC World, and others often provide ratings of such things.
The final considerations are for securing your laptop once you get it. I don't trust Microsoft to protect me. I run ZoneLab's ZoneAlarm firewall (http://www.zonelabs.com), which is free for home use. While I've had zero viruses or spyware on any of my computers despite running no spyware or virus protection software, I can't advocate your doing the same. There have been many discussions on C|Net and elsewhere on which programs are best. Many magazines and e-zines have reviewed such software. In the final analysis, you need software that works well without unduly burdening your machine (some can be quite piggish and slow your system noticeably).
A final word on taking advice. Your goal should be to educate yourself so you can make the best decision for you. Blindly following another's advice, whether it is a product review on some web site, or an answer to your question like this one, can lead you to make mistakes. Also, take advice and opinions with a grain of salt. Many user "reviews" of products are from manufacturer's employees (whether from the company that made the product or from a competitor). That means the information can be inaccurate or misleading. Arm yourself with knowledge and then judge for yourself.
Enjoy your laptop!
--
Rob
--Submitted by: Rob S.
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Answer:
Hey Collin, welcome to life of college partying !! haha, j/k. Anyways, in choosing a laptop, as in any computer system, you'll need to know how much money you are willing to spend (A low end from $500 to $2,000 for a pretty high end model). Then your needs. What programs are you anticipating to run, other than Word Processing (MS Word), Spreadsheets (Excel), and Internet Access? You major of study might help decide what you might need. A laptop has always been a big investment because you can't really upgrade much other than the single hard drive and memory, and perhaps add-on a new wireless network card, then you'll have to resort to USB Devices.
There are several laptop sizes, which weights from 3 lbs to as much as 9lbs. Since you said you are lugging it around campus, you'll want something 5lbs or less. Because it's smaller, the monitor will be smaller, which can range anywhere from 12" to 15". You can almost view a full 8.5x11" sheet of paper in width in MS Word on a 15" LCD screen. If you opt for longer batter life, choose a smaller screen, which you'll have to sacrifice less viewing space. And if you want a bigger screen, you'll have to sacrifice a bit of battery life.
The next thing you might want to decide is the processor. The processor is which that runs programs, it's speed decides either it will run fast or slow. There's 2 top players in the market, AMD and Intel, the latter being a more popular product due to their big marketing budget. Often these days most processors have speed stepping technology, which lowers the power to the processor which slows it down to save power for longer running time.There are single cores or dual cores. Single processors work great if you mostly do multitasking. A dual processor will immensely help if you are like using Adobe Photoshop and watching a DVD at the same time. The super power efficient processor from Intel is called the Pentium M, don't let Intel's advertising fool you, a Centrino package is just a Pentium M processor and an Intel wireless networking card. Nothing special to pay the extra premium. I'd try to avoid Intels wimpy Celeron chip, because it's a stripped down processor from a full blow Pentium. The new hot stuff from Intel is the Core Duo, meaning 2 processors. Each processor has build in memory called Cache. Cache is where all the programs needed to be runned are waiting in line til the processor gets to it. A cache sizes range anywhere from 512kb to 2mb. A bigger cache helps multitasking more pleasant.
Next is Memory, memory is which your programs need to stay when you are running programs, too little memory, it'll be dump onto the hard drive, which is super slow compared to system memory speeds (say... 10x). Essentially 512mb is the minimum for Windows XP, but as i've noted before, laptops lack upgradeability. So you have like 1 empty left in a bay, below the laptop that's easily accessible w/ a small philips screwdriver. There's 2 way you can approach this. First you can get the biggest module you think you'll need for the life of the laptop you expect to use and forget about it. Or get just enough for now and wait for memory prices to drop to it's lowest, then take out the old one and drop in a bigger size, and you sell or give away your old memory module. I'd probably get at least 1 gb of total system memory, more if you run memory intensive programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere and Sony Vegas Video...etc. Also in theory, the more memory you get, the better battery life you are going to get (a little bit) because when you have enough System Memory, it won't have to dump onto the Hard drive which makes it consume more power.
Now you have Graphics, not much of a choice but the 2 companies that dominate is nVidia and ATI, they are both good companies, on the low end, there's 64mb of memory to as much as 256mb. The regular joe needs about 128mb. Also be aware of "Integrated Graphics", they are build in graphics on the computer, from companies such as Intel, VIA and SiS, they work pretty well for everyday web surf and occasional Adobe Photoshop here and there, but they suffer the power from a dedicated graphics card, and lastly they "Share" (Brute Terms: Leech) your System Memory. So... if you have 128mb of "Shared" graphics, and you have a total of 512mb System Memory, 128mb is allocated to the graphics, leaving 384mb left for the Processor to use. So if you decide to get Integrated Graphics, get some more System Memory to make up for the loss.
Hard drives, they are the storage device which stores all your stuff. Make sure you get a decent size, they range from 40gb to as much as 160gb. A good size is about 80gb. If you get a Hard Drive too small, later on, you'll have to dump all your stuff burned to CDs and DVDs, if that can't handle it, you'll need an External Hard Drive. You also have the choice of Swapping the Internal Hard Drive that came w/ the laptop but it requires backing up your stuff, copy the old stuff to the new hard drive, or worst, you have to install everything fresh on the new hard drive (might be a good thing).
Extra Junk: A DVD Burner is essential, nice for backing up stuff and making home-made movies of your crazy Frat parties w/ your DV Camcorder, sound is always included, USB 2.0 is pretty standard, Wireless B and/or G. If you need access to a Floppy drive, you'll need to get an external one which cost around $30. An external optical mouse is nice to have about $25. Most likely you're accustomed to Microsoft Office suite such as Word, and Excel. There's a special version for Students and Teachers which consists of Microsoft Word 2003, Excel 2003, PowerPoint 2003 and Outlook 2003, which retails for $139.95. Which is basically what you really need for college. Such a place for students to purchase Academic software is: http://www.academicsuperstore.com/market/marketdisp.html?PartNo=701113. For online retailers, if you don't live in the state they do business in, you are exempt from paying taxes, and sometimes, some places offer free shipping. Anti-Virus is a must, sometimes schools offer free copies for students. There's big companies such as Norton/Symantec and McAfee which sells Anti-Virus. You might want to get a laptop case, but i usually shove it in my backpack w/ the rest of the my books. Ok, you've spend all the stuff, but wait, shouldn't you protect your investment? Mostly definitely you'll want to get a surge protector, let's say there's a huge lightning storm and it hit a power pole nearby, guess where the huge current is going to? Yes, your laptop ! Please, do get one APC makes great products http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=173&fs=Mobile%20Computing (sorry CNET for the tag, hehe). When you buy a laptop, you might be offer some sort of protection insurance in case it fails, they'll fix it or if it can't be fixed, you'll get a similar model in price. I'm not a big fan of insurance. I think that's about it !!
Godspeed Incoming College Freshie !!
Doan
--Submitted by: Doan
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Answer:
Colin –
That is a challenging question. From your rather brief question I suspect that you’re not a “power user” and that you need a computer that “just works.” Anything anyone suggests here is likely to be both praised and criticized, but most people will have a reason for what they tell you..
The absolute first thing you should do is to contact your school’s IT department and see if they have any recommended packages for students. Many schools have extremely nice computers at astonishing discounts. But be sure to do your homework online – some schools’ “discount” prices are no better, and sometimes worse, than what you can get a similar machine for elsewhere. There are two other potential advantages to going through your school: 1) They may have all of the software you need pre-loaded, which saves you the hassle; and 2) they may have an enhanced service package.
That brings me to the most important thing you may not know you need – reliability, and the ability to get the unit replaced immediately if it conks out on you. That can vary widely, from on-site service to overnight depot service (you mail it in, it comes back fixed the next day) to mail it in and wait for an interminably long time (as happened twice to my son, who bought the brand perhaps most cited for reliability among notebook computers – IBM (now Lenovo)).
The bad news is that notebooks are more likely to fail than desktops, so you probably will need the service.
If your school is Apple friendly ( and there are some who really aren’t thrilled with having them around), I would get an iBook. It’s light, has excellent battery life, you get a 10% discount as a student, and it will do everything that you need. If you’re considering a specialized field such as business or engineering, it’s probably not a good choice. If you live near a store, you may be able to get a “refreshed” model (no 10% discount) that’s a demo that’s been juiced up a little (probably more RAM), and gone over by their service people. The discount you get will probably more than pay for the extended service plan. My daughter did just that a year ago and I have to say it’s done very well by her. It’s not the fastest computer, but it’s considered cool. Whatever anyone tells you, they just work and work well. And I’m a confirmed Windows guy.
If you want a Windows machine, someone will throw stones at every brand. However, having bought about ten notebooks between work and home, my best experience by far with Window notebooks has been with Dell. Brands seem to have ups and downs in reliability, but Dell seems to be the most consistently good. You may have to wait a little for your custom machine, but it is probably worth it. Buy the exteded warranty with overnight service and you can drop off your sick unit at DHL at 7 pm and have it back at your dorm around noon the next business day – fixed. I’ve done it three times. The sense among Dell customers is that a) business customers get treated better than Home Office buyers and b) their business machines, while not as bleeding edge, are robust and reliable. I especially recommend the Latitude D620 as a mid-range machine with a good screen and keyboard, reasonable weigh, excellent battery life, and reliability. By the way, none of the three Latitudes I bought for work ever made that overnight trip.
If you decide to go with Dell, you have one other option. Check the QVC Channel if you have cable, or their web site, www.qvc.com. They have a relationship with Dell and usually offer configurations that you can’t get at the website at some amazing prices. I’ve seen notebooks there for up to 25% less than a comparable unit on the Dell website and the QVC price included three years of on-site service. That means a Dell rep comes to your dorm room and fixes it. The fact that Dell sells a lot of computers through QVC means that you have that kind of buying power on your side. They’ll want to keep you happy. Their inventory and deals change all the time, but if you think you want a Dell, I’d definitely check them out.
Don’t forget that you can usually get academic versions of all the software you need at nicely dicounted prices.
Finally, and now that I’ve saved you all that money, whatever computer you buy, don’t throw that money down the drain by skimping on a backpack/case. You should get one with good ergonomics and excellent shock protection. You may pay anywhere from $75 for a high quality sleeve that you can use with your backpack to over $200 for an entire backpack/shoulder case. If you buy a good brand, it’s money well spent. There are several good suppliers; I’d recommed you check out Brenthaven and Tumi.
Good luck. I hope this helps.
Dave
--Submitted by: Dave S.
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Answer:
Laptop selection.
Firstly, I am not going to recommend any specific laptop, because whatever I recommend from Australia, you will be able to find better and cheaper in the U.S..
Given my experience with servicing laptops, I highly recommend Toshiba for reliability, part availability, and their general "serviceability". Toshiba machines also seem to be relatively immune to hinge breakage. I can parade a number of fancy brands (which I daren't name), all of which have suffered screen hinge failure. This is a serious problem and 90% of machines brought to me have suffered this very problem, and usually by the time they get to me the damage is beyond repair because the fragile printed ribbon which connects the screen has been torn, and replacement cost exceeds buying a new machine. If you're moving from class to class, you know in advance that you'll be giving the screen hinge a good work out--always be alert for cracking in the plastic on the back of the screen near the hinges. The slightest cracking: Get two pieces of 1/4 by 1/2 inch metal, and use epoxy to glue them vertically up the back of the screen, so that you are transferring the stress to the metal and away from the plastic (internally those hinges usually only reach about 1/2 inch, and rely on the plastic to carry the rest of the load).
Whether you are buying a PC compatible or Mac laptop, one would guess that you are running the OS that comes with it: PC with WinXP, and mac with OS X.
You may have an "Office Suite" bundled with either machine in which case your primary needs have been met. If you don't receive an office package, I recommend OpenOffice 2.0 for either Mac or PC. You can open an MS Word docuument and save it as a PDF or vice versa (and many other combinations along the way). It has a spreadsheet which easily matches Excel, but it hasn't quite caught up with Access for database usage (yet).
Unfortuantely for 'Net use, the PC seems to have cornered the market. I have encountered too many sites that will not function properly on a Mac even if you're running MS Explorer. This problem was exacerbated when I was at Uni myself--most of the 'Net access machines were Mac, and half the Uni system was completely inaccessible!
How important is the gaming? Remember that upgrading a laptop is pretty much limited to bigger memory, hardrive and not much else. For 'Net access, any modern machine will do (even an old one, as long as it's faster than the connection speed). My Uni laptop was a Toshiba 480CDT--positively ancient with a huge 5G hard drive, and three years after University, it still serves me well!
If you want a reliable workhorse for class use, make sure you pick something sturdy with good hard drive and memory (each as large as you can afford), and I still recommend Toshiba over some of the flashier units out there.
If you're a serious gamer, I would recommend a cheaper desktop that's upgradable, and also provides somewhere to back up your laptop because they do have a tendency to wander off by themselves in a University environment.
Battery life will hinder you. Lithium batteries begin aging the moment they leave the factory floor regardless of how much use they get. It is guaranteed that by the end of the year, you will not be getting the same battery life as when the machine was brand new, and I've yet to see any machine that can last an eight hour day without a battery change or recharge. I always carried the power supply with me, and relied on the battery as a poor man's UPS. In your first couple of weeks in each classroom, establish yourself in a position near a power outlet--you will need it sometimes. I also carry my own full size external keyboard because NO modern laptop is designed with typists in mind.
Lastly, the issue of security: buy the smallest physical unit that is practical. If you're attacked in any way, you can't claim that you're only carrying text books if there's a twenty inch screen sticking out of your bag, and NEVER carry your stuff in a "proper" laptop carry bag. You don't want to advertise to the neighborhood that you're carrying electronics. Wrap it in a towel, and carry it in a daggy sports bag or back pack.
In summary, Toshiba is the most recommended brand, largest hard drive and memory even if you step down in processing power. Choose a screen size that is comfortable but not grandiose. If you're really nervous about batteries check if you can get a unit that allows dual batteries or hot swap--there are now external batteries that sit between the power supply and the laptop.
If you want to carry MP3s around, burn them to a DVD that is compatible with the drive on your newly selected laptop, but if you take the option of a desktop machine for gaming, that's where to store you MP3s as well. There's no point in distracting yourself in class.
I haven't thrown numbers and tech specs at you, because here in Australia, we get the dregs left over from the rest of the world. I'm sure that other U.S. contributors can provide that sort of information. I have aimed at practical user advice, not technical. I hope I've been of help.
--Submitted by: Mic of Australia
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Answer:
Dear Collin,
I think the first thing to do is consider the amount of money you want to spend on the laptop. You can get a laptop that will do all the things you said you want at almost any price. The minimum configuration that I suggest will run you about $1,100. From there, given the nature of college life etc, I would recommend a few bare minimum specs for a system.
First, on all computers that I buy, I try to be forward thinking. I just got out of college myself and would hate to think about replacing my computer junior year of college when my primary "nutrition source," using the term loosely, was ramen. Additionally, I like to have a computer that works decently for all 4 years. I know that there are bargin basement laptops for $300-$600 dollars, but personally, I don't see them acceptably working for the next 4 years. Since you'll probably want the computer to last atleast your college career, hopefully longer, I would suggest at least
• 1Gb of DDR2 RAM at atleast a 533 MHz system bus
• 80GB Harddrive running at atleast 5400RPM SATA
• Wireless B/G integrated card
• DVD/CD-RW Drive
Given that, I think if you know you are going to import your entire CD collection on MP3, perhaps a larger Harddrive would be in order. Also, if you prefer to burn DVD's to cut down on numerous CD's for backup or otherwise, obviously a DVD +/- RW writer might be appropriate. However, these specifications should handle most of your networking, MP3, web browsing and productivity tasks.
Second, the processor and video card are going to determine most of your ability to play games. I am somewhat unfamiliar with AMD processors but hear that they are quite impressive for gaming. AMD's Turion 64 X2 Mobile looks comparable to Intel's Core Duo Chip. Really, I would just suggest atleast a 1.6 GHz dual core chip with 512KB of cache. It should suffice for your gaming needs and help you keep pace for the next 4 years of college. The video card is also an area that can drag a game. 128 MB of video memory (ATI or NVidia prefered) would do for a casual gamer with perhaps 256 MB if you plan to skip class and play Counterstrike all day.
Third, operating system. I want to give a timid recommendation for Windows XP Professional. I say that because Microsoft is "supposed" to release a new version of windows in the coming months. XP Professional is an extremely secure version of windows that is also supported by a majority of the colleges and universities out there. Either way, given what Microsoft has stated about the system requirements for the next version of Windows, this minimum configuration should be able to run the next version, should you want to upgrade.
Finally, portability and battery life. I think a 14 inch widescreen is really the tipping point between useable desktop screen and acceptable portable laptop. If you wanted a more portable laptop, go with one 14 inches or smallers. While other factors contribute to weight, most of the unweildly-ness is due to the size of the screen and number of cells in the battery. I usually try to find a 6 or 9 cell battery. These should last you about 2-3 hours unplugged with limited or no DVD/CD use. 6 cells would be lighter and obviously, 9 cells last longer, though I would hope you could plug your computer in while in a long seminar.
Obviously, the end decision is yours. This should give you a starting point and a configuration that should last the next 4 years. One last thought, if you are trying to save some money on this configuration, a smaller hard drive or less video memory will still let your computer last 4 years without much of a performance loss. I hope I gave you some insight. Happy hunting for your computer!
Regards,
Chris
--Submitted by: Chris S.
Simplify your life
by b_in_austin - 8/11/06 5:49 AM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You are going to college. You will have much better things to do than be a systems administrator for your PC. You want to use a notebook to do your homework, listen to music, watch movies and TV, play some games, and work as central hub for your iPod. Everything else is trouble.
So take the first persons advice and get an Apple MacBook. Be sure to register as a student - you get a small discount from Apple on your hardware and software purchases. In addition, don't fool with Open Office unless you are just plain out of money. Get Office for the Mac (and last time I checked, there was a student version for it as well). The money spent will save you untold hours trying to make someone else's spreadsheets and documents work properly in Open Office.
Then accessorize. Get yourself an EyeTV from ElGato and you can now call your MacBook a TV - yes, you can leave your TV at home and watch TV through your Mac. You can even record while you are out partying. (Yes, PC users, they have this for the PC as well).
And if you don't have an iPod, it is time to get you one - at least a Nano. With that, you can carry around music, but also notes, calendars, etc. Besides, many schools now offer up class notes and lectures through podcasts and other mechanisms.
And if you have some PC games, you can use BootCamp to boot into Windows and run them.
What is frequently left out of the PC debate (Mac vs. Windows) is the single butt to kick/blame you get when you buy an Apple. It is only marginably more expensive (and if you toss in a bunch of the s/w, it really isn't) and you have one 800 number to call in case something doesn't work. Try that with Dell/Microsoft/ATI/Software Company du jour. I have, and it is just a hassle.
Keep your technology simple while you are at school. Time is valuable - you'll need it for sleeping and not tech support.
Ask an easy question get a difficult answer
by danleiper - 8/11/06 8:48 AM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Collin, and anyone else who has scrolled this far down, a simple message: don't go cheap and don't go expensive. If it's cheap it will die in two-three years (my experience) if it is expensive you'll be pissed when it is outdated in 6 months.
I have a macbook and love it, it is not for everyone.
some brands good, some brands arent
by 1337rice - 8/14/06 6:17 AM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Apple - unless you have experience with OS X, you can take it. But if you plan installing Windows,that is just pathetic in a macbook.
Toshiba - toshiba never really made them as notebooks. The Satellite was more suited as a replacement from the huge desktop PC making portability in college or university a no-no. However, there are some small notebooks, but its a lot higher.
Compaq - Compaqs on the other hand are pretty compact. However, the lower the price you're buying, the performance degrades by a mile. Compaq will be suited for those who are looking for price rather than performance.
HP - Would be the more expensive versions of the Compaq and would be at the same level as Toshiba.
Acer - This would be the winner for price FOR performance. So far, Acer has came out with the ONLY dual core cpu notebook selling for only $900 CAN. If you want style as well, you can go for the Acer Ferrari.
ASUS - this would be slightly expensive than Acer, depending on which model to buy. If you want ultracompact, I suggest getting a W5 model considering it has a small webcam at the top, so instead of TYPING lectures, you can RECORD the lectures (although that may not be a good thing though..)
LG - the Xnote series are pretty good as well. Weighing 4lbs, 12" screen, 6 hour battery life per charge, made with titanium. Durable, compact...but not cheap...
Dell - Dell notebooks are thick. You would buy a Dell only if you don't know computers much and therefore rely on Dell's technical support.
Lenovo - for $1200 CAN, you can get a Core Duo which is quite amazing.
overall, Acer would be the best bet if you were to give a decent price for a decent performace. It really depends on your taste. If you want really fast, then go with an expensive notebook. Acer would be the best bet for midrange and Compaq would be suited for the lower range.
Don't buy a DELL
by edieella - 8/24/06 4:46 PM In reply to: Honorable mentions by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been servicing laptops forever and the most troublesome is DELL. They are far the most overrated. If you are looking for a great buy at laptop: You can start at the brand of laptop which most IT Professionals prefer TOSHIBA. Next on the List is Apple then HP and then SONY. Then you will reach the brands like Alienware and maybe a few like ACER and so on . Then if you are really stuck in grasps of this marketing giant. Then do the DELL. But don't say we didn't warn you!
I disagree ... Dell Laptops have worked fine
by ahmadi1981 - 8/25/06 4:38 AM In reply to: Don't buy a DELL by edieellaI have worked in the IT world (Business Development)for 8 years and have used Dell laptops (Latitudes) and IBM (Thinkpads)laptops. With both brands I had one service failure that was with Dell when a HD crashed. I consider that pretty good since I travel over 50% of my time and the laptop gets hauled around the world. I have been using laptops for work since 1990 and have seen many changes.
My fellow business travelers and friends use mainly Dell, IBM, HP, Sony. Many like IBM because of the global support. I don't remember seeing many Toshiba, except for the guys that work for them. Yes, I was had a Toshiba long ago, but it had battery issues. Your comments about Dell being a marketing giant sound like many who rant on MS.
Would I buy an off-brand name such as Alienware, etc. for my daughter to use going off to college. Most likely not due to support and service.
Other recommendations by our members
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 8/10/06 7:10 PM
In reply to: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Other recommendations by our members
Answer:
Collin,
You have quite an exciting few weeks ahead. As for which brand of laptop to choose, you will need to decide for yourself; Dell, HP, and Toshiba would be a good start. Since its back to school (and the new Intel Core 2 Duo wont be out yet), you should be able to get a good deal on an Intel processor. While AMD typically is preferred for desktops, Intel seems to have the upper hand in the laptop market. I am excited to see what AMD will do in the future for laptops, but I have not heard many positives about the ML laptop processors. I would stay away from Intel Celeron processors altogether. You could consider the Intel Pentium M if you can get a great deal, but try to get the newest processor you possibly can.
If you are into movies and music, Windows Media Center would be a good choice as an OS. Depending on your budget, 1 to 2 gigabytes of RAM would be preferred (make sure you have 2 DIMMS if it is DDR2 RAM - Say, if you choose 1GB, make sure you have two sticks of 512MB of RAM; I believe it is Dell that occasionally gives you the option of 1 DIMM). Your graphics will most likely be integrated or borrow from system RAM, so keep that in mind. I do not think it is worth adding on to the size, weight, and price of your laptop to get a high-end graphics card. If you want to play cutting edge games, consider a console.
As for screen size, 14 to 15 inches would be about as big as I would go, because you want your laptop to be able to fit onto the tiny desks in lecture halls. The hard drive is especially important, try to get one that runs at no lower than 5,400 rpm (7,200 would be preferred). If you plan on putting all your music on your laptop, consider a 80 to 100 gigabyte hard drive, but remember, this will add a good bit to the price. Battery life is continually getting better, so consider 1 good battery, or two decent batteries (6-cell will suffice). Most colleges have Wi-Fi, so keep that in mind when you are picking out your laptop. This way you can cruise the internet during boring lectures.
As for productivity applications, you have a few decisions to make. The first choice to make is whether you want to pay or get free open source software. Openoffice.org is a program that I am currently trying out, and it seems to be very comparable to Microsoft Small Business 2003. If you prefer to have Microsoft, your best bet will probably be your University bookstore, as they offer great savings on software to students. Office 2007 will be out soon, but not in time for when school starts. You can visit Microsoft's website and download the beta version. For me, however, I used a free trial of Corel, which did not work out so well. A lot of my professors post spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations on the internet, and us students can download them and print them. With Corel, though, there were way too many conversions issues, it did not work well at all. Fortunately, your school will probably have computing labs that have most of the software that the professors have access to, so you are set either way.
Good Luck with the buying process and with your first year. Remember, it is much easier to work hard your first semester and have a higher gpa than it is spending the final 3 and a half years trying to make up for it. Take care,
--Submitted by: Jared
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I have had many experiences with electronics in the past 10 years working with companies
like HP, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, Motorola, Tiny, Ericsson and Sony. My suggestion is to
buy a Sony Laptop unless you are going to be learning graphic design or some other form
of artistic degree where a MAC would be far better.
There is a trend I have seen in my own experiences. Foreign is better, less break downs or
problem areas. That is not to be confused with American companies having their items made
in China or on foreign soil.
Tiny laptop computers (made in Great Britain were to fastest I have seen. However, there was
one tiny problem...no pun intended...in that the connectors to hook to US devices needed
adapting. Perhaps in the advent of more impressive memory sticks that hold 1G and better
this is not a problem but something to consider.
Ericsson phones (made in Sweden) were the most durable cell phones I have ever seen or
used but our US companies decided to not import from the best but to combine Sony with
Ericsson (in Mexico) which was designed differently.
I purchased a Minolta digital camera 18 months ago for over $400.00 but now I can not buy
the battery recharger because Minolta went belly up. Sony bought them out but no charger
to buy. Whew, I finally found mine.
HP bought out Compaq (a great laptop that I refuse to get rid of) and turned Compaq into HP
quality...phhhtttt. I had little problem with my Compaq desktop, all three HPs has conflict issues.
PC's are set for gaming and if you plan to do graphic design there is going to be conflict. The
question is how much.
The Dell hard drive died 5 weeks after I bought it. The DVD player malfunctioned and the CD
exploded in the computer. Dell's next day business service took 2 weeks for them to send ME
the (refurbished) dvd drive to install myself. This does not even begin to consider other problems
that never resolved.
What I have noticed is Sony buying out floundering companies. My next laptop will definately be
a Sony.
--Submitted by: DBoone
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Answer:
Hey Collin simplistically all I can say is go with alienware. Not only is it renouned but pick a 14 inch sentia and fix it up all the with all options to the max and it should run around $1944 but if you choose the basic system youll get it for $999. and right now alienware has a special deal for college students with a area 51 m5750 notebook, alienware oddysey backpack, sennheiser headset, and a 2gig thumbdrive with free shipping for only 1499! I got my Alienware Notebook a month ago and all I can say is that it is smooth and efficient I got it for $1500.19 (no tax on it unless you live in florida) with free shipping, free alienware oddysey messenger bag, 256 thumb drive, sennheiser PC 140 headset, and 512mb CE-IV mp3 player! here's what my system comprised of
Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) M 1.60GHz
System Memory 512MB
Graphics Card Dual(Not SLI): Intel Extreme 128MB Integrated Graphics or nVidia 256MB GeForce Go 6600 MXM (this system has a switch on the front side of the notebook that lets you choose integrated graphics to save battery power or lets you pick discreet nVidia for powerful graphic processing when you turn it on)
Hard Drive: Samsung 60GB
Optical Drive: Slimline Combo DVD/RW and CDRW drive
Operating System: Window Media Center Edition (amazingly I connected this laptop to my xbox 360 through my wireless home network and I streamed video and pics off of it to my xbox 360 to display on my high def tv)
Networking: Wireless Card built in, wired Ethernet Port and Dial Up modem built in
Audio: Realtek 7.1 high definition audio output
Screen: 15.4 inch WSXUGA 1680 x 1050 high definition screen 16/10 aspect ratio (widescreen)
I love my notebook and it has not crashed on me ever, it is ready for windows vista and its got a CD which came with my order for microsoft works suite which should more than satisfy your wordprocessing needs and also just download the windows media player version 11 beta on it and youll have audiophile bliss. As for portability the sentia weighs only 4lbs and will come with a oddysey backpack with space for a lot of other things even if you don’t pick this notebook just go look at it at www.alienware.com and read the owner reviews. Good luck hunting Imran Rehman Houston Texas.
--Submitted by: Imran R.
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Answer:
Collin,
There is no simple answer to your question as there are as many different laptops as their seem to be car types today. As far as your wanting to purchase a small lightwieght laptop with long battery life I suggest something in the sony line there are 4lb laptops out there where most laptops are typically 6 lbs. The downside is of course everyone I have talked to states they are more likely to break. As for battery life I have found I like to operate my computer in full power mode that usually means my battery will die in 2-3 hours depending on the applications I am using. To combat this I have two extra batteries on hold with a dual bay battery charging dock. For my particular computer, (toshiba satilite M55 series) this seems to work the best. My advice is to check your budget, and see what laptops have these sorts of accessories for your price range.
As for web access, most laptops are equipped with wireless connectivity and a network card. Most colleges offer internet access via their system, but there are often disclosures you have to sign when doing so. This access can be wireless or through a network. Your other options are to set up with a hotspot carrier or a broadband wireless internet card. I personally use a verizon g3 card that allows me access to the internet cellularly at near dsl speeds anywhere verizon is but the service is pricey. Please keep in mind that most laptops aren't that compatible with upgrading like a desktop pc, and some colleges actually prohibit the use of laptops in class.
The bottom line is this: most Laptops have all the accessories that you desire as far as software goes. The hardware, accessories, and cost are usually a determining factor. For example what is the secondary use going to be, games? internet browsing? a music station? Find out what the minimum specs are for what you want to use it for, and buy a little higher than that. Also find out if extra batteries and support are available for your laptop. There is nothing worse than having to lug a "dead" 1600$ laptop from third period history of civ to fourth period college algebra knowing they don't make extra batteries for it.
Hopefully this has helped
--Submitted by: Daniel S.
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Answer:
Fortunately Collin, there is an answer, TODAY, for YOU.
Unfortunately, YOU must do the research and get many opinions to make that answer right for you.
* You can get battery life to the 8 hour range - You need to filter the "truth stretching".
* You can get portability to the 3 pound range - make sure it includes the battery.
* You can get reliability from non-existent to built like a battleship - many reports of broken hinges kept me away from eMachines laptops. My first laptop was built so well, it has never needed repair and still works. Unfortunately, it never gets turned on anymore because it is technologically unuseable.
* Consider that your needs will change throughout school and after - a low cost can make upgrading to a newer model a lot more palitable.
* Consider built in wireless a must.
* Consider a USB 2 port a must.
* You can live without a CD/DVD reader if you have wireless, USB, and a thumb drive.
* ALSO consider a refurbished unit - there is a chance that the unit is a lemon, but most of these never had a real problem and were returned because they were wrong for the person - an impulse buy.
With that said - IMHO - there will be no one answer here that will give you the answer you want, because no single persons experience will be all defining of any one product. If it were, there wouldn't be so many products to chose from.
* You must define the top parameters you want.
* You must utilize the resources available, which include many review web sites, and PERSONAL user opinion sites - easily found with web searches.
* You then refine your top parameters if needed and repeat.
For a quick purchase it would help to have a list of a few choices when visiting your local or web store.
Of course, some people put more value into less decision making so the amount of "due diligence" you put into it will vary.
good luck
--Submitted by: Bill R
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Answer:
Check with the school before you commit to buy, most colleges if they don’t have a requirement for a certain setup will have suggestions, and significant discounts. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology requires each incoming student buy a laptop from the school. It comes fully-loaded with all the software you will need, any upgrades for the next four years is built into the price, and you get a four year warrantee with on-campus service. And you can finance it for four years. Heck of a deal. Your college may have a similar package. Other than that, get a Dell, spec’ed out with the all the processor and RAM you can afford, and pay the extra for the 3 year warranty. That way you have on-site warranty service for 3 years, and Dell does you right. Compaq/HP if you have any type of support desk problems have your credit card ready, because if they decide your complaint is not their problem, they will bill your card. Buying an off-brand, consider it a good door stop if you have any trouble, because it is seldom you can get them fixed.
--Submitted by: Van
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Answer:
Dear Collin,
I found myself in a similar position. I also needed a laptop which does that kind of things. Office, music, movies and of web browsing.
But, like you said, battery life, weight and portabilty are really important.
I have compared several laptops. Such as the Dell Inspiron 640m, the Inspiron 9400 and the Apple Macbook. I baught the Apple Macbook and it is brilliant. I recommend the system to you. Let me explain why.
First of all the feature set. The Macbook does a lot of things. I can do word processing on it on three different programs. The standard texteditor, Apple's iWork or Microsoft Office For Mac. It plays music with Quicktime or iTunes. It plays movies as well and with FrontRow you can even stream trailers! Web browsing is no problem as well and it is pretty safe to surf on a Mac, you're not invulnerable though.
That's the software, now the hardware. The Intel Core Duo is really fast, especially for office, music and web usage! The Intel GMA950 graphic chip is really good for 2D performance. In fact, the Intel GMA950 gives me a sharper 2D image than my ATI Radeon X800 in my desktop PC. You can also connect a HD-TV or monitor to your monitor with a mini-DVI to VGA or DVI cable (costs like 20$). There is also a built in webcam (iSight) and the touchpad is really good. The keyboard is really quiet and types really well. There are 2 USB ports and there is even a FireWire 400 port. Another nice feature is the built-in Airport WiFi thing. You can go wireless really easy! Last thing, the Macbook features a built-in BlueTooth thing so you can transfer files from your phone to your Macbook or you can use the new BlueTooth Mighty Mouse.
Battery life. Well, this thing is bloody awesome. I could use my battery for 5 hours and 30 minutes. I turned off my WiFi and BlueTooth though and adjusted the brightness of the screen but with WiFi on you can still go up to 4 hours. And it is portable, the screen is only 13,3" and it weighs like 2,5 kg's so it isn't really heavy.
I say the Macbook is THE best choice. You can buy one for less than 1099$ and you will receive a big discount on a iPod if you buy now.
The Macbook looks really nice, has got loads of features and is really mobile with a long battery life.
Greetings,
--Submitted by: Floris V. E.
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Answer:
Yo, Collin. Basically, you're criteria warrant these recommendations:
For Games, be sure to get a laptop with decent graphics, that means some big name cards with a lot of video RAM, try looking for ATI or nVidia.
For MP3 storage/playback, you'll probably want a harddrive of at least 40GB. No smaller than 20GB if you want to save cash.
As for word processing and spreadsheets, that won't have any bearing on which computer you buy. All computers will do that, it's just a question of software. Microsoft Office is a good package of software that includes utilities to do what you need, but also come with a lot that you don't. There are alternatives, like OpenOffice.org. Again, this is software, so what computer you put it on really doesn't matter.
And the same goes for webbrowsing - Most, if not all - computers come with browsing capability. It won't matter what you get there either.
One last recommendation: be careful if you buy a Dell. A growing problem with a few of their models has appeared recently, a problem which causes them to explode. Also, if you get a new PowerBooks, don't forget to remove the plastic from the air vent on the back, it will get very hot otherwise.
Another point to consider is what you'll primarily be using this for. You can buy the nice, widescreen laptops, such as the HP L2000, but that isn't as portable as other models. So be sure to think about that in your selection process.
Good luck, and enjoy college!
--Submitted by: Jake H.
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Answer:
Hey Collin,
Being a recent college graduate who had a laptop all 4 years, I figured I could offer some help. The first thing to do is contact your university and find out if it offers any kind of special deals for incoming students with certain computer manufacturers – a lot of schools do this. Second, you should decide whether you want a PC or a Mac. Both will run Microsoft Office which is the most essential software package for any university student, and the Student and Teacher Edition will cost you several hundred dollars less than the standard edition. Although I had an IBM Thinkpad R51 throughout my college experience, the headache caused by numerous hardware failures, viruses, and Windows crashes was enough to make me become a Mac user - there’s nothing quite like having your system crash the night before a huge paper is due.
That said, the new 13” MacBook delivers an excellent combination of portability, weight, and battery life, not to mention an affordable price tag (plus, if you buy one now, you get an iPod Nano for free). MP3 playback, picture sharing, and movie creation is a breeze with the included software package. You’ll want at least 1GB of RAM so you can run multiple Office applications at the same time and not experience lagging (you’ll definitely want to pick up Microsoft Office for Mac). While you may not be able to play the most hardware intensive games on a Mac, there are still plenty of games out there, and especially with the switch to Intel chips, more games are surely on the way.
Hope this helps,
--Submitted by: Jon L. of Baltimore, MD
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Answer:
Good Morning,
We just did the same for our son and Office Depot has some great prices on Toshibas and HPs. We actually bought one of each. Avoid Gateway machines like the plague - they are priced right but we tried one of their machines and they are a nightmare to deal with - it took 9 months and dozens of hours to get their credit card company off our backs for a machine we never even got! Their customer service department lied to us over and over!
In any event, a couple of things we learned, and we hope it is helpful - buy your extended warranty from the manufacturer within 30 days of getting the machine and make sure you buy screen coverage. One drop and it takes a thousand dollars to replace. If I remember correctly, one advantage of the Toshiba, is they have a 4 year plan while HP only has a 3 year. You can also talk to the sales person and if you don't buy the first time, they will offer you a discount on the second call.
Another really important thing we learned was DO NOT CARRY IT IN A COMPUTER BAG! Theft of computers is rampant. Get something that looks like a bookbag on one would want and if your attention strays from it for a moment, chances are it will be there when you turn back.
Blessings on your studies, enjoy school, keep your nose clean and have the best year yet of your Eternal Life!
--Submitted by: Michael R.
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Answer:
College can be a tough time and so can making the decisions that go along with it, just like your question. As sophomore in college i was plagued with the same delima you are in now about the laptop. I did the research and i came to my conclusion. I bought a powerbook G4 from Apple. Here are some of the reasons that led me to my decision.
No viruses and spyware!!!! Easy to use operating system (if you know how to use windows you already know how to use a MAC) It dose music and mp3's like a champ. As for Microsoft office suite, it runs as good or if not better on a Apple, and some will agree with me on that also. Portability is great its only about a inch think and just over
5.5 lbs. Now the line up that offered by Apple now for laptops is even better than when i purchased mine over a year ago. They are all running intel chips which give you the versatility of using either OSX or Windows on the same machine natively. You really cant ask for a better combination. As far as customer service goes Apple is unparalleled in the business. If you get the extended warranty which I highly recomend getting they have next day service if you take it into a Apple store. Batterly life on the Apple laptops is great i usually get 3 hrs of use per chage out of my powerbook. My sister who also is going to college this year and my parents just bought her a new 2gzh macbook and she also gets 3 hrs of battery life. The screen resolution is amazing and looks awesome. Overall if you have a iPod or music in general and like to microsoft office there shouldnt be anything stopping you form getting a Apple, plus you get a student discount on all their products and services because your a college student. If there is anything i didn't cover please go to www.apple.com/gertamac for more information. I think you will like your new Apple laptop, which ever one you may choose.
Your Mac using Counterpart,
--Submitted by: Todd W.
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Dear Collin,
I was kind of in the same situation. I needed a computer for a backpacking photography class, so I was considering all of the same things you are, especially weight and portability. I looked around and discovered that for small lightweight notebooks that all prices are fairly comparable, however, Apple has a deal for students going on right now that if you buy a computer from them, they will give a free ipod Nano (after rebate). They give a 10% discount to all students, so that brought the price down a little bit too. Basically, you can get a 13in. wide screen computer that weighs about 5lbs and is about and inch thick with a 5-6 hour battery life for around $1300. That is with 1g of RAM, an 80g hard drive and a 2.0ghz Intel Core Duo processor. Because of the great processor, doing pretty much anything is fast, especially browsing the Internet. The video card on the MacBook isn't great, but it will get the job done. They also have Microsoft office for Macs at $100 after rebate. I would recommend finding an Apple store and looking at one there. They have great people that will answer all of your questions and it is really easy to get the student discount at the store. If you don't care if you try it first, you can go online to www.apple.com and follow the links for the education discount. I had never used a Mac before, but the transition seems to be pretty easy. There are a lot of features that I am really enjoying and I'm sure that there are hundreds of others that I will discover later, but for now, it is what I need with a lightweight, portable, feature filled, and powerful computer.
Respectfully,
--Submitted by: Sebastian J. <°((((><
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Answer:
Collin,
as a high school grad who bought his laptop a few months ago, i have had the same dilema. Most laptops have a hard drive capacity of 60-100 gigs, so if you have a huge mp3 collection, you will need some secondary storage, like cds or an external hard drive (not recommended since they break down easily). If you are focused on battery life, make sure you get a lower end HP or Dell, since they are fairly cheap (around $1200) for a decent model, and have 4+ hours of battery life. when you order, make sure you can get at least a 9 cell battery, to extend the battery life of the computer. If you are interested in gaming, make sure you get a dedicated video card, since you dont want the card stealing RAM to render video. This will get you better graphics performance. The HP dv5000t and the dell Inspiron E1505 (evalue code 6V620-E1505S2) when customized with a core duo 1.86, 128 meg graphics card, 1 gig ram, intel network card, an 80 gig hard drive and an extended battery without microsoft office (i will assume you already have a copy, or can use OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org)) will cost around $1200. The battery lives should be at least 4 hours, probably more with just doing word processing applications. They will be a little heavy at around 7 pounds, due to the video card and the heavier battery, but thats the tradeoff you have to make.
Hope this helps
--Submitted by: Sandeep V.
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Answer:
Hi Collin,
depending on your subjects one might recommend Apple or Linux. If that's not your cup of tea, check out the offers in your local store.
Most laptops have an average battery life of approximately 2 hours, with the exception of Dell and Panasonic (approximately 4 hours).
However, if you get a good offer on another brand: take it and invest the savings into a second battery. Personally I have been using Dell for the last couple of years and can't complain. I am currently on a Latitude x300 (fairly small, light weight) and have to say, it copes well with a lot of bashing around. If you want a "peace-of-mind"
solution there is next day on site service and a 3 or 5 year protection plan (for a fee, of course), in case something goes wrong just before that all important paper is due. Spare a minute or two to think about back ups! There are some great tips on CNET. Minimum is a USB drive or an external harddisk, I also tend to mail any important documents to myself in an online mail account (gmail or yahoo... take your pick).
Think about a _good_ laptop bag, not the ones you get for free thrown in. While at uni, I used a special laptop backpack, so I could through my other stuff (books, notes) in and carry the weight on both shoulders.
Have fun,
--Submitted by: Claudia H.
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Answer:
hi collin,
there is absolutely no question you need a "MacBook", it can do all the word processing etc. etc. and it is less prone to catching viruses and other worms.
you'll need optional ram either to 1 GB + $ 100.00 or to 2 GB + $ 500.00
you have a choice of HD from 60 GB standard to 80 / 100 / 120 GB = no problem with storage.
DVI to VGA adapters are available.
add iWork 06 software and you are all set.
i like the apple usb modem for slow but mor reliable & safer communication with your bank.
last but not least: the applecare protection plan. if you have trouble, the people on the other end of the phone are real trained technicians that have helped me more then once out of a jam. i only had to wait a little bit when something went wrong on a weekend, during the week the service was very good and fast.
as for your games i don't know much about them but you can install the latest version of windows on your mac if you need the games that bad.
i would never do it because i like the fact that apple is less exposed to viruses etc. and as soon as windows is installed you open your laptop to all the pc troubles with viruses, worms and add-scams.
i always thought that we spend all that time and money to go to a
university to acquire useful knowledge that will give us a paycheck, big enough to live off and repay our student loans to parents or banks.
but then, maybe i'm just to practical and old fashioned even so we had some very good parties [ with real living breathing cramming colleagues ] in my days.
have fun but don't forget: learning is supposed to be your primary goal when at a university.
--Submitted by: hitsch
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Answer:
Since you've got less than a month left, just get to school a day or so early (with checkbook in hand). Survey a few seniors as to what they have, how they like it, and if they would choose a different system now.
But wait! Don't stop with only a few upperclassmen's opinions. If your school assigns you a faculty advisor, ask the prof--especially if you have declared a specific major which might require certain kinds of software and hardware or even platform.
Finally, go to the school's bookstore. Most have very reasonably priced machines designed to meet your needs and wants--and they're in stock.
Do NOT
1) Panic--it's not worth it the stress. Most likely, you will not have a paper due the second day of class. Even if you do, you can use the machines at school. Just have a thumb drive to save your work to.
2) Trust another freshman for advice. Unless they've done all the above, they'll be as clueless as you have been.
Unfortunately, my own experiences do not apply. I had a choice of a manual typewriter, an electric typewriter, or just use pen and paper.
--Submitted by: Robert P.--Class of '72.
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Answer:
Dear Collin,
From Your Question I get the Idea that you need a laptop that is dedicated to normal usage and with good price. The most important feature you should look at is the RAM, a 512 to 1 GB is good. and as you will use it in classes its a good idea if you invest in a 12 call battery as most laptops come with a 6 cell battery. the last point I would like you to take in mind is the WIFI so your laptop should be an INTEL CENTRINO, this tech. allows you to access the Internet wireless through hotspots - usually available in universities- these are the main things you should take in mind. On the other hand a processor of 1.8 GH Dual proc. ( AS MOST LAPTOPS COME WITH DUAL)
A video card of 128 MB is enough.
Finally take in mind the NEW HP laptops with the built in cam and mic and screen size of 14.1 ( which is a very good choice for students).
I hope this helps
Regards
--Submitted by: Amer J.
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Answer:
I have been in college since 2003 and have learned a few things about what kind of laptops to get. Here are the things I have learned:
1. Get an extended warranty - you know that it will eventually get dropped 2. get at least 512MB RAM - you will appreciate the extra RAM even with Word 3. 60GB 5400rpm HDD or higher - with all the pics and music you will have, the hard Drive will fill up fast 4. keep the weight as low as your budget allows - preferably under 6.5 lbs.
- mine is a hefty 7.5 lbs which is hard to carry across the campus
Laptops I would recommend:
1. Toshiba Satellite A105-S2021 - $849 @ www.toshibadirect.com 2. Gateway NX510s - also $849 @ www.gateway.com
--Submitted by: Patrick T.
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Answer:
Laptop for school.
1. Check with your school and see if they support Windows XP Home or if you need Pro.
2. Make sure that the system is Vista upgradeable. I don't suggest that you get Vista now, unless you want to become real good friends with MS support.
3. Get the Student version of Office. Word is useless.
4. Almost all machines come with wireless as standard, but since some cheap ones don't have it, make sure yours has it installed inside the unit (not an add on card).
--Submitted by: Will R.
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Answer:
Sounds like you are using it for some pretty basic stuff. If you are not doing video editing or heavy duty applications you can get by with a celleron or Sempra chip. I have a compaq presario V2403NR (pat of the V2000 series) as my second computer and use applications similar to you. I paid around 400 for this machine, but did upgrade the memory and the battery. I love it, it is a cheap machine I take everywhere and I only spent around 600 with the upgrades! The specs are:
• Cerlon 1.4 gig
• Hard drive= 40 gig ( I would suggust larger)
• memory=512
• altec lansing speakers
• 1 year warranty (extended can be purchased for 99 bucks anytime during the year)
• Battery= 3 hours life ( plus I have the original that gives me an hour and a half)
• CDRW/DVD rom
• Operating system is XP home
Like I said not the most powerful but for what you need it will get the job done, you will have to buy office if you want excell but I believe there are other free alternatives out there.
--Submitted by: Ken S.
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Answer:
I have recently went back to shool after being injured with carpal tunnel. I have the Toshiba Tablet PC. I recommend it for all students. It allows you to take the monitor and turn it into a notepad. Which recognizes your handwriting and turns your documents to word. C-Net did a review of the tablet pc's that will be usefull to compare brands. Toshiba has recently upgraded the Sattelite R-15 to Sattelite R-20 There is also the Teccra M400 model. Compared to other brand names Toshiba has geared this model to the student.
--Submitted by: Jacqueline P.
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I would go with the Toshiba Protege M405 Tablet PC for school. It is quite easy to jot down notes on the main screen and has a extensive list of features.
--Submitted by: Jack
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Answer:
Hello Collin, If you would like a great laptop go to HP.com and search the dv2000t. This laptop is ultra thin and light (portability - check!)If you get it with an 80gb Hard Drive you have alot of storage. (Games and MP3 - Check Bonus!) With a 12 cell lithium Ion battery you get about 5 - 6 hours of life. It weighs about 5 lbs.
A Duo processor will allow you to run more programs at higher speeds. If you customize it like I told you to, you will pay exactly $1,047.99, and if that isn't in your budget then the starting price is $750.00...
--Submitted by: Thomas C. of Clifton, NJ
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Answer:
I struggled with the same dilemma. I wrote to this Forum and received sound advice. If money is not a concern the most bang for the buck is without a doubt the MAC laptops. If your budget is more limited and you want to have a warranty go to the refurbished offerings on any of the manufacturers and see if you find what you want. You may still opt for a new one, like I did. I bought the Dell E1505 which will be delivered at the end of August after I watched the Editor Reviews on this website. Good Luck!
--Submitted by: Lawrence G.
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Answer:
Hi, well I saw the question from colin c of milwaukee for advice on buying a laptop (which, lets face it, is a real jungle, due to the vastness of selection). I have just purchased a laptop for my son who is at university here in england, it's a used dell which isnt the fastest in the world (900mgs) but does everything that he needs, it was purchased on ebay and has a garentee which came from the channel islands and was able to ship all over the world, the name of the seller can be suplied if required. The cost was £112 and real bargins are allways available.
Hope this helps.
--Submitted by: MIKE. UK.
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Answer:
The Dell Inspiron E1405 is a good choice if you want an affordable lighter notebook with word, while the Inspiron E1705 is graphics card upgradeable through dell. Either one their both a good pick.
--Submitted by: Daniel S.
Which Laptop
by NYBRN - 8/11/06 9:45 AM In reply to: Other recommendations by our members by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The question is simple. How much money can you afford? If you have $1800 - $2200, buy an Apple Laptop. They look great, they never crash and they have all the capacity you'll need for the next 4-5 years. They also offer applications that are easy to use and will foster new areas of interest for you. The combination of iPod, iTunes and your MacBook can bring you many hours of enjoyment between classes and parties. If you're going to use a laptop in college, you might as well make it enjoyable. Consider a Logitech video camera as well. The world is "moving" 24/7, you should get to experience it via video.
One thing missed in some recommendations
by TonyGore - 8/11/06 1:43 AM In reply to: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Many schools and colleges issue requirements; some insist on XP Pro so that they can patch the operating system automatically and thus keep the whole network safer than if anything can connect to it.
Many of the cheaper laptops are XP Home, so take care - upgrading from XP Home to XP Pro after purchase can cost you as much as the laptop did in the first place, whereas if it is an option at purchase time, it is much, much cheaper.
For most students, if Word is the only real Microsoft application you need, it is often cheaper to buy MS Works which includes Word than to buy Word itself. OpenOffice, which is free, would also suit most students.
Cost for upgrade to XP Pro
by kwkid - 8/11/06 12:18 PM In reply to: One thing missed in some recommendations by TonyGoreI am very confused by your statement that upgrading from XP Home to XP Pro would be almost as costly as the computer yourself. With the absolute cheapest notebook price that I have seen at $400.00, I would not consider the price of $150.00 to be "close" to the cost of the computer. Either you are paying way too much for your software or you are buying $200.00 laptops. I have no idea which.
Just one thing to add...
by Zoom-PC - 8/11/06 2:37 AM In reply to: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Collin,
You may want to consider a Tablet PC since you'll probably be doing a lot of note taking in class. Compared to standard laptops, writing on a Tablet is quieter than typing and lets you add sketches and diagrams more easily.
Tablet PCs are usually more expensive, but Gateway's tablets are reasonably priced. I assume this is because they are mid-size(6-7 lbs) rather than the typical sub 5 lb tablets. In fact, there's a well equipped model currently on sale at Best Buy for $1099: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7889207&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01175&id=1149206139931
(14'' WXGA, 100GB SATA, 1GB RAM, Intel Core Duo, Dual-layer DVD burner, media card reader... - check full specs at the link above). At that price, the Tablet functionality is practically a free bonus.
Gateway has great service. I've had a previous model for a few months now and when I broke my stylus, I called Gateway and they sent a new one right away at no charge. I've been so happy with the laptop that I've been recommending it to clients and friends. Three of which have bought one.
PS I have no affiliation with Best Buy or Gateway.
college software savings
by eyore15 - 8/11/06 8:02 AM In reply to: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Before you start buying software, check with your college. Mine has an agreement with several major "labels":
Office XP Bundle = $25 includes Word, Excell, Access (normally a separate purchase), PowerPoint, publisher, FrontPage
Dreamweaver MX = $35
SPSS = $15
Plus a bunch of other productivity software and specialty stuff aimed at specific majors.
eyore15
more about software
by Talron - 8/11/06 9:58 AM In reply to: college software savings by eyore15Before you go out and start purchasing software you should know that some basic programs such as spreadsheets and word processors can be aquired for free. There's an office suite called OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) that is completely free and has the same features as Microsoft Office. OpenOffice can read Microsoft Office files, such as .doc (Word Document) and .xls (Excel Document). The only major negative difference between the two is that OpenOffice doesn't have an equivalent of Microsoft Publisher.
College Recommendations
by istdoc - 8/11/06 8:21 AM In reply to: 8/11/06 Laptops: which one to buy? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
To use the great information offered by responses such as this, it is important to go to the University or College's website and search for "Computer Recommendations". Indiana University has a GREAT site: http://kb.iu.edu/data/antk.html at which they offer the recommendations. There is also a link to a page that shows the deals IU has created with both Dell and with Apple.
The responses that suggest new students should check with their colleges/universities on what kind of equipment should be purchased are "spot on".
However, looking back at my own graduate experience, I wish that I had waited a month before getting my own setup. The university had MANY computer labs, and I got the opportunity to look over my new friends' computers. I had a MUCH better picture after a month of school - with a better idea of how to use it. I spent too much money on features that were not needed at the time.
Kurt
IST Doctoral Candidate
Indiana University Bloomington
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