Miscellaneous laptop discussions forum: Buying first laptop, help please.

heres a couple of questions to help you get started.

What is your budget?

How are you planning on using the laptop? (school,work,entertainment,gaming, editing video/pics)

Screen size?

Preference of OS? (Vista,XP,OSX)

i mentioned this because there is several to choose from and depending on your choice will limit which laptop you can get. If you want to stick to windows xp the only one i can think of that still offers it is dell, but i could be wrong.

If you want to give vista a try than any new computer will do. And if you choose OSX than you got three choices (macbook, macbook air, and macbook pro)

As to specific brands i prefer HP. i really like there dv2700 series. ( i own the older 2200 series) the screen is perfect at 14.1 for me but you may want to go up to the 6700 series for the 15.4 its your own personal preference. Other brands i recommend it the sony CR series and ASUS has great machines too .. Dell is another reliable brand, but again its personal preference it might be for you but i don't like them.

Mars

if you want a good notebook in your price range get a dell xps with vista ultimate. don't listen to these long winded posts. why get confused by babblings? a 15" to 17" screen is perfect. if macs ran for more than a month i would recommend them, but why waste money on something that will be repaired more than you'll be using. get the xps!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're buying your first computer, not just your first laptop.

Here's what I would do-
- find out what your school recommends

- look to my friends. If I had a friend who was really tech-heavy I'd lean on him; what does he like & why? Would he be willing to help when (not if!) you have problems, etc. Agree on a rate (even if it's pizza & beer) for his time when he helps out.

If you were my friend and asked for my insights-

If your school is heavy-PC; I like the Lenovo thinkpads. I've owned 5 of 'em over the past few years, very reliable, rugged, easy to update, etc.

If your school is mac-friendsly I'd point you toward a Macbook Pro; expensive on the front-end but keep their resale value very well.

If all other things are equal I'd point you toward a mac as it seems to be an easier OS to learn on.

Thanks for asking and happy computing!

I recently wrote an article about how to buy laptops, so the following should help you out.

Some of the things you need to consider when buying a laptop include:

1. Processor
One of the first things you need to consider in a laptop is the CPU. The latest laptop CPUs include Intel's Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors which outperform older single-core Intel processors (e.g. Pentium M). Other laptops use the AMD Athlon Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor - which is also a good performer. In general, however, if you're looking for a laptop, I'd advise you to look for one with an Intel Core Duo processor. You can also read this guide to find out more.

2. System memory
The amount of RAM in the laptop is very important. If you're not short of cash, my advice is to get at least 1GB of RAM - that is the minimum you need to get newer PC applications to run fast. Also remember that you can always add more memory to your existing laptop. You may be interested in this short guide on how to install new memory modules into a laptop.

3. Graphics memory
Laptop graphics are another feature you will want to consider. Typically, I'd say you should go for 128MB of dedicated video RAM. Also, ensure that the graphics memory is used solely for graphics use and not shared with the main memory. If you intend to play games on the laptop, then look for advanced 3D graphics chips with about 256MB to 512MB of dedicated graphics memory. Be prepared to fork out a lot more cash though.

4. Screen
You will also want to take a look at the laptop screen. Laptop screens have recently become bigger. Most of them have gone widescreen so you can watch movies or edit spreadsheets more comfortably.

If you intend to use the laptop from home a lot, then I'd go for a 17-inch wide screen. If you are more concerned about portability or if you travel a lot, then laptops with screen sizes of 12.1 or 13.3 inches might suit you better. There are also 14.1- or 15-inch screens for laptops, but I believe manufacturers are shifting away from these models.

5. Battery
Here's another critical factor - laptop battery life. I personally find it very frustrating to have my notebook power run out after 15 minutes at Starbucks. What you need to do is to buy a laptop that has about 3.5 hours of battery life, running on a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor. Make sure you question the retailer on how long the battery can last - a short battery life is usually a deal breaker for me.

6. Keyboard and Pointing Device
Some people believe that the keyboard and pointing device on a laptop is important. If you have big fingers, you might be more comfortable typing on a larger notebook keyboard than a small one. Make sure you try the laptop out - get the feel of typing and navigation before you buy the laptop.

7. Optical drives
I'd usually recommend getting a laptop with a rewritable DVD drive as a minimum. One thing you need to know is that some laptops sacrifice a DVD drive in exchange for a lighter weight and portability. If you don't think you need a DVD drive all the time, then you might want to get a model that doesn't have one.

8. Hard drive
In the laptop hard drive department, what can I say? More is better. These days, you can get a notebook hard drives coming in sizes of 160GB or more. You can also get SATA hard drives if you have more cash.

9. Weight
Another thing to note is the weight of the laptop. Now, when you buy a laptop, always remember that the total weight includes the notebook AND the AC adapter, any external modules, and their cables. These can add up to quite a bit of weight.


10. Communications
These days, you will find that most laptops come with at least two USB 2.0 ports - I'd recommend that as a minimum. If you do a lot of video editing, then a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port also becomes essential.

You should also check for good network capabilities. Make sure your new laptop has built-in ethernet capability, a built-in wireless connection and also built-in Bluetooth (if you need to transfer data between your mobile phone and the laptop).

Some of the laptops also include card slots for removable media such as CompactFlash, Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard. If you take a lot of digital photos, then this feature might matter to you.

Hope this helps you out.


Best Regards,
Gary Hendricks
http://www.best-laptop-guide.com

Hello,

If I were you I would get a Dell. For screen size I would get a 14" or 15", I have a 14.2" Dell Latitude and it is alright for size. Not too big but not too small and nice size package to carry around. On your operating system get Windows XP and not Vista. Read up on Vista and you will see all the bad posts about it. Uses way too much RAM and what people all say it is too slow. At Dell you can still get XP loaded onto a machine and it is a much better operatings system with less headaches that Vista has.Get a good graphics card on the machine and a 80-120 GB. hard drive. The 120 GB is what I would try to get. Make sure it has WiFi on the machine to connect wirelessly. Do some research on the Web but the main thing is the operating system and I stress getting XP versus Vista. You will enjoy the XP much more and get the XP Professional. Hope this helps and I not a techno file, just a average user of my laptop. I bought a refurbished corparate machine of eBay, with warranty and it is great machine and saved a ton of money. That is not a bad way to go especially for your first machine so you can get the feel and using one to then know your likes and dislikes and not out a lot of money. Then later you can buy your dream machine. GOOD LUCK!

If you haven't received this advise yet, after lots of input from those "in the know" here's what I did...
Go to DELL'S web site - search for "outlet" - You'll find refurbished computers - don't be afraid of the word "refurbished" on this site -- it's the official DELL site - you're not buying from an untrusted name.
All of these offerings are up to all DELL factory specs, and if you didn't tell anyone - you'd never know it wasn't new.
I got an Inspiron 1420 laptop (Rated tops on Consumers Reports) with everything I wanted. I first checked to see what a "new" one would cost me -- $1,123.00. The exact same "refurbished" cost me $669.00. You don't get as long a warranty, but at a savings of $454.00 it's really worth it... Good luck.

I suggest HP!!!!! I've had three HP's and never really had any problem with and matter of fact i'm on one right now thats 3 years old. I bought a acer 9100 notebook 18 months ago and it has been nothing but a problem. I sent it in for repairs to the usb ports and since then gave it to my nephew to play games on it. Well just last week I opened it up to install 120gig kingston harddrive and 2 more gigs of corsair ram and to my suprise there was 9 screws missing (only one screw holding the fan in place). I notified customer support and the told me that I had to send it in to place the screws in but I had to pay the shipping. Well all I have to say is customer support is important!!!!! HP is the way to go in my books. LOL they had HITACHI ram in it

Good discussion. So much depends on what you want to use it for, and WHERE. I currently have a Toshiba Satellite which I like, and I had no trouble switching from XP to Vista. A few points from my laptop experience.

- My laptop is my only computer. I love being liberated from sitting at a desk...and, in my three-room apartment, it's great to have a wireless network. I can do computering anywhere in the house... connected to AC or on battery...including in bed, or in the kitchen, if there's a recipe on the screen that I need to consult. And, with the wireless network, friends can visit with their laptops and use them at my place.

- Weight is important to me, and probably will be to you if you are going to travel, or carry the computer when you are out and about. My first laptop weighed nine pounds and it was drudgery carrying it all over Europe; and the weight was a disincentive when I went out to cafes, etc. I find 4 to 4 1/2 pounds a good weight for me...including CD/DVD drive. (Some laptops have detachable CD/DVD drives, which is a nice idea.)

I recently spent a day in a hospital waiting room which was a WiFi Hot Spot....very, very nice to be able to pull my computer out of my backpack and be online!

- How do the keyboard, screen and touchpad (mouse) feel to you? It's important for me that all three feel "just right".

- A word about extended service plans. I've been happiest with an American-based 3-year comprehensive ESP, which includes one replacement of the display screen...which I purchased at Staples.

Within two and a half years, I had a couple of electrical power issues for which the laptop had to be sent to the shop; a problem developed with the screen and it needed to be replaced; and, finally, something happened (I don't know what it was) and the computer could not be repaired so, under the 3-year ESP, it was replaced (free of cost to me) with an excellent Toshiba notebook. The cost of the ESP was repaid several times over in this case.

You should know that, in many cases, a laptop needs to be shipped somewhere to a regional shop for repair. This ESP always shipped pre-paid packaging materials to me by OVERNIGHT EXPRESS; the turn-around time was usually about 10 days. Obviously, this is far more inconvenient than dropping it off at the neighborhood repair shop but, all told, this service plan offered so much that I found it worthwhile to send it out for repair.

Good luck to you!!

RonInRI

I have purchased 3 of my college aged children their first lap top as they were freshman and am on my personal 2nd one. I used to believe that bigger and totally loaded expensive laptops were the way to go. I have bought Dell, Vario and Toshiba's for them and myself. Not being a techie of any type I grew tired of throwing money at these machines after 3 years as they became slow and gummy to open files, boot up and process todays more memory laden programs. I have finally learned to concentrate on the guts and leave the flashy, big ticket names behind. I just bought my wife an ACER laptop with a 2.2mg AMD core duo processor(I would only buy Intel in the past), 2 gigs of dram memory(a must!), 320 hard drive and 256 of installed(not shared) video memory with a 15" screen and vista premium OS. I paid $598.00(not $1500+ like all the others I bought) at Walmart of all places. Very unfancy enclosure but fast as all get out. I'll pitch it in 3 years if it starts to act up and be way ahead. The conclusion: my laptops aren't long term investments anymore, the technology outdates them to quickly. Good luck. Hope this helped!
JBM

In short, when you get Vista, go for the dual core machines and 2GB RAM.

Bob