NationStates Jolt Archive

Both my girlfriend and I are in need of new notebooks/laptops. Now I know enough about computers but not as much as some people on here I assume. Are there any brands/sites you would recommend? Perhaps minimum suggested system requirements?

I would like to be able to play some games from time to time, although I'm not much of a hardcore PC gamer so that really doesn't matter as much as ultimate cost. I have to do a lot of business-related things though. My girlfriend has very minimal system requirements.

I dunno about you, but for your girlfriend, she might wanna look into a mini notebook, like an Eee 901, or maybe an MSI Wind (or is it swift?). If its out already...

Get a Mac. They have the best rated notebooks out there. www.apple.com

Well, I just got a new laptop today -- believe it or not, Best Buy's website has some great deals right now. HP's laptops have gotten better over the years, and Dell is always a decent standby. I don't recommend Gateway, Compaq, and Toshiba because of shoddy construction -- they don't travel well.

And to aid your gaming -- grab an external storage drive. I've got one, and it runs faster than having anything installed on my internal hard drive. Also keeps all that space free so I don't have to lug my storage around with me 24/7.

As much as I hate to admit it get your GF a Mac. Especially if she isn't a computer genius as Macs are idiotproof. Well mostly idiot proof. For you... Yeah I would go with an HP.

http://www.dell.com/outlet

I have purchased the last 4 desktops and 3 laptops through the Dell Outlet, they are priced less than "new" but are in new condition and still under warranty. I have had no problems with Dell. My most recent laptop has had a shit life so far.......first being I ruined the keyboard, Dell sent me a new one free, second, my kid got bored and pulled the little rubber feet off the bottom, Dell sent me new ones free. Third I tried to partition my hard drive myself and it died, Dell sent me a new one free. Fourth, my battery at 9 months is getting shoddy, Dell is sending me a new one free.

It's as hassle free as if I hadn't had the poor thing treated poorly.

I haven't had any trouble AT ALL with my desktops or other laptops. I did buy a Toshiba about 3 years ago.......it was shit. Avoid Toshiba at all costs! (their tech and hardware people were unstable and bitchy too!)

I third the Mac thing. They're just better. Get one for your GF and yourself. As long as you don't need to be hooked up to exchange servers or whatever (and I believe there are ways to do even that), Macs are great for business.

I second the MSI Wind or ASUS Eee 901 option for your gf if all she needs to do with it is browsing/messaging, seeing the occasional video.

For you... I don't know what use you need it for...
I use a one year old ASUS F3J for programming and gaming, my wife uses a 3 year old ASUS L3400 for CAD. Both have maxed up RAM.

Whatever, just don't buy Acer!

Macs...
I used to love Macs...
Once...
When they used to have a serious OS (System 7)...
When they used to have serious HDDs (SCSI)... And serious processors (RISK)...

You know... Like the old Macintosh LC II (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112185)

Both my girlfriend and I are in need of new notebooks/laptops. Now I know enough about computers but not as much as some people on here I assume. Are there any brands/sites you would recommend? Perhaps minimum suggested system requirements?

I would like to be able to play some games from time to time, although I'm not much of a hardcore PC gamer so that really doesn't matter as much as ultimate cost. I have to do a lot of business-related things though. My girlfriend has very minimal system requirements.

What kind of business-related things do you need to do? Any that require proprietary software that might not work on Macs?

I got mine from the Verified by Intel program. It's an IFL90. Good price, great performance, some hardware problems though. Sadly, it seems the program was discontinued. :(

Both my girlfriend and I are in need of new notebooks/laptops. Now I know enough about computers but not as much as some people on here I assume. Are there any brands/sites you would recommend? Perhaps minimum suggested system requirements?

I would like to be able to play some games from time to time, although I'm not much of a hardcore PC gamer so that really doesn't matter as much as ultimate cost. I have to do a lot of business-related things though. My girlfriend has very minimal system requirements.

It's too bad you don't want to get a Mac...

I would suggest looking on:
www.bestbuy.com
www.hp.com

I don't suggest going with Dell, they are not too good. I think I've had the best experience with HP computers

for me, dell = quality

if you can afford the slight premium, its worth it, especially if you're not after mondo system specs

Get a Mac.

It's now easy to put Windows on part of the hard drive if you ever need to run Windows only software, so a Mac really is the best of all worlds.

Why do people keep suggesting Macs when he stated that 'ultimate cost' was most important? The cheapest Mac laptop available on the Apple UK store is a quid shy of £700... that's a full £225 more expensive than my Dell laptop that I bought last year, a system which would more than suit his requirements!

Why do people keep suggesting Macs when he stated that 'ultimate cost' was most important? The cheapest Mac laptop available on the Apple UK store is a quid shy of £700... that's a full £225 more expensive than my Dell laptop that I bought last year, a system which would more than suit his requirements!

Yeah, but a PC laptop would last 2 years and then be outdated/catch fire. You can use a Mac for a lot longer, so it's cheaper in the long run.

Yeah, but a PC laptop would last 2 years and then be outdated/catch fire. You can use a Mac for a lot longer, so it's cheaper in the long run.

I've never had a PC laptop fail within two years, nor set on fire. Nor has anybody I know. The hardware is the same in both these days, ever since Apple switched to Intel, so it's really all about the software.

Speaking of laptops, I'm asking for recommendations for a gaming laptop. (Hope you don't mind me cutting in here, SB, but I figure it makes sense to keep it in the same thread.) I'm not looking to purchase immediately but in about six months or so. I figure I'll need a laptop since hauling my desktop around various places will be rather difficult in the Navy at times. (An understatement to be sure.)

Speaking of laptops, I'm asking for recommendations for a gaming laptop. (Hope you don't mind me cutting in here, SB, but I figure it makes sense to keep it in the same thread.) I'm not looking to purchase immediately but in about six months or so. I figure I'll need a laptop since hauling my desktop around various places will be rather difficult in the Navy at times. (An understatement to be sure.)

If you've got the cash for it, ASUS make some great gaming laptops. Alienware and Falcon are also great, but like ASUS they come with a pricetag.

Failing that, Dell's XPS series are good gaming laptops for the price.

I've never had a PC laptop fail within two years, nor set on fire. Nor has anybody I know. The hardware is the same in both these days, ever since Apple switched to Intel, so it's really all about the software.


Neither have I. Methinks someone has his head a bit too far up Apple's ass.

I don't suggest going with Dell, they are not too good.
Based on?

Everyone I know with a Dell laptop purchased within the last 5 years is very happy. (although, steer clear of the Vostro, it's low end, for elementary school students and the like)

Based on?
I've wondered about this, too. There seem to be a lot of anti-Dell people whenever questions like this come up, and I've never been able to fathom why.

I always build my own PCs, but I'd have no qualms about 'letting' any of my friends or acquaintances buy equipment from Dell. In fact, I'd be pretty damned happy if they did, because when the day inevitably rolls around that I'm asked to upgrade/replace component X or Y for them I'd far rather be working inside a Dell, since in my experience they are put together in a nice and tidy fashion and there's plenty of room for me to work (I have freakishly large hands, so this can be an issue :p).

As far as that Eee goes, can you get it with windows and not linux? I really doubt she's going to want to change lol.

Both my girlfriend and I are in need of new notebooks/laptops. Now I know enough about computers but not as much as some people on here I assume. Are there any brands/sites you would recommend?
Basically: All laptop components come out of the same factories. They will all be roughly equal quality components. So, when looking for a laptop, (once you know what specs you need) you want to look at a) Build quality and b) After sales service:
a) Build quality: Are you planning on carrying it around? or do you just want it so you can use it at home instead of your desktop? If you are using it as a laptop, you want something that will be durable and doesn't feel like it will die if you drop it. I can only really compare my computer (Dell D610) and my mothers (Toshiba something or other). My build quality is far better and I have had no problems. My mother has had plenty.
b) After sales service: This is what really sets them apart. Dell has the confidence in their products to provide a 3 year next day onsite warranty. As I see it, that cannot be beaten. When my mum tried to get her (then 4 month old) Toshiba fixed, they said it would take 6 weeks, and she would have to drop it off at a service centre. (The repair was due to a
Perhaps minimum suggested system requirements?
If you are not gaming, the major things you will want to look at:
-Portability (size, weight, battery and cooling[laptops on our lap do not cool well])
-Processor (look for Core 2 duo processor. research)
-Memory (atleast 2 GB, ideally more than 3)
-Hard drive (as you need)
-Video Card (integrated graphics = slower but more power efficient. If you plan to game at all look at laptops that have a non-integrated graphics (ie, Nvidea or ATI graphics)

It depends what you need though.


I will recommend whirlpool forums. They are an Australian forum, but they are the most useful techy forum I have ever come across. Read through this, as tehy have alot of "Which manufacturer" and "What specs?" threads.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-threads.cfm?f=7&g=78

I vote -(number of pro-Mac votes)-1 for Apple. Apple is overpriced because they stick to production model that was abandoned for civilian PC's years ago and for good reason. Not only that, but all the smoke Apple and thus their fanboys try to blow up your ass about Apple's being better because they are Apple is based on this flawed production model and they are no better or worse than any other damn computer.

Just go to a store and pick out one you like on display. Really. Unless you want a "gaming" notebook or one ridiculously customized where they try to sell you a bunch of crap you don't need, it will do everything you need it to do out of the store. Or pick one you like and order it from newegg or tigerdirect. I'm sure they sell notebooks.

There might be a huge price tag attached to a Mac though

Get a Mac. They have the best rated notebooks out there. www.apple.com

He said he wanted to play SOME games ... unless you want to spend more on buying a MS OS anyways

As far as that Eee goes, can you get it with windows and not linux? I really doubt she's going to want to change lol.

Also, as far as Vista goes, which version is the best? Home Premium or Ultimate?

Also, as far as Vista goes, which version is the best? Home Premium or Ultimate?

Stay away from Vista "home" anything. Go Ultimate or be sorry.

Yeah, but a PC laptop would last 2 years and then be outdated/catch fire. You can use a Mac for a lot longer, so it's cheaper in the long run.

:eek: Shhh, don't let my wife hear you...
:rolleyes: I wonder how she manages to use Architectural Desktop on her 3 (almost 4) year old ASUS notebook if what you say is true.

Get a Mac.

It's now easy to put Windows on part of the hard drive if you ever need to run Windows only software, so a Mac really is the best of all worlds.

With a cost to match

Also, as far as Vista goes, which version is the best? Home Premium or Ultimate?

Professional... Altough you may want to stick to XP pro.

Never touch stuff marked "home" that comes from Microsoft!

EDIT:I meant Vista Business, not Professional

Yeah, but a PC laptop would last 2 years and then be outdated/catch fire. You can use a Mac for a lot longer, so it's cheaper in the long run.
Hate to say it but the MAC's get outdated just as fast ... they just are slower are releasing

Will be interesting to see their plans with being able to run windows on them in respects to hardware. With more gamers being able to have it as an option as well as standard users I wonder how they are planning to pick up the pace and keep in front of hardware requirements

Stay away from Vista "home" anything. Go Ultimate or be sorry.

You never hear people say stay away from the Mac anything. It always works easily and well. Dont be sorry. www.apple.com

Why use Mac when you can use Linux?

Hate to say it but the MAC's get outdated just as fast ... they just are slower are releasing

Will be interesting to see their plans with being able to run windows on them in respects to hardware. With more gamers being able to have it as an option as well as standard users I wonder how they are planning to pick up the pace and keep in front of hardware requirements

I got much LOLs when the Macs clocked Vista faster then the PCs did.

Macs are PC hardware, running a free operating system (Unix), with a nice proprietory window manager and a bundle of proprietory apps.

How do I know this? Anecdotal evidence: I told my (Mac)sister to get Skype. She told me it had to be iChat to "chat" with her. I tried to get iChat for Linux, then for Windows. I got railroaded into AIM for Windows. Gee, nice work there Apple.

To add insult to injury, she gave me an iPod Classic for Christmas. As a portable music player, it sucks. Nice external hard-drive, I guess.

Little sisters. You can't tell them ANYTHING.

I got much LOLs when the Macs clocked Vista faster then the PCs did.

I have no doubt ... they tend to release some pretty awesome hardware at the start but drag it out for long periods of time before the next release

It will be interesting to see if that changes

You never hear people say stay away from the Mac anything. It always works easily and well. Dont be sorry. www.apple.com

Stay away from Macs if you don't want to waste money, want to upgrade, want to play game, etc. There someone said it.

Also, safari sucks. There.

PC's and Windows are NOT the same thing.

(neither are Macs and OSx either......Macs can run Vista)

Macs also appear to be the industry leaders in actually using the power of multicore processors past 2 or 4.

Gotta hand it to Steve Jobs. http://www.apple.com/macosx/snowleopard/

Macs also appear to be the industry leaders in actually using the power of multicore processors past 2 or 4.

Gotta hand it to Steve Jobs. http://www.apple.com/macosx/snowleopard/

No FreeBSD and Solaris both have been designed around a multicore/processor architecture for years some of which I assume has been borrowed by apple but Solaris is still really the industry leader in that respect

Gentoo does a pretty good job too

Intestinal Fluids, I have heard your opinions on many and sundry things, but I had until this day never seen you advocate anything.

So it's macs, huh? That's what you really care about.

Oh well. I guess I had half guessed.

Chosing puters is my job...

so, before making a recommendation:

- how much budget you have for this puters.
- You have a plataform (OS) already defined?
- You have software already chosen that you want to use on your new puters?
- Whats your previous experience with puters and plataforms.

It makes no sense to buy a mac if you want to save money.
If you dont know how to use linux it will take time to learn, time you may not be interested wasting in learning how to use a new OS.
If all your software is made to run on a Windows plataform its not a good idea to buy a mac or install Linux.

Contrary to what some fanboys think, software rules over hardware, not the other way around.

Ok I guess I'll go a little more in-depth.

How do you guys feel about Dell versus Lenovo?

I have an IBM (Lenovo) ThinkPad right now that's about 3 years old. That's what I'm thinking about upgrading from. I actually like it a whole lot, it's just old, and filling up quick. That and I didn't take care of it too well back in the day, so it's got some marks and such.

The only games I'd ever actually play on it would be if some ridiculously cool MMO (I know...oxymoron...har har) came out for it and not PS3, so really, school/work use is more important.

My girlfriend has some piece of shit from Acer with more viruses and adware than one can shake a stick at. Anything for her would be a big boost, but it's probably going to come down to "Dave, what do you think I should get?" She needs to be able to use Word, Excel, and Powerpoint for school, as well as the typical internet browsing and AOL AIM, and she probably wants to put songs songs and more songs on it. Would pushing those subnotebooks like the Eee be a good idea? Or would it be smarter to try and get her a similar machine to me?

Ok I guess I'll go a little more in-depth.

How do you guys feel about Dell versus Lenovo?

I have an IBM (Lenovo) ThinkPad right now that's about 3 years old. That's what I'm thinking about upgrading from. I actually like it a whole lot, it's just old, and filling up quick. That and I didn't take care of it too well back in the day, so it's got some marks and such.

The only games I'd ever actually play on it would be if some ridiculously cool MMO (I know...oxymoron...har har) came out for it and not PS3, so really, school/work use is more important.

My girlfriend has some piece of shit from Acer with more viruses and adware than one can shake a stick at. Anything for her would be a big boost, but it's probably going to come down to "Dave, what do you think I should get?" She needs to be able to use Word, Excel, and Powerpoint for school, as well as the typical internet browsing and AOL AIM. Would pushing those subnotebooks like the Eee be a good idea? Or would it be smarter to try and get her a similar machine to me?


I have a Dell Inspiron for my office/multimedia needs, it's sufficient. My husband has an XPS for his gaming needs, it's more than sufficient.

Intestinal Fluids, I have heard your opinions on many and sundry things, but I had until this day never seen you advocate anything.

So it's macs, huh? That's what you really care about.

Oh well. I guess I had half guessed.

I really dont know shit about computers. I couldnt write a line of code to save my life. Im 40 years old and Mac is only computer ive ever used. I have a Mac Pro its stunningly fast and it plays Warcraft flawlessly and it never ever gets viruses or breaks. What more can i ask. I own an iphone and i simply love it. Im also a huge Tivo fan. Tivo is gods gift to mankind. I was one of Tivos first 100,000 Series 1 customers when noone had even heard of a DVR.

I advocate things i like as do most people. <shrug>

How do you guys feel about Dell versus Lenovo?
I'm not too familiar with Lenovo but, having looked at their website, they look to be pretty much the same kind of idea as Dell, in that they both offer a wide range of specifications to cater to pretty much anyone who wants a laptop. There doesn't seem to be much to choose between them.
The only games I'd ever actually play on it would be if some ridiculously cool MMO (I know...oxymoron...har har) came out for it and not PS3, so really, school/work use is more important.
This is a question you really need to answer before you commit to a purchase. The bottom line is that if you're not going to be using it for gaming (and if your work doesn't involve any intensive graphical design) you can get away with a unit with a far lower spec than if you are. If you're going to want to play any modern MMO then you'll need to spend considerably more than if you're just going to be using it for work, and laptops are a royal pita to upgrade if you decide at a later date that you want to use it for gaming.

If, like your girlfriend, you only need to be able to "use Word, Excel, and Powerpoint" and browse the Internet then basically any modern machine is good enough.

- how much budget you have for this puters.

$1000 ish for me. Can go over if necessary. $600-700 for her. Would rather not go over. It may end up being a christmas/birthday present since both are in the same month. I would rather not break the bank.

- You have a plataform (OS) already defined?

Not quite sure what you mean by "already defined" but I'd rather stick with Windows. While I'm sure with enough convincing I'd switch over to a new OS if one is that much better, my girlfriend is hesitant to use Firefox >_> so you get the idea.

- You have software already chosen that you want to use on your new puters?

Word, Excell, Powerpoint are the only real necessities.

- Whats your previous experience with puters and plataforms.

I've run Windows since 95 to XP now. As far as computer experience, I'd put myself above your average person and yet below someone who builds them or knows a whole lot about them. I know what kind of stuff to look for. I know how to do a number of things with them. Always have questions though.

It makes no sense to buy a mac if you want to save money.

Wasn't planning on it anyhow :)

If you're going to want to play any modern MMO then you'll need to spend considerably more than if you're just going to be using it for work, and laptops are a royal pita to upgrade if you decide at a later date that you want to use it for gaming.

I guess it comes down to what is "considerably more" then. If it's that much money I'll play games on the PS3 I own haha.

I got much LOLs when the Macs clocked Vista faster then the PCs did.

And you know why that happened?
ASUSTek motherboard, Intel Intel Core 2 Duo 2,1GHz processor, Intel GMA X3100...
It is not a Mac, it's a PC in a nifty suit

Anyway:
APPLE MACBOOK MB402 € 808,00
ASUSTek motherboard
Intel Intel Core 2 Duo 2,1GHz processor
RAM 1 GB (2x512 MB) - max. 4 GB
Intel GMA X3100
13,3" TFT widescreen
HDD Serial ATA 120GB (5400rpm)
OS: Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard

ASUS F3E-AP293E € 649,00
ASUSTek motherboard
Intel Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2,1GHz processor
2 GB (1x2 GB) DDRII 667 MHz SDRAM - max. 4 GB
Intel GMA. X3100
15.4" WXGA+,WXGA
HDD Serial ATA 250GB (5400rpm)
OS: Windows Vista® Business + Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional

You see the cost difference?
You see the hardware?
Did you notice that the ASUS costs € 159 less than the Mac but has twice the RAM and twice the HDD space?
Did you notice that the Mac has a 13" monitor while the ASUS has a 15"?

$1000 ish for me. Can go over if necessary. $600-700 for her. Would rather not go over. It may end up being a christmas/birthday present since both are in the same month. I would rather not break the bank.



Not quite sure what you mean by "already defined" but I'd rather stick with Windows. While I'm sure with enough convincing I'd switch over to a new OS if one is that much better, my girlfriend is hesitant to use Firefox >_> so you get the idea.



Word, Excell, Powerpoint are the only real necessities.



I've run Windows since 95 to XP now. As far as computer experience, I'd put myself above your average person and yet below someone who builds them or knows a whole lot about them. I know what kind of stuff to look for. I know how to do a number of things with them. Always have questions though.


Well then its obvious its going to be a PC. For all the fuss about Mac, it is not really that much better than old Windows. Linux is...only if you know how to use it, wich I believe you dont...and you neither care to, and thats fine.

You mentioned a cool MMO game you play. You know the requirements for it? That sounds like the main parameter you need to take on account to chose your computer.

Your gf only need a normal PC with Windows. If she doesnt likes changes maybe you should try to find a provider that will install you Windows XP instead of Vista. You can find those at Wallmart, srsly.

As providers there arent that much different. I would recommend you to stay away from Toshiba (they install obscene amounts of crapware in ther puters and most users dont know how to get rid of it). Also stay away from Compact. They have some very crappy computers, sometimes they deliver a few good ones.

IBM has good puters, but sometimes they are too pricy for what they do. Dell allows you to configure your computer as you want it and deliver in your home, I like them. But they also cost a little more than a puter bought at a store.

If your MMO game needs a graphic card this is going to increase the price of your computer a lot, but IMO you have enough budget for that.

I guess it comes down to what is "considerably more" then. If it's that much money I'll play games on the PS3 I own haha.
Well, looking at Dell's UK website just now the minimum specced machine in the XPS range is sitting at £899, and it would not be capable of running some of today's games, never mind whatever monstrous spec requirements we'll be expected to have for future releases. By contrast, their cheapest 'non-gaming' laptop starts at £399, so there's a difference of approximately US$1000 between the lowest priced units in the 2 ranges.

Like I said, you need to make your mind up whether you want to game on it, or not.

Also, what stat should I be looking at when taking music downloads into account? She probably wants tons of music on it. It's the only thing hold me back from telling her to get/getting her a 1G machine with XP on it.

You mentioned a cool MMO game you play. You know the requirements for it? That sounds like the main parameter you need to take on account to chose your computer. If your MMO game needs a graphic card this is going to increase the price of your computer a lot, but IMO you have enough budget for that.

Honestly I was just saying if one came out in the future that A. I was actually interested in and B. Is pc-exclusive.

I play FFXI on the PS3. I don't want to play it on my laptop lol and even if I did, I really don't think system requirements would be that big of a deal for it, seeing as it's like 8 years old.

Really, Word, Powerpoint, and Excell, along with the ability to store music, are waaaaay more important. I can live without gaming if it's going to be that big of a price difference. I'm not much of a PC gamer anyhow.

Also, what stat should I be looking at when taking music downloads into account? She probably wants tons of music on it. It's the only thing hold me back from telling her to get/getting her a 1G machine with XP on it.
All that's needed for large scale downloading (other than a decent 'net connection) is storage space. You can get a ridiculous amount of music into a few Gb of drive space, and I doubt very much that any modern machine is going to have a drive that's too small. Video (obviously) takes more space but, again, it's just down to having a hard drive with a reasonable capacity.

Also, what stat should I be looking at when taking music downloads into account? She probably wants tons of music on it. It's the only thing hold me back from telling her to get/getting her a 1G machine with XP on it.

To download stuff the puter is not much of a problem. The internet connection is the bottleneck. The ram has very very little effect on download speed. Youll need a standrad media card to play music and videos. Chose a puter with a big harddrive to put all those porn videos and music.

does she owns an Ipod? That may be a point to consider a mac.

My girlfriend has some piece of shit from Acer with more viruses and adware than one can shake a stick at.

I would like to point out that THAT IS HER OWN FAULT. It doesn't matter what you upgrade to if you don't keep your computer clean. If she screws around, any computer will get bogged down to nothing with viruses and adware. Granted Acer probably makes pieces of shit PCs, but that isn't the problem.

I would like to point out that THAT IS HER OWN FAULT. It doesn't matter what you upgrade to if you don't keep your computer clean. If she screws around, any computer will get bogged down to nothing with viruses and adware.

Except for Macs.

Except for Macs.

Yes, all the viruses and adware for Macs go straight to the user's head, bypassing the machine entirely.

I am this | | close to making harmless virii for Macs just to screw with you people.

Ok, just messing around online I "built" a hypothetical Dell laptop.

My Components
SYSTEM COLOR Jet Black
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5750 (2.00GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® SP1 Ultimate Edition
HD DISPLAY High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1680x1050)
VIDEO CARD Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
MEMORY 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
HARD DRIVE Size: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE CD / DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
WIRELESS NETWORK CARDS Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini-Card
BLUETOOTH AND WIRELESS USB Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)
INTEGRATED WEBCAM No Webcam Option
BATTERY OPTIONS 6 cell battery
SOUND OPTIONS High Definition Audio 2.0

Anything completely unnecessary? Any specs under what it should be? This would run me $1200, which is a bit more than I was looking to spend, but I understand. Also, going from the 3GB to 2GB would only save me $50 so it's not worth it.

In addition, I'm looking at this as an investment. I don't want to have to upgrade every two years or so, so I'm willing to spend a bit more now so that I don't have to spend continuously.

I would like to point out that THAT IS HER OWN FAULT. It doesn't matter what you upgrade to if you don't keep your computer clean. If she screws around, any computer will get bogged down to nothing with viruses and adware. Granted Acer probably makes pieces of shit PCs, but that isn't the problem.

Lol yes, I got that. I was meaning more "she has a piece of shit Acer" in that it looks and feels like it's poorly made, and "it has more viruses and adware than one can shake a stick at" in that while I could upgrade to a new machine now or a year from now, she doesn't really have that luxury. Her need is a bit more dire.

In addition, I'm looking at this as an investment. I don't want to have to upgrade every two years or so, so I'm willing to spend a bit more now so that I don't have to spend continuously.

Then you should go with a Mac. A 5 year old Del is landfill material. A 5 year old Mac has suprising resale value.

Yes, all the viruses and adware for Macs go straight to the user's head, bypassing the machine entirely.

I am this | | close to making harmless virii for Macs just to screw with you people.

I really don't understand why you're taking this so personally. I don't know about the other guy, but I'm not a Mac 'fanboy', I'm a former PC user whose computer broke and didn't like Vista, so had a look at the alternatives. I don't say 'get a Mac' because I want to sleep with Steve Jobs, I say get one because, having made the switch myself, they're just better computers.

I've had the Mac Mini for a few months now. In that time, I've had no anti-virus/spyware software installed on it. If I'd done that on a PC, it would have been unusable months ago. On this, it's perfectly fine.

It was no more expensive than a base PC (although I concede it was the base unit only, I'm using my old monitor etc), I've got Windows on the other partition for when I need it, and it does a very good job for me. Why do you get so offended by the suggestion that they're decent machines?

Why do you need Bluetooth?

Then you should go with a Mac. A 5 year old Del is landfill material. A 5 year old Mac has suprising resale value.
Because Mac fanboys are idiots and will buy 5 year old, out-of-date Macs because only then do they drop into realistic price ranges yet still to high for what is on them.


I've had the Mac Mini for a few months now. In that time, I've had no anti-virus/spyware software installed on it. If I'd done that on a PC, it would have been unusable months ago. On this, it's perfectly fine.
They don't make alot of viruses and spyware for things without a notable market share. Firefox holds more of the browser market share than Apple's Macintosh holds of the personal computer markets hare. And that is with optimistic guesses.

And with even the most basic always-on-in-the-background anti-virus solution, you are not even going to have all that crap on a PC. I've had my PCs for years and at most there are a few adware tracking cookies floating around - dismissible stuff that is probably on your Mac because they are cookies. I keep my PCs loaded with active and passive anti-spyware and anti-viruses and a basic firewall and I don't have any problems. Any smart PC user does the same. Just because they don't target Mac because of it's minuscule market share does not mean they can't.

Why do you need Bluetooth?

Because for only $20 I can use the bluetooth speakers, keyboard, mouse, and headset that I already own

Just because they don't target Mac because of it's minuscule market share does not mean they can't.

I'm much more interested in the 'don't' than the 'can't'. If they start - well, I'm no worse off than a PC user, am I? But in the meantime, I'm as immune as it's possible to be on the internet.

I'm much more interested in the 'don't' than the 'can't'. If they start - well, I'm no worse off than a PC user, am I? But in the meantime, I'm as immune as it's possible to be on the internet.

No more so than me since you seem to believe that the very nature of owning a Mac makes you immune as opposed to active protection. There are Mac virii and exploits.

Ok so I've pretty much figured out that I'm going to need about $1200 to get a machine that I'm looking for. Now onto the more pressing matter: the girlfriend.

Would those Subnotebooks like the Acer Eee and the MSI Wind be worth it? She's interested in them because they're small, but the system specs are very small as well. Are they a waste of money?

Except for Macs.

OMG you ARE brainwashed.

I suggest you read this: Macintosh Viruses and Mac Virus Resources (http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/Macintosh_Viruses_and_Mac_Virus_Resources.htm)

Kaspersky Lab result on MacOS viruses yelds 33 results
http://www.viruslist.com/en/find?words=MacOS&search_mode=virus&search=Search

Ah, for the Linux people... 1156 results
http://www.viruslist.com/en/find?words=linux&search_mode=virus&search=Search

My favourite FreeBSD... 28 results :)
http://www.viruslist.com/en/find?words=freebsd&search_mode=virus

Ok so I've pretty much figured out that I'm going to need about $1200 to get a machine that I'm looking for. Now onto the more pressing matter: the girlfriend.

Would those Subnotebooks like the Acer Eee and the MSI Wind be worth it? She's interested in them because they're small, but the system specs are very small as well. Are they a waste of money?

Ahem... Can't you pass her your old notebook?
/me hides

No, as I said before they are cool if all she's gonna do with em is surfing the net, downloading and using Word or OpenOffice. For storage space i suggest you get her an external drive as need arises.

OMG you ARE brainwashed.

I suggest you read this: Macintosh Viruses and Mac Virus Resources (http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/Macintosh_Viruses_and_Mac_Virus_Resources.htm)


Drop meet Bucket.

Ahem... Can't you pass her your old notebook?
/me hides

No, as I said before they are cool if all she's gonna do with em is surfing the net, downloading and using Word or OpenOffice. For storage space i suggest you get her an external drive as need arises.

Ok, she's only going to be surfing the net, downloading music, and using Word AND Excell and Powerpoint. Are the last two programs going to be a problem? I think those things only have 1GB System Memory and 80GB Hard Drive

I'm much more interested in the 'don't' than the 'can't'. If they start - well, I'm no worse off than a PC user, am I? But in the meantime, I'm as immune as it's possible to be on the internet.

Unlike The_pantless_hero or any other sane PC user, when you will get a virus on your computer you will be caught with your pants down. That's the difference.

And don't think that you are special and as such won't get a virus.

You would be as immune as possible running a FreeBSD machine with the firewall toolkit installed and running and an admin in paranoid mode.

I'm much more interested in the 'don't' than the 'can't'. If they start - well, I'm no worse off than a PC user, am I? But in the meantime, I'm as immune as it's possible to be on the internet.

No there are many more ways to reduce risk then available in the MAC world

Unlike The_pantless_hero or any other sane PC user, when you will get a virus on your computer you will be caught with your pants down. That's the difference.

And don't think that you are special and as such won't get a virus.

You would be as immune as possible running a FreeBSD machine with the firewall toolkit installed and running and an admin in paranoid mode.
There are further ways beyond that in both the Linux and the FreeBSD and solaris worlds then that as well

Things like compiling minimal kernels , reducing plugins and using better monitoring applications but yeah its on the right path

Ok, she's only going to be surfing the net, downloading music, and using Word AND Excell and Powerpoint. Are the last two programs going to be a problem? I think those things only have 1GB System Memory and 80GB Hard Drive

...?

Ok, just messing around online I "built" a hypothetical Dell laptop.



Anything completely unnecessary? Any specs under what it should be? This would run me $1200, which is a bit more than I was looking to spend, but I understand. Also, going from the 3GB to 2GB would only save me $50 so it's not worth it.

In addition, I'm looking at this as an investment. I don't want to have to upgrade every two years or so, so I'm willing to spend a bit more now so that I don't have to spend continuously.

I can't really help you with your girls computer, but I do think you should reconsider Dell. My entire family has recently upgraded to new laptops. Mom and dad both got (I think) Toshibas, which are decent...I don't have much experience with them though.

My sister got a Dell after having a desktop, while I upgraded from a Compaq to an HP. Stay away from Compaq, they aren't as durable as they should be. Dell, my sister has had a horrible time with customer service, going so far as having me call instead of her because she just couldn't deal with them anymore. They were rude, and generally unhelpful. When they did fix the problem, it was after several hours, and they made her clear her harddrive at least twice in the last 6 months by messing something up.

HP, while not perfect regarding customer service, have been much better to me. For similar problems as my sister, they fairly quickly identifed both a problem and solution. They have generally been very patient, even when I had to ask a stupid question, and actually took my comments into account (my blu-ray drive won't play some discs. When I told them that I had talked to some people and they said it could be the driver because of the new technology, they were actually willing to listen to that idea, and directed me to someone who knew the blu-ray technology better.)

HP does have some pretty good models...my roommate and I both like ours...mine was a $2000 model, but I think his was right around $1000


as for the girl, what about a very small machine, and a decent sized external drive for her music?

I can't really help you with your girls computer, but I do think you should reconsider Dell. HP does have some pretty good models...my roommate and I both like ours...mine was a $2000 model, but I think his was right around $1000

as for the girl, what about a very small machine, and a decent sized external drive for her music?

I'm kinda torn between HP, Dell, and Lenovo (what I have now). All three have VERY similar features, and are within $80 of each other.

As for the girl, this (http://global.msi.com.tw/html/popup/NB/u100/html/index.html) is looking like a better and better option. How much do external drives run for typically and how easy are they to use?

How much do external drives run for typically and how easy are they to use?
Quite a bit more than what internal harddrives cost, especially the portable external harddrives.

I'm kinda torn between HP, Dell, and Lenovo (what I have now). All three have VERY similar features, and are within $80 of each other. Never used a lenovo...Dell, I only used as a desktop, and they gave me a slight headache...seems like, with my sisters experience, they've gone downhill, atleast in the CS area.

As for the girl, this (http://global.msi.com.tw/html/popup/NB/u100/html/index.html) is looking like a better and better option. How much do external drives run for typically and how easy are they to use?[/QUOTE]

I've seen them from just under $100 to 2-300, depending on how big you want it. I just did a quick scan on Bestbuy, and the cheapest I saw was $99 for a 500 gb.

They are incredibly easy to use. Most are a USB plug, and many get their power through that. Just plug them in, and you can used them. My laptop runs Vista...all I had to do was plug it in. Vista automatically downloaded the drivers, and it was set to be used.

Quite a bit more than what internal harddrives cost, especially the portable external harddrives.

the only problem is that, if you get a small laptop, they usually restrict the size of the hard drive you can get internally...to get a bigger one, you have to upgrade to a larger model, which can then have a much higher baseline cost

the only problem is that, if you get a small laptop, they usually restrict the size of the hard drive you can get internally...to get a bigger one, you have to upgrade to a larger model, which can then have a much higher baseline cost
Um, what? Harddrive capacity is not decided by the size of the harddrive. It's decided by how much you pay for it.

Um, what? Harddrive capacity is not decided by the size of the harddrive. It's decided by how much you pay for it.

No what he's saying is that most sites restrict how much hard-drive you can buy on low-end machines, forcing you to get a higher-end machine for the HD space

the only problem is that, if you get a small laptop, they usually restrict the size of the hard drive you can get internally...to get a bigger one, you have to upgrade to a larger model, which can then have a much higher baseline cost

A relatively easy upgrade all things considered

No what he's saying is that most sites restrict how much hard-drive you can buy on low-end machines, forcing you to get a higher-end machine for the HD space
This. HP doesn't offer all HD sizes on all models they sell, despite the fact that they could.
A relatively easy upgrade all things considered
What about cost? In a quick check at bestbuy, it looks like the cheapest they have is $109.99 for a 260 gb, as compared to $100 for 500 gb external...



granted, I'm not quite a computer expert, and I'll (clearly) defer to you

This. HP doesn't offer all HD sizes on all models they sell, despite the fact that they could.

What about cost? In a quick check at bestbuy, it looks like the cheapest they have is $109.99 for a 260 gb, as compared to $100 for 500 gb external...



granted, I'm not quite a computer expert, and I'll (clearly) defer to you
It is more expensive as most externals use 3.5 inch desktop formfactor drives (which are cheaper0 rather then the 2.5 inch drives

But either way the current price and sizes will be irrelevent by the time you fill up most hard drives for the average user

A ghost and re-image will get you on a much larger drive at that point

Get a Mac. They have the best rated notebooks out there. www.apple.com

Macs are good, and are great for people interested in dealing with any kind of media, but networking is a nightmare. I would recoomend the Dells that have Ubuntu, as Linux provides a good balance of ease, functionality, and compatibility. (Most Windows programs can be run on Ubuntu, with wine, and installing software is like falling off a log.)

Externals are very easy to use. Also, what kind of mmo are you looking to play? Something like age of conan requires heavy-duty hardware, but a game like WoW can run on lower specs.

I have a dell. It doesn't run many games well and it had some problems when I bought it...and I had to flash the BIOS to fix it. But other than that and all the junk software it comes with, it works.

There are further ways beyond that in both the Linux and the FreeBSD and solaris worlds then that as well

Things like compiling minimal kernels , reducing plugins and using better monitoring applications but yeah its on the right path

That's why I included the paranoid admin in the package ;)

Ok, she's only going to be surfing the net, downloading music, and using Word AND Excell and Powerpoint. Are the last two programs going to be a problem? I think those things only have 1GB System Memory and 80GB Hard Drive

Sorry, I had to log out yesterday.

Notice that the Wind specs are very much those of a 2 year old notebook ("only" 1GB RAM and 80GB HDD) and that it is running either SUSE Linux or WinXP home. So the specs are enough to run office 2007 or previous without major problems.
(Sidenote: if you plan to buy office 2007 notice that the Basic package does not include Power Point)

The Eee was demonstrated at CeBIT running OpenOffice quite smoothly.


On the Lenovo - HP question. I don't know about the US but you should check if HP is running it's buyback program where you live.

Both my girlfriend and I are in need of new notebooks/laptops. Now I know enough about computers but not as much as some people on here I assume. Are there any brands/sites you would recommend? Perhaps minimum suggested system requirements?

I would like to be able to play some games from time to time, although I'm not much of a hardcore PC gamer so that really doesn't matter as much as ultimate cost. I have to do a lot of business-related things though. My girlfriend has very minimal system requirements.

For a great tablet computer, I would choose the X61 Thinkpad. It is a lovely surprise from IBM Lenovo.

Both my girlfriend and I are in need of new notebooks/laptops. Now I know enough about computers but not as much as some people on here I assume. Are there any brands/sites you would recommend? Perhaps minimum suggested system requirements?

I would like to be able to play some games from time to time, although I'm not much of a hardcore PC gamer so that really doesn't matter as much as ultimate cost. I have to do a lot of business-related things though. My girlfriend has very minimal system requirements.Get a Mac. They have the best rated notebooks out there. www.apple.com
Get anything but a Mac...
:p