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  • laptop recommendation?

    no need for a lengthy reply but if you have a recommendation for a specific laptop, i'd appreciate it.

    i know it depends on what one plans to use the laptop for so here's my intention: primarily web browsing but it also has to have enough hard drive space and power to run programs like photoshop, dreamweaver, & premiere pro.

    light would be great but is not a necessity. i could be wrong but i haven't even considered dell or gateway or compaq cuz i think their reputations are pretty poor. solid reliability is most important.

    i'm inclined to go with a lenovo brand but would definitely consider something i can buy locally, like from costco tho they only carry hp and sony.

    i'd like to spend no more than $1k but i'm not sure if that's possible. been watching craigslist but have not seen any real deals. a used laptop is perfectly fine although it has to be running perfectly.

    anyway, if you have a specific recommendation, that'd be cool. thank you.
    525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

  • #2
    Re: laptop recommendation?

    Do you need wireless connection as well as a wired connection? What about number of USB ports? 9 pin serial? parallel printer port? optical drive? DVD writer or CD writer?

    Operating system? Windows XP or Vista?

    For me I have a Compaq laptop that it is just under 2 years old. Got it for around $500-600. It's not my primary computer but I like it even though it has no 9 pin serial, 2 USB ports and a DVD reader/CD writer. It has no parallel printer port but I don't need that for what I need to do.

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    • #3
      Re: laptop recommendation?

      yup, wireless is a must. number of usb ports? hmmm. at least 3 but the more the better. firewire would be great, too. 9 pin serial? don't think i'll need it and no need for a printer either. yup, would be nice to be able to play and burn cds/dvds.

      i prefer xp pro but would consider vista since it seems to be unavoidable with new computers these days.

      thanks for asking such good questions and i'm glad your compaq laptop has been good for you



      (Do you need wireless connection as well as a wired connection? What about number of USB ports? 9 pin serial? parallel printer port? optical drive? DVD writer or CD writer?

      Operating system? Windows XP or Vista?

      For me I have a Compaq laptop that it is just under 2 years old. Got it for around $500-600. It's not my primary computer but I like it even though it has no 9 pin serial, 2 USB ports and a DVD reader/CD writer. It has no parallel printer port but I don't need that for what I need to do.)
      525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

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      • #4
        Re: laptop recommendation?

        Have you thought about a MacBook Pro? More expense up front but in the end it is worth it.

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        • #5
          Re: laptop recommendation?

          I've used HP/Compaq laptops and I've found them to be fine. However, I use the business class units, not the consumer grade stuff you find in the stores.

          Dell also seems quite popular, but again, I think I'm seeing the business units.

          I recommend you stick with XP. It may ship with Vista, but see if you can get a downgrade.

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          • #6
            Re: laptop recommendation?

            I would also recommend a MacBook or MacBook Pro. However, they're definitely not under $1,000.

            On the plus side is they come with 802.11 connectivity. And also included is a nice suite of software so they're ready to go right out of the box.

            If portability is important, the new MacBook Air is extremely thin. 0.8" on the fat end and 0.16" on the thin end. Disadvantage is that it doesn't have a DVD read/write mechanism built in.

            You can always go to any of the Apple stores in Kahala or Ala Moana and spend the day with one. And the sales people there are very helpful.

            And if you do decide to get one, be sure to budget the extra $300 to get Apple Care. Portable computers are prone to getting damaged and that insurance will come in handy one day.

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            • #7
              Re: laptop recommendation?

              Originally posted by GeckoGeek View Post
              I've used HP/Compaq laptops and I've found them to be fine. However, I use the business class units, not the consumer grade stuff you find in the stores.

              Dell also seems quite popular, but again, I think I'm seeing the business units.

              I recommend you stick with XP. It may ship with Vista, but see if you can get a downgrade.

              HP/Compaq's have one problem and that's the backlight on the LCD display. They seem to go out earlier than others (including Dell).

              Dell has a problem with their laptop motherboards. I've seen a couple of Dell's not fire up because of BIOS gone bad and watch out for the power supplies, they go.
              Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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              • #8
                Re: laptop recommendation?

                Originally posted by Composite 2992 View Post
                If portability is important, the new MacBook Air is extremely thin. 0.8" on the fat end and 0.16" on the thin end. Disadvantage is that it doesn't have a DVD read/write mechanism built in.
                And if wired network is a requirement, you won't get it from the Air out of the box. You'll need to get a USB dongle. Speaking of USB, it only comes with one port.

                Don't get me wrong, the Air is snazzy as all heck but if its price tag doesn't turn shaveice away from it, its limited feature set will.

                Macbook Pro, even if it's out of your price range, I would agree is a good investment.

                While I've had issues with Dell, a friend of mine has an XPS laptop that's at least a couple years old and he hasn't had any complaints.
                Last edited by DaFerret; January 24, 2008, 09:51 AM. Reason: Added linkage.

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                • #9
                  Re: laptop recommendation?

                  A MacBook Pro is certainly lust worthy, but it might be bit of overkill if the laptop is going to be a lightly-used second computer.

                  Since reliability is the top concern, it's hard to go wrong with a Thinkpad. Newegg has an R61i going for $649.99. Shipping to Hawaii is less than the cost of a small tank of gas. Just make sure to remove all the bloatware and install the necessary patches to get the most out of it.
                  "If it's brown, it's cooked. If it's black, it's f***ed" - G. Ramsey

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                  • #10
                    Re: laptop recommendation?

                    thanks for all the good input! a macbook pro would obviously be sweet but it's way out of my price range for what i hope to use it for. (after looking at the specs, the more realistic laptops are beginning to look like ford pintos!)

                    thanks mixedplatebroker for the newegg link; that's definitely in line with what i had in mind and the lenovo brand has a good reputation for reliability. i bought my wife her current laptop (lenovo) and it's been rock steady for 2 years now; as far as i know, not a single problem!

                    just to be sure, i'll check other places like tiger direct
                    http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&CMP=ILC-FPM06

                    before i make a final decision.

                    thanks again for all the good advice



                    Originally posted by MixedPlateBroker View Post
                    A MacBook Pro is certainly lust worthy, but it might be bit of overkill if the laptop is going to be a lightly-used second computer.

                    Since reliability is the top concern, it's hard to go wrong with a Thinkpad. Newegg has an R61i going for $649.99. Shipping to Hawaii is less than the cost of a small tank of gas. Just make sure to remove all the bloatware and install the necessary patches to get the most out of it.
                    525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: laptop recommendation?

                      Remember, Lenovo isn't the same as it was two years ago. Lenovo was licensed to slowly take over IBM's thinkpad series of business grade laptops. Lenovo has taken over completely and now all Lenovo laptops are now Lenovo including their own line of Desktop towers.

                      I recently acquired a broken Dell 2650 laptop. When I boot it up the BIOS and HDD are password locked. Apparently this can happen based on an errant problem resulting in either or both becoming locked.

                      Unlocking either takes an act of Congress to the point of replacing the locked hard drive completely. As for the locked BIOS, that requires unsoldering the EEPROM and reading the lock passwords that were errantly put in or you can try removing the CMOS battery. Upon tearing that laptop completely apart I came to the conclusion that the battery loves to play hide and seek.

                      For this reason is why I now (even more than ever) do not recommend Dell for any form of computer. It took me almost two hours to dissassemble that laptop just to look for that battery (I still don't know where it is). Can you imagine the labor charge per hour just to reset a BIOS on that thing?

                      I fixed a Toshiba Satellite laptop and the CMOS battery was right there next to the pci wifi card under the service panel it was that easy. But then again a friend of mine had a really expensive Toshiba laptop and despite taking all the case screws off the damned thing wouldn't come apart. Time spent? Almost three hours and getting nowhere.

                      SuperGeeks told him it's not worth it. I believe them.

                      If you buy a laptop talk to the techies that fix laptops and ask them which brand they would recommend based on ease of repair.

                      Regarding Mac laptops, I think the level of repair is about the same if not easier than Dell's so there's a recommendation.
                      Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                      • #12
                        Re: laptop recommendation?

                        Originally posted by craigwatanabe View Post
                        Remember, Lenovo isn't the same as it was two years ago. Lenovo was licensed to slowly take over IBM's thinkpad series of business grade laptops. Lenovo has taken over completely and now all Lenovo laptops are now Lenovo including their own line of Desktop towers.
                        I know the reliability of Lenovo's desktops has dipped lately, but from what I've heard the Thinkpads are as solid as ever.
                        "If it's brown, it's cooked. If it's black, it's f***ed" - G. Ramsey

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: laptop recommendation?

                          thanks craig for bringing up a good point and MPB for reassuring me that the thinkpads are still solid as ever. i'd be disappointed if it were otherwise.

                          i took a quick look at a few models at tigerdirect and there are at least two that look like outstanding values. i'll probably make a decision within the next week.

                          thanks again for the good advice!
                          525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: laptop recommendation?

                            Originally posted by shaveice View Post
                            thanks craig for bringing up a good point and MPB for reassuring me that the thinkpads are still solid as ever. i'd be disappointed if it were otherwise.

                            i took a quick look at a few models at tigerdirect and there are at least two that look like outstanding values. i'll probably make a decision within the next week.

                            thanks again for the good advice!
                            On the Lenovo Thinkpad laptops, if you're trying to configure it for network use, use Lenovo's network utilities. If you try to use Windows to access and detect the network, you'll be banging your head against a wall in frustration. When I tried to set up a Lenovo laptop I ended up having to use it's proprietary utilities. I got it to recognize the wifi and the workgroup so the computer could access it wirelessly thru Windows but everytime I rebooted the computer the Windows utility failed to recognize anything. Ultimately I had to use Lenovo's setup utiltiy and that's when I was successful in getting that laptop to boot up and recognize the network.

                            Also my wife has a Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop and for some reason the BIOS sometimes recognizes the DVD-RAM drive. For example when I tried to load in a Belkin 802.11G wireless USB adapter driver, the DVD-RAM drive failed to read the driver disk. When I went to My Computer, the OS failed to recognize the drive as well. When I rebooted and launched the BIOS Setup utility, even that didn't recognize the drive. CompUSA where my wife bought the computer from told her she has to deal with the manufacturer herself for warranty work since CompUSA is going out of business.

                            I'm not impressed with Lenovo.
                            Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: laptop recommendation?

                              As with anything, you get what you pay for.

                              If you want no connectivity hassles, and weird BIOS, rebooting, and other bizarre crap and want something that's ready to go right out of the box, a Mac is the way to go. Yeah, they cost a little more that a PC, but they work and don't ask that you be a rocket scientist.

                              All my many years of computer experience has taught me that PCs are nothing but cheap headaches.

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