Looking to buy a laptop.

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 05:20 PM

I'm kind of in the market for a laptop but I'm not too computer savvy. I've been using the same E-machines computer since 2001 so I think its time I get something new.

I was looking on newegg and they have this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834115529 which is in my price range and seems pretty good. I know the video card isn't that great but I really don't play games on the PC.

Are Acers any good? I basically use my computer for internet surfing, downloading music and just general computer stuff. I'm wanting something that can get me by for the next few years also without needing to be replaced.

I know most anything will be a huge improvement from my current machine.

Anyway thats all for now.

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toyospearo · 11-28-2008, 05:26 PM

APPLE
why

for one more minute!
The new Mac Book's are SO SWEET!

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 05:29 PM

I never even thought about a Mac. For some reason I still don't like them even thought I haven't used a mac since the 7th grade. Are they compatible with most things now?

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 05:32 PM

Dood I just looked at some Mac prices and yeah I don't think so. My price range is like $500, not unlimited.

toyospearo · 11-28-2008, 05:43 PM

yes they are spendy but.. I can tell you from experience they last a long long time with very little upkeep (kinda like a 22RE.)
I Have had Apple computers since I was a young feller. II E's, 5200,s G3's etc. I bought a G4 Power Mac when I started college. I used that computer every day for 6 years and never NEVER had one problem. I reinstalled the system software one time to freshen it up. On my old G4 I zeroed out the system and reinstalled with 10.5.2 and gave it to a friend of mine who is using it to this day (internet, email, Word documents etc.) and it is STILL strong as ever.
I recently bought a new I Mac 24" which I absolutely love

IMHO these machines are the best!

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 05:50 PM

I appreciate the input and I'll give it some thought. Anyone else out there with a laptop and some input? Are laptops upgradeable? Or are you stuck with what you get?

arjan · 11-28-2008, 06:23 PM

Don't waste your money on apple, go talk to the people at Dell. I've know quite a few people around me with dells and I haven't heard any issues.
I find they are nicely build and reasonably priced. I also like the fact you can pick the options you want yourself.

My dad has an acer, nothing really wrong with it, I just isn't very pleasant to use I find.

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:29 PM

Im a wee bit of a computer nerd... ive been building my own desktops for years... acers are garbage! and apples while nice and good for non techies are veeery expinsive.. ive never seen one for under a grand... the Toshiba satellite is a good bet, they start at 5-6 hundred for a great computer. 3 gigs of ram 15-17" screens amd turion wireless cpu theyrre great durable cheap computers.. I personally have a panasonic toughbook... but thats b/c ive killed 2 laptops in a year... I also have a $500 toshiba satellite for school and Fraternity related stuff (its owned by the fraternity)
Also check out consumerreports.org they do a really good job with reviews and such on anything

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:36 PM

and to add on to upgrades... 90% of laptops are not very upgradeable.. they are all considered .... i cant think of the word and its gonna drive me crazy... but they will only take the parts of the manufacturer.. like a dell will only work with dell memory and a dell harddrive.. its not like a desktop where you have a large range.. sure you can add memory and ram and put in a larger harddrive.. but other than that you need to look into getting the laptop with what you need... pm me if you need help finding one.. (i normally charge for this sort of thing.. haha)

scuba · 11-28-2008, 06:37 PM

Now that its the holiday season (dear god) you might be able to get a nice one if you wait another couple weeks.
Windows vista is crap, a comp with XP with the same specs could be 100 bucks cheaper, I havent looked though.

I like my compaq, its not bad.
Im a fan of HP though, my family still has our pentium 4 HT that we bout 7 years ago...

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 06:38 PM

Hey thanks for the replys. I've been doing some research, I've looked at dell and they seem more expensive for a lesser upgraded machine. What is better AMD or pentium. I know a few years ago AMD was the way to go but I really have been out of computers for a while. I see it tells the FSB on pentiums but not on AMD's so whats with that?

What is garbage about acers? How about the ABS laptops. I had an ABS desktop years ago and it seemed good?

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 06:40 PM

I would like XP but nothing I've looked at offers that. I haven't heard anything good about HP's.

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 06:43 PM

....................

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:45 PM

Hp's are becoming garbage as well.. as for amd vs pentium... that is a giant can of worms... it is alot of personal preference... buuut i must say ive has both amds and pentiums... the pentiums were both in my last 2 laptops... one died or a fried motherboard.. and the other the pentium fried... other than those ive used AMDs and never had a problem... in 9 years of building my own desktops and using them in laptops i have never had one fail... i have an amd athalon 1500 in my oold desktop i use to back up my server at my parents house and that think is 8 years old... slow by todays standards.. but runs as fast as the day i installed it... Dells are good.. but i really dont think theyre worth the cost unless your looking at an XPS.. and like scuba said vista is complete CRAP i loathe it wirh a burning passion.. and i hope bill gates suffers for it... haha strong feelings

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:48 PM

i have nevver personally worked with abs soo i cant tell you... but acers come with alot of extra prgrams which cannot be removed.. low memory.. and after a few month begin to bogg down and see a dramatic drop in performance.. 50% ususally.. ive had to repair my girlfriends 4 times and my dads twice and they both got them x-mas of last year and the internet adapter just died on my gf's yesterday (i havnt heard the end of it)..... and they have never gotten good reviews from anyone ever

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:48 PM

buuuut theyre cheap.. like $400

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:51 PM

Best 15-inch laptops:

The Apple is built of a single piece of aluminum. Its LED-backlit display was excellent. The touchpad supports multi-touch technology. Nvidia graphics technology incorporates both integrated and discrete graphics, letting you cho... More

Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch
Type: Laptop computers
15.4-inch models
Price as tested:
$2000
Overall score
100078An excellent performer, this very good laptop had a bright display, was one of the lightest in its class, and had long battery life. But it is also among the most expensive laptops we tested.

CR Ratings for Computers
Toshiba Satellite A305-S6872
Type: Laptop computers
15.4-inch models
Price as tested:
$750
Overall score
100067This very good laptop is well-rounded and attractively priced.

CR Ratings for Computers
Lenovo IdeaPad Y530
Type: Laptop computers
15.4-inch models
Price as tested:
$830
Overall score
100067A very good laptop with long battery life. Its very good speakers are an added bonus.

CR Ratings for Computers

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:52 PM

i have a consumerreports account i copied that over.. the toshiba is about $599.. but that was before thanksgiving.. no where near a sale

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 06:54 PM

other than newegg, where can I find a good selection of laptops for a reasonable price?

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 06:57 PM

www.frys.com <<<--- I love this place
www.bestbuy.com
www.compusa.com
www.microcenter.com <<< -- reccomend

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 07:01 PM

Hmm, this one looks alright. Gonna keep lookin obviously but its somthin to think about.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834114528

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 07:02 PM

ooh yes its a big investment.. i never buy anything without thouroughly researching it and comparing it for like weeks.. haha im a bit obcessive

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 07:04 PM

I can be pretty impulsive when it comes to this sort of thing. Thats why I posted this thread.

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 07:04 PM

that is a great laptop.. its the one i use for school and the fraternity..... the 3 gigs of DDR2 ram is alot for the price and it will com in handy especially now that alot of programs.. even the internet is using bigger code...

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 07:05 PM

I've already learned alot in the last hour.

11-28-2008, 05:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
toyospearo Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: way way nor cal Posts: 1,576	APPLE why for one more minute! The new Mac Book's are SO SWEET! __________________ 94 Ext. cab 22re Aussied, 4.88's, SAS,ed, FLATBED, Old Man Emu rear leafs w/TG 5.5" shackles, TG sliders, LC Header, Marlin super HD clutch, 32's- Swamper TSL's- RC rims, Badland Bumper, lifted, lighted, LED'ed, Warned, alternatored (LC High ouput), Hammed, gusseted, trussed, etc, etc... My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/great-w...ck-sas-164531/ My Flatbed build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f88/toyospea...-build-191787/

11-28-2008, 05:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I never even thought about a Mac. For some reason I still don't like them even thought I haven't used a mac since the 7th grade. Are they compatible with most things now? __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 05:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	Dood I just looked at some Mac prices and yeah I don't think so. My price range is like $500, not unlimited. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 05:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
toyospearo Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: way way nor cal Posts: 1,576	yes they are spendy but.. I can tell you from experience they last a long long time with very little upkeep (kinda like a 22RE.) I Have had Apple computers since I was a young feller. II E's, 5200,s G3's etc. I bought a G4 Power Mac when I started college. I used that computer every day for 6 years and never NEVER had one problem. I reinstalled the system software one time to freshen it up. On my old G4 I zeroed out the system and reinstalled with 10.5.2 and gave it to a friend of mine who is using it to this day (internet, email, Word documents etc.) and it is STILL strong as ever. I recently bought a new I Mac 24" which I absolutely love IMHO these machines are the best! __________________ 94 Ext. cab 22re Aussied, 4.88's, SAS,ed, FLATBED, Old Man Emu rear leafs w/TG 5.5" shackles, TG sliders, LC Header, Marlin super HD clutch, 32's- Swamper TSL's- RC rims, Badland Bumper, lifted, lighted, LED'ed, Warned, alternatored (LC High ouput), Hammed, gusseted, trussed, etc, etc... My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/great-w...ck-sas-164531/ My Flatbed build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f88/toyospea...-build-191787/

11-28-2008, 05:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I appreciate the input and I'll give it some thought. Anyone else out there with a laptop and some input? Are laptops upgradeable? Or are you stuck with what you get? __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 06:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
arjan Contributing Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mission, British Columbia Posts: 1,558	Don't waste your money on apple, go talk to the people at Dell. I've know quite a few people around me with dells and I haven't heard any issues. I find they are nicely build and reasonably priced. I also like the fact you can pick the options you want yourself. My dad has an acer, nothing really wrong with it, I just isn't very pleasant to use I find. __________________ 2006 4Runner V8 Sports Edition Red 1997 4Runner 3.4L Bushwacker Flares, 5spd, E locker

11-28-2008, 06:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	Im a wee bit of a computer nerd... ive been building my own desktops for years... acers are garbage! and apples while nice and good for non techies are veeery expinsive.. ive never seen one for under a grand... the Toshiba satellite is a good bet, they start at 5-6 hundred for a great computer. 3 gigs of ram 15-17" screens amd turion wireless cpu theyrre great durable cheap computers.. I personally have a panasonic toughbook... but thats b/c ive killed 2 laptops in a year... I also have a $500 toshiba satellite for school and Fraternity related stuff (its owned by the fraternity) Also check out consumerreports.org they do a really good job with reviews and such on anything __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 06:36 PM	#9 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	and to add on to upgrades... 90% of laptops are not very upgradeable.. they are all considered .... i cant think of the word and its gonna drive me crazy... but they will only take the parts of the manufacturer.. like a dell will only work with dell memory and a dell harddrive.. its not like a desktop where you have a large range.. sure you can add memory and ram and put in a larger harddrive.. but other than that you need to look into getting the laptop with what you need... pm me if you need help finding one.. (i normally charge for this sort of thing.. haha) __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 06:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
scuba Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: WHEELIN BIG BEAR Posts: 6,968	Now that its the holiday season (dear god) you might be able to get a nice one if you wait another couple weeks. Windows vista is crap, a comp with XP with the same specs could be 100 bucks cheaper, I havent looked though. I like my compaq, its not bad. Im a fan of HP though, my family still has our pentium 4 HT that we bout 7 years ago... __________________ Screw you guys I'm goin to TTORA Mods, please be mature and leave my sig alone, thanks. No, I will not be your friend.

11-28-2008, 06:38 PM	#11 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	Hey thanks for the replys. I've been doing some research, I've looked at dell and they seem more expensive for a lesser upgraded machine. What is better AMD or pentium. I know a few years ago AMD was the way to go but I really have been out of computers for a while. I see it tells the FSB on pentiums but not on AMD's so whats with that? What is garbage about acers? How about the ABS laptops. I had an ABS desktop years ago and it seemed good? __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 06:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I would like XP but nothing I've looked at offers that. I haven't heard anything good about HP's. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 06:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	.................... __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd. Last edited by 85TurboRunner; 11-28-2008 at 06:45 PM.

11-28-2008, 06:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	Hp's are becoming garbage as well.. as for amd vs pentium... that is a giant can of worms... it is alot of personal preference... buuut i must say ive has both amds and pentiums... the pentiums were both in my last 2 laptops... one died or a fried motherboard.. and the other the pentium fried... other than those ive used AMDs and never had a problem... in 9 years of building my own desktops and using them in laptops i have never had one fail... i have an amd athalon 1500 in my oold desktop i use to back up my server at my parents house and that think is 8 years old... slow by todays standards.. but runs as fast as the day i installed it... Dells are good.. but i really dont think theyre worth the cost unless your looking at an XPS.. and like scuba said vista is complete CRAP i loathe it wirh a burning passion.. and i hope bill gates suffers for it... haha strong feelings __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 06:48 PM	#15 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	i have nevver personally worked with abs soo i cant tell you... but acers come with alot of extra prgrams which cannot be removed.. low memory.. and after a few month begin to bogg down and see a dramatic drop in performance.. 50% ususally.. ive had to repair my girlfriends 4 times and my dads twice and they both got them x-mas of last year and the internet adapter just died on my gf's yesterday (i havnt heard the end of it)..... and they have never gotten good reviews from anyone ever __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD! Last edited by VSU_4runnin; 11-28-2008 at 06:49 PM.

11-28-2008, 06:48 PM	#16 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	buuuut theyre cheap.. like $400 __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 06:51 PM	#17 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	Best 15-inch laptops: The Apple is built of a single piece of aluminum. Its LED-backlit display was excellent. The touchpad supports multi-touch technology. Nvidia graphics technology incorporates both integrated and discrete graphics, letting you cho... More Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Type: Laptop computers 15.4-inch models Price as tested: $2000 Overall score 100078An excellent performer, this very good laptop had a bright display, was one of the lightest in its class, and had long battery life. But it is also among the most expensive laptops we tested. CR Ratings for Computers Toshiba Satellite A305-S6872 Type: Laptop computers 15.4-inch models Price as tested: $750 Overall score 100067This very good laptop is well-rounded and attractively priced. CR Ratings for Computers Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 Type: Laptop computers 15.4-inch models Price as tested: $830 Overall score 100067A very good laptop with long battery life. Its very good speakers are an added bonus. CR Ratings for Computers __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 06:52 PM	#18 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	i have a consumerreports account i copied that over.. the toshiba is about $599.. but that was before thanksgiving.. no where near a sale __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD! Last edited by VSU_4runnin; 11-28-2008 at 06:53 PM.

11-28-2008, 06:54 PM	#19 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	other than newegg, where can I find a good selection of laptops for a reasonable price? __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 06:57 PM	#20 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	www.frys.com <<<--- I love this place www.bestbuy.com www.compusa.com www.microcenter.com <<< -- reccomend __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 07:01 PM	#21 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	Hmm, this one looks alright. Gonna keep lookin obviously but its somthin to think about. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834114528 __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 07:02 PM	#22 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	ooh yes its a big investment.. i never buy anything without thouroughly researching it and comparing it for like weeks.. haha im a bit obcessive __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 07:04 PM	#23 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I can be pretty impulsive when it comes to this sort of thing. Thats why I posted this thread. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 07:04 PM	#24 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	that is a great laptop.. its the one i use for school and the fraternity..... the 3 gigs of DDR2 ram is alot for the price and it will com in handy especially now that alot of programs.. even the internet is using bigger code... __________________ 1998 Toyota 4Runner: 33" BFG A/T T/A: KO 2.5" Lift CB Radio Brush Guard Yakima roof rack manikin head (Viola), and more to come! Clicky For Picky Buildup GATTORA KJ4HVQ Skywarn Ga 208 ΦΣK DAMN PROUD!

11-28-2008, 07:05 PM	#25 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I've already learned alot in the last hour. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

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