Looking to buy a laptop. - Page 2

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 07:05 PM

good! i just hope i was of some help and not just a windbag.. haha

This ad is not displayed to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Yotatech!

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 07:07 PM

It kinda sucks, I could build an awesome desktop for the same price.

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 07:08 PM

I know.. i said the same thing.. i built one 2 years ago that is at least 2x better than an alienware for like $389

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 07:08 PM

I really appreciate it. I wasn't sure if I'd get any response since this is a Toyota forum.

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 07:10 PM

ooh anytime! you never know who online knows what about anything... (and if you went on a computer forum it would be 20 pages of arguement and you would wind up thinking all computers suck cause everyone would list cons of all the computers they dont like.. im only opinionated about processors... haha but thats cause of my experiences with them

85TurboRunner · 11-28-2008, 07:10 PM

Even though I'm not real huge into comp games, what is a decent video card for a laptop?

VSU_4runnin · 11-28-2008, 07:14 PM

eeeh... any of the newer nvidia cards.. however most new laptops come with their own graphics card... i know that toshiba comes with an ATI radeon which is pretty good for the occational movie or WOW session.. haha but not reccomended for a gaming specific computer

arjan · 11-28-2008, 10:07 PM

I have been wondering if Lenovo carried the ibm quality along. I've had good luck with ibm laptops in the past.

I have to agree on the Toshibas, they are pretty good as well.

I have a Dell d630, one of the very few laptops which still has an old fashioned serial port. I do quite a bit of PLC programming and serial ports are still quite common in the automation world.
I really like my dell though, it somehow is a very pleasant laptop to work with. I do have the 1440x900 resolution on a 14" non shiny screen, which makes for very sharp graphics.
I hate the bright screens, too much glare. The matte ones do much better with a lot of light around you.
I do a fair bit of work in greenhouses, bright screens suck in that environment.

nieuwendyk-25 · 11-28-2008, 10:27 PM

Look at the Apple store at the bottom of the page at the Refurbished department if you think they are too expensive for you. They have some great deals with a full warranty. I have bought two refurbished laptops (one for my mother in law and one for my office manager) and two refurbished iMacs (for my office) from them. No problems what so ever. Apples are built well and will outlast most brands because they use good components. You can run windows on it if you like, but you are an idiot if you do as windows is crap! You bought a Toyota didn't you...get smart about your computer and buy an Apple...it's the same thing.

By the way, I have owned two Apple desktops and 2 Apple laptops from 1993 until now. I have never ever had any problems with any of them, except for replacing one laptop battery (and that was under warranty). All of them still work fine...I have never trashed one, only retired them when I upgraded to a faster model, and it takes them a long time to get out of date. My current desktop was bought in 2001. It is still pretty fast and very capable. I am planning on upgrading it to an iMac just because I want a smaller footprint and no large tower on the ground. I am running a Macbook for most of my daily stuff. The thing I love about it is that it is very thin and lightweight...I also like the 13 inch screen size...it makes it much more portable and I take it everywhere. If you like a bigger screen you can get a macbook pro, still thin and light, but you can get a 15 or 17 inch screen. Or if you want a bigger screen on your desk, you can use an external display.

Right now I am replacing all of the Dells in my office one by one with iMacs. The Dells were purchased in 2004 and are so slow it is painful to do work on them. We have one program we run in windows and we run it in a little window on the screen on the iMac using Fusion or Virtual Box by Sun microsystems. Windows 2000 since it was the last usable version. I am replacing them will all refurbished iMacs which is saving me a bundle.

They may seem a bit expensive at first, but as with Toyota you get what you pay for. They are reliable and they last. Several of my staff members have had 2-3 computers in the time I have had G4 dual tower. I have converted all of my family and multiple friends to Macs and they are all very happy with them. They have all thanked me for they have no more headaches. 99% of people who knock Apple have never used one...trust me I have 7 PC's at my office and 2 iMacs. At home I am all Mac. I will soon be all Mac at the office...and my staff is thanking me! Everything works with everything.....

Understand, Dell makes a decent machine, Acers are garbage, but the operating system is the root of the problem. Especially now with Vista...what a joke that has become.

Newegg is pretty awesome, I purchase my office copier and a couple of LCD TV's from them...great customer service.

One more thing...playing games on a computer sucks! Get a Playstation, X-box (if you so love microsoft) or Wii if you want to play games.

Good luck "dood" and check out the Apple refurbished ones or look for one on e-bay. I know you said your limit was around $500-600 but you might think of saving a little more money if you can, and go for something that will work for you for a long time. Heck I would sell you my Macbook (I just want one of the cool new ones) but my daughter has dibs on it.

VSU_4runnin · 12-02-2008, 11:59 AM

no unfortunately very little of ibm remains in lenovo computers.. theyre garbage

85TurboRunner · 12-05-2008, 01:39 AM

I'm actually leaning toward building a new desktop now. As much as I'd like the portability of a laptop, I can't get past the fact I can have a machine 10x's better for the same price. I dunno we'll see, thanks again though for all the info and keep it coming.

***Corey*** · 12-05-2008, 02:00 AM

If you are going for a desktop, building it is the way to go.
I have built all of my desktops, but I am also into high end PCs for gaming and recording TV shows to play back.

Laptops, I like Dell.
I bought my Dell a little over a year ago, and it has been a nice computer.

Here are the specs on my gamer I built last year at the same time I got my laptop.
Will be doing a video card upgrade though, they have advanced quite a bit in just a years time for gaming.

Pay no attention to the URLS

Hayes · 12-05-2008, 08:20 PM

I am using a HP. most of the things are not upgradable (I just got mine with all the stuff I wanted) but the RAM was. i upgraded to 2 gigs (minimum in my opinion for Vista) and I love it. Mine was a little pricey, since it is a 17" monitor with a full number pad, but I have been satisfied with the performance and quality.

Hayes · 12-05-2008, 08:25 PM

Oh, and as for building a desktop, unless you are a hardcore gamer, I wouldn't recommend it. A lot goes into building and you can get a good computer to fit your needs for around the same price as building one.

On my desktop, I bought it during my first year of college (about 4 years) and it still runs strong. I have made upgrades, but only the ones I need. I upgraded the video card so I could run dual monitors for photo editing, then I upgraded the audio card so I could listen to my music with exceptional sound quality. Last, I upgraded to 2 gigs on that to help run all my programs that i use constantly.

The only thing I can think would be useful is a motherboard that can run more RAM because I would like to get into video editing.

Unless you are building your computer for a very specific reason...gaming, video, photo... a home built would just be overkill.

11-28-2008, 07:07 PM	#27 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	It kinda sucks, I could build an awesome desktop for the same price. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 07:08 PM	#28 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	I know.. i said the same thing.. i built one 2 years ago that is at least 2x better than an alienware for like $389 __________________ 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, 07:08 PM	#29 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I really appreciate it. I wasn't sure if I'd get any response since this is a Toyota forum. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 07:10 PM	#30 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	ooh anytime! you never know who online knows what about anything... (and if you went on a computer forum it would be 20 pages of arguement and you would wind up thinking all computers suck cause everyone would list cons of all the computers they dont like.. im only opinionated about processors... haha but thats cause of my experiences with them __________________ 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 07:11 PM.

11-28-2008, 07:10 PM	#31 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	Even though I'm not real huge into comp games, what is a decent video card for a laptop? __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

11-28-2008, 07:14 PM	#32 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	eeeh... any of the newer nvidia cards.. however most new laptops come with their own graphics card... i know that toshiba comes with an ATI radeon which is pretty good for the occational movie or WOW session.. haha but not reccomended for a gaming specific computer __________________ 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, 10:07 PM	#33 (permalink)
arjan Contributing Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mission, British Columbia Posts: 1,558	I have been wondering if Lenovo carried the ibm quality along. I've had good luck with ibm laptops in the past. I have to agree on the Toshibas, they are pretty good as well. I have a Dell d630, one of the very few laptops which still has an old fashioned serial port. I do quite a bit of PLC programming and serial ports are still quite common in the automation world. I really like my dell though, it somehow is a very pleasant laptop to work with. I do have the 1440x900 resolution on a 14" non shiny screen, which makes for very sharp graphics. I hate the bright screens, too much glare. The matte ones do much better with a lot of light around you. I do a fair bit of work in greenhouses, bright screens suck in that environment. __________________ 2006 4Runner V8 Sports Edition Red 1997 4Runner 3.4L Bushwacker Flares, 5spd, E locker

11-28-2008, 10:27 PM	#34 (permalink)
nieuwendyk-25 Contributing Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Republic Texas Posts: 872	Look at the Apple store at the bottom of the page at the Refurbished department if you think they are too expensive for you. They have some great deals with a full warranty. I have bought two refurbished laptops (one for my mother in law and one for my office manager) and two refurbished iMacs (for my office) from them. No problems what so ever. Apples are built well and will outlast most brands because they use good components. You can run windows on it if you like, but you are an idiot if you do as windows is crap! You bought a Toyota didn't you...get smart about your computer and buy an Apple...it's the same thing. By the way, I have owned two Apple desktops and 2 Apple laptops from 1993 until now. I have never ever had any problems with any of them, except for replacing one laptop battery (and that was under warranty). All of them still work fine...I have never trashed one, only retired them when I upgraded to a faster model, and it takes them a long time to get out of date. My current desktop was bought in 2001. It is still pretty fast and very capable. I am planning on upgrading it to an iMac just because I want a smaller footprint and no large tower on the ground. I am running a Macbook for most of my daily stuff. The thing I love about it is that it is very thin and lightweight...I also like the 13 inch screen size...it makes it much more portable and I take it everywhere. If you like a bigger screen you can get a macbook pro, still thin and light, but you can get a 15 or 17 inch screen. Or if you want a bigger screen on your desk, you can use an external display. Right now I am replacing all of the Dells in my office one by one with iMacs. The Dells were purchased in 2004 and are so slow it is painful to do work on them. We have one program we run in windows and we run it in a little window on the screen on the iMac using Fusion or Virtual Box by Sun microsystems. Windows 2000 since it was the last usable version. I am replacing them will all refurbished iMacs which is saving me a bundle. They may seem a bit expensive at first, but as with Toyota you get what you pay for. They are reliable and they last. Several of my staff members have had 2-3 computers in the time I have had G4 dual tower. I have converted all of my family and multiple friends to Macs and they are all very happy with them. They have all thanked me for they have no more headaches. 99% of people who knock Apple have never used one...trust me I have 7 PC's at my office and 2 iMacs. At home I am all Mac. I will soon be all Mac at the office...and my staff is thanking me! Everything works with everything..... Understand, Dell makes a decent machine, Acers are garbage, but the operating system is the root of the problem. Especially now with Vista...what a joke that has become. Newegg is pretty awesome, I purchase my office copier and a couple of LCD TV's from them...great customer service. One more thing...playing games on a computer sucks! Get a Playstation, X-box (if you so love microsoft) or Wii if you want to play games. Good luck "dood" and check out the Apple refurbished ones or look for one on e-bay. I know you said your limit was around $500-600 but you might think of saving a little more money if you can, and go for something that will work for you for a long time. Heck I would sell you my Macbook (I just want one of the cool new ones) but my daughter has dibs on it. __________________ DMN, D.D.S. "DOC" 2000 4Runner SR5 4WD- RADIANT RED, Toyota E-Locker, BFG AT's, Yakima Rocket Box, Toyota Ski Rack, Alpine Amp, iPhone interface, Focal 6.5" Components Front & REAR!, Monster Wiring, Husky Liners, Magellan Color GPS, Bilstein Sucks...I mean Shocks 2005 Sequoia SR5 4WD- BRILLIANT WHITE, Yakima RB, Husky Liners, 10.4" LCD/DVD Player, iPod interface, BFG AT's 1986 Jeep CJ-7- Hard & Soft Tops, Alpine CD, iPod interface, Polk Speakers, 31" BFG AT's, Bosch Lights, Mopar MPI Last edited by nieuwendyk-25; 11-28-2008 at 10:48 PM.

12-02-2008, 11:59 AM	#35 (permalink)
VSU_4runnin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Georgia Posts: 657	no unfortunately very little of ibm remains in lenovo computers.. theyre garbage __________________ 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!

12-05-2008, 01:39 AM	#36 (permalink)
85TurboRunner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 1,063	I'm actually leaning toward building a new desktop now. As much as I'd like the portability of a laptop, I can't get past the fact I can have a machine 10x's better for the same price. I dunno we'll see, thanks again though for all the info and keep it coming. __________________ 1985 4runner 22re 5spd.

12-05-2008, 02:00 AM	#37 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 26,071	If you are going for a desktop, building it is the way to go. I have built all of my desktops, but I am also into high end PCs for gaming and recording TV shows to play back. Laptops, I like Dell. I bought my Dell a little over a year ago, and it has been a nice computer. Here are the specs on my gamer I built last year at the same time I got my laptop. Will be doing a video card upgrade though, they have advanced quite a bit in just a years time for gaming. Pay no attention to the URLS , this is from my sig file at a UT3 forum I use. My FJ Cruiser * YotaTech, Toyota OffRoad Tech Case - Antec 900 Gamer \| PSU - Thermaltake ToughPower 650 Watt \| Motherboard - Asus P5N32-E \| CPU - Intel Duo Core 3.0 GHz E6850 Ram - Corsair PC-8500 2 GB \| Hard drive - Seagate SATA II 320 GB \| Video Card - EVGA 8800 GTS 512 MB \| Soundcard - Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Logitech Z680 Speakers \| Asus MW221u 22" Widescreen \| DVD/CD - Pioneer DVR-112D \| Deck Legend Keyboard \| Logitech G9 Mouse \| XP Pro __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser Built for 4wheelin', expedition, camping, and overlanding use PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse Part II ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge Blog About Roof Top Tents ☺ FJC Magazines Online Review Of My Tent ☺ 2009 Specialized Rockhopper Pro

12-05-2008, 08:20 PM	#38 (permalink)
Hayes Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Aurora, CO Posts: 1,884	I am using a HP. most of the things are not upgradable (I just got mine with all the stuff I wanted) but the RAM was. i upgraded to 2 gigs (minimum in my opinion for Vista) and I love it. Mine was a little pricey, since it is a 17" monitor with a full number pad, but I have been satisfied with the performance and quality. __________________ Obama is an acronym. OBAMA = One Big Ass Mistake, America

12-05-2008, 08:25 PM	#39 (permalink)
Hayes Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Aurora, CO Posts: 1,884	Oh, and as for building a desktop, unless you are a hardcore gamer, I wouldn't recommend it. A lot goes into building and you can get a good computer to fit your needs for around the same price as building one. On my desktop, I bought it during my first year of college (about 4 years) and it still runs strong. I have made upgrades, but only the ones I need. I upgraded the video card so I could run dual monitors for photo editing, then I upgraded the audio card so I could listen to my music with exceptional sound quality. Last, I upgraded to 2 gigs on that to help run all my programs that i use constantly. The only thing I can think would be useful is a motherboard that can run more RAM because I would like to get into video editing. Unless you are building your computer for a very specific reason...gaming, video, photo... a home built would just be overkill. __________________ Obama is an acronym. OBAMA = One Big Ass Mistake, America

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Laptop owners... Should I buy the extra "Service Plan"?	Mojo_Risin	Computer Talk	17	05-10-2006 07:05 AM
OME 3rd Gen What to buy Where to buy	xcmountain80	95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners	46	03-22-2006 05:23 PM
Wanna buy a laptop at dealgain.com	johnabe123	Computer Talk	4	03-05-2005 11:18 AM
Which laptop to get	Robinhood150	Off Topic Talk	34	11-09-2003 06:58 PM