I am an experienced computer user about to embark on the hunt for a new laptop. Need opinions.?

Question

I was using an old Latitude but the poor thing suddenly gave up on me one day. I need opinions from other experienced users on brands etc.
Please make it short and precise - I am on the hunt for a BEST answer.

Answer 1

Usually, information on how you plan to use the computer helps when asking a question like this, but without it, the only opinion I can offer is on manufacturer and reliability.

I have used and worked on several different laptop brands in the last several years. I personally own a Sony Vaio, but I have fixed or used Dell, Acer, HP and Gateway.

The features you will want to look for in any laptop are:
1. Warranty - get in home service with damage coverage.
2. Performance - match it to what you are doing
3. Usability - don't get an ultralight to take over the job of your gaming desktop.

With those points in mind, go shopping and pick the brand and model that you like the best and that fits with your intended mode of use.

The most reliable out of all the laptops I have used or fixed would be the Sony. I have had almost no problems with the system and the one serious problem was covered under the warranty. The Dell systems that I have experience with have been unreliable and the service has been worse. The Latitude is currently on its fifth motherboard and 3rd set of RAM. The only part that hasn't been replaced at least once is the monitor and the case.

I have seen several HP laptops and they seem to be reliable, but I have also heard of them having problems with static buildup and odd things like that.

I personally won't use anything by Acer. I feel the quality of the components they use is less than even Dell, and the ones I have experience with have been back to be fixed more than once.

Gateway is a beginner level laptop. They seem to be solid machines, but are seldom upgradeable and often bare-bones systems.

Answer 2

If you have a USB port (which you probably do). Your best bet would be to buy a USB wireless adapter and a cheap wireless router if you want to go wireless. I am not sure how much they cost were you live, but you can normally order a decent USB wireless card online for under $20 US and a basic wireless router for around $35. Although the laptop itself is probably not worth money to upgrade, when you buy a new computer you can still use the wireless router so it may not be a complete waste of money. In order to tell if the laptop already has wireless there are a few places you can look. If you have any wireless related software on your computer it should show up in add/remove programs. If you have a wireless card it should show up under device manager as one of the network devices. If your motherboard has a built in wireless card it would show the information in the BIOS.

Answer 3

dances_wi... offered you the best advice in suggesting you keep in mind what you will be using it for.

In any case, I strongly suggest to keep away from bargain units like Celeron processor based models. These machines are designed for basic business use & will surely disapoint you in multimedia applications.

Also keep in mind that unlike desktop PCs, notebooks are not easily upgradable. Sure you can replace the hard drive or add a limited amount of ram, however, adding a superior graphics card or CPU is usually out of the question. With this in mind I suggest you plan ahead & purchase a unit that not only meets your needs today yet surpasses them substantially so that it can addequately meet the resource requirements for software you may want to use a year from now.

Spend a little more & you will spare yourself regrets & frustration in the future. Go for a 64bit AMD or Intel dual core processor .... I promise you will thank me down the road.

regards,
Philip T

Answer 4

Macbook Pro.

Answer 5

I looked at many different laptops but I decided on the Acer.....best value and warrantee for what I was looking for. However my next laptop will be a Mac Intel. The ability to run Windows and OS X will offer the best of two worlds.

Answer 6

The single most important question you need to answer before you purchase a computer is: What will you be using it for? Your particular needs should dictate the type of computer you purchase, and the "extras" you choose to put on it. The slickest computer in the world isn't worth a thing if it doesn't meet YOUR needs.

Answer 7

Dell Inspiron

Answer 8

I've suffered through many laptops in my day. I'd have to say the Dell E1505 is a good choice. Everything you need, not too big, not too small, dual processor, great memory options, and quiet keyboard.

Answer 9

Check out CompRec.com, they have specs for several different desktops and laptops. Choose one and then compare prices at different manufacturers. With a consistant set of specs you can compare apples-to-apples from different manufacturers.

Answer 10

I just purchased a thinkpad Z61M, check it out.... great machine.