Buying a laptop, any recommomendations?

Question

Buying a laptop, mainly 4 university, but also want a big hard drive, for mp3s, want to play games, occasionally etc Any ideas on what I should buy?

(Want a pc or windows based laptop)

Answer 1

im switching to a mac for my next computer. Dont need to worry about viruses or making sure everything is set up right. Out of the box is has a web cam and microphone for video chat. Highly rated software to create songs, web sites, home movies, dvds, and documents all out of the box. A lot of games do have mac editions, and the apple computers can also run windows if needed.

I suggest an external hard drive for music so it doesnt take up disk space, and slow the computer down. External drive also makes it easier to share music between computers.

Answer 2

Many schools have minimum system requirements. If your student has decided on a major, take this into consideration. A graphics design student needs a more powerful computer than an English major.

One choice will be between an Apple and a Windows-based laptop. Apple laptops come pre-built; there aren't many additional options. A laptop running Windows offers vast variety and confusion.

Windows machines

First up is the processor. Intel offers several. I'd put my money on its Pentium M. It was specifically designed for laptops. It's part of the Centrino package, which features wireless networking. And battery life is phenomenal - some computers get six hours of use on a single charge!

You're bound to encounter Advanced Micro Devices chips. AMD's naming conventions differ from Intel's, as does the chip's internal architecture. There's no quick way to compare the brands.

However, there is an easy rule of thumb. AMD's Athlon XP-M competes with the Pentium M. You might see the chip labeled as Athlon XP-M 1400+. In this case, the 1400+ indicates it is comparable to a 1.4 GHz chip.

In terms of processor speed, the 1.4 GHz Pentium M or its AMD equivalent is adequate.

Also, that English major may be okay with a budget chip. Intel offers the Celeron, while AMD calls its the Sempron. For tasks such as word processing and using the Internet, the difference in speed won't be apparent. With budget chips, choose one with a speed of at least 2.0 GHz.

You may run into 64-bit chips. Windows has a 64-bit operating system, but software is otherwise rare. Don't pay extra for 64-bit, unless the institution requires it.

RAM is as important as processor speed. I recommend 512 megabytes. Today's programs require a lot of RAM. Windows XP requires 128 MB alone. You'll need more to run other programs.

Go for a 40-gigabyte or larger hard drive. This provides ample room for software and files. Many professors offer recordings of lectures online. These eat up a lot of storage space. A CD burner is essential for backups.

A DVD drive is also handy. Your student can watch movies without the need for a stand-alone player. You might also find laptops that include a TV tuner. This will obviate the need for a television set.

Don't forget networking. Most campuses offer wireless access to the Internet. The 802.11g standard is your best bet. Wired (Ethernet) access may also be available. So make sure the laptop can handle both.

Macs

Your student might prefer a Mac. Generally, Macs are more expensive than Windows computers with comparable specifications.

On the flipside, Mac die-hards cite security and ease of use.

Apple offers iBooks and more expensive PowerBooks. At a minimum, opt for a 60-gigabyte hard drive and 512 MB of RAM.

Other considerations

Screen size and weight are important considerations. Your student will lug the computer around campus, so small is good. It's also cheaper. But a large screen might trump weight.

It's worth checking Consumer Reports' laptop reliability ratings. Subscriptions are about $5 monthly or $26 annually.

Toshiba, Sony, Dell, Apple and IBM consistently rank well. But IBM recently sold its laptop operations to Lenovo. It remains to be seen if this Chinese manufacturer can match IBM's quality.

Check for discounts

Before you buy, check the school bookstore. Colleges often offer discounts for students. Publishers frequently offer academic editions of software. They're discounted for students and teachers. Savings often run hundreds of dollars. For example, an academic version of Microsoft Office is $150. A standard version is $399.

Additionally, some schools negotiate licensing agreements with publishers. So visit the campus computing center. Students sometimes get software for $5 or $10

Answer 3

Dell Inspiron 6400/E1505. It costs very low and you can easily carry it through your university, play moderate games. it has Dell media direct for multimedia purpose - you can play musics without booting windows. HDD is 160 GB and price is below $800. How it sounds?

Answer 4

There are many kinds of laptops these days are used for games and other intertainments, you can buy sony, hp, acer, all are good but it all depends on how much you will pay.
If you want a laptop for games try to find any of thoese but included Nvidia or ati graphic card, most pupular graphic card for games are geforce 6600 or 7200 go. good luck

Answer 5

I suggest going to www.dell.com and seriously consider a XPS M1210 (has built-in webcam) ....... or Inspiron 1401.

If you want to play games you could consider 1505 but this is a heavier weight computer to carry around a university.

Answer 6

I suggest that your laptop should have these specifications:
1. at least 80 GB SATA(serial attachement) hard drive, shock proof
2. at least 2.5 GHz pentium 4 HT (hyperthreading technology), if you want to try something new, try pentium 4 Core-Duo
3. at least 1 GB DDR2 RAM/Memory
4. LCD resolution of at least 1024x768, True color(32 Bit) display, with anti-glare screen
5. last but not the least VGA Graphics Adapter (of course that's "built-in" the laptop) with at least 128 MB memory

Don't be afraid to ask your friendly salesperson.

Answer 7

GO FOR DELL INSPIRON 6400 I WOULD SUGGEST IT WILL WORKOUT FOR U