she is not a computer geek - but I'm looking for something that she grow into and do her school work - thanks
2007-05-09 08:08:00 · 19 answers · asked by Big Daddy 4 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
Dell Inspiron 1501. A great all round machine and you can build it as you order. For $1000 you will get one great laptop.
2007-05-09 17:07:08 · answer #1 · answered by kwilfort 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Laptops are an interesting commodity. Their performance is never up to desk top technology (chip evolution, RAM form, drive architecture all usually advance first in larger form factor desktops then trickle down). Nonetheless, they're a very GOOD investment for college bound kids.
Look for a Toshiba, Sony or Acer in the $7-900 range if ALL you want is a college "notes and papers" machine. There are quite a few on sale at Best Buy, CompUSA and others in this range. At this price, you can't be TOO disturbed when it's obsolete in 30 months.
If your daughter secretly wants to play DVDs on a wide screen, have a kick butt sound card she can use for her music, and a media center type machine, plan to spend $900-1200 and add HP as a possible option.
Regardless of your choice, realize that the machine will be limping along in 4 years (if it makes it that far). I'm a business person who uses laptops exclusively for the past 10 years or so, and I replace them every 2 1/2 - 3 years because they simply don't keep up with the evolution of software (no machine ever really does).
One final thought, despite one of the recommendations here, I'd recommend AGAINST anything Apple. You'd be telling your kid "do music, do videos and pictures, spend your time on Facebook". All machines can do all of these, but that's all part of the Apple Mystique and not exactly what I sent my kids to college for.
Good luck!
2007-05-09 08:34:41 · answer #2 · answered by Larry O 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out this site: http://www.notebookreview.com/ Pretty thorough reviews, plus online forums where you can ask about the best laptop for a particular situation.
There are so many factors to consider, as laptops are now so varied and have so many different features available, all aimed at different audiences.
How portable does she need it to be? How much battery life does she need? How big of a screen does she want? How long is it expected to last? What applications will she run on it?
2007-05-09 08:16:17 · answer #3 · answered by finance_coder 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont waste your money on a laptop. they are not worth it. you can build your daughter an amazing computer for about 700 or 800 dollars. laptops stink because once they get old and slow there is nothing you can really do to get that zip back into it. with pcs, you can upgrade as much as you like. otherwise if you really really are stuck on the laptop idea, you should probably go with a dell they can help you with all the details
2007-05-09 08:15:03 · answer #4 · answered by Ryan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i absolutely think that toshiba's are one of the best. they always have great prices for the same quality that you get from a bigger brand such as dell, or gateway, etc.
check the specs. try to get the most 4 ur $$$. look at the memory & all those other #'s. usu its the bigger the better. except for price of course
the best advice i can give is know what u want before u go anywhere to buy something cuz those sales ppl are horrible. they try to get u to buy the most expensive thing even if its a piece of crap. they just want the commission. so i would suggest looking online b4 u go to the store. try bestbuy.com or circuitcity.com
2007-05-09 08:18:38 · answer #5 · answered by LIZ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can get a Dell Inspiron for probably about that much. Go to www.dell.com and looks at their laptop options and look at the models in that price range. It won't be the top of the line for $1000 but it should be good enough for her to do schoolwork on.
2007-05-09 08:14:05 · answer #6 · answered by hllywood72 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I recommend the model I have, a Dell Inspiron 6400, its a very good laptop and is in the range of $700-1,200.
You should buy one in the range to $1000, which will be a balance of good quality and value-for-money.
2007-05-09 08:20:06 · answer #7 · answered by Crash 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One-hundred percent: MacBook 1.83Ghz from Apple. The packaged software is perfect for college and fits both the normal users and geeks alike.
2007-05-09 08:14:05 · answer #8 · answered by Lapper 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husband is an accountant and is using it for work at home, and he seems to really like the new Dell he bought. I know it was inexpensive, as he didn't get any special bells and whistles, and I have heard from him that their customer service is very helpful. Hope this is helpful to you!
2007-05-09 08:17:44 · answer #9 · answered by jm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you sad that you are sending your daughter off to a collection of pictures arranged with glue on poster board? I'd send her to college instead, she would have a better future.
Given that it doesn't seem her father even graduated 4th grade, I'd just send her off with a coloring book.
2007-05-09 08:30:12 · answer #10 · answered by rattyboo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋