For computer/laptop people Please Help Me?

Question

I am an adult and returning to school. My last computer I bought in 2003 and since then I have fallen off the technology waggon. I am going to be going on a 100% online school and will need a lap top (Ive never owned one) that will be fast on the internet and with microsoft office processing. I understand that Vista is a huge program and takes up more space on the computer than older versions. I do not want a Mac and I do not want a Dell (I had a bad experiance with them). I was hopeing to spend about $800 before taxes but it seems that I am going to end up having to spend closer to $1000 in order to get the computer that is going to work. I do not want to go by what the sales people alone say so I am asking you guys. What components do I need for this computer. Processor? Ram? everything. I really have no clue anymore what is out there and I need to get something that will work for me while attempting not to break the bank at the same time. Thank You :)

Answer 1

If you buy a new laptop than chancese are it will come with Windows Vista.

As an IT Professional, here are my recommendations for a laptop purchase based on my 15 years of experience.

1. Make sure the laptop has sufficient RAM. For Windows Vista, 1GB is the minimum, but I recommend 2GB
2. ALWAYS purchase a 3-year warranty!
3. If you are a STUDENT, you are eligible to purchase Microsoft Office at a lower price than you can buy it off the shelf or from the computer manufacturer. Check with your school before you buy!!!!
4. Unless you work professionally with graphics, there is no need to purchase the laptop with the high-end graphics. If you purchase the highest resolution, everything will be too small for you to see. You may want to consider WXGA display and it will work better for you and save you a few $$$
5. Make sure the processer is the DuoCore (Dual Core.) Avoid and Celeron processor at all costs. Pentium4 will work well but the Dual Core will be much faster.

Good luck and I hope my advice helps

Answer 2

Wow that’s a big question, what you need minimum hmmm. if you could get a xp pro that would be good. Vista on a laptop you would need something like 1.8+ghz processor AMD or Intel don't matter really. 2gig of ram for vista you could get buy with 1gig on xp but suggest 2. Hard drive I would think 60+gig would be good. 128mb video card. You can look at Compaq. I haven’t used Vista home so I don’t know about it, but I like vista business fine. Also if you can get a copy of office 2003 it will save you some. Office 2007 is completely different then any of the others.

Answer 3

Firstly, I think you're making a mistake in not considering the Dell laptops - especially the XPS series. Dell has changed a lot over the last few years and is making a very good laptop at very reasonable prices.

That said:

XP if you can get it. Vista doesn't appeal to me "yet"!!!
2.1GHz core2duo Processor (minimum)
160 GB Hard Drive
2 GB RAM
256 MB Video (minimum)
CD/DVD +/- Drive (or double layer if needed)
WiFi built in
15.4" Monitor (minimum) 17" if you plan on multi-tasking.
Audio is normally built in to Motherboard.
Extra external USB ports beyond the mouse port.
Serial & Video connectors in case you want to hook up and extra monitor etc.

Those are my quick thoughts for a good "work" PC and not a "gaming" PC. The 2.1GHz processor, video, and RAM will handle many, many games. This setup is just not for the "high end" games.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I got a great deal on an HP from Office Depot. If you don't have any stores around you try officedepot.com. I only paid $700 for my notebook and I got an additional $150 in mail in rebates. It was on clearance, all the old models were going out and the new ones were coming in. Also, lenovo is not a bad company. It was formerly IBM and my parents just bought one. It was cheap and has all the extras. They are very pleased, which is hard because since I was a little girl all we've ever had were Sony Vaio pc's.

Answer 5

You should easily be able to attain an off lease compaq or HP corporate grade model Pentium Core Duo or Pentium Centrino laptop with a legal copy of windows xp for sub $600.

I would check with reputable local computer stores (mom and pop - not the big box)

Ebay with a reputable seller is always an alternative.

Acer / Gateway / E Machine are also brands to avoid if you're concerned about durability.

I would reccomend the NC line from HP / Compaq - NC8000 is a nice machine - NC6000 is a nice machine.

Answer 6

With a newer pc that's running Vista your going to run close $800 plus.

For vista i would recommend a Dual Core Processor Intel would be better in your case. At least 2 GB of Memory. 128mb nvidia or ATI video card. You could get the integrated video card but it might affect the ability to use some vista visual functions but it will not affect the performance of the pc overall.

Answer 7

You'll need all the componants. W/O them, the computer won't run.

You won't need a very high-end laptop for what you want to do. I also wouldn't get Vista. Go with the more reliable XP.

Answer 8

just look for a laptop with a dual core processor (2 processors in one) with lots of RAM, and no matter how big vista is, it will run fast.

Answer 9

first I'd would add as much memory as my wallet would allow me add to the existing PC. Then you should remove all programs you do not need or use frequently. To do this go to start >> control panel >> add/remove programs. This will free up disk space and much needed system resources. Once you have removed ALL unneeded programs, do the following:

Free Up Disk Space

By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to
Remove temporary Internet files.
Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Remove Windows temporary files.
Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup

1.Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.
Disk Cleanup dialog box

Disk Cleanup calculates the amount of space you will be able to free.

2.In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
Disk Cleanup for dialog box

Choose the files that you want to delete.

3.Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.

4.When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.

After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.
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Speed Up Access to Data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end-to-end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to Run Disk Defragmenter

In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals, optimally monthly, certain events warrant running the utility outside of the monthly rule of thumb.

You should run Disk Defragmenter under the following circumstances:
You add a large number of files.
Your free disk space nears 15 percent.
You install new programs or a new version of Windows.

To use Disk Defragmenter:

1.Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
Disk Defragmenter dialog box

Click Analyze to start the Disk Defragmenter.

2.In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button.

After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.

3.To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button.

After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

4.To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.

5.To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.

6.To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, click the Close button on the title bar of the window.
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Detect and Repair Disk Errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should try to run this utility weekly to help prevent data loss.

To run the Error Checking utility:

Important: Be sure to close all files before running the Error-Checking utility.

1.Click Start, and then click My Computer.

2.In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.

3.In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.

4.Click the Check Now button.

5.In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
Check Disk dialog box

In most circumstances, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

6.If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

Tip: Only select the Automatically fix file system errors check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.
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Protect Your Computer Against Spyware

Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. The information that spyware collects ranges from a list of Web sites that you visit to usernames and passwords. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance