Getting a Laptop?

Question

Greetings to all ,

I wish to get a laptop (have never had one thus my knowledge is 0) so I would like to get some information before getting one . So here are some of the brands I was thinking : a HP or Dell laptop .

My needs are basically for surfing the net , watching videos , hearing music , must be durable and I also have a ZD screen recorder which I will need to install.

Is there any things I need to be aware of when buying. does it get hot easily (if so i was thinking of using my fan and place it directly at it, is that advisable ? ) and whats this dual core , proccessor which I often see it on the laptops specs.

Many thks for your help . Greatly appreciated it

Answer 1

Your requirement is pretty light and could easily be met by a fast Core Solo processor. BUT Core Duo and Core2 Duo are becoming cheap. Consider them for also if you find them affordable. Be sure to have at least 1Gb RAM. 2Gb is great for Vista. For mobility, choose 14" display, otherwise choose the bigger screens. Choose a 160Gb drive so you could keep lots of music and video files.

Answer 2

Ok, you're getting an new laptop, so it comes with Windows Vista. First off, I'd go with HP (even though i have a Dell. HP's are better, less expensive, and nicer). Nowadays, typically, your computer will come with either AMD X2 dual-core, or Intel Core 2 Duo... so really don't worry about that so much (i'd go for Intel if i had a choice though). Next, it's hard-drive (HDD) space and RAM (random access memory). For Vista I...IIIIIII...II ..mee... (not porfessionals who bullcrap).... I suggest 1.5gb.. or 1536mb... a half gig is 512mb.. 1 gig is 1024mb... so.. do the math.... chance are you won't be able to get a 1.5gig RAM in stores...so.. if money isn't too big a problem, go for the 2gb RAM.. if it is.. than you will be fine with 1gb... it might take a little bit more time to start your computer and stuff., but no worries. HP's battery life is better and it doesn't get nearly as hot as a Dell nor as quickly, so don;t worry about the fan. Next, I guess is the Hard Drive... get something 100gb or more... typically you would probably see a HP with this 1gb 533mhz DDR2 RAM, 120GB HDD, 15.4" Bright LCD Screen (or w/e.).. among... if you find that than you'd be ok.. if it says 1gb (or 2) of 667mhz RAM, even better... more Hard Drive space, better.. do you need it ... no... but it depends on how much you want to spend... PLUS if you find the computer is too slow for you... you can always go to a computer store and have them put in more RAM.. (be sure to ask the associate about how much RAM it's expandable to). Other than that... don't worry about nothing else.. you're not doing anything crazy with your laptop, like I do.. a basic nice HP will be quite sufficient!!!

Answer 3

From your list of 'needs' ... any current laptop will meet them (apart from ZD screen recorder, which I don't know anything about).

If you are choosing between Dell and HP, go with HP for durability which is better than Dell.

Laptops get warm but they have fan inside them to keep them within normal operating parameters. Unless you live / work somewhere hot you won't need extra cooling, but if you do you can get fanned pads that you sit the laptop on that are better than blowing your desktop fan at it.

Dual core is one of the latest improvements to all CPU ranges... it adds a second processing core into the CPU package. The benefits are if you are running multi-tasking software or multiple programs at once then two processors means two things can run at once. It's the new approach to increasing performance now that CPU speeds have got crazily high. But for what you're planning to do a single core or dual core will both probably fulfil your current needs. Better off make sure you've got >1Gb of memory.

Answer 4

for best deals check saturday papers - compare them - make decision and run to buy it - be at 10 a.m. in the store - they run out fast of best deals
dell suffers from price and quality problems presently - hp and toshiba are cheaper and better quality - generally:
$ 400 - 800 buys you entry level laptop
$ 800 - 1200 - great laptop
$ 1200+ - an awesome laptop
More money you pay - better processor and bigger screen and more memory you get - more money buys better horse - everything is limited by amount of money so first decision you have to make is how much money you'll be able to spend and
you'll get technological level accordingly
even on cheap laptop and now that means core duo prosessor,
1 Gb of RAM and 15 inches screen and Vista Premium installed
you'll have great experience - for basic needs that is enough for everything except gaming - if you're into gaming minimum is
$ 800+ laptop - must have at least 256 kb graphic card - entry level laptops come without graphic card and that means any games that require 3d accelerations won't run on it and today all games need that - you can still play some older games but not any new ones

Answer 5

Try a Mac, you'll love it from the begining till whenever you want a newer Mac.

You won't worry about viruses, frozen screens and they are pretty fast paced working (internet, videos, music, etc...etc..)

Check the website:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore

Answer 6

Dell. They are powerful and cheap.

I have a Gateway (Manufactured by HP) and it falls apart.