Son needs a laptop for school and I'm thinking of looking fpr one this weekend, since its tax-free. I've heard alot of negative things about the Vista software - what are the problems with it? Any suggestions as which brands of computers are better than others? We've got an older Dell and it's been fine for us. I'm looking to stay under $500. Thanks!
I've been looking online at Dell. THey have some BOGO - I'm thinking the 1525 looks like a decent deal? Plus - we were thinking about getting one at Xmas for our DD who will go to college next yr. The reviews look pretty good. Any comments from the geek gallery - would like to hear your opinions. http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/bogo_deals?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
Do you have a membership at BJs? I have a coupon for a Sony Vaio that takes $180 off - final cost $499.99. (Valid 8/14-8/30) I would be glad to send it to you. If you don't have a membership, you can get a trial one for free for 3 months - just sign up at customer service. Personally, I have a Gateway laptop. It's pretty slow, but suits my needs otherwise. It took me a hile to get used to Vista, and I hated it at first. It's grown on me though. It's not terrible, just different than XP that I used before.
We've had a lot of experience with Dell laptops over the years, most of which has been good in terms of price/performance/service. You may want to check out their Vostro line, which will allow you to still purchase it with Windows XP. We recently ordered (7) of the Vostro 1000 model for a client that needed a good basic laptop. The AMD processor and the 1GB of memory make for a nice package and everyone that is using one has liked it. Not a bad configuration for $399. You can check out the Vostro line here: http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/vostronb_1000?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd One thing to keep in mind when ordering a Dell laptop. On some models they have an LCD screen option (TrueLife I think is their name for it) and the screen has a very glossy front on it which has some of the worst reflections I have ever seen! I normally go for their non-glare option for the screen. If you want to get your hands on one before ordering, you can usually check them out at the Dell Kiosk store in Crabtree Mall (at least they were still there the last time I was there last Christmas!) Good luck!
I do have a membership. Was the coupon in the little booklet that came in the mail recently? We've never had a Sony - I'll have to research it. Thanks!! And thanks appcom- I'll check those out too.
Coming from a Laptop Tech ..... Sony is hands down the #1 unit to own. Just be carefull with the lower priced units. Compare the "what you get" line items against other units in the same price range. Before you decide on a unit take time to review what applications your son will be using. Use his desired field of study and apply those requirements to the choice of laptops. ie... graphics, office applications, time spent mobile verses desktop use, screen size / multimedia use, audio ...etc. Here's my opinion of manufacturers and how they compare when it comes to service, durability, and best bang for the buck. Sony- Reliable product - Excellent service - Pricey. If you looking for longevity in product performance it's the choice. HP- Good all around product. - Average service - Average pricing. Acer- just as good as HP and slightly lower in price. Dell- just as good as HP - Don't like their service record - known to forcing a "sell up" attitude when questioned about their lower priced units. Use a lesser quality LCD & backlighting in their screens on the low end units. Compile a list on all the units you find in your price range. Print out the spec's and compare with a highlighter. You'll find the list dwindles quickly to the right choice for you. Don't let ram quantity defer you from one that you like. Adding ram is a user friendly task in most units. A 1 GIG chip is abot $25 and 5 minutes to put it in. PS: Don't by the extended warranty unless you buy the unit from Walmart. It's amazing, they have the best extended warranty and it's 1/5 the price of the competition. Go figure??
I'm having problems with my laptop fan. It is acting crazy and sounds loud at times. I've pulled the debris from the fan by taking the bottom off, but it still sounds wild. It is not covered under warrenty anymore. Any suggestions?
He'll be studying Mech Eng at Wake Tech and needs to be able to install an Autocad prog, plus use for general school work. Cad Software package says its needs Intel Pent IV processor and 512MB Ram.
ddrdan is the man for laptop repairs! Post your model number and I'm sure he'll be able to point you in the right direction.
If he is going to be running Autocad would suggest you get as much RAM as possible (pre installed or upgraded yourself as ddrdan suggested). I would also be looking for one with as fast a hard drive as possible (7200 rpm instead of 5400 rpm) as that will provide a noticable performance increase, although may run hotter. Depending on your budget, also consider one that has a seperate, higher end graphics card rather than the common built-in/shared memory one common on laptops. Autocad, depending on what is being created, can push the limits of the graphics system. The Dell Vostro line probably isn't going to do it for you - too basic. Make sure you check to see if they are recommending Vista as the OS, or if you can consider XP.
Hmm wonder if he is taking the same class as me. DFT 110 I believe, I have to have AutoCad as well. I have a Toshiba with Vista and love it, have had no problems with it. I have give you the specs when I get home tonight if you are interested..
Like Appcomm said, lots of ram and very good video. I use acad now, it's a resource monster. Think about getting the biggest screen he can handle, thinking of weight here. Using ACAD on a small screen means zooming in and out many many times. Loss of productivity is a factor in small screen sizes. You definitely want a wireless notebook optical mouse. You do not want to operate ACAD with a touchpad ....... it will be a new learning factor when you get a job at a desktop and your multiple mouse skills suck from lack of use. I use the MicroSoft wireless 3000 mouse, cheap and good. Having a number pad is also a plus in ACAD. The company I work for bought the HP DV9910 for me. I really like it. With the mouse it was around $700. 3 GIG ram, 260 GIG hard drive, 2.0Ghz AMD, 17" wide screen and an excellent video chip. Built in Media camera and a remote control for video presentations. PS: I find the AMD processors work better with ACAD.
For all buying computers for college kids- check the college's requirements before you buy. They usually have specifics if you are going to be using them on their network.
Yes - it's the same coupon. I wish I had held out for discountso n the Sony - I hear they're GREAT! good luck on your search.
Well - we ended up getting one at Best Buy on sale this weekend. They had a Dell T8100 for 799.99. It has 4GB DDR2 mem and 320GB hard drive, plus other specs that should be more than enough for him - I hope!. They were out of stock, but they ordered it for us so we could still save on the tax...:hurray:
