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Need laptop recommendations......

Discussion in 'Technology' started by kizdan, Oct 20, 2010.

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  1. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    #1 kizdan, Oct 20, 2010
    Well, my 2-year old Toshiba Satelite laptop is officially a piece of crap! About a year after getting it, the mousepad stopped working entirely. Last night, some very strange noises were coming out of it, and I couldn't do anything at all. The screen kept freezing up. It came very close to becoming little pieces of scrap. I am done! This thing sucks. I will never buy another Toshiba again. It is a 17" screen, which is too big to haul around and use on a plane, so I've been looking for an excuse to downsize anyways.

    My criteria;
    14" - 15" screen
    300GB+ hard drive, prefer 500GB
    3 Gb RAM minimum
    Maximum $600

    I guess I don't need a specific model recommendation, but a specific brand would be nice. I don't think it's normal to have any issues with any laptop as soon as I have had with the POS Toshiba.
     
  2. KhanArt

    KhanArt Formula Junior

    Aug 6, 2010
    289
    7zero3
    Full Name:
    Z
    #2 KhanArt, Oct 20, 2010
    I have a HP, I like it but my battery gets extremely hot and the battery life is non existant. Probably a issue with my laptop only...haven't researched if it is a common problem.
     
  3. NeuroBeaker

    NeuroBeaker Advising Moderator
    Moderator

    Oct 1, 2008
    40,010
    Huntsville, AL., USA
    Full Name:
    Andrew
    #3 NeuroBeaker, Oct 20, 2010
    I've not had any reliability problems with the Sony VAIO I bought in 2005. It's still my main computer even all this time later and the only thing that's really changed is some discolouration on the case where my palms rest in front of the keyboard. They do seem a little more expensive, but I think they justify their price over the years. When it comes time to get another in the next year or two, the first thing I'll do is see what Sony's current offerings are. :)

    Furthermore, my dad bought a Sony laptop in 2004 and replaced it in 2008 with another Sony - so there's a proven repeat customer for you. ;)

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
  4. Far Out

    Far Out F1 Veteran

    Feb 18, 2007
    9,768
    Stuttgart, Germany
    Full Name:
    Florian
    #4 Far Out, Oct 20, 2010
    Lenovo (formerly IBM) ThinkPads. No eye candy, but of excellent quality and rock solid. Wouldn't want anything else.
     
  5. Rory J

    Rory J Formula 3

    May 30, 2006
    1,133
    #5 Rory J, Oct 20, 2010
    +1 Bought my Thinkpad six years ago, still going strong as my daily 'home laptop that also comes along on vacations, etc.
     
  6. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    #6 kizdan, Oct 22, 2010
    I ended up ordering a Dell Inspiron. It has a 15.6" screen, Intel Core™ i5 Processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 640GB hard drive. Price is $830.

    Decent deal?
     
  7. EnzymaticRacer

    EnzymaticRacer F1 Veteran

    Feb 27, 2005
    5,367
    #7 EnzymaticRacer, Oct 22, 2010
    depends on whether or not that includes a special warranty...

    My HP laptop i just bought in July is a 15.6", i5-540m, 4gb RAM, and a 500GB HD + Inkjet printer for $699... granted I didn't purchase one of the in-home warranties...
     
  8. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    #8 kizdan, Oct 22, 2010
    Nah, I rarely go for any type of extended warranty.
     
  9. EnzymaticRacer

    EnzymaticRacer F1 Veteran

    Feb 27, 2005
    5,367
    #9 EnzymaticRacer, Oct 24, 2010
    then I'd say you got an OK deal. I was about to pull the trigger on one for nearly that price as well until I saw the one ended up getting, and jumped on it.
     
  10. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    #10 kizdan, Oct 28, 2010
    Okay....even though I ordered the above-mentioned Dell, I am getting antzy waiting for it. I went into Best Buy to see what they have available now. They have a Samsung that caught my eye. Any opinions about Samsung laptops? Are they good performers and reliable? I have a Samsung TV and love it.
     
  11. philb3868

    philb3868 Rookie

    Dec 1, 2003
    10
    #11 philb3868, Nov 22, 2010
    Or even used,
    I got a 13" macbook a year old and love it.
    reinstalled the OS runs better than any windows PC
    does not crash and much lighter than my wife's 15" MBP
    I use it at home after work for hours
    open office, safari, emails, music
     

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