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aintnothang
08-16-2009, 07:07 PM
I was thinking about getting a laptop for school and have about $750 to spend. I have no clue about them and was wondering what to look for. I want decent storage and ram. I was thinking a little gaming but thats not important.

x88x
08-16-2009, 07:18 PM
Screen size? OS preference? Primary use? Any preferred manufacturers? Desired battery life?

aintnothang
08-16-2009, 07:35 PM
Screen size 15 or bigger. Os, probably standard vista(I will probably dual boot ubuntu), I need good battery life since I'll be away from home.

Zephik
08-16-2009, 07:40 PM
How about this one? Great battery life with very decent specs. (at least, as far as laptops with great battery life goes)

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Timeline-AS5810T-8952-15-6-Inch/dp/B002C25O8C/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1250465860&sr=8-11

All Models (http://www.amazon.com/s/!hXIAall-/ref=xs_gb_A3ID248SDST5GV?_encoding=UTF8&node=172282&hidden-keywords=B0029U1526|B002D47TPU|B002C25O8C|B002AURX TY|B002AULXHW&pf_rd_p=477158551&pf_rd_s=center-9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=565108&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZMGWWK6MRPNEG5ZBVPH)

x88x
08-16-2009, 08:49 PM
Acer used to have problems with the lcd panel cracking, but it looks like they fixed that with the new hinge design. It looks like a good system at a good price.

aintnothang
08-16-2009, 09:09 PM
It doesn't have to have the greatest battery life. I only go to school 4 hours a day.

Zephik
08-16-2009, 09:45 PM
Well, I compared a ton of laptops on Newegg and in the end, this is the one I came out with...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115571

Not too shabby! Good reviews too. The battery life seems to be just under 3 hours according to one of the reviews.

aintnothang
08-16-2009, 09:50 PM
I was looking at this one too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157020

Zephik
08-16-2009, 10:08 PM
Well, I compared a ton of laptops on Newegg and in the end, this is the one I came out with...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115571


I was looking at this one too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157020

I would say that laptop is the better laptop, but for $250 more I'd say its not worth it. The battery life according to the reviews is only around 2 hours too, whereas the one I listed is around 3 hours. According to the user reviews anyways. But like I said, its better, but I don't think its $250 better. Its all about how much you're willing to spend in the end.

The only real difference is that graphics card, which pretty much owns the nVidia one. But, like you said in the first post, its not that important and the nVidia one is more than adequate. Hell, I play Oblivion on a GeForce Go 6800. lol

aintnothang
08-17-2009, 12:41 AM
Thank you. I like it and will definitively keep it in mind.

Liquid_Scope_99
08-17-2009, 02:13 AM
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9377104&st=hp+g60&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218094855118

i bought this one about two weeks ago and love it i plays lord of the rings pretty well and bf2 on power saver you might get close to three hours out of it

aintnothang
08-17-2009, 06:47 PM
I liked that other one but not the huge audio control.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9377104&st=hp+g60&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218094855118

i bought this one about two weeks ago and love it i plays lord of the rings pretty well and bf2 on power saver you might get close to three hours out of it
no problems?

I was thinking I could also build a dell or w/e.

Zephik
08-17-2009, 06:52 PM
Definitely consider Dell. Take a look at the Studio line. Best Buy usually has them on display so you can even go down and take a look at them in person. I'm for the most part in love with Dell's Studio line, although I think there might be better deals to have elsewhere. But if I personally had the cash, I'd get a Dell Studio. :)

The website customization is pretty nice too. You can even get a back-lit keyboard and some other cool custom options.

aintnothang
08-17-2009, 07:35 PM
Yeah, making it the way I want it specifically is nice. I'll take a look now.

aintnothang
08-17-2009, 08:58 PM
I like this:http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9415091&type=product&id=1218101178783#tabbed-customerreviews
Its expensive...but I might get it.

Zephik
08-17-2009, 09:57 PM
I don't think that's worth the price at all. You could buy a cheaper model and upgrade it to those specs or better for the same price. You really don't need more than 4GB or RAM either and a 500GB HDD is under $100 I believe. And for that price, there should be a much better graphics processor in there. I must be missing something because I just don't see how that's worth a grand at all. If a grand is your range, I could dig something up much better than that. Heck, even some of the $700 laptops are better than that.

aintnothang
08-17-2009, 11:56 PM
yeah, my budget now is like $900. I want casual gaming.

x88x
08-18-2009, 12:57 AM
IDK if you like Thinkpads or not, but I found this little gem in the Lenovo Outlet. New, never shipped T61:
http://outlet.lenovo.com/laptops/ca64586qu.html $778
+ 2x2GB RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227251) $50
+ ~$100 for whatever 500GB drive you want

== ~$930 (ok, a little over, but that's a really nice laptop)

Check out some of the OEMs outlet stores. There are a bunch listed in this thread (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19864). A lot of the outlet stores will have 'new' or 'redistributed' sections, with laptops that were either never shipped (order was canceled/etc) or was returned unopened, respectively.

aintnothang
08-18-2009, 01:17 AM
I kind of want to get it in like best buy or somewhere. I want to be able to touch it.

x88x
08-18-2009, 01:24 AM
I can't in good conscience recommend actually purchasing one from Best Buy (friggin markup...), but it is nice to be able to handle a laptop before buying. Do you have a Microcenter or Fry's Electronics near you? They tend to have much nicer prices.

aintnothang
08-18-2009, 02:44 AM
fry's, it is a lot farther....but could be worth it.

aintnothang
08-18-2009, 04:08 PM
I like best buy because some laptops had the windows 7 free upgrade!

Zephik
08-18-2009, 04:24 PM
Oooh, that free upgrade would be nice. Windows 7 isn't going to be cheap, it never is. Hmmm...

Well I still say you should get a Studio. My best friend bought one and I played around with it quite a bit. Pretty solid, good feeling laptop. Looks great too. Thats probably why they cost a bit more than other brands, just higher quality control believe it or not. Dell really has come a long way from the old days. lol (I don't know about the XPS series btw, never got to play around with one, I'm just referring to the regular Studio line)

But for $750 you get a pretty nice machine, spend a bit more like around your new price range and you get pretty much everything you want. Quality, performance, plenty of memory and plenty of space. The $750 model at Best Buy has 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB Memory, 500GB HDD but a standard onboard chipset. I think the 4500 series, which isn't too bad but if you spend a bit more you can get a dedicated card. As far as the dedicated cards go, I'd say anything they sell these days should be more than adequate. Like I said before, I have a pretty outdated GPU and it plays oblivion on medium settings and you'd think anything these days would be much better than a 4 year old laptop.

I think the Studio line also gets pretty decent battery life. When on the best buy website you can select which models have which battery life and the minimum for the studio line says 4.5hrs to 5.5hrs.

Edit: I don't think any of the Studio's at Best Buy have dedicated cards, at least not on their website. You might have to check in-store. :( lame.

aintnothang
08-18-2009, 04:36 PM
When I go down there I'll see if I like the dells, if I do I'll go home and build it the way I like. Dell website says the laptop I built is eligible for free windows 7!

x88x
08-18-2009, 04:49 PM
When I go down there I'll see if I like the dells, if I do I'll go home and build it the way I like. Dell website says the laptop I built is eligible for free windows 7!

Haha, yes. That's the way to do it :D

In my experience, Dell's laptops follow about this:

_Consumer_
Inspiron: crap, though progressively less crap as time goes on
XPS: overpriced, but overall acceptable
Studio: nice, pretty solid, good price point
Studio XPS: basically, Dell's premium Consumer laptop. very nice, but very expensive

_Business_
Vostro: think Inspirons marketed towards small businesses. they're sometimes the exact same hardware, just in a black casing instead of shiny/colorful
Precision: workstation class, great internals, but oddly enough, kinda crappy kb/m on the previous generation (I haven't seen any of this current gen). almost like the inputs were an afterthought (used the same hardware as on that gen Inspirons)
Latitude: this is the only line of Dell laptops that I would buy myself. historically have always had nice build quality, but are getting increasingly better. the current generation is the nicest Dell laptops I have ever handled (yes, even nicer than the Studio XPS line)

Zephik
08-18-2009, 05:09 PM
You nailed it x88x! And good idea aintnothang, that's what i usually do. I go to stores and browse things, then hop onto the nearest computer (usually my touch - rip) and order it from like Amazon. lol

"Can I help you sir?"

"Nope, just shopping around on Amazon. Man you guys are overpriced!"

"Please leave sir."

XD

x88x
08-18-2009, 05:24 PM
"Can I help you sir?"

"Nope, just shopping around on Amazon. Man you guys are overpriced!"

"Please leave sir."

XD

Hahaha, nice. That's why you mention that to the people working at the tech desk, not the random sales reps :P Last time I went to Best Buy, I was looking for a DDR3-SODIMM (which they don't carry, btw, but they were close...) and the guy actually got me directions and store hours for a Microcenter store about 30 minutes away :D

aintnothang
08-18-2009, 05:51 PM
Last time I went they said they had no tweeters...I passed them on my way walking out. tisk, tisk.

aintnothang
08-18-2009, 06:26 PM
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570

Those were the basic specs of the one I was building.

billygoat333
08-18-2009, 07:45 PM
http://www.notebookcheck.com/

this website has helped me a lot in my quest for a new lappy, you can compare most of the newer mobile processors and GPUs. pretty sweet site. :) hope that helps.

x88x
08-19-2009, 12:44 AM
Those are good, solid components. I think you'll be able to do a nice bit of gaming with that :D My X200 has the P8600, and while I don't game on it, it can run a few VMs very nicely without hampering the host OS at all.

aintnothang
08-19-2009, 01:43 AM
Yeah, I went and touched it. It was nice. I also liked the viao, but kinda expensive.

x88x
08-19-2009, 12:53 PM
Yeah, Sony makes nice stuff, but it's usually crazy overpriced.

Zephik
08-19-2009, 03:22 PM
My friend, the one with the Dell Studio, has a brother that bought a Sony Vaio a couple weeks before he bought his Dell Studio. The Studio pretty much owns the Vaio and he paid $200 less for it. lol

Although, I think he may have gotten the Studio on sale... :think:

Then again, I think the Vaio was on sale too. I think it was $200 for the Studio and $100 for the Vaio. Which makes the Vaio $100 MORE for LESS. $100 in difference isn't too bad, but only when the products are equal. So yea, I'm not too big of a fan of Sony products. lol (like their netbook line, dear lord those are expensive!)

aintnothang
08-19-2009, 04:16 PM
yeah, I might go with a lower processor on the dell to keep cost down.

aintnothang
08-19-2009, 04:19 PM
Intel Pentium dual core t4200 (2.0 ghz/800mhz fsb/1 mb cache)

Zephik
08-19-2009, 04:22 PM
I would think that a 2GHz Core 2 Duo would be more than enough power. Heck, I remember when everyone was saying how powerful the 1.6GHz C2D line was.

But what do I know. I'm still rocking the 1.7GHz Pentium M! lol

Zephik
08-19-2009, 04:44 PM
This is what I would personally go with. Seems like the best cost/performance ratio. It also has a backlit keyboard but my screenshot didn't capture that bit.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7356/delll.png

Edit: Wait, scratch that, if you select the third option and not change anything it's not only cheaper but its better too. That seems to be the trick. Always select the most expensive option because you'll actually end up saving money, unless you are buying completely stock THEN go for the other options. You can do that with every product Dell has. If you plan to modify, go with the most expensive because they'll cost less that way. VERY TRICKY DELL!

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9467/dell2o.png

aintnothang
08-19-2009, 05:27 PM
This is what I would personally go with. Seems like the best cost/performance ratio. It also has a backlit keyboard but my screenshot didn't capture that bit.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7356/delll.png

Edit: Wait, scratch that, if you select the third option and not change anything it's not only cheaper but its better too. That seems to be the trick. Always select the most expensive option because you'll actually end up saving money, unless you are buying completely stock THEN go for the other options. You can do that with every product Dell has. If you plan to modify, go with the most expensive because they'll cost less that way. VERY TRICKY DELL!

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9467/dell2o.png
wow, thanks. I might get the 1080p screen.

billygoat333
08-19-2009, 06:36 PM
thats actually a pretty sweet deal for a lappy. wish I had money. lol

Zephik
08-19-2009, 07:10 PM
thats actually a pretty sweet deal for a lappy. wish I had money. lol

We Idahoans must think alike. lol

At my current wages, I could afford this laptop in about... 16 months and that's only if I save save save.

You know, I knew supporting a family was expensive, but I never thought I'd have to support one before even having one of my own. lol

billygoat333
08-21-2009, 02:40 AM
yeah supporting a family is expensive.

my family isnt really my family anymore either, stupid divorces. lol

as for when I could afford this? if I took out a student loan, I could buy it. :P which I am half tempted to do as my current laptop is falling apart. :(

So, i gotta ask. is it more important to get a good processor in a laptop or one with a dedicated GPU? lol. cause it seems that every good deal I find on a good processor'ed laptop the gpu is the stupid intel 4500 (which wouldnt be that bad) I wish I could decide if I would actually use the thing for games. that would probably give me my answer.

Zephik
08-21-2009, 03:06 AM
Depends on what you want out of a laptop. For me, battery life conquers all. For others, its the cpu or gpu. If you like to game a lot, I'd go gpu. If you only do light gaming, I'd go cpu. Most onboard graphics are pretty decent too, they can easily handle games like WoW. If you want that perfect blend, I'd get at least a core 2 duo at 2GHz and see if you can find one with any dedicated card.

aintnothang
08-25-2009, 11:26 PM
http://gizmodo.com/5345017/intel-next+gen-mobile-platforms-make-windows-7-launch-an-awesome-time-to-buy-a-laptop
Should I wait?

Zephik
08-26-2009, 12:01 AM
Personally, I'm in love with MSI's ultra-slim line of notebooks. They're dead freaking sexy. The ONLY problem is that they are under-powered. Even their "performance" ultra-slim models are fairly under-powered. Sounds like I'd wait until the end of September at the very least. If you want to wait another 5-8 months for the new badass notebooks, then go for it. Its a tough call. Usually I'm just like, if you wait now you'll wait forever. But in this case, if you wait now you'll get to see a whole new type of laptop power. Its like going from C2D to i7. ...which is pretty much is. Plus they'll have Win7. Your call. But I say wait until the end of September at the very least. Maybe you'll find something on a "too good to be true" sale in the mean time or until then.

billygoat333
08-26-2009, 02:15 AM
I got me a Dell studio 15 and love it. so far anyways. my only gripe is it has a dead pixel. gonna return it to best buy lol. the only reason I got it from best buy is no interest for 18 months. word. lol

aintnothang
08-26-2009, 02:20 AM
I got me a Dell studio 15 and love it. so far anyways. my only gripe is it has a dead pixel. gonna return it to best buy lol. the only reason I got it from best buy is no interest for 18 months. word. lol
My friend returns so many items because of dead pixels.

aintnothang
08-26-2009, 02:20 AM
Yeah, its a hard call. School is now...but IDK!

billygoat333
08-26-2009, 02:28 AM
its not really that big of a bother to me but I did just BARELY buy it and the first time I turned it on, bam. dead pixel. plus when the screen is all black and all you see is the backlight it flickers really really annoyingly bad. my only gripe so far. but i paid 599 for a laptop w/ a slot load dvd drive (really cool) hdmi output, and a t6500 c2d. which was what I was lookin for :) so I am happy with it.

Zephik
08-26-2009, 02:56 AM
Slot Load CD Drives are the coolest thing since someone put milk in cereal. lol

billygoat333
08-26-2009, 03:10 AM
seriously. It made me horny when I stuck a DVD in. is that wrong? oh well I don't care! lol thanx for the tip on the dell studios, this lappy is very nice so far. (besides the aforementioned screen problems, but that is easily fixed with a return)

Zephik
08-26-2009, 03:15 AM
TMI man, TMI. lol

eslfish
08-29-2009, 06:23 PM
If this laptop hasn't been suggested then look- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115592

aintnothang
09-08-2009, 11:48 PM
I'm gonna wait because of windows seven and intel's new processor.

aintnothang
10-22-2009, 07:54 PM
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6500 (2.1GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis- Important Information
McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months
15.6” Full High Definition (1080p) High Brightness LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
Speed: 500GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor
Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.1)
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
8X Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card
High Definition Audio 2.0
Back-lit Keyboard
Black Chainlink

What you guys think?

Zephik
10-22-2009, 08:40 PM
How much? The specs look pretty good in any case. I'm pretty sure you'd be happy with that for quite some time. lol

x88x
10-22-2009, 10:35 PM
Drop McAfee and it looks good. What model is that? I hadn't realized Dell still made that high resolution 15.x" laptops.

aintnothang
10-23-2009, 03:39 AM
Its the studio, It comes with mcafee for free.

billygoat333
10-23-2009, 03:52 AM
I love my dell studio. its fairly close to what you got. - the ati card and 500gb hdd

x88x
10-23-2009, 09:39 AM
hmm, nice. I've actually been pretty impressed with the Studio line; they're much higher build quality than the Inspirons.

Oh, and still drop McAfee :P

billygoat333
10-23-2009, 11:22 AM
word. lol first thing i did was do a fresh install of vista (which still gave me BSODs every 15 min) cant wait to get my win 7 upgrade!

aintnothang
10-23-2009, 07:22 PM
yeah, that's why i waited for 7. I'll order it this week.

aintnothang
10-23-2009, 09:32 PM
I ordered it. added bluetooth and opted not to get blu-ray.

aintnothang
11-04-2009, 10:18 PM
It arrived a day early! I like it, it's nice.

giantmonster
12-02-2009, 01:51 AM
have ever trie the toshiba ones... its good with a windows xp and has a better gaming platform. The proffessional or basic office works are good in that laptops...

aintnothang
12-02-2009, 02:26 AM
word life.