Laptop Buying Advice

[2d6]

If your taking distance learning courses and thinking about an Apple, make sure that the Apple software works with the course facilitation software (webCT etc) and you can get all the plug-ins you may need.

I've fixed a ton of laptops/notebooks over the years and they all suck about equally, even if it's in thier own special sort of way. Figure out what your budget is and then find the most feature packed laptop with the best warranty that fits in the budget and buy it.

I'm a distance learing student and I'm using a Gateway Solo 1100 from 1999 that has worked well for me with a small ram upgrade and a new hard disk. I'm a computer science student, but I've found the limited (no games) hardware has made me more productive

If thier were two things I'd look at though, it would be screen size and battery life.

 

[Piratecat]

I have a Dell 600m and love it.

VERY IMPORTANT: when you but the laptop, get the 3 year onsite warrantee. Unlike 95% of all warranties out there, it is worth the money! I can't count the number of times that I've celebrated the purchade, because any time anything goes wrong (and I beat on my machine a lot) someone shows up to cheerily fix it.

 

[2d6]

VERY IMPORTANT: when you but the laptop, get the 3 year onsite warrantee. Unlike 95% of all warranties out there, it is worth the money! I can't count the number of times that I've celebrated the purchade, because any time anything goes wrong (and I beat on my machine a lot) someone shows up to cheerily fix it.

Absolutely! It's very rare that your going to find someone that can fix your notebook cheaper then the manufacturer's rate and some of them (Gateway for example) flatrate most repairs, so fixing a keyboard is as much as fixing a mainboard ($249.00 last time I checked Gateway) and more expensive then paying for the warranty upgrade to begin with. Notebooks are one of the few things where the parts are worth more then the whole.

 

[Vrylakos]

Absolutely! It's very rare that your going to find someone that can fix your notebook cheaper then the manufacturer's rate and some of them (Gateway for example) flatrate most repairs, so fixing a keyboard is as much as fixing a mainboard ($249.00 last time I checked Gateway) and more expensive then paying for the warranty upgrade to begin with. Notebooks are one of the few things where the parts are worth more then the whole.

Hm, very good to know! Thanks 2D6 and Piratecat!
Thanks to everyone else for their info also!
Boy, so much to learn.

Vrylakos

 

[ciaran00]

Hey, if it's still relevant... my VAIO died a few days ago. Not sure why. Out of warranty so it'll need some franklins to cure.

ciaran

 

[Vrylakos]

Hey, if it's still relevant... my VAIO died a few days ago. Not sure why. Out of warranty so it'll need some franklins to cure.

ciaran

Hm, so how long had you had it? Did you get it new?
Thanks for the info!

Vrylakos

 

[TimSmith]

Personally, I only moved to a laptop last March due to space saving requirements with the birth of our second child. I needed a laptop that would do what a desktop did as regards games (the admin and surfing side are fine on almost any spec, anyway).

After some research I went with Alienware, who have recently opened a UK distribution centre. As far as I can see, I don't lose out on anything between a desktop and my new laptop-apart from it being twice the price, of course! I have found it to be excellent. I DO have the extended warranty but (touch wood) have yet to need it so I can't comment on their service.

 

[ciaran00]

Hm, so how long had you had it? Did you get it new?
Thanks for the info!

Vrylakos

1 3/4 years I've had it, got it new. It'll cost $50 to fix power supply (not Sony; local store).

ciaran

 

[ciaran00]

So, I decided to take out my battery before I took it to the shop. My VAIO turned on!!! I put the battery back in and everything's back to normal. Don't even know what happened.......

ciaran

 

[Psionicist]

As for the hardware, I'd suggest a computer with the Pentium 4-M processor. They are powerful and aren't nearly as resource heavy (battery life) as normal P4's.