Laptop Recommendations, Please

[ugadog99]

Our "family" Christmas gift is a laptop. While I would LOVE to get a macbook, it's just out of the question financially right now. This laptop will become my 18 year old's laptop for college in the fall. She will be a biology major on a pre-med track. She also loves her ipod and photography. She isn't into gaming, at all. I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks so much!

Melanie

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Have you checked with her college? We are buying a computer through the university and it will include repair options if she needs to use them.

We can pay monthly via tution as well.

 

[ugadog99]

No, I haven't checked with the college. The issue with that is she doesn't know which college she will be attending yet. She's only a senior in high school. I'm leaning toward a Toshiba or HP. Any recommendations with either of those?

 

[jel0511]

I LOVE my Macbook and would recommend it wholeheartedly. Check apple.com in their store for refurbished one. I've seen them as low at $850. For the price, it's worth it. The cheaper laptops that you see for around 400-500 usually have abysimal battery life, only lasing a couple of hours. The Macbook we have (it's the lowest model) lasts at least 5 hours between charges. It is more expensive, but worth it. The Macbook is faster than my current HP desktop, which has a faster processer and more RAM.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

No, I haven't checked with the college. The issue with that is she doesn't know which college she will be attending yet. She's only a senior in high school. I'm leaning toward a Toshiba or HP. Any recommendations with either of those?

Oh, I would wait then. My dd is a senior as well. We are buying her's through the school. They have a whole system that you have to tap into as it is a wireless campus, "Tigernet".

 

[arminnie]

I love my laptops that I got from the dell outlet. I got the 9 cell battery, and it obviously is much better than the 4 or 6 cell that usually comes with a laptop.

But I would also check with the colleges that she is thinking about attending. My sister (who does Mac consulting) just helped a young woman whose college required them to use a Mac.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

But I would also check with the colleges that she is thinking about attending. My sister (who does Mac consulting) just helped a young woman whose college required them to use a Mac.

Not only that as I was browsing thru, some of the "schools" have different requirements.

Call the colleges she has applied to and find out what requirements they have.

 

[bicker]

We've learned the hard way: Stay away from HP. Dell is good. Lenova is good. Acer, kind-of in-between.

 

[DawnCt1]

I love my Mac Powerbook, but we didn't want to spend that much for a laptop to take to college. They have loads of computers in the library if need be. We got DS#4 a really nice Sony Vaio. 3.5 GBs, built in web cam, delivered $599 from Newegg.com He likes it and is fast as anything he will need.

 

[Feralpeg]

After going through three different laptops (HP, Dell & Toshiba), DD is get a Macbook for Christmas. Currently, she has my little Gateway laptop. I really like it. I hope it will still be in good condition when I get back from DD.

 

[DLSuperVet]

Don't count out the "cool" factor of a Mac. Sure they'll run you quite a bit more but do you honestly want your child to be the only one in college without one?

Half the stuff I own came in a white box with a partially consumed apple on it. I think I'm a better person because of it. I'm glad that I finally need glasses so I can complete the "look." I will be at Starbucks this weekend typing a screenplay or something. Play your cards right and there might be a able to find a table near me.

In all seriousness, get them the least expensive laptop you can and make sure you buy a new one. It will do everything they need it to do and won't break the bank. There are countless sub $500 notebooks out there that will get your young through college. Battery life is the most important feature.

 

[ugadog99]

Believe me, if I could financially swing the Mac right now then there would be no question as to what I would get. The problem is we are going to have to have two new computers within the next two to three months. The laptop comes first, and it will be for my daughter next year at college. The new desktop comes a month or so later. I am seriously considering making the desktop our first venture into Apple. My younger daughter is very into graphic design and all the "cool" stuff you can do with Macs. So, there is the dilemma. No Apple at Christmas, but we still have to have the laptop. I have been very happy with my HP desktop. Bicker, what issues did you have with HP? A coworker has a Toshiba and loves it. (I won't do Dell, but that is more of a personal issue than a computer one.) So, I'm still looking for opinions.

Thanks!

 

[ugadog99]

I love my Mac Powerbook, but we didn't want to spend that much for a laptop to take to college. They have loads of computers in the library if need be. We got DS#4 a really nice Sony Vaio. 3.5 GBs, built in web cam, delivered $599 from Newegg.com He likes it and is fast as anything he will need.

That sounds good. I'll add Sony to the list, too. Thanks!

 

[dcentity2000]

Another count for a Mac! Financially they make sense because they just last so much longer

Otherwise, the techie in me says get a Linux based system (Ubuntu is a good version) as it rids you of the need to run Windows. That way you can buy a dirt cheap laptop and get the most out of it (Linux gets WAY more out of a system than Windows does and is FREE!)



Rich::

 

[Feralpeg]

The reason I am getting a Mac for DD has nothing to do with being cool. I'm just getting tired of replacing laptops. The same things has happened to three of them. They stop charging. The problem isn't the battery. It is the little connector thing inside the PC that breaks and it cannot recharge the battery and does not recognize the AC connection. I tried getting this fixed only to find it costs more than getting a new laptop. I realize that DD probably isn't as careful as she should be, but I found, while doing research, that this is a very common problem across most brands of PCs. It is just a matter of time before it happens.

Macs have a different type of connection and it appears that they do not suffer the same fate as the other types. I have my fingers crossed!!! Oh, and DD will think I am a really cool mom!

 

[arminnie]

I know the Mac people worship them - but my sister does Mac consulting. She's bought several top of the line desktops and laptops. She's on a first name basis with the repair shop. They are not perfect.

They do not fail as often as the HP products, but they are not infallible.

 

[whjoyjr]

Best life I ever got out of a laptop,

Sony - Utter junk. Design flaw lead to heat related failure at 13 months, 1 month after warenty ran out. Known issue Sony ducked until it was out of the woods. Will never own another Sony product.

Compaq - First generation Centrino laptop. Loved it but the power board failed at 18 months. Paid $400 to fix it, and it died again 6 months later. This was before HP bought out Compaq.

Dell - Screen failure at 24 months. Backlight failed.

We bought the kids Compaq laptops for Christmas when they were on sale in August for $400. IF they get 2 years, I will be happy. They will get Mac's next time.

Wife is getting a Mac Mini for Christmas for iLife use with Photos, video, etc.

I have a new MacBook Pro under the tree. My iBook was a 1 year fill in after the Compaq failed. It is now 3.5 years old and will become my wife's internet machine (browsing, e-mail) when I get the MacBook Pro.

Remember the old adage, "You get what you pay for".

 

[Barb D]

No, I haven't checked with the college. The issue with that is she doesn't know which college she will be attending yet. She's only a senior in high school. I'm leaning toward a Toshiba or HP. Any recommendations with either of those?

Without having read the rest of the responses...

DS17 is going to college in the fall, too. I looked at the web pages for the schools he's applied to, and each of them has different REQUIREMENTS for the laptops their students use. One school, Virginia Tech, says that they release the requirements for the following school year in May. DS is now getting his new laptop for graduation instead of Christmas.

 

[DawnCt1]

Best life I ever got out of a laptop,

Sony - Utter junk. Design flaw lead to heat related failure at 13 months, 1 month after warenty ran out. Known issue Sony ducked until it was out of the woods. Will never own another Sony product.

Compaq - First generation Centrino laptop. Loved it but the power board failed at 18 months. Paid $400 to fix it, and it died again 6 months later. This was before HP bought out Compaq.

Dell - Screen failure at 24 months. Backlight failed.

We bought the kids Compaq laptops for Christmas when they were on sale in August for $400. IF they get 2 years, I will be happy. They will get Mac's next time.

Wife is getting a Mac Mini for Christmas for iLife use with Photos, video, etc.

I have a new MacBook Pro under the tree. My iBook was a 1 year fill in after the Compaq failed. It is now 3.5 years old and will become my wife's internet machine (browsing, e-mail) when I get the MacBook Pro.

Remember the old adage, "You get what you pay for".

Actually, from consumer reports; for 13.3 in models. From best to good.

Sony Vaio VGN-Z540 $1800
80
6.25 3.3
Sony Vaio VGN-SR190
Discontinued - See similar models
$1445
73
5.75 4.1
Apple MacBook $1300
69
4.75 4.5
Apple White MacBook $1000
66
6.25 4.9
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 $1960
60
2.75 3.2
Toshiba Satellite U405D-S2848
Discontinued - See similar models
$950
54
2.75 4.6
Dell Inspiron 13


For 15.4 in models.



Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch $2000
78
5 5.5
Lenovo ThinkPad T500 $1255
71
4 5.9
Lenovo ThinkPad R500 $1075
67
3.25 6.4
Toshiba Satellite A305-S6872 $750
67
4.5 6.5
Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 $830
67
5 6.1
Sony Vaio VGN-FW190 16.4-inch
Discontinued - See similar models
$1050
66
5.75 6.5
Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 $780
64
4.25 6.4
HP Pavilion dv5t $880
64
2.75 5.7
Sony Vaio VGN-NS140EW $800
63
4.25 6.1
Dell Inspiron 15 (1525) $610
61
3.5 6.1
Acer Aspire AS6930-6809 $700
60
2.75 6.5
HP Pavilion HDX16t $1100
58
2.5 6.9
HP G60-120US $660
57
3 6.4
Compaq Presario CQ50Z $685
53
2 6.2
HP Pavilion dv5z $750
49
2.25 6.3

For a third of the price, we are happy to send the Sony off to college and keep my Mac Power book at home.

 

[monkey68]

I have an HP and I love it. I haven't had any major problems with it, other than a couple sticky keys, which somehow became unsticky without me doing anything.

Also, if your dd is planning on med school, she'll need a new laptop when she starts med school. I'm in med school now, and there's no way she'll be able to keep a 4 year old computer, everyone I know had to buy new computers. Also check with the school, a lot of them offer support for PC's, and some courses might have programs that need Windows to run.