Notebook computers... but which one?!

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I've had many laptops over the past 6 plus years. Working and traveling for work keeps me pretty much joined at the hip with one at all times! My employer allowed us to pick our laptops, then they would order them for us. It was nice to be able to try so many.

Compaqs (I have found) tend to have memory blips now and then where they simply reboot themselves. Frustrating, but not catastrophic.

Dells are very sturdy, but they really go up in price when you start picking the ones that are smaller and have the features you want. They love to sell you the warranties. Expect to add significantly to your cost!

I had one Toshiba Satellite, and the touch pad for the 'mouse' was never securely in place and after several months it looked like a flap.

The latest laptop is a Fujitsu Lifebook. It's light, around 4 lbs. (you may not think there's a difference between 4 and 7 or 8 pounds, but when you are traveling, there is!!) It has built-in slots for both the memory stick (and the pro-duo) and the SD card - a handy feature for transferring pictures from camera to pc, no cable needed. I've had it since January and not a single issue, probably my favorite so far.

Good luck in your search!

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Why? I thought that you should always try to buy as much as possible at the start. or is that a marketing ploy?

You should but Dell charges an arm and a leg for their RAM. If you go to newegg.com or crucial.com you can buy more memory for less. (A 1gig chip from Dell was $200 while I paid $100 from newegg). I know Dells are very easy to upgrade the RAM too, just open a door on the bottom and snap it in.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of Apple by any means. Maybe I'm the exception to the rule, but when I used a G5 at school for a project, I encountered so many frustrations and problems. I can't tell you how many times it crashed on me. One time it was so bad, it corrupted my data file, and I lost 3 days worth of work. Not to mention I'm so used to how Windows works with keyboard shortcuts, and whatnot, that a Mac OS just frustrates me.

Aside from Windows ME (blah!), I've always had good luck with 98 and now XP. I only reboot for installs, and everything works great.

 

[drgnfly30]

Funny this thread came up today... I've been pretty much offline lately because my 6 month old Gateway has been in the shop... after finding out that it only had a 90 day warranty I had to have the mother board replaced.. I just went to Circuit City & bought a Toshiba Satellite for $849.99 (after rebates)... The Gateway is going to DS... Hopefully I'll be happier with the performance of this one!

 

[Dan Murphy]

One thing to keep in mind on the Dell PC/laptops...adding longer warranties, 3 and 4 year, triggers a $60/$100 rebate, so the net cost is minimal For a laptop I would also suggest their Complete Care, coverage for ANYTHING, not covered by warranty or insurance (theft, fire, etc). If you drop it, spill a Micky D shake on it, run it over with your car, it is covered. It is not very costly, and have it on my laptops.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Unfortunetly, the accidental damage protection warranties are not available in Florida

 

[SueM in MN]

Apple, Apple. Apple!! I love my Apple. and being a student you can get your discount. mine burns CD's and DVD's and is just great!

I have an Apple ibook that I bought used a year ago. It works great and I still get 4 hours on a battery charge (my Compac laptop from work is lucky to get 2 hours). This ibook replaced a much older clamshell ibook (the first ones that came out). That one still works (despite getting dropped about 3 times from the table to a hardwood floor and getting a full cup of tea spilled into the keyboard). I replaced it because it's old and slow and needed a new battery.

Oldest DD is an illustrator and needed more power. She has a Apple Powerbook and also has had no probles. She was still a student when she got it, so got a good discount and also got a student version of Office for Mac.
Her boyfriend got a PC at the same time. He has had so much trouble with viruses and software installation nightmares that if he had the money, he would switch his less than 1 year old computer for an Apple.

 

[Briarmom]

I love my Apple! I have had an iBook for over 3 years and just adore it. As soon as I need another laptop, I will get another Apple.

 

[McDisney]

I got my wife a dell inspiron 1500 for x-mas this past year, she likes it alot and has had no problems with it so far whatsoever. The only things she really uses it for are school and work (she's an accounting major) so there hasn't been anything too tasking on it. We also have a Gateway Profile 4, it's been back to Gateway 5 times for the same problem over the past 2 years (the screen goes an off shade of blue for no apparent reason). We also have an hp (desktop) that I've had absolutly no problems with (4 years old now). I plan to get a laptop to replace my HP desktop as it's getting outdated and needs replacing - I will probably get either a dell or an hp.

 

[Kala]

We bought our first laptop (notebook) about a year ago, a Gateway. We have had great luck with it. Had to send it in once and it was back and fixed in just a couple of days. Just bought our second one, a Toshiba Satelite, and we absolutely love it as well. About a pound lighter and with a wide screen.

The one thing I would recommend is to get the Centrino (Pentium M) processor. Most manufacturers offer it now, and it's much lighter and more efficient with battery life, and stays cooler.

Good luck!

 

[BoyLovesBuzz]

I got slammed for suggesting this that last time I responded to a laptop thread, but I’ll have another go…

If its not going to be your primary PC and you don’t need a “power” unit, then I would take a look at “previous generation” refurb units. Most companies lease their laptops and then turn them back into the manufacturer in 12-36 months. I recently turned in a Dell Latitude that was awesome. It may not be the bleeding edge, but id doesn’t sound like that’s what you need. www.dellauction.com, is a good place to start. You can even find some with remaining warranty.

 

[DVC-Don]

I have a Dell 600M notebook and like it and I've never had to call support for it. I also have a Dell desktop (Demension 4600) and have only needed to call support once and that was a couple of years ago. Short call and all is well.

 

[Galahad]

LOVE my new Dell Latitude D610. I have a docking station at the office.

I agree. I have a D600 at work and a D610 at home. Dell support is GREAT! We have D600's or D610's for the whole family. DS's has had a problem twice. Each time Dell came and fixed it the same day. If you can buy a Dell through a program at you employer or your university you can get a great deal on support!

I'll add that I had a Sony Vaio previously. Now I know they may have fixed this problem, but I had nothing but trouble with it. Sony's were (may still be) notorious for overheating, causing damage and shutting down. Support was not responsive and quite expensive.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We just got our DD an Apple i Book for her HS graduation. Great machine and my DH says he would get one, too, if he didn't need a PC for work.

I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 that seems good--no problems for me so far.

Both of these are more than $1000 (don't remember how much the Apple cost), but if I were you I would look closely at the Apple if you want a reliable laptop with few problems.

T&B

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I got slammed for suggesting this that last time I responded to a laptop thread, but I’ll have another go…

If its not going to be your primary PC and you don’t need a “power” unit, then I would take a look at “previous generation” refurb units. Most companies lease their laptops and then turn them back into the manufacturer in 12-36 months. I recently turned in a Dell Latitude that was awesome. It may not be the bleeding edge, but id doesn’t sound like that’s what you need. www.dellauction.com, is a good place to start. You can even find some with remaining warranty.

Indeed, I don't need a power unit. I was actually looking at off-lease laptops awhile ago. The one thing that concerns me though is a warranty, as well as possibly needing a new battery. But definetly worth looking into, thanks!

 

[drgnfly30]

I'll add that I had a Sony Vaio previously. Now I know they may have fixed this problem, but I had nothing but trouble with it. Sony's were (may still be) notorious for overheating, causing damage and shutting down. Support was not responsive and quite expensive.

I think that is still true... when I bought my Toshiba last week the sales person told me that Sony is the most expensive & the ones with the most problems....

 

[Trish Bessette]

Just bought a Dell 600m a week ago. Time can't go fast enough until it arrives I've never owned a notebook so I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Lewisc]

Go to the mfg website. Sometimes the extended warranty they sell is cheaper than the one the store tries to sell you.

Techbargains.com constantly has coupons and codes for great deals on Dell. The newspaper also lists some great deal codes on Dell, every week in Parade magazine. COSTCO usually has some pretty well equipped laptops for around $1,000.

For most applications the speed of the CPU is irrelevant. The hard drives are much slower so applications may be slower. If you want to be "geeky" check the CPU. Some of the less expensive units use a desktop CPU instead of a more expensive mobile CPU. It'll run hotter and may affect the longevity of the unit.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

I love my Dell 700m.

If you do decide on a Dell buy the smallest amount of RAM possible (usually 256mb) and buy additional RAM after market.

I agree - I just bought a 700m and absolutely love it!
The hardest thing to get used to is the compact key board. A few of the keys are half the normal size, and it's a bit hard to get used to. But after a week or two, you get used to it.

I also bought the 700m with 256 and added 1000mb which I installed myself.
This little machine is blazing fast!
My biggest problem now is that I can find a laptop bag small enough to carry it. Imagine that!

 

[MickeyCrazed]

Indeed, I don't need a power unit. I was actually looking at off-lease laptops awhile ago. The one thing that concerns me though is a warranty, as well as possibly needing a new battery. But definetly worth looking into, thanks!

I forgot to add that I got my Dell using a coupon I found on fatwallet.com. It took a few days to test all the configurations on the Dell website, but I eventually ended up with a laptop that has:

80 gb hard drive
1256 ram (with the 1000 that I added after the fact)
DVD burner
Additional 8 cell battery
4 year warranty with accidential damage coverage for less that $1200.00

So far, it's the best darn computer I have ever had. You couldn't pay me to give it up!

I'm pretty much a Dell website/coupon expert at this point, so if you need some help, please feel free to PM me. It's the least I can do for all the help you can give us on this website!