I want to buy a new laptop but not exactly sure what kind to get. I've had a Toshiba Satellite that I bought 3 years ago before my freshman year in college. It has served me great and it's still running strong but since my mom wants a computer to start learning some basics (something used) I figured I would give her this one and I would buy myself a new one. The thing I never liked about my current laptop is how heavy and big it was. It is a 15.4" display and it was very annoying carrying my laptop and books to class since it was a bit heavy. Now I am looking to buy something that is smaller and weighs much less. I guess I don't mind a computer anywhere from b/w 600 - 1300 dollars. I don't want a netbook because I've gone to stores several times to try them and I hate how small the keyboard is plus the screen is much too tiny, plus I want something a bit more powerful. I'm open to buying either a mac or a PC. I'm hoping this won't turn into a mac vs PC debate but that's wishful thinking. I been looking at Lenovo's Ideapad Y series, macbooks, and sony Vaio's. I'm not a huge fan of HP's so I probably won't head in that direction. I'm unsure about Dell. I'm looking for something that will serve me for a another 3 - 4 years. Suggestions please. Thank you in advance .
You've been here 3-4 years... you know how this works. You need to tell people what the heck you use the thing for. Then try to get enough information out of it before the Apple wusses and the PC nerds all start going at it. *EDIT* : Or just go to one of the recent threads we've had on this if you want. I think we had one not more than a few weeks ago.
By the way, I forgot to add, I mainly use my laptop for homework (I use MSoffice a lot). I also like to watch Rockets game which I usually get from livestreams (Sopcast, TVUplayer, or any other source). I do like to store my music in the laptop. I rarely will use it to play games. I am an engineering major but I don't intend to install software like Autocad, Solidworks, or anything of that nature since this software is available in the computer labs.
forget the ideapad. get a thinkpad. in my opinion the thinkpad is the best built computer on the market right now. also with the cpp discount (lenovo.com/cpp the code is familyandfriends) they are pretty affordable. in before the mac fanboys. ps. thinkpad > macbook pro
Is a 13" screen too small for you? I ask because the only new Macbooks you're going to find that are larger than that start at $1699. I don't know if there are any student discounts for them - maybe someone else can answer that. Go to a store and see if the 13" screen is too small. I've heard people say Office on the Macbook isn't great for some reason or other (maybe someone else can state why or if it's true - I have a Macbook, but don't use Office on it). If you're going to use it just for Office, surfing, etc. and not for gaming, you can get a very good PC for under $800. Heck, for what you want to use it for, you can get a very good one from anywhere from $500-$750. That includes a 15-17" screen. Lenovo's are good laptops and those Ideapad's have had good sales on them recently. I know you said you wanted to stay away from HP, but FYI, they have some pretty good sales going on them as well. Go to www.gotapex.com and look at the coupons. The sales on HP's aren't as good as they were a while back, but they have some really nice systems for what you need it for and for under your price range. On techbargains.com, there's an IdeaPad for $399. The processor is an older model processor, but may fit your purposes. It also has a 15.6" screen.
WOW, sweet. I was looking at the thinkpads but they seemed pretty expensive. I will definitely consider this laptop.
typing on a 4 year old thinkpad as we speak...never had any issues mac's are awesome but you pay a lot for them. the only Dell laptop I had died after a year and a half
13" screen would be perfect. I was thinking 13" to 14.1" was fine with me. Thank you. We do have a student discount (UT) they also give you a free Ipod touch (mail and rebate) although the free MP3 player isn't a selling point to me.
mediocre now is better than what pieces of crap other manufacturers are producing. most of the things that made the thinkpad so reliable when ibm was producing them is still included in the lenovo branded products. the magnesium alloy roll cage, hard disk fall sensor, ect are still there.
along with other improvements that make it even better. they are not going to run the thinkpad name into the ground after paying billions for it.
I need to get a PC laptop to run insurance software in the field and browse the web. Here are my minimum specs. Recommendations? MInimum PC Needs: Hardware CPU: 1.6 GHZ Pentium RAM: 1 GB HARD DRIVE: 40GB DVD-RW MONITOR: 14.1 " or larger with 1024X768 USB Port(s) Audio Capable Software OPERATING SYSTEM: XP (Service Pack 2) .net 2.0 Framework Office 2003 Software Microsoft IE 7 Web Browser
lol. That's the funnest post I've read all week. You can buy a Mac and have the BEST customer support. Tons of Great software for FREE. Consistent and reliable operating system. might cost more but You will love the experience each time you start her up.
Exactly... first time Mac user.. and I'm loving everything about it... plus you can put Windows on it if you need it.
Uhh... because of compatibility issues... if you have programs that don't work on Mac.. you can have Windows on there through many options such as Bootcamp, Parallels, and Vmware Fusion. It should run perfectly smooth and normal... I'm waiting for Windows 7 to put on my MBP.
