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Thread: Laptops

  1. #1
    Featured Member MeganS's Avatar
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    Default Laptops

    I've really been eager to purchase a laptop lately, and before I run blindedly into Best Buy with a pretty ample spending limit on my store's card, (especially not knowing jack shit about 'em) I thought maybe any of you whom have one already could give me a little insight on them.

    One of my inquiries is, can you hook it up to your home computer and copy what you have so my desktops and what not are the same on my LT while I'm on the road? Any certain brands I should just absolutely stay away from?

    I'm sure I have many more questions (which I can't think of this early yet) but any info would be great!
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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I'm certainly no expert on the subject, but I have been using laptops on the road for years. The first thing I would recommend is to try and buy a laptop which uses the same operating system as your machine at home. If your home machine uses Windows 2000, but your laptop uses Windows XP, you may have some compatibility issues trying to run certain programs identically on both machines. This isn't an issue of crisis proportions, since most popular programs are available for multiple operating systems, however it can throw a curve ball into simply copying file info between your home machine and laptop and having everything transfer correctly in both directions.

  3. #3
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I just bought a laptop 2 weeks ago so I am pretty current on this stuff.
    The key is what you want to do on the laptop and where. Some things will depend on software and some on hardware considerations. Dial aol on a plain old phone system=easy. Dial AOL on most hotels's digital phone system=possibly tricky. Acess the net wireless from starbucks easy but cost monthly fee.
    Applications you want to run on both will depend on the antipiracy systems they have to make you buy 2 copies. Example Turbotax made it hard last year to do your taxes on a laptop then transfer it to another system so you could print it.
    Wireless networking CAN be simple but usually is not for stupid reasons. Be specific on what you want to do.
    I bought a Compaq x1030 with a Cenrino processor but I am a geek.

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    God/dess doc-catfish's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I've really been eager to purchase a laptop lately, and before I run blindedly into Best Buy with a pretty ample spending limit on my store's card, (especially not knowing jack shit about 'em) I thought maybe any of you whom have one already could give me a little insight on them.
    One place you may want to consider browsing for models is your friendly neighborhood internet since you don't have to deal with pushy salespeople. I've bought two desktops (including the one I'm typing this on) from Best Buy and each time the store clerk proceded to try to pad the order with printer cartridges, paper, an old paraell port printer cable, internet access for an ISP that I didn't have where I live (not without paying long distance anyway) and some other crap that I didn't need or already had. Best Buy of course try to sell you that ripoff "Performance Service Plan" of theirs too. Which will probably run you $250 on a laptop and doesn't even cover theft or accidental damage. After those experiences, no way in hell was I going to buy a LT there.

    If you don't mind going with a refurbished laptop, you might want to check out ubid.com to see whats available on auctions there. As far as specifications, that will depend on what you're going to use it for.

    One of my inquiries is, can you hook it up to your home computer and copy what you have so my desktops and what not are the same on my LT while I'm on the road?
    I'm assuming that you're talking about applications in which case you'll have to see if the programs on your desktops are compatible with the new LT's operating system. If you buy new, you'll get Windows XP on the LT for sure.

    Any certain brands I should just absolutely stay away from?
    This is just what I heard, but I've been told that the HP models (some of which may be available at your local Wal-Mart) aren't terrifically good.

    I bought a brand new Toshiba (2.4 Ghz P-4, 512 MB memory, 40 GB hard drive) back in January, and love it. I even took it out to Vegas with me with summer. It sucks battery power like a hoover, but otherwise I've been very satisfied. I was able to hook up my new digital camera up to it without installing driver software, because Windows XP already had it aboard.

    The main issue with a laptop is that they more prone to things that your desktop generally isn't, like being dropped, spilled on, or stolen in which case you may want to look into getting some insurance coverage on it.
    Former SCJ now in rehab.

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    Veteran Member Shayden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I bought a laptop a while back in February or so and I went with the Sony Viao and I love it, it's awesome. I couldn't tell you the specs on it or anything because my dad help me pick it out. I know that it has 2.2 ghz, I think that's what that's called.

    But I'm incredibly happy with it. Just my 2 cents.

    Shayden
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!

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    Featured Member cash's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    this is off topic but: cat_fish i like that avatar ...it had me cracking up ...wow you've made my day with that one ...lol... he gave me a maybe later ...lol
    us: us: us: devil in disguise....

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    Member Shanny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I have found Toshiba laptops to be the best, and their customer support and service is outstanding. I have one a built-in network card so I can just plug in high-speed internet anywhere I go, not to mention my DSL line at home. Windows XP is awesome. Dr. Catfish is right, battery power life is not great but if you keep it plugged in not a problem. Also, Toshiba offers a warranty that covers the replacement cost of the whole laptop even if you spill coffee into it or something. For transferring and copying newer files, files, Lap Link connection software is designed for exactly that and I have been using it for a long time with no problems. Good luck and hope this helps
    Shine on you crazy diamond....

  8. #8
    Member hockey_nut's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    Sony really makes an excellent laptop with many features. Sears actually has one on special and if you push them a little, they will give you 0% interest and no payments for 6 months. I just bought a Sony with a Pentium 4 - 2.2Ghz processor, DVD / CD Reader writer, and a 60 GB hard drive. Dell makes a pretty good one as well. I have had my Dell laptop for 4 years and it's still going strong.

    You can connect your laptop to your desktop with a cross-over network cable using microsoft networking and copy files back and forth. Operating systems should not matter for doing that.

  9. #9
    God/dess Zofia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    There are lots of adequate and cheap laptops out there. I personally prefer to buy them off lease (used). I stick to IBM because they are generally the most robust, but Dell, Sony and Toshiba seem to make a pretty good unit. Off lease laptops have the virtue of not depreciating much after you buy them, but they are not available for the bonus depreciation deduction that a new buy unit is. (This is available only if you are self-employeed, or if you own your own small business.)

    If you do buy a laptop, do some research first online. Define what you want to do. A game machine is very different from one that you want to run spreadsheets on. (The accounting laptop is much much much cheaper!)

    Specify an ethernet connection. If you are going to be travelling, go ahead and get a modem card as well. (Phone jacks are everywhere, ethernets are not.) Once you have done your research and know about what you want, go to the store and check out the key boards and thumb pad, pointer, whatever to see what you are most comfortable with. I personally like the little IBM finger joystick better than a thumb pad or mouse. But it's all a personal preference. Whenever I check out a new laptop, I always type a few lines on the word processor, fill in a few cells on the spread sheet and play solitare. If my fingers don't fall nicely and my hands aren't comfortable, I move on.

    Tell the salesman to forget all the add on junk. If a printer isn't free, don't take it. You'll always find a cheaper - better printer next week. It's maddening. Don't buy any extra cables, the phone company will provide all the ethernet cables you need when you buy the high speed internet connection from them. If your present printer doesn't use an ethernet connection, don't worry, most laptops have a plug for a printer cable in addition to the ethernet.

    Buy a laptop with mucho memory and a fast CD/DVD drive. (Go ahead and get the DVD drive, unless you have an Xbox. Heck, get it even if you do! It's fun to watch your own movies on the plane.) Remember, most cheapskate airlines don't have power at the seat these days. I fly Southwest because they are putting power in faster than anyone else. But sometimes, I have to fly one of the other death tubes. I carry a spare battery.

  10. #10
    Jay Zeno
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I've bought two laptops this year. The biggest thing for me has been wireless-enabled on my latest, an H-P.

    There are coffeeshops and hotels and places in general that offer free wireless access, and it's high-speed. Yes, other places like Starbucks and Embassy Suites charge you to get on their wireless, but it's so fast that usually (for me) it's worth the minimal charge to get online and send/receive. Meanwhile, back at my house, I have broadband with a wireless router, so my laptop has high-speed access anywhere in my house or porch, even out to the yard.

    Like I said, I have an H-P, and it's doing just fine. I had a Compaq that was a piece of shit. I've had one Toshiba that did well and one that was crappy.

    You can probably hook up your laptop to your desktop with a simple network cable. You then have to go through the networking procedure, but XP makes it pretty easy. You won't have exactly mirrored systems between desktop and laptop, but you can swap data easily enough. Makes it nice for data storage between hard drives.

    You still have to install your software separately, and things like Word won't let you install on more than one system.

  11. #11
    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    One word: IBook!!
    http://www.apple.com/ibook/
    If you don't HAVE to use a PC, get an IBook, so cute and easy to use. It has all the same common applications that Windows offers and it is overall easier to use and to deal with problems. Sadly, I had to sell mine because my school and other job had certain PC/Windows requirements. I mourn the loss

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    God/dess Emily's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I was beginning to think I was the only one on a Mac here...hehe, I love this machine....but it's not a laptop. They don't sell Mac at Best Buy though.

    It really is a cool computer if you are into music, photos, home movies, internet and chat applications. Everything works seamlessly together because the apps are hardware are all designed by the same manufacturer (GASP!)

    I am not anti-windows. I used to work in marketing for a Microsoft OS distributer. I have a bachelor's degree in CS and did most of my classwork on a Windows platform. I just think that with the applications that most people use at home today, a Mac is a great choice. And I hate to say it, but they are the most aesthetically pleasing machine on the market. (You always lose points for saying that, but the hell with that....)

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    Default Re: Laptops

    I'd suggest that your laptop be a desktop replacement, with sufficient power, memory and storage. All you'd need to use it in your home is a docking station with a full sized monitor, keyboard and mouse plus printer, etc.



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    Veteran Member shedevil4260's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    Last year one of my regulars ordered me a Dell Laptop. I told him what I wanted on it and he built it on the web site. It was a great, easy and fairly cheap way to do it. I love mine, [wiggle]Dell is awesome
    Lips, Hips, and Sugary Tits

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    Senior Member m's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    Last year one of my regulars ordered me a Dell Laptop. I told him what I wanted on it and he built it on the web site. It was a great, easy and fairly cheap way to do it. I love mine, [wiggle]Dell is awesome
    thats what i use as well, a desktop replacement type model. to me no difference in carrying it around in comparison to the ultra light's i use for work. i use a wireless router like jason, i think it is pretty simple to build yourself your own little network but i'm no expert on the subject.

  16. #16
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    Default Re: Laptops

    It depends what you want.

    Like Mel said, stick to the same operating system you have on your PC.

    HP and Compaq are proprietary systems, which makes them a LOT harder to fix when they break down. Dell and Gateway are both great companies that offer good tech support. If your looking for something cheap and you know what your doing, check out your local computer shops, ISP, and pricewatch.com.

    Lena



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    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    Lena,
    I do not know what you mean by "HP and Compaq are proprietary systems". The drivers for some things may be different, but those always vary from one computer to another. These are all to windows standards and are controlled by the OS. What do you mean? I have just never seen any difference except in special software written by the company for the tech to remotely make repairs.

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    Default Re: Laptops

    Wait until after Christmas to purchase the laptop.

    After the holiday the prices come down and you will get a better deal off a good laptop, than you will before the holidays when the prices are marked up.

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    Default Re: Laptops

    BTW

    Compaq owns HP now. Also talk with a UPS Driver about mail order computers. They are good sources of info about which company [Gateway or Dell] has the higher return rate.

  20. #20
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I did a quick comparison of the standard offerings of Gateway and Dell vs the computer I just bought. I would rate them a "pick 'em" between the 3--prices all within $50 and I paid $50 bucks less by buying at store A vs B or C. One had a slightly smaller hard disk, most features the same.

    I would look seriously at the Centrino based machines. The Pentium M chip with the Centrino can not be directly compared GHz to Ghz with a Pentium 4. I can not vouch for it but an unbiased comparison I saw says a 1.4 G Centrino is roughly the same throughput as a 2.5G P4. You also get the advantage of lighter weight and longer battery life which may or may not be a consideration. The Pentium M was rated a product of the year by CNET which is worth something.

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    God/dess doc-catfish's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I would look seriously at the Centrino based machines. The Pentium M chip with the Centrino can not be directly compared GHz to Ghz with a Pentium 4. I can not vouch for it but an unbiased comparison I saw says a 1.4 G Centrino is roughly the same throughput as a 2.5G P4. You also get the advantage of lighter weight and longer battery life which may or may not be a consideration. The Pentium M was rated a product of the year by CNET which is worth something.
    I second Monty's suggestion here. When buying any computer, unless you're a white knuckle Quake player, don't get too concerned about processor speed. For web surfing and word processing, an old sub-gigahertz CPU will suffice as long as it can handle your software.

    If you're planning to use your laptop a lot of situations where access to a wall outlet isn't an option, look at finding one that will save battery life. The Pentium M/Centrino laptops or the slightly older Pentium 4-M ones are designed to do this. These CPU's also don't produce as much heat (which can wear down parts) as the regular P4.
    Former SCJ now in rehab.

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    Senior Member Spanky's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    Megan - There is a lot of good advice here so not much new to add. But here are a few things to consider. I work for a major computer hardware firm so the guys here really know their stuff. They say the IBM ThinkPad is without question the best laptop on the market in term s of quality and reliability. They suggest staying away from the Sony Vaio because it hasn't been reliable. I've personally had a lot of problems with an older Toshiba Laptop. In the pre- CD days, any floppy that I formatted in my Toshiba (top end business unit) never was recognized as being formatted by other PCs and vice-versa Don;'t know whether that an issue any more but it gave me a bad taste for Toshiba laptops.

    I strongly agree with the suggestion of going with a Centrino processor - much better battery life, and because it doesn't get as hot, it can be used more safely in smaller, lighter units. Also definitely get Windows XP (Pro/Office version better than Home but not necessary). A good money saving tip is that once one get above like 1.6 or 1.8 MhZ processing speed, you will not see the difference in performance. Better to speed your money on Hyper Thread or larger RAM/Front end Bus. That combo will definitely give you better performance at a lower price.

    Good luck and let us know what you end up with. BTW I couldn;t stop thinking about your gallery last night - thanks again and please travel east soon.

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    Default Re: Laptops

    Lena,
    I do not know what you mean by "HP and Compaq are proprietary systems". The drivers for some things may be different, but those always vary from one computer to another. These are all to windows standards and are controlled by the OS. What do you mean? I have just never seen any difference except in special software written by the company for the tech to remotely make repairs.
    Monty, what I mean is this. Say you buy a Dell with a USR Modem. You have a driver problem. You go to the USR website, download a new driver and it's fixed. Now say you buy a Compaq with a USR Modem. You have a driver problem. You must locate the Compaq version of the USR driver.

    Also, the proprietary OS won't run a lot of programs. But don't listen to me. Let consumers speak for themselves:

    http://www.epinions.com/cmhd-Desktop...splay_~reviews



  24. #24
    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Laptops

    I used to work for Dell. For some hardware to work with their systems, a proprietary driver must be created. Mostly, you can get the right driver off the third party hardware site and it works well. Also, Dell will give you all of the drivers, and a system restore disk.

    Windows also allows you to restore system from registry backups, but I'm sure all ya'll dorks know that.

    My one bit of advice: don't rely on good tech support as a major component of your buying decision any longer. With all of the outsourcing that ALL the big pc companies are doing....calling tech support may just leave you with a huge phone bill....

    Once again, get a MAC!! The IBOOK IS TIGHT!!

    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
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    Default Re: Laptops

    am I the only one that thought this topic was going to be about somthing else besides computers or is it just my dirty mind again.

    I got a compaq with a 700 Mhz celeron about 2 years ago and I was fairly happy about it. (though I should have ponyed up the extra 300 bucks for a PIII. it is small and after upgradeing the memory it works fine though now it is kind of strained. oh and I had to replace a HD though I have heard that that was somwhat common with laptops.

    my brother wife bought a dell and the screen crapped out after only a year.

    the best advice though is to spend as much as you can justify, it will buy you time before your compy becomes useless. :-/

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