trailhead Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Hey I know there are some computer general e-mail expert kinds on the board. I am looking at picking up a new laptop and was wondering what to specifically look for in a laptop. Maybe some recommendations as to brand etc. A Mac won't do as everything we do is Microsoft based. Thanks Quote
Flytyer Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 What are you expecting out of the new laptop and what platform? Not clear if you are looking for pc or mac. Quote
birchy Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 Dell has some sweet deals. I'd check out their website. Very easy to do all the customization you want as well. I just got myself a kick ass Dell XPS M1530 a few months back.. very nice system. Quote
PeteZahut Posted March 9, 2009 Posted March 9, 2009 I also bought an XPS laptop and am really happy with it. Had an issue with the integrated webacam but thanks to their top-notch service I got in fixed in record time. I will likely continue to use Dell in the future. Quote
bhurt Posted March 11, 2009 Posted March 11, 2009 Dell is the #1 returned item at staples as well as Acer. Quote
beedhead Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Had a Toshiba...Was a great system...Crapped out 3 months after the 3 year warranty was up....Bought a "HP Pavilion dv9000" a few months back...Really happy with it....One thing with Toshiba, you pay a little more for the name (Toshiba makes fabulous laptops)....I did allot of research and talked to allot of techs, before I bought an HP, found it to be the best bang for the buck...Just my two bits... Cheers...Jeff.. Quote
bhurt Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 I think your paying for better technology when buying a Toshiba. I have heard that with other compaines they use low grade parts (not true with every HP - pay more get more), and thus allowing to drop their price, weather this is true or not I do not know but something I have heard mentioned a couple of time. I dunno I have seen the longevity of the diffrent brands at work, running 24/7 and Toshiba always seems to have the less problems and still running great. I have a toshiba and wouldn't trade it, took it with me twice when I drove out and back from victoria twice with my buddies. Quote
headscan Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Hey I know there are some computer general e-mail expert kinds on the board. I am looking at picking up a new laptop and was wondering what to specifically look for in a laptop. Maybe some recommendations as to brand etc. A Mac won't do as everything we do is Microsoft based. Thanks What do you want to do with this laptop? Email, web, and MS Office? Databases? Graphic design? Some video games on the side? All of that will make a difference in what you get. Quote
acurrie Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 I bought an Acer 2 years ago for $499 at Best Buy, and its been great.. no issues. It's fast and has bunch of ram and 80 Gig HD, Big Video card and windows Vista/ MS office. If you wanna budget Laptop can't beat Acer. But if your willing to spend the big bucks (Over $1000) you can get a bit more performance and reliability. But in my opinion, if your not a huge Gamer or tech geek then the budget buy is where it's at. Gaming Laptops can run into the 4-5000 range. Quote
hydropsyche Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 I support servers and I've heard through the grapevine Dells have far more troubles then their counterparts. HP/Compaq servers are supposed to be more stable. I also have friends who got those "get an internet connection and get a free Dell computer" deals and they have had memory and cpu and other failures. You probably get what you pay for so its a good thing they are known for great support. I know we aren't supposed to slam vendors on this site. I hope Dell isn't a sponsor. Quote
Weedy1 Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 We use Toshiba's (Tecra and Satellites) where I work and have been doing so for over a decade. The estimated total number of machines we have purchased would be in the 40-50 range. They are a very tough machine with good performance. Our service techs can leave them in their vehicles, freeze them solid and they are up and running in less than five minutes. They handle condensation fairly well with only the odd keyboard having to be replaced. Component failures have been minimal and we have never had a full blown hard drive crash. Knock on wood. We tried a Dell. I think people are still running over the pieces in that parking lot. Quote
bigbowtrout Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 I have the Dell XPS M 1330 and so far so AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote
Wanny Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 I wish my HP had a DVI connection for high def to a tv. Sounds like you might want your for work, but if your looking for something you could use for media look into that. Quote
Taco Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 I'm supposed to be getting one of these; someone else is payin' for it. Quote
birchy Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 At my work, we purchase ~350 laptops every summer. There's 600 employees in our office, and everyone gets a new laptop every 2 years. Half the office one year, the other half the next. We give our requirements (performance, size, weight, price) etc. to the main vendors, and then they bring their offerings to the table. The last number of years they've been flipping back and forth between HP and Dell. Every year we push them to buy Lenovo's, and every year they ignore us. They're quite a bit more pricey than the other vendors because of the higher quality of their product. Toshiba never wins, so I think last year they didn't even bother showing up. Whether or not that has anything to do with the quality, I can't say for sure. It could very well be that their warranty (or something else) isn't up to par. Seems like others have lots of good things to say about them, so I'll trust their word. Dell and HP both make good products. Brad's comment above about Dell products being the #1 returned doesn't surprise me much.. they're "economy" laptops do seem to be made with cheaper components (I've heard that too Brad).. hence the low price. I've noticed a huge difference in quality so far with my XPS system, versus the "Latitudes" we get at my work. As others have said, what you're planning on using it for does matter alot. Another big factor is how much you're going to be physically moving it around. If it's just going to be sitting on your desk, you MAY be able to get away with lower quality stuff.. but if you're going to be taking it with you everywhere, you're going to want to look at something a bit more robust. As far as support goes, both HP and Dell customer service are very easy to deal with. Lenovo seems to be good so far too (we did manage to get some Lenovo ultra-lites this year because both Dell and HP's ultra-lites couldn't run Vista). Can't speak for Acer's support, never dealt with them. Hydropsyche - I support servers as well.. comparing them to laptops is apples and oranges. No offense intended. You are correct though.. HP servers are heads and shoulders above Dells.. If you want a "road warror" laptop, get the IBM Lenovo.. built like a tank. They have a cool piece of technology built in that detects movement of the laptop, as soon as you pick up the laptop, or move it in any way, it automatically parks the harddrive heads to avoid damage. Very cool feature. I think in the end, it's the same as most things. All the "mainstream" vendor's products will be pretty comparable. Working out the little details that you're personally looking for will make the difference. Quote
Weedy1 Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Ya well my Daddy can beat your Daddy up. And his computer has a faster processor! Quote
beedhead Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 One thing I forgot to mention, I was told all the parts and pieces come from the same factories..ie-monitors, hard drives, keyboards ect....Its how the companies put the laptop together is what makes the diff...Some companies take their time, and some companies slap them together as fast as they can...And from that I'm told, makes the diff.. Cheers...Jeff.. Quote
birchy Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Ya well my Daddy can beat your Daddy up. And his computer has a faster processor! Highly doubt that.. But my daddy died when I was 15, so I guess we'll never know! Quote
Guest KnottyGirl Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Does anyone know if there is a docking station available for the Dell XPS? Quote
FlashGordon Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 ya if you can swing the green buy a mac wouldn't touch a Dell,sorry Toshiba,IBM,or HP-good to go Quote
birchy Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Does anyone know if there is a docking station available for the Dell XPS? Only for the big 17" one it looks like.. Quote
bhurt Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 One thing I forgot to mention, I was told all the parts and pieces come from the same factories..ie-monitors, hard drives, keyboards ect....Its how the companies put the laptop together is what makes the diff...Some companies take their time, and some companies slap them together as fast as they can...And from that I'm told, makes the diff.. Cheers...Jeff.. 100% correct. I once watched a guy working at a computer bench with over 500 Seagate HD installing all of them at once with Vista. As for LCD's what I have heard most compies will buy components for the few compaines that actually make it then assemble them, thus not having to pay a third party. As for Acer, I would say probably one of the worst compines I have ever delt with. Quote
birchy Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 Just got this via email today.. might be too late: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2336949,00.asp Quote
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