laptop computer question, please?

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

i was thinking about upgrading my laptop for my work. somewhere in the $500.00-1,000.00 range. wanted some imput on what brand others have bought and how they liked it?

thanks in advance.

[Veritas]

Refurbed macbook (airs and pros, even)
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac?mco=MTkyMTQ3ODE

Gotta go Wintel? Lenovo. Accept nothing else:
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/products/professional-grade/thinkpad/index.html

[Breadburner]

Dell Sucks....!!

[Partial Qualifier]

We have some lenovos at work and while they're not the most stylish wintel notebook, I concur with yermom. The lenovos have been rock-solid. Not sure if you can get one for 500-1000 dollars though.

[swardboy]

I've had the same Lenovo 3000 since Dec. 2006 and absolutely love it. Heavily used for business and fun. I should upgrade the RAM...easy to do.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

pq-you can get them for that price range (and i'm not allergic to going higher), but i was really hoping to get a laptop with a larger screen (17+"). don't see any on the lenovo website, not even on their more expensive models. however, i'm not done looking yet either.

thanks for the replies. all comments are appreciated. please keep them coming.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

does anyone have any opinions on acer? yea or nay?

[yermom]

leaning to nay...but it's just a general impression

there are cheap Lenovos, but they have the crappy integrated Intel video. at least the last time i was shopping for them

[Veritas]

Hell no to Acer.

[bluedogok]

I have been happy with the last two Sony VAIO laptops that I have had. My latest one was purchased last November to replace the previous one that was stolen. It was about $1,300 at Best Buy but I have seen a lower level configuration of mine at Fry's (slower processor, less RAM, smaller hard drive, no backlit keyboard) for around $1,000.

Sony VAIO VPCF1 (http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SYCTOProcess?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&LBomId=8198552921666241650&categoryId=8198552921644692000).

[yermom]

i do like that weird web-bios whatever thing they have

otherwise, they seem a little overpriced, and their driver support was lacking back in the day. i haven't bought a VAIO since like 2000 though

[StoopTroup]

Hell no to Acer.

My retard remover is at Full Retard.

[bluedogok]

i do like that weird web-bios whatever thing they have

otherwise, they seem a little overpriced, and their driver support was lacking back in the day. i haven't bought a VAIO since like 2000 though
I needed one that would run Revit and 3DSMax at a decent price, 16.4" HD screen with HDMI out, Core i7, 6GB of RAM, 1GB of VRAM, 750GB hard drive, Blu-ray ROM, built-in Bluetooth/WiMax, backlit keyboard and I didn't want a 17" screen, the 16.4 would fit in the bags that I already had. The Sony was the most loaded of the ones that I was looking at outside of a GoBOXX (http://www.boxxtechnologies.com/products/goBOXX/goboxx_overview.asp) which was priced out at $3,700. In fact we have three of the same Sony laptops (this one is my personal computer) in our office now, the Indy office has two of them and Austin one and everyone seems real happy with it. I may bump it up to 8GB of RAM, Revit and 3DSMax are real resource hungry.

For work I still prefer a desktop, my new BOXX desktop was about $5,600, we had a demo from BOXX for a Revit presentation to their CEO and a business group of his, that one was nice but it was also about $9,000 for that particular configuration. It does help that their HQ/manufacturing offices are about a mile from our office.

[booomer]

Dell Sucks....!!


That is my opinion as well. I have an HP laptop that I really love and a MacBook Pro that is really awesome!

[XingTheRubicon]

you guys playin' cards?

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

there are cheap Lenovos, but they have the crappy integrated Intel video. at least the last time i was shopping for them

it looks like they still have the intel video cards.

[soonerboomer93]

dells business line is pretty solid, consumer line is eh.

[yermom]

Unless the inspirons have gotten better, bleh

[jumperstop]

Don't go Compaq/hp, both I have had overheated...

[Whet]

Lenovo = IBM?

[DIB]

Dell Latitude

[yermom]

Yeah, that's what I meant. :D

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

are you saying that the dell latitudes are good or bad?

[OUmillenium]

So Lenovo is getting high marks. I have a Toshiba from the year 2000 (Conan flashback) that still runs. Are the new Toshibas quality?

We are also in the market for a new laptop.

[pphilfran]

pq-you can get them for that price range (and i'm not allergic to going higher), but i was really hoping to get a laptop with a larger screen (17+"). don't see any on the lenovo website, not even on their more expensive models. however, i'm not done looking yet either.

thanks for the replies. all comments are appreciated. please keep them coming.

If you travel a lot make sure you really want to lug around a 17" notebook...

[DIB]

I use a Dell Latitude for work, so does almost my whole company. I haven't had any problems.

[yermom]

maybe it's unfair to compare a Latitude to a Mac, but i had both at the same time and was constantly not enjoying using the multiple Latitudes i had for whatever reason. the later ones seemed to be worse than the earlier ones.

it's been a while though. mine always seemed slower than it should be, and ready to fall apart.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

If you travel a lot make sure you really want to lug around a 17" notebook...

i travel some, but not alot. doing it more lately, though. seeing how thick my glasses are, yes, i would like the 17". thanks for the tip, though.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

anyone had any experiences/opinions with asus or hp?

[BillyBall]

I got a Lenovo in December and it is ****ing awesome.

[yermom]

anyone had any experiences/opinions with asus or hp?

i have two Asus netbooks, and by the way they have performed in the last year and a half or so i've had them, i'd certainly give their notebooks a shot

i've been really surprised, actually

and i hate everything :)

not that it applies to you since you are looking at 17" models, but their 12" dual core Atom/NVidia ION models are awesome

the HPs don't seem too bad, i'd probably lean HP over Dell now

[yermom]

I got a Lenovo in December and it is ****ing awesome.

yeah, the higher end ones with the discreet video are pretty rockin'

my mom has like a g530 or something though, and it's not bad

[soonerboomer93]

Unless the inspirons have gotten better, bleh
Inspirons are consumer line. My old inspriron is almost 5 years old and had to have the mainboard replaced recently, but it has been decent.


Lenovo = IBM?
Lenovo used to make thinkpads under the IBM name, but IBM wanted out of the laptop and desktop markets. Same company has always made them afaik


anyone had any experiences/opinions with asus or hp?

HP are okay, again I would recommend a business line over a consumer line. They normally come with a better warranty and are just built better.

ASUS are fine, but from what I hear, dealing with their tech support is a pain.

[OUmillenium]

Does anybody know anything about MCI? I got a great recommendation from a counsin on this brand.

[HBick]

Macbook Air is great. I have one, and a 15" Macbook Pro. I also gave my parents my black aluminum 13" Macbook and to be honest with you, that 2008 Macbook works better than the two I have now. Thing was a tank

[yermom]

Inspirons are consumer line. My old inspriron is almost 5 years old and had to have the mainboard replaced recently, but it has been decent.


Lenovo used to make thinkpads under the IBM name, but IBM wanted out of the laptop and desktop markets. Same company has always made them afaik



HP are okay, again I would recommend a business line over a consumer line. They normally come with a better warranty and are just built better.

ASUS are fine, but from what I hear, dealing with their tech support is a pain.

yeah, i realized the Latitude thing above. i've never had an Insipiron, but they always seemed huge and heavy.

i'm not one to call tech support, so i wouldn't know :D

i've dealt with Dell on server stuff like once, but that's about it. their driver support on their website is stellar though

[yermom]

Does anybody know anything about MCI? I got a great recommendation from a counsin on this brand.

google asked the same thing i was thinking... did you mean MSI?

my brother had an MSI Wind (original hackintosh netbook)

i don't know about the laptops, but the netbooks seemed pretty cheaply made

[soonerboomer93]

Dell does have a good driver site, they suck at updating their video drivers though. However last I knew, their business line tech support is actually state side.

[Veritas]

Do not buy a ****ing Dell.

Trust me; I buy laptops for my company like most folks (used to) buy CDs. Mac's have the best long term efficiency, all things considered. Lenovos are the next closest thing we've had for PCs. Spend the money for whichever.

[yermom]

i'd find it hard to stomach the extra $$$ initially, but Macs really do seem to hold together and stay useful longer than the others i've used

i'm usually not the one paying for them though

[HBick]

and buy a mac now, OSX Lion does not look like an OS I will be using

[StoopTroup]

The ammount of useful time really is a great point. I remember when guys were really into building thier own Super Towers and they had all these ideas about keeping them cool so they could increase speed and extend longevity was so important.

It makes me wonder sometimes WTH one of these laptop PCs are doing to my lap but if the heat they give off isn't a huge factor as to why they don't last long.

[Veritas]

i'd find it hard to stomach the extra $$$ initially, but Macs really do seem to hold together and stay useful longer than the others i've used
Doing an apples to apples comparison of a high quality PC laptop (like a Lenovo) vs a MacBook you'll find that the cost difference is usually less than 10%.

Now, price out a piece of **** Dell or HP and you'll pay less, but you'll be replacing parts within a year. Or losing data on the crappy Toshiba (usually) HDDs they use.

I know, I sound like a Mac fanboy. I'm not. But I am a fanboy of stuff that allows me and my people to TCOB with a minimum of downtime.

[OUmillenium]

Sounds like its Mac v Lenovo for my dollars.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

looking at the lenovo line, they can get expensive quickly.