iouaname67
My requirements for my computer are:
Intel Core 2 Duo Porcessor T8300
15.4 inch display
At least 3GB memory
256 MB Graphics card
250GB Hard drive
9-12 cell battery
Computers I've found that sorta fit these requirements are:
HP special edition dV6700t
Dell XPS M1530
Sony Vaio
Toshiba Satellite A300
So my question is if you could pick from any of these computers, what would you pick? Also, are any of my requirements not sufficent enough?
I just need to keep the price under $1,600. Thank you for your help
You know, I actually did think about a mac but I then decided against it just because I'm well versed in Windows and I dont have the time or the patience to learn a new system, and because I've used Macs in the past and have had a lot of trouble with them.
I did look at them (although I'll admit, briefly) as an option, but ruled them out because of past experiences and unwillingness to change :-)
Answer
I would prolly narrow it down to the xps or the dv6700t.
Dells definitely the way to go if ur into gaming and HP is an excellent entertainment notebook.
I had a xps1530 last year and it had issues, i sure hope if was a one -off thing but if you go through the same thing then be prepared for some horrendous customer service from Dell. It was excellent for the first 2 months and then the battery wouldnt charge. It would still power on from AC though. Starting here it just started falling apart and ive seen a lot off people complaining about the longevity of Dell.
I got a dV9700t for christmas, and its been running like a dream. Im a light-medium gamer and get my hands into video editing every now and then, and i cant praise the HP enough. Its cheaper than XPS, fairly reliable... call me biased but i would definitely pick the dv6700
I would prolly narrow it down to the xps or the dv6700t.
Dells definitely the way to go if ur into gaming and HP is an excellent entertainment notebook.
I had a xps1530 last year and it had issues, i sure hope if was a one -off thing but if you go through the same thing then be prepared for some horrendous customer service from Dell. It was excellent for the first 2 months and then the battery wouldnt charge. It would still power on from AC though. Starting here it just started falling apart and ive seen a lot off people complaining about the longevity of Dell.
I got a dV9700t for christmas, and its been running like a dream. Im a light-medium gamer and get my hands into video editing every now and then, and i cant praise the HP enough. Its cheaper than XPS, fairly reliable... call me biased but i would definitely pick the dv6700
Actually decent Laptop under 600$?
'Ello Pops
Is it possible?!
Hah. Okay. Here's the deal. I want YOUR opinions 'cause you're the ones actually using the dang things. And the guys at the store question me about RAM and I go "Random Access Memory. Yea. Whateverrr." Hah.
First off: UNDER 600$
I'm a college student. And it's ME paying for this. So, I definitely want some bang for my buck!
I want one with a webcam, or that I can buy & attach one to. I like talking to my mom and friends/family back home.
I like to email, listen to music, write papers, and IM people (using meebo.com) all at the same time. But I'm not into graphic design, video-gaming or any of that stuff. I don't download anything except Anti-Virus software.
It has to be able to withstand the huge documents and presentations my teachers throw upon me, though.
Small, Mini, Average, whatever. Just not huge and clunky and the size of a desktop. I'd love an easily portable one. I'm considering a Mini, but I don't think they have CD Drives...
That being said, I want to be able to read CDs, but burning-ability would be cool, too. I won't be burning a CD every ten minutes, but maybe every few months (my sister and I like to trade mixes). DVD-burner isn't needed.
I don't really store a lot on it. Photos are uploaded to photobucket or a jumpdrive. Music is usually a "Rip one CD, Burn it onto the other CD, delete Music" kind of deal. I do have a LOT of documents (Word, Powerpoint, mostly), though. Duh. College kid.
Needs to have Wireless capabilities. But I think every laptop has that these days, eh? Nothing too fancy. Just gotta work.
Opinions? Suggestions? Complaints on which ones to stay away from?
Thank you very much for all your input!
Answer
Under six hundred dollars with no graphical requirements, the world is your oyster!
"Decent" laptops start under $400 now, but you're right: you can sure get a dud in that price range. In fact, you can get a dud in ANY price range and nothing you purchase will be fail-proof, but some of the budget models have more . . . problems.
I service and sometimes sell the darn things. Please avoid Acer. By the same token, avoid Gateway and e-machines, as Acer acquired them last fall/winter season. The plastic feels like it will snap in my hands when I service them, and all the extra software they make impossible to remove (without removing things you also need) bugs me on a purist level. I suppose it might not bother the average user, but the wimpy plastic pieces should bug anyone unfortunate enough to fix your computer.
Another to avoid: any Dell with "Studio" in the name. They have known issues, one of which is easily fixed with a driver update, but some of which persist. This is the only Dell line I've known to be bad out of the box every darn time, though, and I really like some of the other things they do with their laptops, so don't be overly shy of the other models. Read owner reviews to get an idea of fail rates and such.
I also like toshiba, but not in the sub-$500 price range. They do much better with their $600 and up hardware.
Anything can handle "big documents." That's like asking for a graphing calculator that can handle long division. If you're going to be uploading and downloading big documents over your campus network all the time, though, look for something that has wireless N. Much faster! Also, for your own ease of use, 3GB>2GB when it comes to RAM, and you'll still be able to find it in your price range, and then some.
The most reliable machines I've handled in your price range are the Compaqs. Everyone has rather strong opinions, and Consumer Reports claims that of the laptops they have data for fail rates are the same all around, but I think the little buggers last a bit longer, and the "known issues" list contains innocuous things like "fails to burn recovery disks," which can easily be side-stepped by crabbing at HP and demanding some in the mail. Bear in mind that everything fails at any price range, and the trick is to back up your data and be prepared for it.
They come pre-loaded with crapware, as almost everything does in your price range. Dell would be the exception. Dell also comes with its own recovery disks, so there's another plus.
I hope that helped. You can really get a decent budget laptop when you don't need powerful graphics, and you're paying more for more specs (which you don't need), not necessarily for a longer lifespan. The only way to get THAT is to get an extended warranty, and if you have roommates I'd suggest either socking some money away or getting a warranty with accidental damage coverage, as one of them is bound to knock it over or spill beer on it.
Did I mention back up your data? Buy a $450 compaq with a webcam and spend $80 on an external hard drive. Set it up to back up schoolwork and papers automatically. Buy some accidental damage coverage or plan to buy a new laptop halfway through your college career. That's the advice I'd give a non-gaming relative.
Best of luck,and have fun at school!
Under six hundred dollars with no graphical requirements, the world is your oyster!
"Decent" laptops start under $400 now, but you're right: you can sure get a dud in that price range. In fact, you can get a dud in ANY price range and nothing you purchase will be fail-proof, but some of the budget models have more . . . problems.
I service and sometimes sell the darn things. Please avoid Acer. By the same token, avoid Gateway and e-machines, as Acer acquired them last fall/winter season. The plastic feels like it will snap in my hands when I service them, and all the extra software they make impossible to remove (without removing things you also need) bugs me on a purist level. I suppose it might not bother the average user, but the wimpy plastic pieces should bug anyone unfortunate enough to fix your computer.
Another to avoid: any Dell with "Studio" in the name. They have known issues, one of which is easily fixed with a driver update, but some of which persist. This is the only Dell line I've known to be bad out of the box every darn time, though, and I really like some of the other things they do with their laptops, so don't be overly shy of the other models. Read owner reviews to get an idea of fail rates and such.
I also like toshiba, but not in the sub-$500 price range. They do much better with their $600 and up hardware.
Anything can handle "big documents." That's like asking for a graphing calculator that can handle long division. If you're going to be uploading and downloading big documents over your campus network all the time, though, look for something that has wireless N. Much faster! Also, for your own ease of use, 3GB>2GB when it comes to RAM, and you'll still be able to find it in your price range, and then some.
The most reliable machines I've handled in your price range are the Compaqs. Everyone has rather strong opinions, and Consumer Reports claims that of the laptops they have data for fail rates are the same all around, but I think the little buggers last a bit longer, and the "known issues" list contains innocuous things like "fails to burn recovery disks," which can easily be side-stepped by crabbing at HP and demanding some in the mail. Bear in mind that everything fails at any price range, and the trick is to back up your data and be prepared for it.
They come pre-loaded with crapware, as almost everything does in your price range. Dell would be the exception. Dell also comes with its own recovery disks, so there's another plus.
I hope that helped. You can really get a decent budget laptop when you don't need powerful graphics, and you're paying more for more specs (which you don't need), not necessarily for a longer lifespan. The only way to get THAT is to get an extended warranty, and if you have roommates I'd suggest either socking some money away or getting a warranty with accidental damage coverage, as one of them is bound to knock it over or spill beer on it.
Did I mention back up your data? Buy a $450 compaq with a webcam and spend $80 on an external hard drive. Set it up to back up schoolwork and papers automatically. Buy some accidental damage coverage or plan to buy a new laptop halfway through your college career. That's the advice I'd give a non-gaming relative.
Best of luck,and have fun at school!
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Title Post: Student Laptop for College?
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