One of my sisters is trying to buy a new laptop. My other sister has a dell and I use a Mac. I haven't been too impressed with my sister's Dell. It works fine, but it has crashed one time too many for my liking. My Mac is alright. It does what I need it to do. To those who have experiences with laptops, what would you recommend? She's going off to med school and need something that's very reliable and accomodating. And maybe share your experiences with good and bad laptops. (Also please give a price range of how much it would cost).

Thanks in advance.

I personally dont like Dell. I only like the black color. And i know at least 1 person that has bought a new Dell with a part missing.

Brands that i think are particularly good are ACER and TOSHIBA. Cannot really give you specifics on the price, b/c it depends on the specifications that she requires.

For instance does she need a lot storage space. And i will always recommend getting a PC with a processor speed of at least 2Ghz (there is nothing as bad as a slow computer).

A friend just got a HP (somewhere b/w $500 and $700, i cant remember and i think they had a sale then) but its running fine. Storage is 60G and speed is 1.6. its working fine now but i know the slowness will catch up later.

also you should try some websites (I recommend Newegg.com) that sell electronics, b/c the buyers normally rate the products after they have bought their product. You also get very useful comments, like the pros and cons. This will help you decide the best one to suit your needs.

***picks up pen and paper and starts taking notes****

nilla:

I personally don't like Dell. I only like the black color. And i know at least 1 person that has bought a new Dell with a part missing.

She's really trying to stay away from Dell and I don't blame her.

nilla:
Brands that i think are particularly good are ACER and TOSHIBA. Cannot really give you specifics on the price, b/c it depends on the specifications that she requires.

I have also heard good things about toshiba. But pardon my ignorance--Are many things compatible with a Toshiba laptop? I mean if she goes with a toshiba will she have issues similar to what you have with Windows vs Mac? As in if she need to download from a website or something and the website only have a windows version for download, wouldn't that be a problem?

nilla:

For instance does she need a lot storage space. And i will always recommend getting a PC with a processor speed of at least 2Ghz (there is nothing as bad as a slow computer).
A friend just got a HP (somewhere b/w $500 and $700, i can't remember and i think they had a sale then) but its running fine. Storage is 60G and speed is 1.6. its working fine now but i know the slowness will catch up later.

I am currently hunting around for good prices, but I haven't focused as much on the GHz and space availabilty, I will look out for that now. I believe her budget might be around $1500 max but if she can get something cheaper, it would be great.

Are there any stores you would recommend, (I noticed you live in the US). I purchased my Mac at a Comp USA (don't know if y'all have that in Kansas) and their customer service leaves much to be desired, to say the least.

nilla:

also you should try some websites (I recommend Newegg.com) that sell electronics, b/c the buyers normally rate the products after they have bought their product. You also get very useful comments, like the pros and cons. This will help you decide the best one to suit your needs.

Thanks nilla. I really appreciate this.

to add to what nilla said. Toshiba is really good, but Acer's main advantage is that their systems are cheap. in my experience they may not be as durable. HP is also a good brand to check out, they have some nice add on features. Toshiba laptops run windows just like any regular laptops so u shdnt have any compatibility issues. I got a 2.0 ghz with 120gb 1gb ram for like $1000, though that was a few months back. check big stores like circuit city adnd bestbuy too

no problem girl,

I have also heard good things about toshiba. But pardon my ignorance--Are many things compatible with a Toshiba laptop? I mean if she goes with a toshiba will she have issues similar to what you have with Windows vs Mac? As in if she need to download from a website or something and the website only have a windows version for download, wouldn't that be a problem?

About this i will get back to you on that later (don't know anything bout that but will ask my boyfriend)


I think your range is ok and you can get sth cheaper than your maximum. But like i said it depends on what she wants the most from it and the newegg website is really good because of other peoples feedback. you dont even have to buy from them. but their prices are normally cheaper than most places, and they normally have periodic deals, weekend specials etc.

debosky:

to add to what nilla said. Toshiba is really good, but Acer's main advantage is that their systems are cheap. in my experience they may not be as durable. HP is also a good brand to check out, they have some nice add on features. Toshiba laptops run windows just like any regular laptops so u shdnt have any compatibility issues. I got a 2.0 ghz with 120gb 1gb ram for like $1000, though that was a few months back. check big stores like circuit city adnd bestbuy too

Thanks, men.
I'll be back if I have more questions o.

pls take note of the 64bit processor,thats the next generation of pc power. softwares & hardwares re designed in duplicates now for the 32bits commonly used and the new 64bit, no doubt a year or two 4rm now all present hard & softwares re gonna be obselete,

Your sister needs a toshiba, thats the equivalent of a jeep in terms of laptops

I think ur sister need to look into durablity as one of the specs to consider. I say she goes for an Hp Laptop their product r really good check them out on their site www.hp.com. and see for ur sef I dont kow why pple just keeps mentioning Toshiba and Acer why dont u try something else.
NB:hp is ur best bet

I currently use an HP Compaq nc6120, been using for over a year, I have not had a case of lost data, I have had to format the box a couple of time though because I got hacked on the web (this is a software level issue not hardware). It has all I want, Centrino Chip. Wireless connetivity, blue tooth, Infrared, 15" tft monitor amongst others.

I recommend hp any day any time any where, Dell is useless, it does not even come with OS installtion Cds, so if I got problems , I am Fried.

HP = Horse Power = work horse.

I use an acer aspire 1.5GHz, 80GB HDD, 512MB DDR2, to be honest I got it 'cos it was the cheapest on the shelf, but its not given me a days problem ever since I got it, extremely reliable.

i use a dell inspirion 1100 and its worked fine for over 2 years now. its not crashed once, neva lost data, neva had to reinstall anything although i have all the installation CDs (both OS and other softwares). it also takes falls very well, its fallen from table tops severally and it still works well but my problem is the weight- its is darn heavy.  so if u live with children (my niece has actually used it as a stool one time too many) or accident prone teenager dell is good. otherwise  your best bet is HP. its lighter and the battery power is for forever; and they provide great user support too.

hey y'all a man's meat is another's poison but seriously u shld go 4 a Mac cuz they're d best
especially 4 a girl plus u ain't got 2 worry abt viruses and stuff
toshiba hs problems wiv repairs and dell sucks 4 real- it wnt 4 d first few months but later u gonna find out 4 urself, acer is cheap but the graphics and stuff sucks
compaq is ok but ones it gets a virus you are history, the best is a mac
but if u hav a low bugdet u can opt for acer or HP but def. not toshiba
owning a laptop is all abt choice and hw u handle it dell and toshiba are popular but if u wnt quality and considering d stuff u gonna b using d laptop mostly 4 if u are the type dat doesnt care much about upgrading ur viral definiton and stuff then go for a mac but if she really knows how to take care of a laptop, let her go for HP,DELL, or a Compaq acer is just there acer is cheap and stuff
and she can take it if she wants a cheap stuff
also look out 4 d RAM of 512 or 1 Gig is kul but nuffin below 512
the processor must be pretty fast to 1.8 1.9 dual core
and if u're goin 2 med schl den mac's d best 4 ya, don't go wiv all d popular brand names but all depends on ur budget
so gudluck

MAC is the main thing out there. it can also run a window OS if u want. toshiba is good but when it has problem, it is difficult to rectify. DELL, COMPAQ, HP, are all good but like toshiba, they all run windows OS and have same problem, they crash ones a virus attacks and your anti-viral software aint strong enuff to delete it. acer is good but has some problems too. it all depends on how u take care of your laptop. if u take care of it well, i dont see it having problems. but the best is MAC and as GEM87 said, look out for RAM and speed. a ram or 512mb or 1 gig is perfect, if u can get 2 gig, it is great. speed of 1.8 or 2.0 GHz is good. depending on how many files you store, a hard disk space of 40gig to 100 gig should be considered if u store alot of stuff in your hard drive.

personally, i will want you to consider a MAC, it has less problems.

all others are good but microsoft has a lott@ bugs to fix.

i'm also about to buy a laptop. i was thinking of HP but since I stumbled on this thread i'm already considering MAC. i'm not familiar with MAC - have never seen or used it- but as my PC has crashed several times because of virus attacks, i am ready to learn how to use MAC.

I've been to the Apple website, which of the 2 notebook types - MacBook and MacBook Pro - would be best for a student?

for a student, go for the mac but if u can affor the other one, go for it. ones it is a mac, you are covered. i have already ordered my mac. the difference between macbook and macbook pro aint much except that macbook has a 13 inch LCD while the pro has a 15 inch LCD. also they both have the same, 2.0GHz. go for the one u can affor out of the 2.




http://www.apple.com/macbook/

Buy an HP Compaq NX9010 - It's the most rugged available.

And there's this new COmpaq, can't remember the model. Just released, really good too, flat and rugged, i believe probably more than the 9010.

Whatever the case, as a student, make sure your laptop has a wireless LAN (you are covered if it's intel centrino or pentium M), a multimedia card reader, at least 512 MB ram and 128MB VGA (for games), 60GB HDD and your screen, don't buy those rectangular (trubrite or woteva) unless you are really cool with them, and make sure you get a DVD+- RW (multilayer jare), and don't compromise on your speakers. Make sure they are BBAAADDD (JBL or Altec Lansing), and don't bother about the beauty of the outside, its the brain that matters. DOn't buy a Celeron M 1.4 with all the features above, (you've just thrown some cash away. Laptops are worth the buy, so borrow some cash to get the average if you can't afford your taste).

If you have too much money, get the Core Duo or the Titaniums or even a Tablet. Sony Vaios have become so so expensive nowadays, don't know why.

Finally, I have an HP ZE4800, not too bad sha, runs on an Athlon XP mobile +2800 (I bet its too slow for me now, wish i had added some more dough back then).

MAC sha, well well well, not soo familiar with them, but I know they are better than the PC anyday anytime.

Any of the basic laptops out there will suffice. Acer is cheap for a reason though. I have also had very good success with dell laptops. I actually just received shipment of an Inspiron 1705 yesterday. This will be my 3rd dell laptop. Nothing wrong with the other ones, I just needed to pass them on. I have heard good things about Toshiba too. I would recommend dell though. You can order it via their website, you will build it to suit your needs.  A basic dell laptop will come with everything you mentioned and more.

MAC is the best. that dell worked for you doesnt mean it will work for another person. i know some ppl dat have problems with dell like eerday. i havent heard of anyone having problem with a MAC as we have with a pc.

dondele,

The OP asked for a suggestion and that's exactly what I gave (Just like everyone else did). People are going to have different experiences and it's up to OP to take the suggestions/recommendations and make a constructive decision based on that.

why not give the best suggestion becuss dat your dell suggestion is just 1 out of 10 cases.

make sure u get a centrino laptop with WIFi built in. u neva knwo when it might come in handy, Also try and get hold of a Dual core (core Duo) cpu laptop.

NEVER buy a laptop without readign the review on it.

@ All of una
e go beta for una well well. Una no go run out of pounded yam, stock fish, or palm wine proper when hunger strikes. I have sent her everyone's comments.

For what its worth, here is my 2 cents. Toshiba, Dell, HP are all good brands but I personally wouldnt buy aything other than an IBM thinkpad. Someone called HP a work horse but you dont know what a work horse is till you try an IBM. They are practically indestructible. Drop it on its head and it keeps going on.

Am also in the market for a new laptop. I had thought I would buy the new Apple macbook but subsequent postings on the web( google for macbook random shutdown) changed my mind. I am now definitely going to get am IBM. They are expensive but you get what you pay for as the saying goes.

Yes, you have virus issues with windows but not if you dont use windows. Ubuntu, Mepis, SUse etc are very good and user friendly.

I have used a Toshiba laptop b4 and have also had a Dell laptop b4 so am actually talking from experience. Sides you can get student discount if you buy online at IBM's web site.

You can visit this websites for reviews and other stuff

www.trustedreviews.com

http://forum.thinkpads.com/index.php

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hs=ABe&hl=en&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aunofficial&q=macbook+random+shutdown&btnG=Search&meta=

All the best. Out of curiosity, what apple laptop are you using? The old ibook or the new mac books? I checked out the new

apple laptops in a store yesterday and they looked as if the surface would be difficult to keep clean both white and black.

jogego
ummm, my man, i use an IBM thinkpad and it is what im using to type this now. my IBM has crashed 2 times and i have re-imaged it 3 times. it is true that when it falls on the floor nothing happens to it. i am a student technician and i work with IBMs, DELL and HP and the type of problem i have seen IBM having, especially the T60s and the R51 is to much. so if u are gonn@ buy an IBM laptop better live near a good laptop repair shop cuzz u are gonn@ need it. IBM is strong but has many software problems.

What we need to differentiate is what is crashing, sofware or hardware? Most likely it is windows crashing and not the hardware. I am yet to see anybody tell me a thinkpad is not a good piece of hardware. My own has fallen down so many times and its still running. I run linux and not M$ and at times its on for close to a week without any stress. Most times, I just suspend it by shutting the lid and reopening the lid.

i believe every crashing mentioned here about every laptop has been windows crashing. no one has said anything about hardware but IBM T60 always has LCD problems. the R52s sometimes have systme board problems. what i have been saying here about laptops are all software problem which is cuzz of windows OS. MAC aint got much problem as all these PCs. like IBM, toshiba has its own strong brand dat was made for the jungle. it can fall from anywhere but nothing will happen to it but it ends up having a software problem and it is very expensive.

Mac os doesnt really have too much problems but then what about the new generation of laptops just released? Check on any mac forum and you'll see the myriad problems they have. Swelling batteries, random shutdowns, lines on the LCD, and of course logic boards being replaced oh, did I mention the problems that came with updating Mac OSX from 10.4.6 to 10.4.7?

I use an imac and truly if you were to read my earlier posts on this forum, you'd see I was waitng for the mac book to come out b4 I got another laptop but sincerely, I dont think I could ever spend my hard earned cash on a first generation apple product.

Having said that, no matter what hardware u use, if winblows will mess you up, it will mess you up. That was what made me change to Linux a few years back.

Honestly, If I take delivery of a new IBM tomorrow, am wiping the hard disk clean of everything including the restoration partition and installing mepis on it. Blaming software problems on the hardware is nothing but wrong.

Bottom line, you are entitled to your own opinion and am not trying to change it, but in my own experience, thinkpads are the rolls royce of laptops. Pure and simple.

think pad are not and will never be the rolls royce of laptops cuzz they have more problems than any other laptop existing here. TOSHIBA, DELL, HP/COMPAQ, are what i will consider the rolls royce of laptop cuzz i have seen only few of them having hardware problems and a laptop is not football dat you throw about. MAC has its own problems like any other laptop but its own is minimal and only on rare cases. i have friends dat use MAC and i havent seen them complain one day about some issues i have encountered on other PC's. thinkpad is good but it aint the best there is. i did rather go for a DELL or HP than go for a thinkpad.

all of una don score, 10/nia confussion.