Advice on buying a laptop?

[KenderWizard]

So, I need a new laptop for college this year, and I'm being really indecisive about it. Last time I bought a laptop, it was a present from my grandparents and my father helped me pick one, but this time, it's all my money and my father's in Rwanda (not helpful!), and I just can't decide!

I need a very lightweight laptop, less than 1.5 kilos would be great, because I'll need to bring it around campus with me and I'm pretty small, and asthmatic, and I don't want to have to carry a huge heavy laptop case on top of all my books. That's mostly why I'm buying a new one: my current one would be alright for a bit longer, if a bit out of date, but it's totally useless sitting at home.

All I want it to be able to do is reliably access the internet when it should be able to, be able to run Google Docs for me, and be able to run basic image software. Nothing super-complicated, just for making geological diagrams and graphs and stuff. It would be nice if it had a CD/DVD drive, but if it comes to it I can buy an external one, because it's not totally vital.

I can afford to spend about $500 on it (I'm hoping to buy it here in the US before the end of the summer). If it doesn't have a CD drive, that'll cost $50 according to my research in Best Buy today, so that'll take away from my laptop budget.

So, to summarise:
Lightweight
Costing around $500 (or less!)
Reliable
Connects to internet
Can run basic image software (more than MS Paint, less than... I dunno... whatever graphic designers use!)

Anyone have any recommendations?

[leper0messiah]

Can run basic image software (more than MS Paint, less than... I dunno... whatever graphic designers use!)

Adobe Illustrator?
(sorry not good with laptops, just vector graphic programs)

[Brewdude]

My brother had an errand to run. He needed to go pick up some documents in the Sierras and return back to the California coast, and needed me to rent the vehicle he was using to drive. I went along with him to keep him awake for the trip. As we went up, the first big storm of the season blew in, so we stopped at a friends place to use his jeep instead of the rented vehicle, since it didn't need chains.

The sun went down, the rain turned to snow, and the winding roads to ski resort got hidden behind the 15-25 foot near whiteout. While we wanted to slow down, we didn't dare lose the break lights ahead of us or we'd most likely go over the edge of the cliff...the cab was getting so warm I slipped off my shoes and lay back, as it wasn't my driving shift.

Then the break lights swerved across the double yellow lines into the oncoming traffic lane...and we saw the caltrans vehicle parked perpendicular to the edge blocking our lane, so we follow swerved...and then swerved back into our lane....and continued turning, our wheels now just skidding in a slow circle, then our front right tire went over the edge of the cliff, leading to an end over end cartwheel as we dropped down the 60 degree embankment, finally landing on a rock, with no idea how far away a sheer drop might be (turned out we were one and a half car lengths from being in the river) Both my brother and I were all right, but everything loose in the cabin had flown out the broken windows of the cab, including my shoes...From the embankment the Caltrans guy said "we were trying to get people to slow down!".

"You succeeded," I replied.

I had to go out the window myself to get out, and climb 90 feet up that 60 degree embankement through 4 inches of new powder snow, barefoot.

At the top, my brother says "is that your laptop?" and sure enough, sitting on a rock at the top was my ACER laptop having been thrown from the jeep during the cartwheel. When we got to the nearest motel via police ride, sure enough it booted right up, and we could use it to book me a flight back home.

Ever since then I've had to recommend Acer laptops: Mine survived flying out of a car carwheeling off of a cliff landing in fresh 4 inch powder snow.

[Odentin]

You might be in the market for a netbook. Smaller than a laptop. Not as powerful as a laptop, nor with as much space. But an external hard drive should solve that. Netbooks usually come with a network card, as well, for wireless internet usage. Small screen, but still useful.

Most major computer companies have netbooks available...

[factotum]

I'd agree with Odentin. Netbooks are kind of laptop-lite (literally): smaller, lighter, and less powerful than a typical laptop, but they'll do everything you said you needed the machine to do.

[KenderWizard]

Ever since then I've had to recommend Acer laptops: Mine survived flying out of a car carwheeling off of a cliff landing in fresh 4 inch powder snow.

I did not know where you were going with that story! But I'm glad I asked the question, even if I end up not using any of the advice I get here, just so I heard it, it's pretty impressive.

I've started to look into netbooks, they might be the way to go alright. They're not, like, notably less reliable or anything than a laptop, are they? Just smaller and with less stuff?

[Odentin]

Just as reliable as a laptop. Battery life will be less (smaller batteries) but that's about it.

[factotum]

They might even be a bit MORE reliable, because they generally don't get as hot as a normal laptop!

[Syka]

I've actually heard the opposite- when it comes to repairs being made, netbooks tend to need them more than full size laptops.

Not too mention, what kind of graphics stuff are you doing?

Also, will you be multitasking?


My needs were similar to yours- I needed something light weight for college. I also needed a good battery life. My budget was originally the same as yours, but it's really, really hard to find something lightweight and a decent laptop for that.

I first went with this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Satellite+Laptop+with+AMD+Turion%26%23153;+Neo+X2 +Dual-Core+Mobile+Processor+-+Nova+Black/9700987.p?id=1218154401423&skuId=9700987&st=toshiba%20t135&cp=1&lp=1) Toshiba. I liked it, but I did have a slight issue with it randomly having the screen going blank (but not off) during boot up. Only a hard-reset fixed it. This happened with 2 different ones that I tried and I ended up returning it for this (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=asus+ul50vt&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=452654172194714880&ei=giRQTN67HcOC8ga6uOGgAQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ8wIwAA#) Asus. I've had the Asus about 2 months and the only weird things are A. when plugged in, the screen will go blank for about 10 seconds on the password screen, B. wireless turns off for some reason if you hibernate then turn it back on, and C. booting up on battery sometimes the computer won't fully load the screen (ie, sits on black with the pointer) unless I hit ctrl-alt-del. All are quickly fixable, though.

It's an Asus UL50Vt. Unfortunately, Best Buy apparently(!) doesn't carry it anymore. It's actually about 2.3 kilos, but it's a full size laptop that actually isn't that hefty.



I have mild arthritis in my back and asthma as well, so I understand the need for the light laptop. Having had the 1.73k one and this one, the difference is there but worth it for the kind of machine it is. I also had a 6 pound laptop, and the Asus is a godsend. The Toshiba was incredible in terms of sheer lightweightness.

But it didn't have a CD drive. The Asus does. It consistently wow's everyone with it's weight-to-size ratio.



General tips
-Always always always try it out in the store. See how it feels. Other than the fact I was warned away from netbooks for processing power issues, I hated the feel. I used a friends and it was horribly cramped. But she loved it.
-Reviews reviews reviews. Both from store websites and a professional site. I personally swear by CNet.
-Ask around about people's experience with the brand. You will get mixed results but if you consistently get "BURN IN HELL!" to a brand...yeah.

[Ashtar]

I got a Netbook about a year ago, a Acer Aspire One 751h, it is underpowered, but oh so usable and transportable. Weighs 3.0 lbs with 6 cell battery (the large one).

I have the large battery, giving it an 8 hour usage time, which meant I was able to fly from Zurich to New York and watch TV shows for the duration of the flight. One side effect of that, is that I usually forget to plug in the netbook to charge, something I find myself doing the very second I'm close to a plug with a laptop (I've got an older Dell Latitude and an IBM Lenovo from work).

If you're doing mostly word processing, watching videos (use VLC!) and inkscape then I can tell you I'm doing that on a 1 year old Netbook using a very underpowered processor (the 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 Processor).

It does have issues:
-The webcam doesn't play nice, i.e. it's too slow to really use with skype or gmail chat and it's not too good image quality.
-I don't like the glossy screen because of all the reflections you get.
-Some people have trouble with the touch pad since it has 2 finger support for zooming, which catches users unaware. But I like that.

You can look up the old specs it had here (http://www.anandtech.com/show/2831). Anything better than that should do quite well.

My experience: Netbooks win over laptops if you have to lug them around - download pics from cameras - surf - type and draw, as long as you have a desktop / larger screen + keyboard at home.
If it's your only computer, you might prefer a laptop.

Edit: No CD Drive

[riccaru]

I got a Netbook about a year ago, a Acer Aspire One 751h, it is underpowered, but oh so usable and transportable. Weighs 3.0 lbs with 6 cell battery (the large one).

I have the large battery, giving it an 8 hour usage time, which meant I was able to fly from Zurich to New York and watch TV shows for the duration of the flight. One side effect of that, is that I usually forget to plug in the netbook to charge, something I find myself doing the very second I'm close to a plug with a laptop (I've got an older Dell Latitude and an IBM Lenovo from work).

If you're doing mostly word processing, watching videos (use VLC!) and inkscape then I can tell you I'm doing that on a 1 year old Netbook using a very underpowered processor (the 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 Processor).

It does have issues:
-The webcam doesn't play nice, i.e. it's too slow to really use with skype or gmail chat and it's not too good image quality.
-I don't like the glossy screen because of all the reflections you get.
-Some people have trouble with the touch pad since it has 2 finger support for zooming, which catches users unaware. But I like that.

You can look up the old specs it had here (http://www.anandtech.com/show/2831). Anything better than that should do quite well.

My experience: Netbooks win over laptops if you have to lug them around - download pics from cameras - surf - type and draw, as long as you have a desktop / larger screen + keyboard at home.
If it's your only computer, you might prefer a laptop.

Edit: No CD Drive

I would personally stay away from netbooks, as they're usually quite lacking in both RAM and processing. If you do still want a netbook, they generally (always?) lack a CD/DVD drive, so that's a consideration. I'd also stay away from Toshiba, but that's just me. Acer seems to make pretty damn solid machines (as said earlier). Dell's have historically had issues, repeatedly, but they're all around decent if you don't care too much about minor issues.

Have you looked at refurbished systems or used? You might be able to get an apple 10" around that price. I hate to admit it, but Apples are pretty great for everyday stuff like that, though replacement parts are a major issue. If your screen goes it might be ~200$:smallannoyed:

[KenderWizard]

So, I've personally had bad experiences with Dell (just stuff not working, ages trying to get it fixed), and my close friend had a pretty terrible experience with a Toshiba (it went on fire a bit). Right now I'm looking at Asus, I'm hearing they're pretty reliable.

I don't think there's anything I particularly need that a netbook can't give me. I mean, almost all of what I'll be doing is browsing the internet and typing up notes and reports. In an ideal world, I'd take more processing power so I could play games or run big fancy image-editing stuff if I so choose, but the most important thing is that I don't keep leaving it at home uselessly because it's too heavy. So, lightweight, and ideally with a decent battery life so I could leave the charger at home during classes and plug in at night.

Right now I'm looking at Asus Eee ones, in particular this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Eee+PC+Netbook+/+Intel%26%23174;+Atom%26%23153;+Processor+/+10.1%22+Display+/+1GB+Memory+/+160GB+Hard+Drive+-+Midnight+Blue/9705433.p;jsessionid=5F5CF5F4EAE1E4959BF3766339EBD A0F.bbolsp-app06-28?skuId=9705433&id=1218154378164) one at the local Best Buy here.

And I'll be keeping my big and heavy Dell laptop at home with its big screen, mostly as a low-class gaming computer (I don't play any very demanding games on PC, the game I like to play regularly that requires the most from a computer is the original Sims!)

[riccaru]

So, I've personally had bad experiences with Dell (just stuff not working, ages trying to get it fixed), and my close friend had a pretty terrible experience with a Toshiba (it went on fire a bit). Right now I'm looking at Asus, I'm hearing they're pretty reliable.

I don't think there's anything I particularly need that a netbook can't give me. I mean, almost all of what I'll be doing is browsing the internet and typing up notes and reports. In an ideal world, I'd take more processing power so I could play games or run big fancy image-editing stuff if I so choose, but the most important thing is that I don't keep leaving it at home uselessly because it's too heavy. So, lightweight, and ideally with a decent battery life so I could leave the charger at home during classes and plug in at night.

Right now I'm looking at Asus Eee ones, in particular this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Eee+PC+Netbook+/+Intel%26%23174;+Atom%26%23153;+Processor+/+10.1%22+Display+/+1GB+Memory+/+160GB+Hard+Drive+-+Midnight+Blue/9705433.p;jsessionid=5F5CF5F4EAE1E4959BF3766339EBD A0F.bbolsp-app06-28?skuId=9705433&id=1218154378164) one at the local Best Buy here.

And I'll be keeping my big and heavy Dell laptop at home with its big screen, mostly as a low-class gaming computer (I don't play any very demanding games on PC, the game I like to play regularly that requires the most from a computer is the original Sims!)

Link isn't working for me. Wanna type up the specs?

[onthetown]

My Compaq has had multiple problems, all of them too expensive for me to want to fix, and it's only a year and a half old. None of the problems are covered by warranty. And I can't really say what they are since it's computer-talk, though I know that one of them is a monitor connection. A few of my friends have had issues with their Compaq desktops and laptops, as well.

In short, I don't recommend Compaq. I do recommend Acer, as each of the Acer desktops I've bought in the past have lasted five years or so before needing to be replaced.

Edit for clarification: The problems started when it was about six months old.

[KenderWizard]

Link isn't working for me. Wanna type up the specs?

Oh, I'm sorry, that's weird! Does this one (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Eee+PC+Netbook+/+Intel%26%23174;+Atom%26%23153;+Processor+/+10.1%22+Display+/+1GB+Memory+/+160GB+Hard+Drive+-+Midnight+Blue/9705433.p?id=1218154378164&skuId=9705433) work?

If not, I'll get the specs and be back shortly!

Edit: Okay, actually, that one isn't even working for me anymore, so I'll just go get the specs...

Edit the second:
So,
Weight: 2.9lb (1.3kg)
Processor: Intel Atom, 1.6GHz
Battery: 6 cell, 7 hours and 9 minutes maximum performance
Screen: 10.1" diagonally, 1024x600
System Bus: 533MHz
Cache Memory: 512KB
System Memory: 1GB
Hard Drive Size: 160GB
Video Memory: 224MB
OS: Windows 7 Starter

Actually, speaking of Windows 7 Starter, is it worth having? I'd rather have XP, from what I hear about Starter. Has anyone had Starter?

[Lev]

It's funny how much brainwashing apple has done, everyone thinks they have to either shell out 1k for a self absorption symbol and STILL buy XP, or buy a notebook for more than half the budget with the capabilities of running Starcraft or Myst.

No, you can make a good laptop for 500, go to a noname-ish computer store, it should look cramped, small and have 1 or 2 guys in it with shelves full of junk, this is the mark of a store who isn't going to blow your money on things you'll never enjoy.

Go in, explain the situation, be on the level, get a list of parts they suggest and an est. cost. Their work should not cost more than 50, check the parts on comparison websites + S/H and calc it out, including getting a similar computer out of the box or from ebay or craigslist.

Figure out your best option for the price, if you spend 3 weeks on this a little bit every day you can EASILY find a good quality laptop for 500.


As for pro graphics programs, they are very very expensive.
There are ways around paying though.
I suggest PS7 or higher.

[IonDragon]

It looks like that link is 404.

Do you have a regular desktop? Normally I suggest people get an Asus netbook and a decent desktop. Generally costs less and you get more for your money. The netbook gives you something portable and lightweight you can get online and post on message boards and check your email, while you do everything that requires decent hardware on the desktop.

I'd also recommend finding one with XP on it. Netbooks run light on hardware and XP requires less hardware to function well.

[IonDragon]

No, you can make a good laptop for 500, go to a noname-ish computer store, it should look cramped, small and have 1 or 2 guys in it with shelves full of junk, this is the mark of a store who isn't going to blow your money on things you'll never enjoy.

Go in, explain the situation, be on the level, get a list of parts they suggest and an est. cost. Their work should not cost more than 50, check the parts on comparison websites + S/H and calc it out, including getting a similar computer out of the box or from ebay or craigslist.

Did you come into my shop a couple years ago? You just described where I worked for 4 years ^.^

[Lev]

Did you come into my shop a couple years ago? You just described where I worked for 4 years ^.^

How's the business? Honest? Should he expect a good deal?

Is Ubuntu on LiveCD a good option to shoot for? Only about 20 cents :smallwink:

[AratanAenor]

I would recommend one of these. (http://http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Ultra-Portable&series_name=dm1z_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/Ultra-Portable/dm1z_series) It's pretty much a cross between a netbook and a laptop. The base model is $450 + $50 for an external LightScribe DVD+/-RW.

[luv2breformed]

I have been using a netbook full time for about 5 months now and we have a very love/hate relationship. I bought it when my previous laptop died on me and I needed a quick fix that was cheap. I use it for Microsoft Office, Full Tilt Poker client and associated database software, and browsing the internet and not much else and it does well for me.

Pros:
Lightweight and portable: Easier than carrying even a textbook around, I take it everywhere.
Long battery life: Seriously lasts for like 4-5 hours easily.
Cheap: Like $350ish


Cons:
Lacking in power: Do not try to tell it to do 2 things at once. I oftentimes open Full Tilt and Firefox, and it gets very angry at me (freezes up etc.).
Cheap Keyboard: I hate typing on the keyboard compared to a real desktop keyboard
No CD Drive: 'Nuff said
Tiny Screen: This bothers me when working in excel or something, I can hardly see any of the cells
Quiet Speakers: Even maxed out on the volume sometimes I feel like I need headphones
Weak WiFi: I have been in coffee shops with like 2 bars of internet signal while my brother has 5 on his laptop


So that's my review of it. Despite having more Cons than Pros, they are really nitpicky issues. In all truthfulness, it does exactly what I want it to do (albeit a little slower than I want it to), but after using it for 5 months I just can't wait to get a nice desktop with a REALLY big monitor. :smalltongue: Hope that helps a bit.

[IonDragon]

How's the business? Honest? Should he expect a good deal?

Is Ubuntu on LiveCD a good option to shoot for? Only about 20 cents :smallwink:

Bad. Actually, we closed up about 18 Mo. ago. Basically, we weren't able to get much of a better deal, but for right around $100 of profit for us, we would help you pick out components, install them, and get the OS and drivers installed, trouble shoot it, etc.

Ubuntu's not bad. Personally, I use Windows OS's because I like to play games and I'd have to run a sandbox or something on Ubuntu. I used to dual boot, but Ubuntu is by default the first OS in the GRUB and I don't know how to change that.

[Odentin]

I would recommend one of these. (http://http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Ultra-Portable&series_name=dm1z_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/Ultra-Portable/dm1z_series) It's pretty much a cross between a netbook and a laptop. The base model is $450 + $50 for an external LightScribe DVD+/-RW.

Broken link is broken.

[malcolm]

In the last 1-2 years, ACER seems to make really good laptops for the money. The guys I worked with doing tech support for the University frequently purchased ACER laptops for their friends and family members. You can get a decent computer for $500, but at the same time realize how quickly laptops go out of date these days. 5 years from now it will be a piece of junk, no matter how much you spend on it; so be reasonable and figure on 2-3 years of good use.

[KenderWizard]

This is all very helpful, thanks guys!

I need it for 2 years, realistically, for college. Hopefully after that I'll either have a job or a paid PhD so I'll be able to buy a nice shiny new one if necessary!

[factotum]

I used to dual boot, but Ubuntu is by default the first OS in the GRUB and I don't know how to change that.

My guess would be, it's a text file you have to edit somewhere...grub.cfg springs to mind. I have a laptop with XP and Ubuntu installed, I'll have to check it out.

[Elder Tsofu]

Oh about the ram - it was very easy to install more in my acer aspire. Just check what type you need and how to do it. (le google)

Personally I've never had much problem with multitasking - but then I usually never have more than 3 programs up at the same time (word 2010, excel 2010 and spotify, sometimes plus opera). It's a 1.66 MHz Intel, 2Gb RAM and XP. (one year old)
If your internet browser takes up too much power then try slim it down (with a small screen you'll have to prioritize more if you want to be able to read the pages), if it doesn't work then its an perfect opportunity to try maybe opera or chrome.

But as Syka says, try it in the store whatever you buy.
Oh and buy a mouse (netbook or laptop), I would never had survived on a that finger-mat.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Hp Mini
A great little computer for a fair price that is very functional.
I recommend it for several reasons:
- VERY lightweight.
- Good amount of disc space.
- Great screen rez with vibrant colors and high frame rate.
- Good price (around $350).
- Truly amazing WiFi receptors that have about twice the range of most laptops.
- Can run most stuff I run on my PC.

I also have some complaints:
- Crappy Windows 7 starter with a lot of the features cut off including several desktop settings and the ability to change your desktop background.
- The screen is small enough to be restrictive in some circumstances.
- I can't get Skype to work properly on it for some reason.

[KenderWizard]

I use Google Chrome, it seems really intuitive to me.

I will look into the HP Mini, thank you for the recommendation, Josha!

Probably going to buy one this weekend, because I'm running out of dithering time!

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I use Google Chrome, it seems really intuitive to me.

I will look into the HP Mini, thank you for the recommendation, Josha!

Probably going to buy one this weekend, because I'm running out of dithering time!

I use Chrome too, and it worked great on the HP Mini I had (it got stolen).

[IonDragon]

I personally prefer firefox because I run NoScript and I like the search engine hotkey function. I can enter a two letters before entering a search into the address bar and it will search straight to to website I want. For example, "yt cows" will search youtube for cows (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavUpD_IjVY). That, and when I enter a URL wrong it usually fixes it for me rather than saying 'domain not found' or taking me to google first. Usually.