New Computer Questions

[RTGoodman]

As we speak, I'm currently typing on an old beat-up Dell Latitude laptop that my family bought second-hand as a graduation gift several years ago. It doesn't have a CD drive, but does have a DVD drive (or, at least, it won't run CD-ROMs or CDs but will run DVDs). The thing had obviously pirated Windows XP software until my university pointed it out and wouldn't let me use their network until I got that fixed. The battery life is about 35 minutes. As of now, it's missing the Caps Lock, right Shift, and Z keys.

Basically, my point is, I need a new laptop. :smallsigh:


The problem is, I don't really know much about new computers (since the last I got new was an HP desktop back in 2000 or 2001). I know I'm definitely NOT getting a Mac, but otherwise I'm kinda undecided. I've heard of Dell computers' penchant for bursting into flame so I don't know if I want to go with one of those, and honestly my whole family has HPs and they seem to be great. Anyone else know about those brands in particular, or others I might be interested in checking out? I want to keep it cheapish ($500-800 or less, if possible), but I need to get a decent one that'll last a while since I'll have to keep it at least through grad school. Most of my computer time is split between the internet, Word, and Paint and/or Photoshop, but I'll probably do a bit of gaming when I get a computer that can handle it.

Right now I can get an HP dv5z for about $632, and that comes with Vista Home Premium, a 120G HD, a 1.9 GHz processor, 2G of RAM, a big discount on Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card. Is that a good deal? I'm thinking it sounds good, but if it is I kinda need to pick it up soon (since it's with the back-to-school sale and whatnot).

Also, when I've looked at new computers online, a lot of places (I definitely remember it on the HP website and at least on another one or two) have tried to sell me a "Vista Migration Cable." That sounds like a scam, but I thought I'd check to see if anyone else knew about it and/or if it's worth $30-40.

Thanks!

(P.S. Losing your primary Shift key is TERRIBLE. It took me forever to type this thing using a combination of the little nub that remains of the left one and the right-side one that I'm completely unaccustomed to using...)

[Zanthur]

Well, I'm pretty fond of HP myself, and I've been working with computers for years. Personally with desktops, I will only build them myself. However with laptops, that can prove to be quite difficult. I would recommend these brands: HP, Sony, Fujitsu, and Toshiba.

HP's are good because of the price. The downside to them is that (this is from personal experience, as well as people telling me) their customer support is crap. I've only had to deal with their customer support once and it didn't do me a bit of good. The only reason I called in the first place was because it wasn't my computer. They ended up sending us a new one after my dad wrote 3 emails, the last being quite nasty. However, they tend to run well enough that you really dont need to call them.

Sony's are great, but their downside is their price. You can buy the equivelant of a Sony Viao as an HP and pay 1/2 the price for the same thing. However, I have heard nothing bad about their computers or customer support.

Fujitsu and Toshiba aren't huge brands in the computer world (Toshiba is a bit bigger than Fujitsu), but they are certainly good. The only downside I know of at least Fujitsu is that they get quite warm. However, a good cooling pad to go underneath it will solve that problem. The Fujitsu's also have the highest frequency that I've seen of the notebook coming with a fingerprint scanner. With most other brands, its an option. With Fujitsu's its pretty much default.

As for the specs, it really just matters on what you are doing. You shouldnt have to worry about the processor speed, as long as it's dual core, which I dont even think you can buy a single core in a computer anymore. I believe you can only order them seperate (for desktops). As for RAM, anything above 2GB (most come with 3GB now) is fine. Your computer will come with some version of Vista. I strongly recommend getting Ultimate if you can because that is what I use and I havent heard of anyone complaining about it, besides those who just dont like Vista's design. It is more expensive, so if money is an issue, then just put up with a lesser version of Vista or get XP. Unless you are gaming (which laptops arent exactly the best for), you shouldnt have to worry about the video card, sound card (both are built into the motherboard anyway), CD/DVD drive (most come with a DVD burner now, which burns and reads CD'S and DVD's. Also, a lot of them now are LightScribe), or really anything else. Just pick a screen size you want of the brand you decide to go with, and just make sure it has 2-3+ GB of RAM and the version of Vista you want.


Just a few notes:

-LightScribe is the new thing where you can burn the label onto a CD/DVD, much like the printable ones. You DO need special discs for doing that. You can buy them online or at your local electronics/office supply store (Best Buy, Staples, Office Max, etc.) You also need to get a program, as well as the drivers. You should recieve a disc with the program for burning LightScribe when you get the computer. If not, just go to http://www.lightscribe.com and they will get you sorted out with what you need.

-Downgrading your computer from Vista to XP can be tricky. Often, Vista will not let you downgrade unless you do it by booting to XP of the disc to reformat. Chances are if you dont know much about computers, you wont want to attempt this unless you know someone who knows a bit about computers. The other issue is that often you wont be able to find the drivers you need for XP since most of the hardware in new computers is newer than XP and the manufacturers dont have the XP drivers online. Sometimes you are able to get around it, but it can be very tricky. Its almost better to just leave Vista on there.

-Often when you get Office 2007 and other programs pre-installed on your computer, they are TRIAL ONLY. They usually expire after 30-60 days, depending on the program, if you do not buy them. That is a warning because most people do not catch that and are screwed when they have a paper due the next day and their copy of Microsoft Word expired and wont let you activate it. That happened to my friend last fall. He was a bit upset because they didnt actually tell him that.

-Last note: If you decide to just leave Vista on your new toy, I do recommend reformatting it to clear all the junk off of it that they put on there. Unless you want it, then leave it alone. If you are not comfortable doing this, have someone you know do it for you. It will give you a fresh operating system, which is usually easier to work with.

If you have any other questions, PM, email or IM me any time. I'm going to school for computer IT work, and I've been doing it for years so I'm glad to help.

[randman22222]

I would avoid HP if I were you. Contrary to TPAM, (heehee, my SMBG roots are poking up through the soil.) I have never had an HP machine of any sort (printer, desktop, laptop, even freaking mouse!) that hasn't broken down. And this isn't due to operator negligence...

Once I built my own desktop, it still hasn't broken down... ever.

Anyway, since building laptops is out of the question (wish that weren't true...), your best bet, I think, is Acer. A good amount of my friends have them, and they've never had problems.

Now, if you're a gamer, you'll want at least 2 gig's of RAM, and a NON-integrated graphics card. That's essentially any graphics not by Intel. ATI and Nvidia are both good, but ask someone at whatever shop you're at to make sure the graphics card isn't as craptacular as Intel integrated graphics.

[Zanthur]

Intel actually owns NVIDIA now. Anyways, there is actually a site where you can customize your laptop and it isnt any of the major brands. The site is IBuyPower.com (http://www.ibuypower.com/mall/notebook.asp)

[randman22222]

Absolutely unrelated whatsoever, but where in Morrowind is Ravenholm castle located? Just checked out the screenies. Looks awesome-possum! Oh, and are there any quests in it?

[Zanthur]

There arent as of yet, but since there is just me and one other guy working on it at the moment, its going a little slow. It is off the east cost of Vvardenfell to the east of Tel Mora, or there abouts. I'm working on a storyline right now, have most of it written in a notebook. Once I get further along with placement, I'll get working on the quest. Thanks for checking it out too! :smallbiggrin:

[valadil]

Why are you opposed to Mac? Gaming is a very legit and popular reason.

Avoid HP and Compaq, they'll die the moment the warranty expires. I'm fond of Dell, but that's because I worked in a Dell certified repair shop and have some amount of professional pride. IBMs seem pretty solid, but they come with a lot of bloatware you have to remove.

[AKA_Bait]

I'm going to agree with the avoid HP voicers. A few years ago they were putting out solid products. Then they bought compaq and it seems that all the lousy corporate practices and design issues that were in compaqs moved over to HP's as well.

[Lupy]

Despite what the general trend is, my family's new HP laptop is very good. I think my dad paid about $800.00 for it and it's called a Pavillion dv9000. It has been very sturdy and I've not had a problem with in... seven months now... wow.

[AKA_Bait]

Despite what the general trend is, my family's new HP laptop is very good. I think my dad paid about $800.00 for it and it's called a Pavillion dv9000. It has been very sturdy and I've not had a problem with in... seven months now... wow.

See, I have the exact same model, have had it for slightly longer, and have had a lot of problems.

[Castaras]

I'd recommend Acer. And I'd recommend against Asus. While some of their stuff is good, this Asus laptop I'm typing on at the moment has had quite a few problems.

HP I've never had a problem with, and would recommend. We've had an HP printer for about 3/4 years now and it's been perfect... Avoid Dell, if something goes wrong (like it has with laptops round here), their customer support is pretty ****.

[Pocketa]

I would avoid HP if I were you. Contrary to TPAM, (heehee, my SMBG roots are poking up through the soil.) I have never had an HP machine of any sort (printer, desktop, laptop, even freaking mouse!) that hasn't broken down. And this isn't due to operator negligence...

Once I built my own desktop, it still hasn't broken down... ever.

Anyway, since building laptops is out of the question (wish that weren't true...), your best bet, I think, is Acer. A good amount of my friends have them, and they've never had problems.

Now, if you're a gamer, you'll want at least 2 gig's of RAM, and a NON-integrated graphics card. That's essentially any graphics not by Intel. ATI and Nvidia are both good, but ask someone at whatever shop you're at to make sure the graphics card isn't as craptacular as Intel integrated graphics.

I've gotten the HP Pav dv6000 (I think) laptop, I've had it for a year now, and it's pretty good. Only complaint is that it runs Vista. I got it around Easter last year when that was the only way to get them (no XP) for some reason, and my tech guy couldn't uninstall Vista. It's been great so far, except for Vista compatibility problems, but that's the nature of Vista, rather than HP (i.e. "This software can only run on _____") but Spore works fine on it.

And that's all that matters.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Acer and Fujitsu are good and reliable, although the latter one is more about expensive nice-looking laptops for business people and is usually too expensive for students. I have an Acer right now and except for the mousepad heating up after a few hours of heavy use, I like what I have.

Me and a lot of people I know had problems with Toshiba laptops. Mine broke down 3 times BEFORE the 3-year warranty expired and died completely six months after it expired. Other people's experiences weren't quite as bad but the pattern stands.

HP I actually haven't heard anything bad about, contrary to what a few people have said here. A lot of people I know have them and they aren't complaining. I would recommend this too. Also, they're in about the same price range as Acer.

As for specs - don't buy a gaming laptop. If you want to play games that badly, buy a really cheap laptop for school/word processing and build a mid-range gaming PC (which will come down to about 900-1000 bucks for a really nice PC + another 600-700 for the laptop, while a gaming laptop won't cost less than $2000 and will be much, much worse than the PC at playing games and will eat the battery faster than you can blink).

If you don't want to play games that badly, even better, buy a cheap laptop for word processing.

Dual core, 2+ gigs of RAM, 120+ hard drive. If you have XP, you may be better off installing that instead of Vista your laptop will come with. It'll be much more reliable, easier to use, more stable, more compatible and your computer won't lag just from opening up "My Computer." Also, don't buy AMD chips. They used to be really good a few years back, but now they lose out to comparable Intel ones and on laptops they also heat up quite a bit.

[KuReshtin]

IBMs seem pretty solid, but they come with a lot of bloatware you have to remove.

Just on a side note.. IBM doesn't make any laptops anymore. They sold the rights to the Thinkpad brand to Lenovo, and the quality has pretty much gone downhill from there.

The only Thinkpad model I would recommend anyone to consider would be the T-series. They're pretty expensive, though.

I agree with the sentiment of above poster who pointed out the importance of choosing a computer with a non-integrated graphics card.
The reason for this, of course being that the integrated Intel graphics chip uses memory from the machine, whereas the nVidia or ATi cards have memory that is dedicated to the graphics card itself and is not taken away from the machine's working RAM.

[TopRamen]

Does it absolutely have to be a laptop? I absolutely cringe when gamers/photoshoppers/video editors mention getting laptops. The problem is, that no matter what, laptops are just not meant to handle high-intensity programs. Think about it, a high-end desktop would have like 4-6 fans, a huge heat sink, etc... Then you take the same specs and try and shrink them by 75% w/a single dinky fan.

My recommendation, get "Building a PC for Dummies" and build your own desktop for way cheaper. I did the same thing my freshman year of college and it worked fine for 5 years until I build myself new one. It still works fine for my brother in law.

At the very least, if you do get a laptop, get a docking station for at home. Helps with overheating and convenience a ton.

Also, never buy refurbished! They take broken computers and "fix" (sometimes they don't even do that) them, then resell them. Every single refurbished item I've owned or heard about has broken. That goes double for laptops. My first laptop broke within 2 months and by then the seller had gone out of business. Good waste of $600- what can I say, I was young and naive.

[Lupy]

Ramen has a good point, if you could get a PC instead you'd be way better off regardless of what you get.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Ramen has a good point, if you could get a PC instead you'd be way better off regardless of what you get.
But on a PC you can't take notes, play solitaire and go on Facebook in class :frown: