Choosing the perfect laptop...

[Rosiee]

Recently I hate my laptop. It's slow, crashes, and has NO battery life.
Since I've done my exams and will be getting my results soon my dad has said I can get a laptop depending on how well I do in my exams.
I've searched online but there are too many to choose from and I don't quite know where to start
My current laptop is a Dell Inspiron Mini. NEVER do I want a Dell...My sister had a Dell laptop as well and it was basically exactly like mine, slow, crashes and lasted for 30 minutes without being plugged in.
I also, even though it's quite handy, I don't like "mini" laptops, the screen size is irritating, most websites and programs are not compatible for the small size so I can't read/see a full screen in some cases.
My dad has a Macbook Pro, and I LOVE it, I like Macs a lot. But DAMN they are a lot of money.
I need a laptop which can fit a lot of photos, and music without making it suuuuuper slow, one that I can actually use as a laptop and not have to have it plugged in...
I'm not asking for someone to find me the exact laptop for me! I was just wondering if anyone knew where I could find GOOD laptops, which ARE NOT Dells...Or cheap safe websites

[Dungeon Master]

Ok so you're looking for a mid sized laptop with decent battery life and is somewhat speedy?

Space shouldn't be a problem 1tb hard drive's are fairly standard in laptops these days. Battery life is another issue, the battery's capacity is gonna drain over time no matter where you buy from. Especially if you leave it plugged in alot of the time.

In terms of speed, you mention photo's. Just viewing them or are you looking to edit them as well? If you are then you may want a dedicated graphics card. For memory you probably want nothing less then 4gb, and finally for speedy you definitely need a core i7 processor (if there's an amd lover out there please add the amd equivalent ) with preferably about 2.7ghz or greater.

I would recommend something by Toshiba or HP. Also typically there is nothing wrong with Dell's we use them at work and they perform admirably. But if you are dead set again them, I would recommend you're nearest electronic store. May not be cheapest but you're a garaunteed a warranty which you may not recieve online.

Regards, and good hunting

[how.we.operate.]

Well I have owned Macs all my life and I love them so I do say try to go for one if possible!
It sounds like you are looking for primarily a general use laptop? Well the type of laptop you look for really depends on what the main purpose is--are you a gamer, general use for school, internet browsing etc.
Gamers look more into RAM, speed, and hard drive size. General use users can have decent amounts of those and make it through. Also, pro tip on the battery-a laptop isn't meant to be plugged in 24/7. Note how cell phone batteries are great for holding a charge? It is because you constantly drain and charge it-making particles move instead of stand idle/"rust". Restart your computer every now and then, shut it off overnight.
I'd suggest looking at what brands have discounts and deals. Macs do have refurbished computers that you can look at. If you are looking for a PC, see what there are out there. I know a lot of people use lenovo, asus, some use hp, and I have seen some use Sony. Take a look around at what you want-make a list of musts/needs and things you could do without then go hunting.

[Cosmo]

I would definitely recommend a mac!

A good combination is a low-end Macbook Air and a £50 1TB External harddrive.

[Loving Linux Penguin]

Here's the thing. My current laptop is a MacBook 13 Inch with 2 GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard-drive (actually Apple was nice and put that in during a repair--it was supposed to be a 120 GB). I believe the HDD is 5400 RPM (which is standard). The computer including OS is $1000 at retail. Despite what a lot of people think, most non-apple equivalents to Apple computers are going to be in the same price range. i would NEVER recommend running Windows on anything under a couple gigs of RAM, and as it can get bogged down I would recommend a pretty fast intel chip to drive your machine. Plus if you need a lot of space for photos, you're looking at either a larger hard drive, or an add-on with an external drive (which may be the cheaper route to go). All told, if you wish to stick with Windows, you are probably gonna be looking at spending upwards of $1000 to ensure that you have good performance and enough space.

There is another option--and that is to go with a Linux-based system. You can download various computer operating systems for free (which are based on a foundation called Linux) and they can do most common tasks including photo management. So you can either just wipe your drive and install Linux (warning: MAY void hardware warranty) or dualboot the machine, leaving Windows intact for an occasional need. There are also various vendors that sell computers preloaded with Linux based systems. The upside is, because of the speed performance of these systems, you can get away with skimping on RAM and processor speed slightly because they tend to perform just fine on hardware that would make Windows run like absolute poop. If you are interested in pursuing this option, feel free to message me, as I don't want to post anything publicly that may not be in compliance with our advertising policy.

Tip: I cannot speak for other brands, but I suggest against buying from ASUS. Their customer service in my experience has been anything but stellar, it's actually just terrible. However, if you bought an ASUS machine with a third-party warranty plan (some of which even cover things like accidental damage), it can take care of that issue and give you a very good experience.

[Digilodger]

Originally Posted by Jazz Guy

Here's the thing. My current laptop is a MacBook 13 Inch with 2 GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard-drive (actually Apple was nice and put that in during a repair--it was supposed to be a 120 GB). I believe the HDD is 5400 RPM (which is standard). The computer including OS is $1000 at retail. Despite what a lot of people think, most non-apple equivalents to Apple computers are going to be in the same price range. i would NEVER recommend running Windows on anything under a couple gigs of RAM, and as it can get bogged down I would recommend a pretty fast intel chip to drive your machine. Plus if you need a lot of space for photos, you're looking at either a larger hard drive, or an add-on with an external drive (which may be the cheaper route to go). All told, if you wish to stick with Windows, you are probably gonna be looking at spending upwards of $1000 to ensure that you have good performance and enough space.

That's not true.

For Windows, upwards of $1000 USD would be those high-end gaming laptops, like those Alienware laptops. For general uses and casual gaming, oftentimes you can get away with less than $700 USD (before tax).

Also, a Windows laptop with 13 inch, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive would only cost less than $400.

Here are a few of my previous posts about some good Windows laptop deals. Those deals are expired as of now (since it has been quite a while). But look at their specs and prices: [link 1], [link 2].

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Anyhow, back to topic, @OP: Could you please give us a price range? And how many GB is your "a lot" supposed to mean?


Besides that, some of the good places to find good laptop deals:

USA-Canada region:

• Amazon.com,
• NewEgg.com,
• Dealzon.com,
• TechBargain.com,
• LogicBuy.com,
• DealNews.com,
• SlickDeals.net,
• Your college/university's tech store, and
• Buy directly from the manufaturer (e.g. buy Dell laptops from Dell, buy Asus from Asus, etc.)

UK region:
NOTE: I'm living in the USA so I'm not very familiar with deals outside of the USA. I have never used these UK deal sites.

• Amazon.co.uk,
• HotUKDeals.com,
• NovaTech.co.uk,
• BargainSpy.co.uk,
• Your college/university's tech store, and
• Buy directly from the manufaturer (e.g. buy Dell laptops from Dell, buy Asus from Asus, etc.)

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If you are going for a Windows laptop, be sure to buy them ON SALE, so you can save money and won't overpay for them. About more than 30% off WITH free shipping is a good deal. Don't go for anything less than that, unless the laptop is already cheap (in which case, over 20% and free shipping would be a nice deal) because cheap laptops rarely go on sale anyway; even if they do, rarely do we see an over 30% discount.

Also, some places offers student discounts for colleges and university students. Sometimes your college or university also work with manufacturers to provide special discounts for their students. Try go to the electronic store of your campus and ask about that. Who knows; they might introduce you to some good discount for Macs (you did say that you love them, right?).

[Honey Badger]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Also typically there is nothing wrong with Dell's we use them at work and they perform admirably.

Thank you. Some Dell love, finally.


In all honesty, no brand is truly bad. That said, they all have pros and cons. I am sorry that you have had poor experiences with Dell machines; from my professional I.T. (Information Technology in a corporate environment) and from my extensive personal history with computers, quite literally growing up with them before I could even talk (Now, granted.... at that point, I was really only introduced to them, and had no idea what the heck I was looking at), I would put Dell ahead on just about every single category you could come up with when it comes to PC manufacturers.

Dell is a major company, in fact, they hold the #3 spot for global market share of PC's, with Hewlett Packard, and Acer leading the top two. You will be spending slightly more with Dell for what you get. However, you get what you pay for, unless we're speaking Apple products, which, although good, are way overpriced, and, in reality, not the best choice for most people.

Additionally, a lot of confusion about the security of a PC versus a Mac. Many folks are completely oblivious to the fact that all computers, regardless to O.S. (operating system) are extremely vulnerable to malicious software. People seem to believe that because they have a Mac, they are safe. These people are wrong. Macs are less of a target; there are quite a few reasons, but, in my experience, there are a few that are significant. These are market share, and, what is actually on a typical Mac.

Nearly all major corporations use Windows based machines. Additionally, Windows make up over 80% of all operating systems used. Mac is less than 8% of market share. Organizations out to defraud companies and commit crime (usually for the purpose of theft, fraud, etc) are going to attack the 80+% over the 7.4% that Apple contributes to the market share, because when there well over 1 billion computers in the world, 80% is impossible to ignore. Additionally, when Mac's are used in a business environment, the majority of users typically are in the arts and entertainment industries, PC's make up nearly 100% of financial institutions, and other businesses which use computers for financial transactions. Why steal pictures when you can steal personal information like credit card numbers?


Now, some of you more technical savy folks might like to point out that a Mac technically is a PC. Yes, you are correct. Mac's are now built with Intel based technologies, which is what typically defines what makes a PC a PC. Basically, the difference falls to integrated circuit chips's firmware, and the operating system. A PC is a PC. A Mac is a PC. They use the same parts (No, they are not interchangeable, they're effectively the same, but, they are slightly different in shape, size, etc). Now you might be confused, but rest assured, when I say a PC, I mean that it is a Windows based machine, and not a Mac. (A few of you will attack me for this.... don't.)
　
As for your laptop being slow, and crashing, a little bit of bad news for you. Sadly, almost 10 times out of 10, the user is the cause of a machine crashing and being slow. Now, granted, there are times when there's an underlying issue with the machine itself, but that's a different story. In all likelihood, something that was installed, whether intentional, or unintentional, is the culprit. Often the case is something that was installed, such as a toolbar, an extension, a plugin, or similar software was installed simply by visiting a website, especially social networking sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, and anything else that fits into the same category. The sites themselves are not typically dangerous, but the content other users have added can be devastating. In fact, anyone that ever does any financial related stuff on their computer would be incredibly wise to invest in commercial anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware software. Ideally they would never use these computers for literally anything but financial related things, and they would never visit a social networking site, never play movies, music, work on any sort of document, nor ever use it for e-mail. This is obviously not practical, as most people cannot afford a computer whose' sole purpose is to visit banking websites.

When you visit these sites, simply loading the page with any content puts you at risk, especially games. They seem innocent enough, but some of them do contain malicious code, and some are even more cynical and can physically destroy your machine if you have certain utilities installed. (These typically are gaming machines that have built in Windows access to CMOS settings (You know of this as the BIOS) which can potentially change voltage settings on your CPU, RAM, disable fans, and send your machine to an electric chair death.) Most likely, something that was downloaded (whether you knew about it or not) has caused the O.S. to become unstable, and, when plagued with performance robbing malware, your computer doesn't stand a chance.
　
My advice to you would be to reinstall Windows from the disc (assuming you have it, and, ordered it with your PC. When I order PC's, since it's a business, I have to specifically ask for and pay extra for the reinstalltion media.) If you do not have the original software, in some cases, Dell will be able to send to you (at some cost to you) reinstallation media. You would want to insert the CD upon it starting, and completely reinstall everything onto the computer. You really need to have an additional computer available for you to use for this, as sometimes drivers required to access the internet in order to finish adding drivers and updates to your machine are not included on the OS media, and you would not be able to install such drivers and resources unless you had internet access, or drivers cd's. You would need to perform an "Advanced" installation, and perform a clean install.

As for the battery - it's a battery. They just go bad, especially if they're always plugged in all the time. I'd suggest looking online, or asking at local battery retailers for a new battery. Batteries Plus would be an example.
　

Originally Posted by JustChris

I would recommend you're nearest electronic store. May not be cheapest but you're a guaranteed a warranty which you may not recieve online.

A couple of reasons that I like this, especially for home users. You can touch. You can feel. You can examine. You also usually can get help..... It's much easier dealing with a company that you can physically go to, and talk to someone, then trying to buy online, and end up not having any support that you can go talk to in person.
For myself, I would not buy the extended warranty, simply beacuse this often is forgotten if you do need it, or, it's just a ruse to get more money out of you. If you're concerned about having to deal with support, it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and purchase the additional insurance.
　
　
　I would have posted some links to look at, but, apparently I've yet to make 10 support posts in the forums. If you'd like them, please PM me and ask for them.

[how.we.operate.]

A little bit of overkill going on here...but Rosiee said she doesn't really want Dells because she and her sister haven't had the best experience with them. My view, if you don't have the best experience, try something else and see what others say.
As for Macs and PCs...of course there will always be the huge debate. Every computer is at risk for a virus. Mac users aren't used to the facts that there are viruses on Macs because there were SO FEW viruses beforehand whereas PCs have a larger risk for viruses--Macs have a smaller user base while PCs have a large user base, making Macs not worth the while to make viruses for BUT this is changing.
You can check out Alienware--they are definitely worth your money, but they depending on the laptop, they can be more for gamers. Try going to Best Buy or a local store that you can browse laptops at. Play around with them and figure out more specifics of musts/needs and go from there. You can always go to Amazon.com and brand websites, BUT beware of eBay/Craigslist and websites like those, sometimes there are fine print catches or a scam.

[Honey Badger]

Alienware is owned and built by Dell.

[semiunbalanced]

My dad's a computer tech and HATES Dells too. He says their pieces of junk.

If you were to go with a Windows I would go with a Toshiba. My mom and sister both have them and find them to be very reliable.

I personally have a MacBook Pro and actually got a student discount with it so ask about that. (: It's excellent and I LOVE it. (:

[kadyCHAOS]

i have a mac, and would also like to add the student discount for me was $100 usd...thats a descent chunk to save if you are in school and looking to go with apple.

[Rosiee]

Thank you guys so much! Sorry I haven't been online in a while, been on holiday :3 I take all your tips into consideration so thank you for everything you have said!

[how.we.operate.]

If you are going to get a new laptop from Apple, wait until the new OS Lion comes out/until they say Lion will be preinstalled on your laptop. Otherwise, this will be a $30 upgrade. Lion should be coming out before the end of July. Lion has a lot of cool features that will mainly use trackpad technology, I have tried this, and there are some really neat features coming out.

This year's student discount is $100 USD credits toward the App Store.

Yes the cost debate is always one thing. Do consider the fact that Apple gives you a 1 year warranty that pretty much says if something goes wrong they fix it 100% free (if your harddrive fails they replace it for free, if your CD drive doesn't work they replace the part for free, etc). Also, you can bootcamp your computer--run windows on your computer if you have a windows install disc and product key.

[Cosmo]

Lion will be a free upgrade to any mac purchased after June 3rd.