[xKrNbAbOx]

hello! i need to buy a laptop for school because my desktop is just not capable of what a laptop can do. i want one that i can also play games on...because i love to play them. like maplestory ahah.
i have done research on them but i just want people's perspective on what they really like and prefer, i looked at the thread for computers here too..but im not really computer savvy so i dont know what people are really talkin about other than the amount of room they ahve and memory. not really sure on the RAM thing though.
ive heard that sony vaios, toshibas, dells, and HPs are the ones most people buy. but i dont know what to look for?
any help PLEASE i want to try and buy it before the year is through. thanks.

things i guess i would like:

• to be under $1000 - $1500 800 and below would be best but what i want might be expensive
• web cam and mic.
• keyboard with the tab button normal sized and not small. on my friends comp when i borrow it its too small and i miss it often ahah xD
• not too BIG i dont care if the screen isnt WIDE i just need to have it in my lap comfortably. my monitor right now is only 13x15 so whatever i can deal with anything i guess

i know there are people who know this stuff so please help!

[白い雲]

Nowadays you can get a pretty decent laptop for around $800 if not cheaper. As for games go, it really depends on what kind of games you are going to play. Maplestory for example is not as a resource hog than Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.

Now are you going to be using this laptop as a desktop replacement or for mobility? Consider how you are going to use the laptop first.

I would not focus too much on the different brands. In general, all laptops have the same key components & hardware. However, Toshiba and Gateways are the only manufacturer that provides the customer with Restore Discs (Toshiba with restore discs & Gateway with Operating System discs). HPs allow you to make your own recovery disc but aside from those few vendors, other brands will not provide you with anything. So just keep that in mind.

[xKrNbAbOx]

what is restore disks? like restore things in case u lose them? ?__?

[Pogichinoy]

^Restore your laptop to the factory default status from when you first purchased it.

To me, there is no laptop out there that fits my needs yet. I want a 12.1"/13.3" laptop with high end specs but no can do.

I usually stick with Dell as their response times are just great.

[rhaize]

Just go to the store and look around at what you like, size wise and since you're picky on how keys are. You'll want atleast 1gb rams and some kind core 2 duo processor. Most laptops these days in your budget range will have a cam and mic in it. Give sony vaios a try, they bit more pricey but they are nice.

[白い雲]

Toshiba has really good portable laptops like 13.3 - 12.1 " . They will be in the U305 Series catagories. Most will contain 2gb ddr ram and AMD Athlon x2 or Intel Core 2 duo processors.

[WeEzY]

if you can wait like 2 more weeks, laptops will go on sale for black friday with alot of other things. the standard size of laptops are 15.4 widescreen which should have a big enough keyboard for you. you get a intel core 2 duo with aleast 1gb of ram. that should be more than enough to run most programs smoothly. hard drive space is up to you. absolutey get aleast a 6cell battery. NO 4 CELL BATTERY!

[negitoro]

^Restore your laptop to the factory default status from when you first purchased it.

To me, there is no laptop out there that fits my needs yet. I want a 12.1"/13.3" laptop with high end specs but no can do.

I usually stick with Dell as their response times are just great.

Have you checked out the Dell XPS M1330.

Small and light 13.3" but you can customize it to be fairly powerful.

[白い雲]

Get an SLI or Crossfire enabled Laptop :]

THe new Dell XPS SLI & Toshiba X205 SLI series are GG.

But dont be surprised to find those machines run like an oven.

[xKrNbAbOx]

Get an SLI or Crossfire enabled Laptop :]

THe new Dell XPS SLI & Toshiba X205 SLI series are GG.

But dont be surprised to find those machines run like an oven.

run like an oven? ?_? overheat? GG? good? haha. so lost.

[Melitus]

You can't compete with MACBOOK, no virus, graphic is awessome and the speed is fast. go the the apple thread...

[白い雲]

Everything from apple is overpriced and MACs are definitely not an exception. It is true that macs dont have as much vulnerabilities as a PC but if you do happen to get a virus somehow, you are screwed because there are no ways to recover a mac unlike a PC.

[xKrNbAbOx]

白い雲 what did u mean by run like an oven? is that good? so i should look at that dell and toshiba you mentioned?

[白い雲]

Running like an oven is not a good thing. That basically means that there is an increased possibility that your laptop could overheat resulting in failure in hardware.

But if you do decide to get a dual graphics enabled laptop, I would highly suggest getting a laptop cooler. It is a device that has 2-3 fans built in to help circulate and dissipate heat. You can find it easily via your nearest retailer or on newegg.com. My suggestion is to get the Antec Cooler.

If you are going for a Dell, I would suggest getting a Dell Vostro series laptop. They are under small business catagory and is surprisingly cheaper than Inspirons.

[<3goesDOKIDOKI]

i dont wanna hijack this thread, but how are sony vaios?
particularly the FZ series.

im looking for a new laptop to be a desktop replacement.
id pretty much use it everyday.
is 5.75 lbs still portable?
i wont be carrying it around often, but once in a while.

my main priority is something thats reliable
since i plan to use it for a while.

[白い雲]

Sony Vaios are not bad in general but they are overpriced (like every other sony product). The unit itself is okay but from what I have heard from customers, their customer service is horrible... though I cant say that for sure. 5.75lbs is average. I would not say that is heavy but most people try to keep it around around 5 or under. That is because most people carry other things aside from just the laptop so consider what you will be bringing and find out what is heavy to you.

[<3goesDOKIDOKI]

^could you recommend other brands/laptops that are reliable? thanks ^^

[白い雲]

Reliability is sometimes overrated. Companies mass produce so much of their products, there are going to be some defective so I cannot really give you a guarantee on any brand.

However, if you want good sound quality HP & Toshiba has really great integrated speakers. HP has altec lansing for their speakers and Toshiba has Harmon/Kardon speakers. So if you are a music lover, I would go with either one. Oh yeah, Compaq is a part of HP so you can go for compaq too you like (they tend to be cheaper than the two).

A desktop replacement is what you wanted? You'll probably be looking at a 17" laptop. Average weight should be 5.75-6lbs + depending on what material it is made of. HP is mainly composed of plastic so it will be lighter but because its mainly plastic, it tends to run a bit on the warm side. Buying a laptop cooler like i mentioned before would not be a bad idea. Toshiba is heavier due to the build-in speakers and is okay in temperature.

For toshiba, you'll be looking at the p205 series. All of the laptops in this series is 17". For HP, im not quite so sure how their lineup is so you're going to have to do some research on your own...

[Melitus]

Everything from apple is overpriced and MACs are definitely not an exception. It is true that macs dont have as much vulnerabilities as a PC but if you do happen to get a virus somehow, you are screwed because there are no ways to recover a mac unlike a PC.

Untrue!!!, your just another apple hater. I highly doubt you ever own a mac. Recently macbook has dropped in prices but still about 20% more expensive than the laptops. I got my macbook about $1150 from futureshop. They only reasons you would ever recieves viruses is through downloading porn or other lame program. Mac also have their own antivirus, I have yet to see a mac user have problems with viruses. Yes you can reformat your mac just like any window base pc, every mac comes with a CD. 4 months and i'm still going strong with this baby, i haven't reformat my computer ONCE. Btw you can run window based software on mac as well, there is a program called "bootcamp" which allows you to run windows and you can switch it back in forth if you want to. As far as I know, windows cannot do the same thing. 95% of the viruses are made to harm windows, so I will take my chances with the 5%. I believe the first virus ever found on mac os was last year. here is the article http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/art...macosxleap.html.
And even that didn't affect much users...I say go with a mac. I've been with windows for years, and trust me when you go mac you never go back lol. hahah even if your interested in porn, it is completly safe to watch it even if it has viruses on it, it won't affect your computer. and did i mention the GRAPHIC IS GREAT.

Either that, I would go with sony vaio laptops....

[<3goesDOKIDOKI]

Reliability is sometimes overrated. Companies mass produce so much of their products, there are going to be some defective so I cannot really give you a guarantee on any brand.

However, if you want good sound quality HP & Toshiba has really great integrated speakers. HP has altec lansing for their speakers and Toshiba has Harmon/Kardon speakers. So if you are a music lover, I would go with either one. Oh yeah, Compaq is a part of HP so you can go for compaq too you like (they tend to be cheaper than the two).

A desktop replacement is what you wanted? You'll probably be looking at a 17" laptop. Average weight should be 5.75-6lbs + depending on what material it is made of. HP is mainly composed of plastic so it will be lighter but because its mainly plastic, it tends to run a bit on the warm side. Buying a laptop cooler like i mentioned before would not be a bad idea. Toshiba is heavier due to the build-in speakers and is okay in temperature.

For toshiba, you'll be looking at the p205 series. All of the laptops in this series is 17". For HP, im not quite so sure how their lineup is so you're going to have to do some research on your own...

well i suppose, cheaper to maintain if something happens to it, is really what i should be saying instead of reliability.
because i do planning to be using this for a long time.

i do want it to be a desktop replacement but i do want it reasonably mobile as well.

the problems i have with toshiba is their design, i think their look is rather dated.
but thanks a lot! i'll look into HP :]