INFO: Building/Buying a Laptop (PC or Mac) - Page 36

Alcestis · 08-25-2009, 05:32 PM

Since this discussion was last held around 6 months ago, I thought I'd ask for current suggestions.

I'm wanting to surprise my guy with a netbook since he's mentioned wanting one. He's going back to school and said his criteria (other than the obvious WiFi/LAN necessity) were:

- word processing capability,
- long to exceptional battery life,
- a RAM upgrade recommendation if the netbook happens to come with less than 2 gigs of it,
- a larger size keyboard if possible, his hands are bigger than mine.

Anything else is fluff.

It will be used for taking notes in class and opening stuff like Powerpoint or .PDF files, so no long-term typing of papers or anything like that. Does such a simple (and possibly dirt cheap, giggity) netbook like this exist?

A2T · 08-26-2009, 10:10 PM

I've recently spent some time researching this. I will need a computer soon and prefer to get a laptop for portability, but can't afford a nice 12-13inch. I'll just recommend a couple models that have impressed me in reviews (performance benchmarks of all current netbooks don't differ so much; you choose by battery life, keyboard size and layout, screen size, extras (bluetooth, etc), and stability of wireless connection).

What I'm buying:
SAMSUNG N110:
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG N110-12PBK Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) 10.1" WSVGA 1GB Memory 160GB HDD Netbook - Netbooks

I have seen it for as low as $350. Reviews state that the 7hour+battery life is legit. Keyboard: 93% standard.

More budget option:
Acer Aspire One AOD150
Costs a bit less, similar performance, make sure you get a 6 cell battery.

If you're willing to spend a bit more, they are starting to come out with 12 inch netbooks. In the next year they'll start pairing the atom chips with the nvidia ion platform, which should allow playback of 720p video (current netbooks cannot).

Edit: would you believe that the Samsung, a Korean netbook, costs almost double in Korea? I was at the electronics market in Seoul, and it was listed at 850,000+won ($680).

Second edit: an option more similar to the Samsung is Asus Eee PC 1000HE. The asus has 802.11n wireless capability, while the N110 has 802.11b/g. Other differences seem minor.

Aulirophile · 08-27-2009, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A2T

I've recently spent some time researching this. I will need a computer soon and prefer to get a laptop for portability, but can't afford a nice 12-13inch. I'll just recommend a couple models that have impressed me in reviews (performance benchmarks of all current netbooks don't differ so much; you choose by battery life, keyboard size and layout, screen size, extras (bluetooth, etc), and stability of wireless connection).

What I'm buying:
SAMSUNG N110:
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG N110-12PBK Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) 10.1" WSVGA 1GB Memory 160GB HDD Netbook - Netbooks

I have seen it for as low as $350. Reviews state that the 7hour+battery life is legit. Keyboard: 93% standard.

More budget option:
Acer Aspire One AOD150
Costs a bit less, similar performance, make sure you get a 6 cell battery.

If you're willing to spend a bit more, they are starting to come out with 12 inch netbooks. In the next year they'll start pairing the atom chips with the nvidia ion platform, which should allow playback of 720p video (current netbooks cannot).

Edit: would you believe that the Samsung, a Korean netbook, costs almost double in Korea? I was at the electronics market in Seoul, and it was listed at 850,000+won ($680).

Second edit: an option more similar to the Samsung is Asus Eee PC 1000HE. The asus has 802.11n wireless capability, while the N110 has 802.11b/g. Other differences seem minor.

Funny someone posted, I was thinking of grabbing a netbook just to have something light to carry around, with good battery life. I'll be using it semi-heavily for several hours between charges.

Just need to figure out which RAM to buy for that Samsung. Wish SSDs were cheaper, it'd be neat to have a laptop with one.

Foler · 09-03-2009, 09:20 AM

Looking at buying a laptop for school purposes. Money really isnt limited but dont think Im gonna spend over 2.5k. I was looking at the lenovo business class t400, but I was wondering if I should wait till windows 7 comes out in october. Do comp manufacturers usually release new technology along with new OS? Or would I be fine to buy it now and just do the free upgrade to windows 7 that they offer. Thanks.

Desidero · 09-08-2009, 08:28 PM

What are you planning on using your laptop for in your spare time? A laptop strictly for school purposes should run well under $1000.

Saidin · 10-04-2009, 04:52 PM

So I'm planning on spending $1,500 or so (give or take 200) on a gaming laptop. I want it to last 3 years for solid gaming (Diablo 3/SC2/WoW xpac) as well as some of the First person shooters (MW:2)... I'll probably bring it with me to Afghanistan to help pass the time I suppose. Does anyone have a specific laptop in mind ?

Fadaar · 10-04-2009, 08:43 PM

The Asus ones seem very well priced for the hardware they come with.

Edit: $1600 Newegg.com - ASUS G Series G51VX-X2A NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T9600(2.80GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M - Laptops / Notebooks

Chips · 10-04-2009, 11:06 PM

I'd recommend against a laptop for school in my opinion. You end up surfing the web and goofing off on facebook or something rather than paying attention in class. Forcing myself to sit in the front row with my cell phone turned off was the only way I could really pay attention in class.

Now if you plan on taking it with you to group meetings and moving around the house with it than yes, get a laptop.

brekk · 10-05-2009, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chips

I'd recommend against a laptop for school in my opinion. You end up surfing the web and goofing off on facebook or something rather than paying attention in class. Forcing myself to sit in the front row with my cell phone turned off was the only way I could really pay attention in class.

So because you have ADD and shitty self control no one should buy a laptop for school?

Chips · 10-05-2009, 11:03 AM

No I'm saying that a person should avoid all distractions when sitting in class because it's easy to miss important info.

Citten · 10-07-2009, 11:19 AM

Any chance there's a laptop that runs 25m raids in WoW with a $700-900 price range?

Have to order something either today or tomorrow. Can't be clunkin around my desktop anymore.

Saidin · 10-07-2009, 06:26 PM

I'm looking to spend less than $1500 on a gaming laptop to last me 2+ years of solid gaming (WoW on high, SC2/D3/ whatever else that comes out)... I keep coming back to a couple of the same ones.

Asus G51VX-RX05
Asus - Laptop with Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology - White/Black - G51VX-RX05

EmiliaEQ · 10-08-2009, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saidin

I'm looking to spend less than $1500 on a gaming laptop to last me 2+ years of solid gaming (WoW on high, SC2/D3/ whatever else that comes out)... I keep coming back to a couple of the same ones.

Asus G51VX-RX05
Asus - Laptop with Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology - White/Black - G51VX-RX05

GTX260M for 999$ nice !
The CPU is kinda slowish but shouldnt be an issue.
1366*768 means big pixels (the usual 16 is 1680x1050) but i doubt it will be a problem.

Ryhian · 10-19-2009, 08:33 PM

this seems like a pretty good deal if you're looking for a bigger laptop at a good price with a 1920x1080 resolution.

HP® Official Store — Buy an HP Pavilion dv8 and dv8t Quad Edition series notebook PC from HP

1. Click here, then Customize and Buy under Base Configuration
2. Choose the following options
1. FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
2. FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
3. Add to cart, apply $200 off coupon code NBSC314243
4. Your total will be $1300 - $200 coupon NBSC314243 = $1100 with free shipping

Good upgrades to consider

* HP Long Life Notebook Battery (add $19)

Specs

* Intel Core i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB)
* 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M
* 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
* Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
* Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Espresso Black)
* Intel Wireless-N Mini-card
* 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

EmiliaEQ · 10-20-2009, 12:33 AM

BTW this website has great gaming PC's : Gaming Laptops - XOTIC PC - Gaming Notebooks - Custom Laptops - Custom Notebooks
Cant say about the reliability or anything else (beeing in europe).

But MSI GT729 & SAGER NP8662 are amazing gaming machines.

08-26-2009, 10:10 PM	#527 (permalink)
A2T Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 22 +0 Internets	I've recently spent some time researching this. I will need a computer soon and prefer to get a laptop for portability, but can't afford a nice 12-13inch. I'll just recommend a couple models that have impressed me in reviews (performance benchmarks of all current netbooks don't differ so much; you choose by battery life, keyboard size and layout, screen size, extras (bluetooth, etc), and stability of wireless connection). What I'm buying: SAMSUNG N110: Newegg.com - SAMSUNG N110-12PBK Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) 10.1" WSVGA 1GB Memory 160GB HDD Netbook - Netbooks I have seen it for as low as $350. Reviews state that the 7hour+battery life is legit. Keyboard: 93% standard. More budget option: Acer Aspire One AOD150 Costs a bit less, similar performance, make sure you get a 6 cell battery. If you're willing to spend a bit more, they are starting to come out with 12 inch netbooks. In the next year they'll start pairing the atom chips with the nvidia ion platform, which should allow playback of 720p video (current netbooks cannot). Edit: would you believe that the Samsung, a Korean netbook, costs almost double in Korea? I was at the electronics market in Seoul, and it was listed at 850,000+won ($680). Second edit: an option more similar to the Samsung is Asus Eee PC 1000HE. The asus has 802.11n wireless capability, while the N110 has 802.11b/g. Other differences seem minor. Last edited by A2T; 08-26-2009 at 10:26 PM.. Reason: additional info

10-04-2009, 08:43 PM	#532 (permalink)
Fadaar Detective Fox Mulder Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,611	The Asus ones seem very well priced for the hardware they come with. Edit: $1600 Newegg.com - ASUS G Series G51VX-X2A NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo T9600(2.80GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M - Laptops / Notebooks __________________

10-04-2009, 11:06 PM	#533 (permalink)
Chips Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Joburg, RSA Posts: 1,099 -78 Internets	I'd recommend against a laptop for school in my opinion. You end up surfing the web and goofing off on facebook or something rather than paying attention in class. Forcing myself to sit in the front row with my cell phone turned off was the only way I could really pay attention in class. Now if you plan on taking it with you to group meetings and moving around the house with it than yes, get a laptop. __________________ “White folks was in caves while we was building empires ... We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.” -Rev. Al Sharpton

10-05-2009, 11:03 AM	#535 (permalink)
Chips Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Joburg, RSA Posts: 1,099 -78 Internets	No I'm saying that a person should avoid all distractions when sitting in class because it's easy to miss important info. __________________ “White folks was in caves while we was building empires ... We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.” -Rev. Al Sharpton

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08-25-2009, 05:32 PM	#526 (permalink)
Alcestis Hello, nurse. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 516 +140 Internets	Since this discussion was last held around 6 months ago, I thought I'd ask for current suggestions. I'm wanting to surprise my guy with a netbook since he's mentioned wanting one. He's going back to school and said his criteria (other than the obvious WiFi/LAN necessity) were: - word processing capability, - long to exceptional battery life, - a RAM upgrade recommendation if the netbook happens to come with less than 2 gigs of it, - a larger size keyboard if possible, his hands are bigger than mine. Anything else is fluff. It will be used for taking notes in class and opening stuff like Powerpoint or .PDF files, so no long-term typing of papers or anything like that. Does such a simple (and possibly dirt cheap, giggity) netbook like this exist?

09-03-2009, 09:20 AM	#529 (permalink)
Foler Banned Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 365 -123 Internets	Looking at buying a laptop for school purposes. Money really isnt limited but dont think Im gonna spend over 2.5k. I was looking at the lenovo business class t400, but I was wondering if I should wait till windows 7 comes out in october. Do comp manufacturers usually release new technology along with new OS? Or would I be fine to buy it now and just do the free upgrade to windows 7 that they offer. Thanks.

09-08-2009, 08:28 PM	#530 (permalink)
Desidero Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 596 +1 Internets	What are you planning on using your laptop for in your spare time? A laptop strictly for school purposes should run well under $1000.

10-07-2009, 11:19 AM	#536 (permalink)
Citten Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Antarctica Posts: 719	Any chance there's a laptop that runs 25m raids in WoW with a $700-900 price range? Have to order something either today or tomorrow. Can't be clunkin around my desktop anymore.

10-19-2009, 08:33 PM	#539 (permalink)
Ryhian Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 232	this seems like a pretty good deal if you're looking for a bigger laptop at a good price with a 1920x1080 resolution. HP® Official Store — Buy an HP Pavilion dv8 and dv8t Quad Edition series notebook PC from HP 1. Click here, then Customize and Buy under Base Configuration 2. Choose the following options 1. FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) 2. FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 3. Add to cart, apply $200 off coupon code NBSC314243 4. Your total will be $1300 - $200 coupon NBSC314243 = $1100 with free shipping Good upgrades to consider * HP Long Life Notebook Battery (add $19) Specs * Intel Core i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB) * 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) * 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection * 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M * 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p) * Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer * Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Espresso Black) * Intel Wireless-N Mini-card * 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery * Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

10-20-2009, 12:33 AM	#540 (permalink)
EmiliaEQ Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Paris 94 ! Posts: 725 -5 Internets	BTW this website has great gaming PC's : Gaming Laptops - XOTIC PC - Gaming Notebooks - Custom Laptops - Custom Notebooks Cant say about the reliability or anything else (beeing in europe). But MSI GT729 & SAGER NP8662 are amazing gaming machines.