Need a laptop...make some recommendations

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need a laptop...make some recommendations (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 12/29/2012 6:54:39 PM EDT

Needs to support Excel and Word, so I'm looking for something Windows based.
Would be used for listening to music, photo editing, and limited Internet access.

At present, my 7 year old PC chokes up blood every time I launch iTunes, and forget trying to edit 20mb images while listening to music.

I'm running a quad-core machine with 8gb ram in my work pc and that one never has so much as a hiccup.

Looking to keep this under $1000

What should I be looking at?

Posted: 12/29/2012 6:56:18 PM EDT

[#1]

I like Asus products.

Posted: 12/29/2012 6:57:36 PM EDT

[#2]

MacBook Air

Posted: 12/29/2012 6:59:59 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
MacBook Air

He said a laptop, not an overpriced wafer.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:02:01 PM EDT

[#4]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834101303

got this gateway for my mom. she likes it so far. much faster than her 3 year old netbook was. real easy to add another 4gb of ram.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:02:31 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
MacBook Air

Will it run ms office?
Does it have a port to hook up a monitor?
I'm not opposed to an apple product....if it functions like and interconnects with pc stuff.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:04:23 PM EDT

[#6]

Dell Vostro

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:09:02 PM EDT

[#7]

Am I better off buying online or are the big box consumer electronic stores ok?
I want the best deal, but I also don't like the idea of buying anything sight unseen.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:10:15 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I like Asus products.

That. If you want Windows, check out the ASUS Zenbooks. I have one and I love it. The LCD on mine is not top notch, so I wouldn't really want to edit photos on it, but for everything else it's fine.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:10:55 PM EDT

[#9]

May I suggest Falcon DRX Its only about $7k or so fully rigged out the way I like it

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:13:49 PM EDT

[#10]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127899

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:19:01 PM EDT

[#11]

Sony or Toshiba.
As much memory as you can afford.
As much hard drive as you can afford.
Core I5 or I7 CPU
BluRay player/recorder

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:19:46 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127899

No BluRay palyer/recorder.
Fail.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:19:48 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Needs to support Excel and Word, so I'm looking for something Windows based.
Would be used for listening to music, photo editing, and limited Internet access.

Your standards in computers - like mine in women - are REALLY low.

Currently, refurbed ThinkPads are a dime a dozen (example here).

Even the $200 models are more than adequate for what you're doing - They're rugged and reliable, repair parts and documentation are readily available, and they often come pre-loaded with XP Pro (which is quite possibly the best OS ever produced by Microsoft).

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:20:19 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834101303

got this gateway for my mom. she likes it so far. much faster than her 3 year old netbook was. real easy to add another 4gb of ram.

No BluRay player.
Fail

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:21:15 PM EDT

[#15]

Toshiba Sattelite. Best laptop made. Got several from Office Depot.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:23:43 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

I like Asus products.

I just bought a G55V Asus laptop. Seems very well designed. Would have liked a larger HD though. I'll put a larger one in it in the future.

I'm still struggling with getting used to Win8 though.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:27:46 PM EDT

[#17]

Any opinions on Lenovo?
I see a few of those in my price range that appear to fit the requirements nicely

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:31:16 PM EDT

[#18]

IMHO........just say, "NO" to HP. I use an older Toshiba Satellite w/ Vista. While my son bought a HP w/ Windows 7. His HP has already cr#@$$#&out. My Toshiba is still going strong and I know that I use my computer a whole lot more than he used his HP laptop computer.

Aloha, Mark

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:33:26 PM EDT

[#19]

I have been using the heck out of my Acer Aspire and it has not let me down. Use it for work, some web surfing and video editing.

Work involves Webex/Citrix based programs.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:34:30 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Any opinions on Lenovo?
I see a few of those in my price range that appear to fit the requirements nicely

I had a pre-Lenovo Thinkpad in my early college days that I loved, and at times miss daily.

To me, I love my Aspire, but my Thinkpad was like the Dacia Sandero of laptops, simple, honest, and now it's gone.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:37:35 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
MacBook Air

Will it run ms office?
Does it have a port to hook up a monitor?
I'm not opposed to an apple product....if it functions like and interconnects with pc stuff.

Yes to both.

The 11" model is barely under a thousand, The 13" model is a bit higher.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:38:58 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Any opinions on Lenovo?

Their "IdeaPad" line is the consumer-grade stuff - not as rugged as their ThinkPad line.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:41:41 PM EDT

[#23]

Fujitsu Lifebook. The price is pretty good. the performance is amazing, the screen swings and folds so you can use it as a tablet, hot swappable batteries, and they are easily upgradeable.

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:42:04 PM EDT

[#24]

How is newegg to purchase from?
I have no experience with buying a pc, much less online.
Admittedly, I have no clue what comprises a good computer these days, nor do I know the 'tier one' places to shop for 'high speed, low drag' laptops

Posted: 12/29/2012 7:51:42 PM EDT

[#25]

The best deals can be found with the manufacturer refurbs.

Posted: 12/30/2012 12:37:46 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
How is newegg to purchase from?
I have no experience with buying a pc, much less online.
Admittedly, I have no clue what comprises a good computer these days, nor do I know the 'tier one' places to shop for 'high speed, low drag' laptops

NewEgg is GTG! They have gotten a few thousand dollars of my business.

Posted: 12/30/2012 12:43:35 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Any opinions on Lenovo?
I see a few of those in my price range that appear to fit the requirements nicely

I have a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge that is almost a year old - it rocks.

I got it for around $600 (after I bought 8gb RAM & a padded bag) from Tiger Direct.

Make sure you get something with Windows 7 - I just played around with a W8 laptop yesterday & it is an absolute piece of shit.

EDIT;

Look HERE & start eliminating.

You want 15.6" screen, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit (make sure you confirm this), Intel Core i5 or i7 (some on the above list are i3), 2 RAM slots (you want at least 8GB RAM - which is probably cheaper to buy an extra stick separately).

My Lenovo came with the fingerprint reader - much easier to swipe a finger instead of entering the password (password can still be used).
In addition to the standard laptop finger pad for the mouse that you drag your finger over to move - the Thinkpads also have an extra center-post that is much easier to use if you don't want to carry around an external mouse.

Posted: 12/30/2012 12:44:47 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
How is newegg to purchase from?
I have no experience with buying a pc, much less online.
Admittedly, I have no clue what comprises a good computer these days, nor do I know the 'tier one' places to shop for 'high speed, low drag' laptops

Newegg has screwed up my orders before, so I don't use them much.

Posted: 12/30/2012 1:06:30 AM EDT

[#29]

I just picked up an Asus, and really like it. It has Solid State Drive, and boots up like turning on a lightswitch. It is replacing an HP that was a POS. That replaced a pre Chi-com Thinkpad, which rocked.

Posted: 12/30/2012 1:32:08 AM EDT

[#30]

I like asus, I have a g73sw a1, it's been awesome for the year or so I had it.

Posted: 12/30/2012 2:18:50 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I like Asus products.

I just bought a G55V Asus laptop. Seems very well designed. Would have liked a larger HD though. I'll put a larger one in it in the future.

I'm still struggling with getting used to Win8 though.

It's a fucking pain ain't it?

Posted: 12/30/2012 2:23:40 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

Quoted:

MacBook Air

Will it run ms office?

Does it have a port to hook up a monitor?

I'm not opposed to an apple product....if it functions like and interconnects with pc stuff.

Yes, and yes.

Posted: 12/30/2012 2:46:20 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
Your standards in computers - like mine in women - are REALLY low.

Currently, refurbed ThinkPads are a dime a dozen (example here).

Even the $200 models are more than adequate for what you're doing - They're rugged and reliable, repair parts and documentation are readily available, and they often come pre-loaded with XP Pro (which is quite possibly the best OS ever produced by Microsoft).

Read the reviews there: seems there are software issues, ie unsupported blackmarket stuff, no product keys to activate, and then CS issues from newegg on top of it.

Posted: 12/30/2012 2:47:05 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
Toshiba Sattelite. Best laptop made. Got several from Office Depot.

This. My Toshiba has been great, although I don't really push it too hard, mainly open office, internet, email, and porn.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 12/30/2012 2:56:48 AM EDT

[#35]

Use Lenovo all day for years and am totally in love with my X220. Rock solid and great price.

Posted: 12/30/2012 3:13:28 AM EDT

[#36]

I just got a Samsung ultra book with the touch screen. It doesn't have a disk drive (so I bought an external one and have only used it to download ms office) and its roughly as thin as a MacBook Air.

I like it a lot but make sure you stock up on screen wipes if you get a touch screen

Posted: 12/30/2012 4:20:37 AM EDT

[#37]

Bump with a poll now

Thank you for all the replies...this has been very helpful.

Posted: 12/30/2012 4:37:09 AM EDT

[#38]

windows 8 sucks on a laptop or desktop. Ok if its a phone or pad.

Posted: 12/30/2012 7:57:47 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
windows 8 sucks on a laptop or desktop. Ok if its a phone or pad.

What is so different about win8?

I haven't seen it yet

Posted: 12/30/2012 9:17:14 AM EDT

[#40]

Win8

What is so different / difficult about it?

Posted: 12/30/2012 9:30:43 AM EDT

[#41]

Tag. In the market myself. My old laptop doesn't cut the mustard.

I want a laptop I can play World of Tanks on.

Posted: 12/30/2012 9:33:24 AM EDT

[#42]

Lenovo, Asus have both been good machines for me...
Tiget Direct and Newegg are both good.

However, when we got the wifes last Lenovo (580?) we go a great deal at Office Depot...bet both online guys but YES, specs vary slightly. Check your Sunday morning ads.

And oh...Windows 8 is just fine for homeowner use...we got W8 pro and I really like it over the past OS....many here get but hurt over change, I'm 50 and have been adapting to change for a while...hell, I miss Windows

Posted: 12/30/2012 9:46:03 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
Win8

What is so different / difficult about it?

Check your pm inbox.

Posted: 12/30/2012 10:08:14 AM EDT

[#44]

I am a Lenovo man for laptops. Its what I buy for my company staff to use. (IT Manager) We have had some great success with them. I am buying units that are around $525 I3 4GB or Ram and a good 7200 RPM hard drive. I keep at least 3 items from the MS office suite open at a time. Two web browsers and several IT management pieces of software open and it handles it just fine.

Posted: 12/30/2012 10:47:21 AM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Win8

What is so different / difficult about it?

Check your pm inbox.

Saw that....thanks.
As far as hardware goes I'm getting a better picture of what I need...but I'm still up in the air regarding the OS.
I've been running XP pro since it came out, set it up on my primary PC with a basic user account (no permissions to anything beyond read access) - I tweak things and install software as needed using the admin account, then do everything else from the basic account....always did this to mitigate spyware / viruses from auto installing stuff.

I love the Win 7 interface....have had that at work for a few years and really prefer the UI to XP.
Haven't seen Win 8 in person yet...no idea how it differs.

Posted: 12/30/2012 11:01:36 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
Win8

What is so different / difficult about it?

Start menu gone.
Main screen is set up like an android system - totally useless without a touch screen.
The one I played with the other day had a habit of locking you out after a couple of minutes - forcing you to unlock it to get back to the main screen & from there navigate through a bunch of nonsense to get back where you were. No amount of playing with settings would correct this.

As is usual with Microsoft, they made changes that nobody asked for & it just makes your life more difficult.

Regarding retailer - use whichever one gives you the cheaper/better deal deal.
Regarding ASUS - all my desktop builds are ASUS motherboards - they are good too. The biggest drawback is they don't have the Thinkpad input (red center post to use as a mouse).

Posted: 12/30/2012 11:10:26 AM EDT

[#47]

Toshiba

Posted: 12/30/2012 11:14:57 AM EDT

[#48]

I've had good luck with my Toshiba laptops. I've burned through my other laptops in about 2 years of hard use before they died on me. I bought my Toshiba for about $500 brand new, great price and great laptop.