sorry guys, this is my second post regarding this subject, my first one was regarding whether to buy a gateway or dell , and everyone recommended that i avoid both of them. I went to best buy the other day and they had Toshiba's and HP's for almost the same price, so which one would you recommend, or should i just go ahead and buy 2 more AR15's:-).?

Thanks

Obviously you already have a computer now. So you already have all the software you need.  Just build one! You get exactly what you want and dont have to pay for prebundled software you already have.

[beer]

I forgot to mention, i'm looking for a laptop.

Granted, you can save a lot of money building your own system.

You get more bang for your buck in the performance arena, and you don't get any second-rate hardware the company installs to save money.

The downsides are significant, however.  When you build your system, YOU are tech support.  If something starts to go wrong, its up to you to figure out what is wrong, and then call up the appropriate manufacturer about warranty info.  Many average users don't have enough experience to handle this, and having Dell (or whoever) to walk them through troubleshooting can be a big help.

The other downside is compatibility.  Often there are subtle incompatibilities between various components.  Buying from an OEM avoids this frustrating problem, but it basically comes back down to being your own tech support.

Lastly, you really can't build your own laptops yet.  Just not feasible.  It will be great when you can though, as it will open up a new world of flexibility.

As to the original poster's question... is this a laptop, or a desktop?

Hey, SteelViper, he answered you about seven minutes before you posted. [:D]

Toshiba used to be "the" hot laptop to get.  Sony took over the market with the ultra-slim Sony Vaio notebooks.  I haven't seen HP's in use anywhere;  companies seem to issue either Sony, Dell, or (a few years ago) Toshiba.

Sony laptops are really nice, but they're also much more expensive.  CostCo had a Sony P600 10.4" screen for $1079, and now has a Toshiba 1GHz 14" for $999.  (Since the screen is one of the biggest price-drivers on laptops, you can take a guess at how much an equivalent Sony would cost.)

Given the above, I'd (unfortunately) have to say Toshiba, if you're limited to those two (or four) brands.  Of course, I'm assuming that corporations have a clue when it comes to what brands they buy. . . .

No problems with my Toshiba Satellite.  It's slow, but it's an old 266Mhz Pentium MMX.  

[url]http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11093246&m=488&cat=494&scat=495[/url]

That there Toshiba has the 1Ghz Pentium III.  That one's a screamer compared to mine, and it's the same price mine was two years ago.  If I had the green-back, I'd pick one of these up.

LapTop = Toe-she-bur

I have used Toshibas for offshore work, in very hot climates, handoffs of the laptop on helipads (many users), lots of air travel. I consider Toshibas tougher than others.

I own an IBM ThinkPad and there support on the phone and on the web is the best. Parts and upgrades are cheaper from IBM also (for the most part). Most of this really surprised me about IBM, when I found this out.    

My company has me using a pos Dell, tech support sucks. WinBooks are better than Dell.

SSD

$1350??  CostCo is selling a similar one -- Toshiba Satellite Pro 1800-S204 (BestBuy's is the S254) with WinXP PRO (BB= WinXP Home) but a 1GHz Celeron (BB= P3) and a 13.3" (BB= 14.1") display for 25% less.  $999 for CostCo members, $1049 for nonmembers (BB= $1349, but has a $100 or $150 rebate).  (Or buy a $45 membership and then get the computer, and save $5.[:D])

[url]http://www.costco.com/frameset.asp?trg=product%2Easp&catid=84&subid=1674&hierid=1675&prdid=10016691&log=[/url]

Dang.  Costco started charging $20 for s&h -- even a couple of days ago, that was free. [:(]

Stupid satellite modem!  I miss my DSL... [;)]
That'll teach me to take a break while posting...

Dell tech support?  Sucks?  They might have annoying commercials, but I've always had good experience with their support.  Rather, I haven't had a good experience with their troubleshooting abilities (if I'm stumped, they're stumped), but if I know exactly what's wrong they usually have the replacement shipped within a week or so.  I called about my monitor on Monday, and it arrived by Friday.  So in that regard, I'm a fan of Dell tech support.

And back to coltar1five...
I'd vote for the Toshiba.  Don't have much experience with the HP laptops, but have been through HELL dealing with some of those little HP mini-towers.

How do you pronounce Toshiba anyway?  Most Americans say toe-SHE-ba (with emphasis on the SHE)  I've heard it pronounced in a Japanese accent as toe-she-ba (no emphasis on any of it).  I guess it might be one of those H&K sort of deals... (koch/coke)

Viper Out  

Easy one. Toshiba. I have a Satellite 400mhz with DVD thats a few years old. I would like to buy a new one, but I'm not going to until this one dies. Problem is, I can't kill this thing. It has been a rock-solid computer.

Get a Toshiba.  I had a Toshiba 333mhz Pentium laptop and the thing was unbreakable.  Great computer!  After using it 10 hours a day for 2 years it finally crashed.  I had trouble re-installing Windows 98 and I just snapped and bought a new laptop.  Now I have a HP laptop, which is great, but the Toshiba was more reliable.

Call me sentimental, but I haven't bought a Toshiba ANYTHING since one of their division was caught in an improper transfer of machine tools allowing the Russians to machine leading-edge stealthy submarine screws.

[url]http://serv5.law.emory.edu/EILR/volumes/fall95/hiestand.html[/url]
Look for "F. Case Study: The Toshiba-Kongsberg Incident"

[url]http://www.law.emory.edu/EILR/volumes/fall95/hiestand_fn.html[/url]

Footnote 117:
"117  The Defense Department estimated that it would cost at least $25 to $30 billion and seven to ten years of development to regain the pre Kongsberg-Toshiba submarine technology superiority. Wrubel, supra note 41, at 257"

I built a Compaq 1800 laptop with a 15" screen at Best buy a few months ago.

I got no interest for 18 months, and it was at my door step within 5 days.

I have not had a bit of trouble with it.

You can build one on Compaq's website as well.

Jay
Arizona

I don't buy anything Toshiba due to their selling our sub tech to the Russians during cold war.  Guess I have a long memory.

Consider them like Jane Fonda

Yeah, I avoided them for a long time too.  Forgot about that, it's been so long since I looked for anything by them.  Ok, "Death before Toshiba".

Amen to that!