Buying a laptop.....?? What is good...

[SABIO]

Alright. I know nothing about Laptops/notebooks.....

Need one. Will be a gift for mom. All she needs is Internet for e-mail and to do some chatting. Maybe watch a DvD....

Would like 15" at least or 17" screen.

That is all I know. Is there a brand to stay away from? Does it make a difference wether it is AMD or Intel? What is considered an old procesor?

Under $1000.... Under $800 would be best.

Any tips or hints....including where to get a deal would be greatly appreciated

Sabio

[fini]

Dell uses some relatively cheap parts for their computers so they are usually the lowest priced name brand stuff. I've had my computer for 4 years now and it's still running strong. Personally I haven't had any problems with my laptop that I bought from them. Though, I've heard some have, but I think that problems could come from any manufacturer.

Here is a computer that will suit your needs and not break the bank. Look into it!
http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_1501?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs

[PlatMS6]

Even though I hate saying it...but for that money and it being for your mom - DELL

[ptwonline]

Dell makes decent, inexpensive laptops, and they try to make it easy to use/maintain/support.

AMD vs Intel...Intel is a bit more expensive, but also a bit better. New Dells usually have the Intel Core2Duo processor. It's especially good for doing multiple things at a time.

You can probably get better/cheaper laptops if you try, but for overall convenience go with Dell.

[yearoftherat]

Bang for the buck..Dell

[dentinger]

i think staples has some labtops on sale right now. like, really discounted prices.. you should check them out... lol

[BiG-ED]

my buddy just picked up a compaq presario from bestbuy yesterday for aroud 700, pretty good setup for that price too. duo core, 1gb of ram, all the extras but it was the floor model so...

[S.F.W.]

Under $1000, Lenovo 3000, N series.

[Zaku_4]

why must it be 15-17''?

if its going to be moved around a bit, then i would recommend against that. i moved down from a 15.4 to a 14 and it saved alot of space and weight (4-5lbs difference?).

www.notebookreview.com is a very good site for info.

btw i would suggest hp's dv2000's series. they start from under 1k and add up. FS and BB usually have sales on this series.

[sauga_kid]

+1 on the Dell for decent and inexpensive laptops. I agree in terms of screen size, although it is nice to have a large viewing screen, the trade off is the weight. If your mom is going to be carrying it around quite a bit you might want to take that into consideration. Core2Duo processors are great, I have it on my macbook and I'm extremely happy with its performance. Stay away from the really low end pricepoints ie. e-machines, although you do get a low cost computer in the long run I think you're better off spending a couple more bucks upfront to get something that will last you longer IMO. Hope everything works out and its a wicked gift, your mom should be happy.

[Unoriginalusername]

http://shopping.hp.ca/cStoreCA/BaseDetails.asp?PType=58&ProductLineId=25&FamilyId=86&BaseId=3588&BEId=5&Lang=EN
Compaq Presario V6310CA Notebook PC - 829

Might have some good ones at futureshop/bb to check out as well

[S.F.W.]

PM sent. I can hook you up Sabio.

[SpeedBaby]

haha! brand competition at it's best lol

but seriously, if you're looking just at the price tag and not as much concerned with the features, then go for Acer or worst case scenario - Dell (oh i hope i won't get fired for this :P)

Check this out for reference:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=896.645

[whiteomega]

how much travelling does she do? on the airplane, you really don't want a screen bigger than 15" widescreen, at least in cattle class. anything more than that, and you risk having the person in front of you destroy your screen when they lean their chair back.

[Unoriginalusername]

how much travelling does she do? on the airplane, you really don't want a screen bigger than 15" widescreen, at least in cattle class. anything more than that, and you risk having the person in front of you destroy your screen when they lean their chair back.

oh i thought you were down the exploding dell road + air travel lol :chuckle
http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2006/06/dell_explodes.jpg
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/dell-laptop-explodes-in-flames-182257.php

[whiteomega]

hah, no...not yet..but that's maybe another reason to avoid a Dell..

i only mention it because i have a 15" 4:3 display and nearly had mine wrecked by someone who just threw the seat back as far as it would go, and did it in a very short period of time..

my general suggestion for every day use laptops is Toshiba. i've always liked their laptops, and they're priced pretty well for the money. quality isn't bad either. macbooks are also a good choice. (the macbook pro is the 15inch+ widescreen)

[SABIO]

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090035&catid=22496&logon=&langid=EN


$799 it's $300 off.

Dell has some cheap prices...but you don't get anything for that price..

F.S and B.B has better deals then they do.

And just so you know...in case some of you forgot, with my insider price guide. Some of those deals @ F.S are less than Staff price...even close to actual cost....

[PlatMS6]

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090035&catid=22496&logon=&langid=EN


$799 it's $300 off.

Dell has some cheap prices...but you don't get anything for that price..

F.S and B.B has better deals then they do.

And just so you know...in case some of you forgot. Some of those deals @ F.S are less than Staff price...even close to actual cost....


Ahah I just saw that in the flyer now as well. I would definatelly pick that up instead of the Dells....smokin deal!

[ptwonline]

Ahah I just saw that in the flyer now as well. I would definatelly pick that up instead of the Dells....smokin deal!

Those prices are great. I like to deal with Dell because it's easier to get support/warranty work done.

Hmm...no built-in Wwireless networking? Pity.

[iconicrocket]

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090035&catid=22496&logon=&langid=EN


$799 it's $300 off.


Pretty good deal. No wifi, kinda heavy 3.5kg, only WXGA screen on 17" could be alittle chunky. Only 1 gig of ram for Vista could be a bottleneck.

[iconicrocket]

Try this one:

http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=cadhs1&l=en&OC=1501A2B_F_1E

It's lighter, smaller and cheaper.

[PlatMS6]

I am pretty sure older folks appreciate the larger screens!

[ptwonline]

I am pretty sure older folks appreciate the larger screens!

Not-quite-as-old folks like them too! *hugs his 22" widescreen monitor*

My laptop has a 17" widescreen. I freakin' love it.

[SABIO]

Thanks for some of the tips. and links.

Mom is over the 6 dot 0...shhhhh. Bigger screen would be nice. She is not travelling with it. She likes to sit in the big comfy chair and chat with some friends.....

Just afraid to buy something that will run slower than a P233 from back in the day....

[whiteomega]

Thanks for some of the tips. and links.

Mom is over the 6 dot 0...shhhhh. Bigger screen would be nice. She is not travelling with it. She likes to sit in the big comfy chair and chat with some friends.....

Just afraid to buy something that will run slower than a P233 from back in the day....

in that case; go nuts with good deals at Future Shop. most brands are reliable enough for that kind of daily use.

[DrunknFoo]

http://www.milestonepc.com/canada/index.php?cPath=187&osCsid=7736ee5b6b6f9e2bb5f5f8db00309606

Is normally where I would purchase laptops and parts. IMO you really can't go wrong with LG or Fujitsu.

[SABIO]

I actually checked out what my mom is currently using.....a hand-me down from my brother....
..ready for this...
A Toshiba Satellite 4000!!! It's 8 years old. I was joking when I made the 233Mhz comment, this laptop has a 233Mhz Pent II in it... LOL:chuckle

I'm guessing the cheapest thing on the Market would be 50-100 times better.....
I'm surprised the Toshiba still works...with it's huge 12" screen HAhahaha

[yearoftherat]

I'd take S.F.W offer as most laptops you buy from the big box stores are loaded with bloatware. My Dad p/u a toshiba for my mom (17"..yikes!!) and the amount of crap they load up is just stupid. More crap = runs like a pig..:complain

[b]

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090035&catid=22496&logon=&langid=EN

$799 it's $300 off.

Dell has some cheap prices...but you don't get anything for that price..

F.S and B.B has better deals then they do.

And just so you know...in case some of you forgot, with my insider price guide. Some of those deals @ F.S are less than Staff price...even close to actual cost....

I was just looking at them all at best buy online. This is the one I would buy too!

[WLS ZMZM]

if that's what your mom is currently using then anything would be a drastic improvement... the mac books are great little computers... but they are really expensive and take some time to get used to since they run OSX you can run bootcamp and windows... but if your mom is anything like my rents... you want her to stick to windows hehehehehe. I hafta say while I don't really like dell's computers... their tech support/warranties just can't be beat.... overall I'd say Dell is some great bang for the buck...

[jstro]

if that's what your mom is currently using then anything would be a drastic improvement... the mac books are great little computers... but they are really expensive and take some time to get used to since they run OSX you can run bootcamp and windows... but if your mom is anything like my rents... you want her to stick to windows hehehehehe. I hafta say while I don't really like dell's computers... their tech support/warranties just can't be beat.... overall I'd say Dell is some great bang for the buck...
+1 on the macbooks....they're good computers, but my mom has zero idea how to use mine.

If i was going to buy a PC, I'd buy a Lenovo if you can find one at your price point...I had a thinkpad prior to my apple, and it was great.

[Tokic_o]

I believe lenovo's are great PCs but i think with all the features it might end up a little too pricey for the OP's needs...but eh i wouldn't exactly know but i do like Lenovo

[whiteomega]

yeah, Lenovos are pretty good (they used to be IBMs ;)), but they're more designed for the business traveller.

i would maintain Dell or Toshiba for every day use and affordability (i dont' really like Dells that much though). Macbooks are a bit on the expensive side too. I've heard HPs are somewhat decent as well, but i have never used one, so i can't really comment.

[S.F.W.]

yeah, Lenovos are pretty good (they used to be IBMs ;)), but they're more designed for the business traveller.

i would maintain Dell or Toshiba for every day use and affordability (i dont' really like Dells that much though). Macbooks are a bit on the expensive side too. I've heard HPs are somewhat decent as well, but i have never used one, so i can't really comment.

The Lenovo 3000 line of products is meant more for the home or small business users. Check it out, should be very competitive with Dell or Toshiba.

[EvilDeadFan]

I work for Dell, and was pro-build it yourself hardcore before, but after working with these units daily I think they're absolutely great bang for the buck. I'm sitting in my dell office right now beside an xps 1330 and an inspiron 6400. Two different animals, much different speeds, but both can have the complete are warranty. So unless you burn it or a natural disaster happens (which your property insurance covers anyways) then it'll get replaced if it was damaged by accident.

The hardware itself is also ridiculously easy to support and work on. And the components are not cheap, they're inexpensive. ;)

I've already had to repair my friend's Toshiba, which I thought were great pc's, but the things like the volume controls, screen quality, etc are really annoying on that system. The dells have some of the nicest screens I've ever seen.

Specially that 1330's led lit screen cased in magnesium. :D up to 8 hours battery life for the win. And now the Inspiron's come in lots of fruity colours (but also the basics like black and silver/grey) so you can even match the thing closely to your car. ;)

[WLS ZMZM]

+1 For a great plug :chuckle and loving the description of fruity colours hehehehehe

[EvilDeadFan]

Oh, and perhaps I should add that I still build many pc's custom when people ask, and love doing it. And my own pc's still will be custom because of my needs, but when I buy a notebook, 100% dell.

[S.F.W.]

but when I buy a notebook, 100% dell.

and I am 100% Lenovo, and SpeedBaby is 100% HP. We have the major brands covered.

[Unoriginalusername]

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2005/050301c.html

probally a reason why hp took #1 market share a few years ago and hasn't looked back... must be doing something right. Sab probally bought something on the weekend so all this back and forth on which one he should go with is just upping our post count

[SABIO]

The info I have for market share is..4thQ '06

HP 20% Dell 15% Acer 13.3% Toshiba 9.8% Lenovo 8.4%

every Quarter the ranking change... 3rdQ '06 HP and Dell were pretty much tied for 1st with 18% and Acer/Toshiba had second place, both with approx 12%... if a manufacturer want to gain market share all they do is dump a lot of low priced machines on the market...Hence Acers strong sales....

And still looking for laptop... :)

[JonsMazda]

Don't get a "celeron" processor. Its slow..

[SABIO]

Don't get a "celeron" processor. Its slow..

Slow for what? Reading e-mail and chatting on the web???
It is alot faster than a P233...........

[JonsMazda]

Playing games....if its just surfing and chatting, you'll be fine. Pentium 233? lol, thats OLD school...

[SABIO]

Acer Aspire Intel Core Duo T2450 2.0GHz Laptop $799

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10089816&catid=

Any good??

[JonsMazda]

not bad of a deal.....just a little heavy, but hey! it got a 17inch screen :D

[JonsMazda]

another con is that the battery life will go out fast! cause of the 17inch...I got a HP pavilion laptop with p4 3.0ghz + 17inch monitor...battery life on that is approx. 50mins. shitty...

[JonsMazda]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10089347&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN#

Cant go wrong with the price.

[SABIO]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10089347&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN#

Cant go wrong with the price.

True. It's cheap....but a 14" screen.

Battery life is a non-issue. There is a plug in the wall beside my moms comfy chair :)

[Triplebogey]

+1 for Dell. If all your mom needs is internet and email, you can't really go wrong with a Dell. My wife has the Inspiron 1501 and no problems thus far.
Dell has a good warranty and relatively hassle-free return policy. From what I have heard about Future shop/best buy and Staples--if you have a problem, they will send your computer away to be fixed but not give you a replacement---can be a big hassle


Macbooks would be my choice but they are more high end


good luck

[S.F.W.]

Acer Aspire Intel Core Duo T2450 2.0GHz Laptop $799

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10089816&catid=

Any good??

I don't normally knock other brands. HP, Dell, other make a very good product. Acer I will knock. Acer notebooks have a very high service requirement. Have you checked out the procedure to get an Acer notebook repaired under warranty ? 1)No free phone tech support. Technical support is provided entirely online. 2)Defective part? Welcome to "Fix My Acer" https://secure2.tx.acer.com/FixMyAcer3/FixMyAcer.aspx . You have to fill in an online claim form, or call 1-254-298-4696. Long distance call, might get expensive. Going to take your Acer back to FS for repair? FutureShop is not an authorized Acer repair depot . They will take in your product, ship it off for repaid, once repaired it will be shipped back to the store, who will call you to pick it up. Shipping back and forth is going to be two weeks at least.


Just a couple thoughts..

[kid_icarus]

Personally, I like acers.

They offer good bang for the buck.

I'm not a big fan of dells at all, I find their laptops slightly boring in terms of style, and i feel like i'm paying more just for the opportunity to "configure" my system and take advantage of their 24/7 customer service.

If you're good with computers, and you keep your computer healthy and clean. I think you can manage without a dell. Especially if you know what you want. If you're picking and need that extra 20GB of HDD space of 1GB of memory... just find a computer that has that. You're better off picky with your specs, making a criteria of things you want, and then looking for a computer that meets or exceeds the criteria. Don't let the configurator upsell you on things you don't need.

However I'd put my money on an acer aspire if you're looking for budget, good features and simplicity.

Overall, I've always favoried AMD's cuz they run cooler and cheaper. Just make sure you get dual core, since vista seems to thrive on running on dual core technology (or so they say). But I think intel prices are dropping... and they keep upping the processor cores lol.

Anyways that's my two cents. Laptops are pretty low priced nowadays that it's really hard to choose now.

[MattC]

I am a big fan of dell, simply because in my experience, and that of my friends, if something has gone wrong, even if it was our fault, they would fix it, and pay for shipping.

my buddy bought a 32" lcd tv from them on one of their "12 days of deals" so it was heavily discounted, and he thought the optical out for the sound wasn't working, so he phoned, they basically said, ok, we will send a new one out, and send someone to pick up the old one.

5 days later a new 32" tv showed up, and they took the old one away,

Turns out the optical out wasnt even messed on the TV, it was broken on the receiver. So we got a replacement TV for nothing with no effort, and there wasn't even anything wrong with it.

I had an issue with one of my ultrasharp 21"s with a pixel that died, they sent me a new one in under a week.


especially when it comes to laptops where unless you are a bigtime techie, you can't really just crack it open and see whats wrong, a company that is big enough to stand behing its products is always a good thing imo.

+4 to lenovo though, never dealt with service on them, but thinkpads are my all-time fav laptops, those things are built like brick shit houses.