Laptop help please

[SeaCat]

Okay this question deals mainly with brands.

I have narrowed my search down to two laptops, both within ten dollars of each other.

The first is a Dell, the other is an Acer. The same processor and chipset. The same hardware. Hell even the same software.

I can get the Dell for $499.00 and the Acer for $489.00

I have to order the Dell online. I can go down to the local Wal-Mart and get the Acer right there.

Has anyone compared the two?


Comments are more than welcome.

Cat

 

[Carnevil9]

I would get the Dell. They are a known quantity with an excellent reputation. Acer has been around awhile, but I've never heard of anyone who owned one. So I'd play it safe and get the Dell.......Carney

 

[Liar]

Acer are more common in Europe. I own one. And, well, it works, is all I can say. Slim, good keyboard, easy to carry. It's acted weird once in two years, but the service was fast.

The tech geeks here @ work have a thing against Dell, but I've never quite understood what. It's probably something geeky that us normal folks are not affected by. Personaily, I just think they're damn ugly, but if you want a computer based on how chic it is, get a Mac.

 

[cantdog]

I've owned Acer. Years back. Great monitors, then. I have a Dell at work. There's a lot of Dell shit on a dell. It comes loaded with Dell shortcuts, Dell special utilities, dell screens on startup, dell this, dell that. I have managed to disable most of this, but there's pounds and pounds of it.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I own a Dell laptop and love it. . .I worked for Wal-Mart. . .If something happens with the Acer they aren't going to help you out. They'll look at you and say . . .duh. . . and there store warrenty is 90 days, with the reciept, sure would suck to lose that reciept.

Now. . .with that I have heard Dell is a bitch to work with when something does happen, but I have personally dealt with them and had no issues, and my mom had one of their printers go out on her and they replaced it within two days, their cost. . . So, I'd say for warrenty promises you'll get more with Dell.

 

[sugared]

Lots of people in my office have acer laptops and are using them for varoius functions and they work quite well for them. I had mine for over two years and run some pretty hungry software programs. It went through a crazy spell of crashing and freezing but after I cleaned out most of the smut it seemed to work fine again. Dont know too much about Dell other than my computer geek friends wont allow me to buy one. Hope that helps.

 

[AngelofDarkLust]

I had a Dell laptop at work. Yeah, you've got to clear off a bunch of crappage that comes pre installed but after that, it was a workhorse. It was four years old, used it as my day to day interface with the network, drug it over the entire state of CA and it's still going strong. Memory integerity was great. Although you have to excercise the battery regularly or they loose memeory (all of them not just Dell) and I didn't. Support was good.

 

[cantdog]

The hardware was top notch on my work Dell. But I did resent the Dell stuff. Acer went out of its way to be interchangeable and compatible, back in the day when there were lots of clones who had, like HP and Compaq, proprietary motherboards.

 

[SeaCat]

Okay,

Tha Laptop which died was an older Dell Latitude. )Old enough that it ran Windows Me.) It did what I wanted it to, but was heavy and slow. It finally died with a major Hard Drive failure. (On the one occasion I was able to get it past the start up screen it was showing over half the sectors as damaged.)

I could deal with a Dell, I have heard their service is good.

I know the service through Wal-Mart isn't that good, but I would also get a service agreement from Acer. (I had an older, and I do mean older Acer Laptop many years ago. We're talking one that ran windows 95. I bought it used but they always seemed to come through for me, even though it did take a while.)

While I haven't been able to actually look at the Dell, I have been able to look at the Acer. I like it's graphics and the screen is nice. Also it's size is the one I want. (I don't need or want a 17 inch screen, hell I like the 14 and 15 inch screens.)

I'll have to think about this a bit more. The prices for both are in the ballpark for what I want.

Cat

 

[Seattle Zack]

No, get yourself a water-cooled high-definition Xbox 360 laptop. It weighs 14 pounds, but you'd never be bored at an airport again.

http://benheck.com/Games/Xbox360/final/jones_right.jpg

 

[Weird Harold]

The first is a Dell, the other is an Acer. The same processor and chipset. The same hardware. Hell even the same software.

I can get the Dell for $499.00 and the Acer for $489.00

I have to order the Dell online. I can go down to the local Wal-Mart and get the Acer right there.

It's not the application software bundle that makes a difference, it's the utilities and proprietary drivers that make the difference. Del has a bad reputation for making proprietary patches to almost every bit of software it bundles with it's computers.

As Cant noted, Dell loads up it's products with "helpfull" proprietary Dell software that not even my granddaughters find very helpful (they have two Dell computers in the house.)

I'd zip on down to Wall-mart and save $20 plus shipping charges -- unless there is something the Dell offers that makes the shipping charges and wait worthwhile to you.

 

[R. Richard]

The local tech people where I live hate Dell. The hate seems to be that Dell not only has proprietary software but proprietary hardware as well and that repair is pretty much only through Dell. Acer is much more standard hardware and can be repaired by the local shops. The local repair thing becomes much more important as the unit gets older and is no longer under guarantee.

I own neither brand. However, if I were you, I would talk to your friendly neighborhood computer store before I bought either brand. JMHO.

 

[Weird Harold]

The local tech people where I live hate Dell. The hate seems to be that Dell not only has proprietary software but proprietary hardware as well and that repair is pretty much only through Dell.

Dell used to be very bad about Proprietary hardware issues, but they have gone much more standardized in recent years. The proprietary software issues still make working on them a pain, but the hardware complaint is largely a legacy hatred.

ETA: At leas ttheir desktop models are 99% standard hardware now -- I don't have any experience with their laptops.

 

[Guest]

.....

 

[arienette]

I used to have a Dell, I loved it lots, although my geeky friends kept telling me it was going to overheat because Dells were like that. It didn't though and worked just fine up until the day it got reposessed.

 

[mack_the_knife]

I run a Dell desktop and laptop and they're both good machines and came with pretty good software bundles, which inclunded only a few oddball programs I've not heard of before.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I have been using dell laptops for the past 7 - 8 years, Latitudes, the first didn't crap out for 4 years of hard use. Everything worked fine except the 'C' key on the keyboard. Traded it in for a new model Latitude and it's still going strong. It's been all over the USA and to China and back. The OS has been up graded twice without problems from Windows 98 to Windows 2000 to Windows XP Professional. On the first laptop I did have a disk crash but was able to replace the drive without a problem.

I also have several Dell desktops, one that had been in constant use since 1995 making it 11 years old. The only thing that broke was the cd drive which was easily replaced with an off the shelf drive from Micro Center. The original OS, Window 3.1, was upgraded to Windows 95 then made into a dual boot with Windows NT, then too Windows 98 and finally is now running Windows 2000 Professional.

All my Dells have run like champs without problems whereas my sons Gateways and HP's have had nothing but problems. Of course I keep telling him to stay off them darn porno sites where he catches all them viruses.

 

[R. Richard]

All my Dells have run like champs without problems whereas my sons Gateways and HP's have had nothing but problems. Of course I keep telling him to stay off them darn porno sites where he catches all them viruses.

I do a bit of work as a computer consultant. I have had problems with Gateway computers, nothing too serious, but enough to keep me away from them. I have had nothing but problems with HPs. In fact, the local computer guys tell me that HP stands for "Has Problems." I put my customers in PCs built by a good local shop. The PCs built by the the local shop use top quality commodity parts. They can be repaired and upgraded by the local shop. If one of my customers is on travel and his/her laptop goes out, a trip to a local computer shop anywhere can get it repaired.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I do a bit of work as a computer consultant. I have had problems with Gateway computers, nothing too serious, but enough to keep me away from them. I have had nothing but problems with HPs. In fact, the local computer guys tell me that HP stands for "Has Problems." I put my customers in PCs built by a good local shop. The PCs built by the the local shop use top quality commodity parts. They can be repaired and upgraded by the local shop. If one of my customers is on travel and his/her laptop goes out, a trip to a local computer shop anywhere can get it repaired.

Ever since HP and Compaq merged their product has gone down hill fast. Prior to the merger Compaq was quality product, although slightly high in cost. HP used to be a quality company that produced quality products but has lately, at least in the computer arena, been lacking in a reliable product.

Hence, my reliance on Dell.

 

[velvetpie]

I've had an HP laptop, a Gateway desktop and two Dell dekstops and a Dell laptop. My vote is to buy the Dell. The customer service I've received has been incredibly top rate and they don't treat you like an idiot when you ask a question.

Go with the Dell. You'll be a happy man!

 

[rachlou]

I have an Acer laptop (i'm on it now). Only problem I have had with it is that the wireles LAN card died within 2 months of me buying it. Unfortunately I can't live without Internet and chose to repace it with a wireless USB adapter, rather than send it away for warranty repair (which would have taken 2 weeks or more). Apart from that - its been ace!

We have a Dell pc at work and thats been ok. Lasted 4 yrs before it died a death. A few problems that required Tech support and I have to say, Dell tech support was second to none. They were excellent and couldn't have been more helpful. Plus they actually knew what they were talking about - always a bonus !!

Go for the one that has the better/longer warranty. Pc's are too unpredictable to risk a crap warranty combined with a duff laptop. Beyond that, i would buy either.

 

[SeaCat]

Okay, I went and did it. I was walking through Wal-Mart with my wife this afternoon and decided to take another look at the Acer as she looked at clothes. I had the sales Rep come on over from his talking up a couple of young ladies, (probably saved him some hard time in jail too.) and had him turn the computer on so I could play.

I liked the way the keyboard felt, and I loved the display. (Nice and crisp and clear.) It didn't have the Word Processor I like to use but that's okay, I have the disk at home. My wife came over and watched me for a couple of minutes before telling the sales rep to get one from the back. We were going to buy it.

We got it to the register and payed. Not too bad. $530.00 after tax.

We got home and I started opening the box. Hey wait a minute, this didn't look like the one I had been paying with in the store. That one had been black, this one was silvered. This one was also thinner. Okay, I can deal with that, I like the silver case and the other must have just been a display model.

I attach the battery, plug it in and fire it up. After the usual BS of setting up Windows I finally get to see my computer. Whoa wait a minute here. This isn't the one I was looking at, not at all.

The one I was looking at had an Intel Celeron 380 Processor, a 40 Gig HD, and a combo Drive. (CD Burner and DVD-Rom)

This one has the faster Centrino 735 Processor, a 60 Gig HD, and a CD/DVD Burner.

Hoo Yah, I'm loving life now. (My Desktop doesn't even have a DVD-Rom much less a DVD Burner.)

I was a good boy though, even though I kept the computer. As it was sorting itself out in it's new home it detected not one, not two but three wireless networks I could log in through. I decided I wouldn't. (I'll have to set up a wireless router system in the Trailer so I can go online with the laptop.)

Cat

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Okay, I went and did it. I was walking through Wal-Mart with my wife this afternoon and decided to take another look at the Acer as she looked at clothes. I had the sales Rep come on over from his talking up a couple of young ladies, (probably saved him some hard time in jail too.) and had him turn the computer on so I could play.

I liked the way the keyboard felt, and I loved the display. (Nice and crisp and clear.) It didn't have the Word Processor I like to use but that's okay, I have the disk at home. My wife came over and watched me for a couple of minutes before telling the sales rep to get one from the back. We were going to buy it.

We got it to the register and payed. Not too bad. $530.00 after tax.

We got home and I started opening the box. Hey wait a minute, this didn't look like the one I had been paying with in the store. That one had been black, this one was silvered. This one was also thinner. Okay, I can deal with that, I like the silver case and the other must have just been a display model.

I attach the battery, plug it in and fire it up. After the usual BS of setting up Windows I finally get to see my computer. Whoa wait a minute here. This isn't the one I was looking at, not at all.

The one I was looking at had an Intel Celeron 380 Processor, a 40 Gig HD, and a combo Drive. (CD Burner and DVD-Rom)

This one has the faster Centrino 735 Processor, a 60 Gig HD, and a CD/DVD Burner.

Hoo Yah, I'm loving life now. (My Desktop doesn't even have a DVD-Rom much less a DVD Burner.)

I was a good boy though, even though I kept the computer. As it was sorting itself out in it's new home it detected not one, not two but three wireless networks I could log in through. I decided I wouldn't. (I'll have to set up a wireless router system in the Trailer so I can go online with the laptop.)

Cat

Someones inventory won't balance at the end of the month.

 

[SeaCat]

Someones inventory won't balance at the end of the month.

Yep. I'm not complaining though.

Cat