Notebook Computers

[dr_mabeuse]

I'm going to break down and buy a laptop. I need some advice.

I've got a Dell PC, and it's been fine, except that my hard drive totally fried without reason last summer and I lost everything (my backup CD won't open). But I'm a reasonable guy, and Dell had a guy out here the next day to replace it. So I lost a year's worth of work. I can write more. <forces smile>

Anyhow, I want this laptop as a second home PC for me mainly, just for writing and maybe visiting the AH. I'm not much of a gamer and I don't watch movies.

It'll probably either be a Dell or a Gateway, because I want to keep it cheap, under $800, if possible. Both companies have deals for $650.

Any recommendations?

---dr.M.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I'm going to break down and buy a laptop. I need some advice.

I've got a Dell PC, and it's been fine, except that my hard drive totally fried without reason last summer and I lost everything (my backup CD won't open). But I'm a reasonable guy, and Dell had a guy out here the next day to replace it. So I lost a year's worth of work. I can write more. <forces smile>

Anyhow, I want this laptop as a second home PC for me mainly, just for writing and maybe visiting the AH. I'm not much of a gamer and I don't watch movies.

It'll probably either be a Dell or a Gateway, because I want to keep it cheap, under $800, if possible. Both companies have deals for $650.

Any recommendations?

---dr.M.

I tried several companies, including gateway, before I got a Dell. With my computer competance being what it is, their tech support is vital to me and they have never let me down. I am sure others can say more about the quality of the machines, but for service, I find dell is hard to beat.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I have a Dell laptop at work. It is currently on it's 2nd LCD screen, the first failed, according to the repairman, due to repeated flexing caused by opening and closing the screen. I thought they were designed to be opened and closed? And besides, it spends about 80% of its time with the screen closed in a docking port. Also, the cooling fan failed recently and had to be replaced. No hard drive/board problems but I still don't consider it the most relyable computer I've ever had.

My Toshiba laptop at home has been flawless for about 2 years now. So has my old HP, but that's a desktop.

 

[English Lady]

mu husband has a dell laptop and has had it for about 8 months.

Key's keep falling off the keyboard, the power supply died a death, the catch doesn't caatch much anymore and the CD drive has a habit of just falling out.

we've managed to get a power supply from them, but we do have an expensive warranty with 'em. The customer service is ok..but sometimes you get routed via everywhere to get to the person youneed to talk to and acouple of times the people i've spoken to have been awfully rude. Others have bended over backwards to help though.

We've still not managed to get our keyboard fixed though.

Hubby just got me a little compaq off Ebay -she;s lovely. but i don't suggest you do that if you don't know what you're looking for.

Plus i'm talking about the UK branch of Dell. Although I've spoken to folks in America before now Ican;t claim to know about their customer services

 

[Guest]

Mab., I've had Dell laptops for years (supplied by the office). Never had a problem, love 'em. Currently I have a Latitude C400, model no. PP03L (about two years old, I get upgraded every three years). It's very light as the drives for disks and CDs are attachable when needed.

Perdita

 

[Lisa Denton]

I'm going to break down and buy a laptop. I need some advice.

I've got a Dell PC, and it's been fine, except that my hard drive totally fried without reason last summer and I lost everything (my backup CD won't open). But I'm a reasonable guy, and Dell had a guy out here the next day to replace it. So I lost a year's worth of work. I can write more. <forces smile>

Anyhow, I want this laptop as a second home PC for me mainly, just for writing and maybe visiting the AH. I'm not much of a gamer and I don't watch movies.

It'll probably either be a Dell or a Gateway, because I want to keep it cheap, under $800, if possible. Both companies have deals for $650.

Any recommendations?

---dr.M.

Second home PC? Go with a big screen and don't care about weight and battery power. State that and you may get a better deal because the peoples on the move with them want small, lightweight and long-time battery power.

Also peoples is dumping old Lap-tops, like last years, and getting newer ones. Some of the deals on the "old, used" ones are quite good especially if you get one upgradable and have it upgraded before shipping, bigger hard drive, more ram.

Google "used Lap-tops" and compare that and the new prices.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I bought a Dell Inspirion 5100 laptop a year ago and am absolutely in love with it. I spend a great deal of time on it, use it for DVD watching, writing, gaming, internet (obviously), mp3 management, CD burning, etc... I've never had any problems with it, and were it not for my daughter knocking it off of the table the USB port in back wouldn't be wiggly.

I've used HP, Compaq and NEC laptops before. The only other one besides the Dell that I loved was the NEC and they're difficult to come by as well as pricey.

It's a big investment and I'd venture to say that the only thing you won't like about it is adjusting to a more compact keyboard. Of course, with as much as you write, it won't take long for you to adjust. (I hope.) Good luck.

~lucky

 

[domjoe]

Given your budget, Dell Inspiron is a really good choice.

I've been advised: DONT go with IBM, Toshiba, too weird and individual in their hardware, (though very well made), so stuff like PCMCIA cards sometimes don't work as advertised with them.

(IBM probably make the least IBM-compatible PC's around).


But never, ever, sit in a Santa Monica cafe writing the eighth draft of your screenplay on it. Strictly Apple hardware there.

Of course you could always cause a stir on 3rd Street promenade by smoking three cigarattes simultaneously and banging away on your Remington, like the true hacks.

 

[English Lady]

PS hubby's laptop is a Dell inspiron 510M

 

[shereads]

mu husband has a dell laptop and has had it for about 8 months.

Key's keep falling off the keyboard, the power supply died a death, the catch doesn't caatch much anymore and the CD drive has a habit of just falling out. <snip> sometimes you get routed via everywhere to get to the person youneed to talk to and acouple of times the people i've spoken to have been awfully rude.

Wow. "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"

Someone at Dell should see this, and so should lots of companies. A perfect demonstration of how one rotten service experience can influence countless people.

At least you were speaking to someone in Britain so they haven't been outsourced to Pakistan yet. ("Greetings to you, Mrs. English Lady. I am so happy to be assisting you today. May I put you on hold while I attempt to answer shereads' question about home refinancing? I am multi-tasking.")

 

[oggbashan]

Why a laptop?

If you are not going to travel with it then there are disadvantages to a laptop.

The keyboard is not so easy to use, the screen is not so good, the upgrades are more difficult (and more expensive), and the reliability is less than a desktop.

If you have the space, a second user PC would be a much cheaper option. I could buy one here that would do everything I need for about 80 pounds (run Windows ME, Word 97, dial-up modem) including keyboard, mouse, speakers, CD-ROM. For a few pounds more I could have either a CD writer or a DVD drive.

A equivalent laptop would cost about 200 pounds and would do no more.

Og

 

[~photoguy~]

I've been using DELL laptops for years ... generally reliable, decent service .. etc...

my one piece of advice .... get LOTS of RAM ... at least 512 MB .. more if possible

I have 512 MB now .. but my next laptop will have 1 GB or more.... Windows is a memory HOG

good luck!

 

[wishfulthinking]

So I lost a year's worth of work. I can write more. <forces smile>

Eek. This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Sympathies

 

[English Lady]

Wow. "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"

Someone at Dell should see this, and so should lots of companies. A perfect demonstration of how one rotten service experience can influence countless people.

At least you were speaking to someone in Britain so they haven't been outsourced to Pakistan yet. ("Greetings to you, Mrs. English Lady. I am so happy to be assisting you today. May I put you on hold while I attempt to answer shereads' question about home refinancing? I am multi-tasking.")

Actually I have spoken to some lovely people in India and Some in America and a few in Ireland. I spoken to alotof people in a lot of places.

I liked speaking to the Americans (ahh the accents) but as soon as they found out I was English I'd get transfered *sobs*

Did I tell you they'd not arrange for anyone to fic the keyboard until we'd recieved a new power pack "to see if that solved the problem first."

Oh yes a new power supply really stopped my keys falling off.

 

[shereads]

Re: Why a laptop?

If you are not going to travel with it then there are disadvantages to a laptop.

The keyboard is not so easy to use, the screen is not so good, the upgrades are more difficult (and more expensive), and the reliability is less than a desktop.

If you have the space, a second user PC would be a much cheaper option. I could buy one here that would do everything I need for about 80 pounds (run Windows ME, Word 97, dial-up modem) including keyboard, mouse, speakers, CD-ROM. For a few pounds more I could have either a CD writer or a DVD drive.

A equivalent laptop would cost about 200 pounds and would do no more.

Og

But don't you have the urge to sit in a cafe with wireless internet access and look all studious with your laptop while in fact you're surfing porn?

I love my laptop because it gives me a degree of freedom I didn't know I had been missing until I had it. When I'm workiing offline, I have 4 hours of battery power and I can work anywhere I want: on the deck when the weather is nice as it is today, or at the dog park while the pooch plays. I just got a wireless card and as soon as I figure out how WiFi works (do you need to subscribe to a service?) I'll be able to work online at the nearest Starbucks, or the Starbucks a block over from that one, or even MacDonalds if I should suddenly need to dump a toddler in their playground.

Wireless! I love it! I can hardly wait to try it.

 

[Guest]

 

[yui]

I've personally been very happy with my Sony Vaio laptop. I've had it for about five years now. No problems to speak of, nice big screen, and the keyboard isn't too much of a change (as long as I actually use it on my lap - meaning, if I use it on a higher surface it is awkward to type for long).

Luck,

Yui

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I'd say if you are trying to choose between Dell and Gateway, definitely go with Dell... Gateways suck.


Shereads, I think you need a wireless router for the wireless card to work. That's what we have.

 

[oggbashan]

Re: Re: Why a laptop?

But don't you have the urge to sit in a cafe with wireless internet access and look all studious with your laptop while in fact you're surfing porn?

No. I'm retired. I have rooms in two houses where I can be private and look at or write what I like.

I used to have an Epson laptop that had CP/M as an operating sustem and used miniature tapes as a storage medium. That looked impressive especially as it had a French language keyboard and all the commands were in French. French Wordstar and dbase were 'interesting' and my system was secure from anyone except a French computer nerd.

My contemporaries were using IBM luggables which were portable if you had a wheelbarrow and a long mains lead.

I impressed my bosses who didn't know their ram from their rom.

Og

 

[The_Fool]

About the only brand mentioned that I never see in a business environment is a Gateway Laptop. I can't recall seeing too many Sony's either, but I am not sure that they pitch to a business level. Usually it's Compaq, HP, IBM or Dell. To reinterate, put as much of your money as you can into DRAM, even if you have to downgrade the processor. But don't go with a celeron (personal illogical reasons).

 

[domjoe]

The thread title is Notebook computers, not laptops, though the Dr doesn't seem too bothered about getting an actual notebook computer. Personally, I wouldn't buy a notebook on a budget of $800. I'd buy a laptop.

A couple of years ago I did a lot of my writing with an iPAQ Pocket PC + amazing Targus folding FULL-SIZE keyboard. THe whole thing was literally pocket sized. This was when I had to sneak my writing time in on the train, at lunch, etc.

Now, at home, I use a genuine notebook computer, a lovely Sony Vaio PCG-TR1MP. It's very small, and the battery last for ages. The screen is amazing. But it's around $1800!


In the office I have an old Dell with a 24" monitor -- I can see two screenplay pages at actually size. You can pick these monsters up really cheap, as nobody wants a CRT screen any more.

I use Final Draft for scripts. Just started writing stories again, and I'm using Word, but I still use Final Draft Courier font, which prints really black.


Today I was told Apple are about to release a really cheap ($499?) notebook computer. Mac Mini

 

[rgraham666]

Dom? I think that's just a really small desktop computer, rather than a laptop.

I WANT ONE!!! Never used anything but Macs.

 

[Liar]

Whatever you go for, make sure you get to see one running at a store first.

I mean, we talk about preformance this and processors that, but the real deal is really three things:

-Does it feel good to type on? The quality of the keyboard on notebooks varies a great deal.
-Is the screen nice to watch? This also varies alot.
-Does it sound like someone hurling logs into a jet motor? Make sure you get a fairly silent one. It makes a lot of difference on the experiance.

Those three things has to my experience (and I work at a tech zine that rewiews the things, so I've tried on quite many) that those things are more important than the number of USB ports, the size of the memory and the speed of the dvd player, or whatever. At least in the long run. Because what is it we do 99% of the time on those things? Type stuff, and read stuff.

 

[nushu2]

My Compaq P.O.S. chewed up 2 batteries in one year and only works with a cord now. Origionally got a laptop because I spent too much time isolated, back when I was programming. It's nice to have the computer come to you, rather than go to it.

 

[tolyk]

I've never cared much for either Dell or Compaq computers. In my experience they tend to collect a lot more problems than say an IBM, Sory, or what have you..

As for the specifics, as someone mentioned don't get a Celeron, they are pentium chip regects.. They work alright most times, but there is the occassional one that will just fry out.

If you are going to get a Laptop, get a Pentium and not an AMD. AMDs have a tendacy of running extremely hot, which really shortens the life of a laptop. Pentium is your best choice.

I could go on more about this subject, and about how vehemently I dislike Dell and Compaq (who bought out HP, but HP products still seem to be alright.. so far) but I'm rather tired and can't think about this too deeply.