Seeking Advice On Laptops...

[Tom Collins]

Someone help my sorry ass out with this, please?
I'm looking to get a light, good quality but inexpensive laptop so that I can write while I'm at work.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Come on and throw me a bone, will ya?

 

[English Lady]

Don't get a dell...seriously. Their customer service is awful and their laptops not much better. Although I'm talking about the UK, so I don't know it it applies universally or not

 

[Tom Collins]

Don't get a dell...seriously. Their customer service is awful and their laptops not much better. Although I'm talking about the UK, so I don't know it it applies universally or not

Hey, Duchess. How you doin', beautiful?

Yeah, my last laptop was a Dell and I can tell you that it's not any different over here in the states. I had no intention of going that route. Thanks for the heads up, though, I might not have known.

My problem is that I've been out of the technology loop for three years and I just don't know what's going on with it and there is so much out there that it's kinda boggling me...lol

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I have a dell desktop that's almost 4 years old, and I've not had any problems with it. Don't know if their laptops are as good or not.

I have an HP laptop. Despite some complaints I've heard from that company, I like my laptop. It's worked like it should with no problems.

My best advice is to buy it through a retailer that has an extended warranty. That way, you aren't dealing with the manufacturer if something goes wrong but with the retailer.

My first laptop was a Sony. The dvd-rom had something wrong with it from the get go. When I finally took it in to have it serviced, Best Buy (where I bought it) had great customer service. When Sony took forever to fix it, Best Buy simply replaced it (with the HP I have now.)

What do you consider inexpensive? A refurbished model might be best for you if you are looking to not spend a lot of money.

 

[zeb1094]

You may want to look at the dell refurbished laptops, I have been using dell laptop for 8 years now with no problems. My first one lasted 6 years with no problems until the keyboard crapped out. It was actually cheaper to by another, newer laptop than replace the keyboard. My current Dell laptop is a refurbished one and it's been runing for two years.

If all your going to do is word processing then an older one that has been refurbished might meet your needs, seeing as how you don't need a lot of power to run word or wordperfect.

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Someone help my sorry ass out with this, please?
I'm looking to get a light, good quality but inexpensive laptop so that I can write while I'm at work.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Come on and throw me a bone, will ya?

Etch-a-sketch?

 

[Norajane]

No one has good customer service anymore, unfortunately.

I just bought a Dell Inspiron, and it's working great. I've used a Toshiba at work for years, and have honestly never had any problems. My sister has a Toshiba and hates hers. The techie guys at work say HPs are workhorses, if you get a good one.

The Inspiron is a little heavier than I would like, but I bought it to replace my desktop, so I don't really travel with it very much. It has the wide screen, which I wanted but makes it bigger and heavier. Dell has lighter ones, though they are more expensive.

I know you don't want to go the Dell route, but if you do, here's a hint. You can sign up as a small business (you're a writer, aren't you?), no questions asked anyway, and can get an automatic discount. So, build your system as a home user and then try the small business section, and see which one turns out cheaper.

Upgrade on the memory as much as you can. Get the 9 cell battery for longer life.

Here's what mine cost - the small business discount really made a difference! Note: Office is not included. I had a copy lying around.

Most of these components were standard, just a few upgrades, like on the memory and battery and DVD burner.

Inspiron 6000
Intel Pentium M Processor 735 (1.70GHz/2MB Cache/400MHz FSB),
Display 15.4 inch WXGA LCD Panel 15XGA
Memory 1GB DDR SDRAM 2 Dimms 1GB2D
Video Card Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900
Hard Drive 80GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
Operating System (Office software not included) Genuine Windows XP Home
Network Card Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0
Combo/DVD+RW Drives 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability 8XDVDRW
Wireless Networking Cards Intel PRO 2200 and Dell 350 Bluetooth Internal Wireless Cards
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) No Security Subscription
Battery 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (80 WHr)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr At-Home Service, and 1Yr HW Warranty Support
Operating System Backup & Recovery PC Restore recovery system by Symantec
Dell Digital Entertainment Starter Entertainment Pack - Basic digital Music, Photo and Game experience

Total after discount: $1,043.70

 

[English Lady]

Hey, Duchess. How you doin', beautiful?

Yeah, my last laptop was a Dell and I can tell you that it's not any different over here in the states. I had no intention of going that route. Thanks for the heads up, though, I might not have known.

My problem is that I've been out of the technology loop for three years and I just don't know what's going on with it and there is so much out there that it's kinda boggling me...lol

Nothing constructive to add, just that I think I you.

I like being called nice names

Oh, but yes, I never call Dell nice names, ever.

 

[TxRad]

You may be down on Dell but the company i work for has a dozen of them banging around in the oilfields.... we've had one broken screen, from transport problems and one hard drive failure.... all are the older Inspiron 2650 and were bought refurbished.... refurbished means any problems have been repaired and or replaced and they have longer burn in time.. most bugs happen in the first month of operation....

Ok we also have some Toshiba's but they are to new to evaluate... they are also about twice what the dell's were.... They are used for special projects where more memory and power are needed for the massive amounts of data that are generated with some of our log plot programs....

Check your local stories like BestBuy and such... sometimes you'll find end of model models on for prices that are so low it'll scare ya..... I'm not sure what kind of warranty goes with them though...

One of the guys that works for me, found the same toshiba laptop we use at work for about 40 cents on the dollar, that way....

 

[carsonshepherd]

Someone help my sorry ass out with this, please?
I'm looking to get a light, good quality but inexpensive laptop so that I can write while I'm at work.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Come on and throw me a bone, will ya?

I don't know anything about laptops, but I'm an expert on.... *chokes it back* That was almost too damned easy.

 

[TxRad]

I don't know anything about laptops, but I'm an expert on.... *chokes it back* That was almost too damned easy.

Fish in a barrel..... i think the saying goes......

Excellent restraint.....

 

[carsonshepherd]

Fish in a barrel..... i think the saying goes......

Excellent restraint.....

*nods proudly*

 

[3113]

iBook!

Dude. Trust me on this. Get yourself an iBook (You don't mention price range--a new iBook is $1000--but Apple has laptops on sale, or you can look for one used).

iBook

Trust me, trust me, trust me.

1) Bulletproof. iBooks are among the best laptops for surviving falls and knocks. Not saying they're not delicate, all laptops are, but in the inexpensive range, they're pretty tough. They're also light, compact, have great screens, excellent battery life and good wi-fi reception. AND good resale value.

2) Apple has THE BEST customer service. That's not me saying it--it's the rating they got in Comsumer Product Magazine. They rate #1 for answering the phone, solving the problem, repairs, etc. Just get Apple Care.

3) All programs are integrated. If you buy a new laptop, you will get tons of programs INCLUDED in that price--which will allow you to do photos, movies, music, writing...etc. That is, you probably won't have to buy any extra stuff--and if you do (example: Microsoft Word), it will work, seamlessly with the Operating System. All programs are made to work together, effortlessly.

4) User friendly. The most user friendly computer on the market. Switching from Windows to Mac is a very fast and easy learning curve.

5) No viruses--not yet at least. Because most viruses are for Windows. So Mac computers escape them. Also, less pop-up windows while you surf the internet and programs that do a pretty good job getting rid of spam from mail and such.

6) If you use Microsoft Word, the version of Word for Mac is actually better than the one made for windows.

In case you're wondering if you documents will translate across from Mac to Windows...the stuff I sent you was done on a Mac. There's no problem sending documents from one computer to the other.

And now a short story: I arrived with my laptop at a hotel for a writer's convention. The hotel had free, wireless interent. On the desk in the room was a list of instructions on how to get on this wireless internet. The Window's instructions was a page long. The Linx instructions were half a page long.

The Mac instructions read as follows: "Start up your computer. When asked if you want to join the network, say yes."

Need I say more? Get. An. iBook.

 

[NoJo]

I second the above post. And I currently use Dell Inspiron, Sony Vaio, Toshiba and Asus laptops at work too.

Actually The Vaio PCG-TR1MP is better than the iBook, but a lot more expensive.

 

[kendo1]

Here's me sitting in front of a Dell. No problems, no need for customer service.

 

[rydia57]

Hi,


I'd recommend a powerbook too. Macs rarely crash and an old powerbook is just as good as a new one. I bought one to take notes in class. Has never crashed or froze up on me. But if you're not a Mac person, I'd suggest a gateway. It's upgradeable, and inexpensive. It'll also last a good while. PLEEZE do not get a Dell. If it breaks or any hardware goes bad, you've bought it. HPs are nice too. Good luck in your search!

 

[NoJo]

Here's me sitting in front of a Dell. No problems, no need for customer service.

I can picture you now. I bet you have a nice mug of hot cocoa too.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I wouldn't touch another Gateway with a 10 foot pole.

 

[kendo1]

Coffee actually.


Macs are good.

 

[NoJo]

Coffee actually.


Macs are good.

Decaff, I hope. Otherwise you'll be tossing all night.

 

[CharleyH]

Decaff, I hope. Otherwise you'll be tossing all night.

This could not be asked on the general board?

 

[kendo1]

Nope.
Can't get to sleep without one. I'd never make it up the stairs.

 

[NoJo]

This could not be asked on the general board?

I could ask it, but I wouldn't get any literate replies.

 

[kendo1]

That's where the trolls live.

 

[greathands660]

Toughbooks

I use Panasonic toughbooks. Very durable, the ruggedised models are used by the military and police departments. They are literally bullet proof, the cassings are made of a magnesium metal, and the hard drives are encased in a gel like dampening compound, sealed keyboards and such. The semi rugged models have some plastic on them, but the base is mostly the magnesium material. They also have a dampend hard drive and sealed key boards. I have been getting them off of eBay and have never had a problem with any of them. Good luck