Texas Wahine

Join Date 08/2004

+127

Need Help Choosing a Laptop

OK, all you geeks out there. It's time to do your good deed for the day.

I am looking for a laptop and I am pretty much clueless about what features and specs I need.

Here's what I KNOW I want:

Long Battery Life
Durability as it may be mildly abused
Good at picking up wireless internet signal
Port(s) for memory cards (specifically SD and CF)
CD & DVD Burner
$800-$1200 price-range
Plenty of space for photos/videos and associated playing-around-with-photos/videos-software

I do NOT want:

A mac (I know, I know, they're so stable and awesome and easy to use, but hubby says no)
Anything over $1200
Something that gets too hot

It would be cool if it had:

Built-in webcam and mic
Ability to run games like The Sims and Zoo Tycoon (yes, I'm a girl) and maybe 1 or 2 "real" games for when my husband gets back from Iraq
S video output
A large, oh-so-pretty screen

My husband wants to add an external hard drive, and I don't know very much about what that means.

I also don't know what #s to look for (xGB?) or basically anything technical at all. I will be using it mostly for playing around with pics, piddling with chick games, and using the internet.

Also, I have heard that Vista sucks balls and that it's going to cause me a lot of grief. Do I *have* to have Vista installed or can I get something with XP?

Please help me.

laptops

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Corky_O

Join Date 04/2004

I am not sure whether any of the more prominent manufacturers (Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony, Acer) offer laptops with XP or not.

This is a good notebook from Dell http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_e1705?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I have the Inspiron 9300, which is two generations back with the same body and screen, but has a single-core processor and a lesser video card. The link above is to the base edition of the notebook.

I would recommend upgrading the following:

1 - Video adapter (card) to either of the 256 MB cards (the ATI is $99) to move away from the integrated video adapter. Whether you run XP or Vista, the integrated video adapter will eventually not cut the mustard.

2 - Upgrade to at least 1 GB of the "DDR2 RAM 667 Mhz" ($25)

3 - Upgrade to the 100 GB 7200 RPM hard drive ($95)

The above notwithstanding, I highly recommend the following for any current notebook use:

A) Dual core processor (highest number in 'Ghz' you can afford, and a Core2 Duo if possible).

A video card with at least 256 MB of RAM on it (no integrated video).

C) Memory - at least 1 GB of no less than DDR2 667 Mhz speed RAM (the 533 Mhz speed will be a bit disappointing in about a year for any video or multimedia applications - games, movies, etc.).

D) A hard drive that is a 7200 RPM speed to enable good response time when loading the operating system, opening programs, and saving files. Note - currently drives greater than 120 GB only come in a 5400 RPM or 4200 RPM speed, so 100 GB is the largest currently available in the preferred speed.

E) A DVD/CD drive that can at least write to CD and read DVD dual-layer discs.

Terminology:

MB = Megabyte (approximately 1 million bytes)

GB = Gigabyte (approximately 1 billion bytes)

Mhz = Megahertz (can be loosely thought of as 1 million cycles per second)

Ghz = Gigahertz (can be loosely thought of as 1 billion cycles per second)

Dual-core processor items:

Core duo processor = Intel's first generation dual processor

Core2 Duo processor = Intel's second (and current) dual core processor

When you think of processor cores, you can use the following analogy:

A single core processor is like a single road which can allow cars to pass through and the processors cycles per second as the speed limit on the road. Each calculation going through the processor core could be represented by a car going through the road. The more calculations (or cars) required (A.K.A. - tasks on the computer), the more congested the core (or road). If you have a dual-core processor, you now have two roads to allow the same amount of traffic.

As with any road, the faster the speed limit, the faster the car can get from point 'A' to point 'B'. Therefore, you want the fastest processor (expressed in 'Ghz') you can afford.

Memory is a holding tank for anything you are working with on the screen (loosely translated). The larger the amount of 'bytes' the more the tank holds. Like our analogy above, the faster the speed of the memory (expressed in 'hertz' or 'cycles per second') the faster the tank can move things in and out of the holding tank to complete tasks.

Okay, that's it for our mini class.

I hope this helps in some way.

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I like Toshiba laptops the best, but I did have problems with my last Toshiba notebook overheating. But I went to Best Buy and bought a Targus Chillmat, and that took care of the problem. There are some Toshiba laptops still shipping with Windows XP, at least that's what they have on their website.

This one is a little over your stated price range, but it's a pretty good match for the features that you want:

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/adet.to?seg=HHO&poid=293349

You could get one for a lesser price with an Intel video card, but I'm not sure how well an Intel would work for your husband's games or how well Intel supports their laptop cards. Also, if you shop around you might be able to find this laptop from someplace like Best Buy on sale.

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If you want a laptop that ships with XP, you might check on sites like TigerDirect.com. If you have a large game collection already, I'd personally suggest trying to find an XP machine, as there are MANY game compatibility problems with Vista (even Rise of Nations, which is made by Microsoft!)

I think Toshiba would probably give you the best bang for your buck. I like Dell as well, but I am not an unbiased source on Dell, so you'll need to hear that from someone else...lol!

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Corky: Thanks! That was SO helpful. I really appreciate the explanations. I'll check out your link when I finish my sushi.

CariElf:

There are some Toshiba laptops still shipping with Windows XP, at least that's what they have on their website.

Cool. My mom has a Toshiba she got for $500 and she really likes it.

This one is a little over your stated price range, but it's a pretty good match for the features that you want:

I'll check it out. My price range is up to $1500, but my husband is an $800-$1200 kinda guy. I think I could convince him to go up a tiny bit!

Thanks for your help!

Gid:

Oh yikes. Question: Isn't Microsoft going to be pulling support for anything but Vista? Will I regret going with XP if I can get it? It doesn't sound like I really want Vista (at least not while it's so buggy and unproven), but might I regret that decision later?

I think Toshiba would probably give you the best bang for your buck. I like Dell as well, but I am not an unbiased source on Dell, so you'll need to hear that from someone else...lol!

I've had some people recommend Dell as well. I think I can get a Dell tax-free through a link on the AAFES website.

Thanks!

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Under Microsoft's Support Lifecyle Policy, consumers and businesses both receive "mainstream" support for their products. XP Home Edition and XP Media Center will see mainstream support end in April 2009, which includes paid support, security updates, design changes and feature requests.

Once mainstream support expires, the five-year extended support is due to kick in. Previously, XP Home and XP Media Center consumers would migrate to self-help support for eight years, after their mainstream support ended.

The extended-support level includes roughly half of the eight features included in mainstream support. Those not included are design changes and feature requests, warranty claims, no-charge incident reports and nonsecurity hot-fix support, unless a user purchases an extended agreement within 90 days of the mainstream support expiring.

The phase for additional software support will provide consumers with service until 2014, Microsoft said.

copied from Cnet news
From my understanding from Microsoft you need need to have XP installed before April 2009 to have this extension.

It's My Secret

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What Mysecret said. Even Windows 2000, SP4 is in extended support (although ME isn't...but ME needed to die anyway!...but I digress!)

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Tex,

I recently got a Dell Inspiron 6400. I use it for writing, for music production and for the internet. We have wireless broadband at home and it works well. The battery life isn't fantastic, but as it is our only pc, it doesn't really bother us anyway because it doesn't leave the house. Wireless broadband is fantastic because I can be anywhere (even lying in bed) while online. It does, however, get a little hot. All in all, we're very pleased with the purchase and Dell were very professional and efficient in getting it out to us.

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Thanks, Maso.

I am leaning heavily toward purchasing a Dell. I just checked out the Dell/AAFES (military exchange) website, and they have really nice prices and good customization options.

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You're going to run into a little bit of a trade-off of screen size versus performance to stay in your price range.
Looking at Dell's selection there are only two 17" models, and both of those come with only a half-gig of RAM and draw from that for the graphics.
If you drop to a 15.4" screen, you can get a 2GB of RAM, a Core2duo processor, and a 120GB hard drive, as well as the ATI mobility graphics. WWW Link
I really like my Thinkpad. Good performance and it's pretty sturdy. They tend to run a little more than the Dells, though.
You could also try looking around your local Big-box stores for any good display models. Sometimes you can get them for a big discount, especially if you buy the extended warranty package (the stores make more off that than they do from the hardware, sometimes they'll cut a huge discount to sell the warranty, and then you've got some extra insurance

)
You might also have a better chance of getting an XP machine if you pick up a display model.

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tjesterb: I don't mind losing some screen size. *I think*

Thanks for your help!

I checked out the PX today, and everything they have has integrated graphics cards. And the lady was kind of a jerk.

I ran Corky's list by a guy at a computer store in the PX mall, and here's what he gave me:

Intel Core Duo Processor with 2MB on-die cache
1.66 GHz - 2.33 Ghz, 667 MHz FSB
Supports DDR2 667/533 SODIM, 2 X SODIM Sockets expandable to 2 GB
15.4' WXGA (1280X800) TFT Display
Nvidida GeForce Go 7600 (G73) with 256 MB VRAM
24X CD-RW/8X DVD combo drive or 4X DVD+-R/RW/CD-RW Dual Layer Drive
4 in 1 card reader support (SD/MMC/MS)
Built in Stereo speakers
Support 802.11a /b/g available
One PCI Expressx1 Card Slot for Express Card 45/54 device
1 X VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15 pin for external display
3 USB 2.0 ports
2 X Audio jacks: Headphone or SPDF Mic-in
1 X RJ-11 for modem 56K bps v.92 fax modem
1 X RJ-45 for LAN 10/100/1000 Base T PCI Lan on board
1 X 1394 B Type Jack

Intel Core Duo 1.66 GHz, 1 GB of DDRAM, 80 GB of hard drive, DVD-RW drive, Wireless LAN, Windows XP Home

$1349 (can upgrade to 100 GB of HD for $20)

**Upgrade***

Intel Duo Core 1.83 GHz, 2 GB of DDRAM, 100 GB HD

$1549

OR the upgraded version with a smaller 14.1" screen is $1459.

What do you think, guys/ladies?

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Texas,

I'm going to suggest the $1349 machine. Don't worry about hard drive space; if you use external hard drives for your extra storage, you can move everything on it to other computers, so in my opinion if you need the extra HD space it's better to use an external drive. The extra RAM is nice on the higher end version, but a 1GB stick of RAM is only going to cost you about $85 at newegg.com and I don't think you'll miss the extra processor speed enough to pay $200 extra for the new machine. 1 GB RAM will do you for now, and if you want to upgrade but don't want to take it in to have it installed, just wait till the next time you're out in the Texas Panhandle and I'll install it for you for nothing (honestly, though, you could do it yourself...it's not really THAT scary...just make sure you buy the right RAM).

I like the machine's specs, personally. I'd get the DVD writer, though, rather than the DVD-ROM. You'll find it useful eventually, trust me on this.

But that's just my two cents. If ya ask me, you overpaid!

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There has to be left over copies of XP somewhere in some comp tech shops. You won't be able to get XP off the shelf anymore that's for sure. And no more updates, though for the moment, I don't think that's anything to be too bothered about. It's better to wait a while before adopting some recently released OS.

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You won't be able to get XP off the shelf anymore that's for sure.

Not entirely true, Ravenblack. You can still purchase OEM versions of XP through TigerDirect, among other places. XP home will set you back less than $100.

But beware: if your computer shipped with Vista, "downgrading" it to XP can void warranties.

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I ordered it today after getting the green-light from Adrian.

It comes with XP.

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Corky_O

Join Date 04/2004

Looks pretty good, Texas.

I would opt for the $1549 upgrade to the original 15.4 inch monitor version for the following reasons:

1 - The faster processor will make a difference in the long run. Note - I installed a 2.0 Ghz processor in my Dell notebook which came with a 1.6 Ghz processor to make it reasonable to install Vista and actually run decent. The difference between the processors was quite noticeable running XP, which it does very well - and this is a single core.

2 - The 2 GB of memory will come in two 1 GB sticks of RAM (memory), while the 1 GB of memory will probably come with two 512 MB sticks of RAM (memory). Most current notebooks run better when paired with the same sticks of RAM in both slots. This would preclude requesting a single 1 GB stick of RAM in one of the two slots available (if offered for a modest increase in cost). Some people opt for this because they intend to purchase a second stick of RAM and install it themselves, but the manufacturer usually has a better price per stick when you purchase it, and it will be matching types from the same manufacturer.

3 - While 80 GB is okay, the 100 GB will give you the extra 15% of space (plus an additional 5%) for defragmenting the drive. This defragmenting of the drive is a standard part of maintaining the machine for good performance and should be done about once a month. With the 80 GB drive, you will have about 68 GB of space for use, where the 100 GB drive will give you 85 GB of space for general use. Note - this does not include the space taken by 'System Restore' which can take up to another 12%.

All the other components look like they will serve your stated intentions of use for the machine well, especially if you are running XP, which is a good stable operating system.

Note - the most difficult thing to upgrade in a notebook is the video card due to availability. Notebook video cards are normally available to manufacturers only from either ATI/AMD, nVidia, or Intel. These companies do not offer these cards to the general public, so your options for upgrading in the future are usually limited to either sending the notebook to the manufacturer for upgrade, or purchasing the card directly from them at the premium cost. With this in mind, it is best to include the best video card you can afford with the original package. The card listed is considered to be good. The nVidia 7900 Go series, or the ATI Radeon X1600 mobility series would be the higher level cards, but come with a pretty steep price tag.

I hope this helps in some way.

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Corky_O

Join Date 04/2004

I ordered it today after getting the green-light from Adrian.

It comes with XP

Sorry for the late reply.

Good luck.

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Just go to the Dell website and spec out your machine the way you want it.

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Corky:

I would opt for the $1549 upgrade to the original 15.4 inch monitor version for the following reasons:

That's what I did. When I emailed all the info to hubby he said go for the upgraded one.

You have been soooo incredibly helpful. Thank you SO much!

(Good to know about video cards, too. A looong time ago my husband tried to install a graphics card himself in a desktop PC we had. He fried it.

)

Mason:

Just go to the Dell website and spec out your machine the way you want it.

I considered that (Dell has a special military site), but I'm getting a better deal this way. Thanks for the input.

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Congrats! My wife gave me one for Christmas. I haven't used it much yet, but it does untether me from the desk. I actually wanted it to be able to sit outside in spring/summer and do things like J/U.

Mine did come with a free upgrade for Vista, which I recently received and installed. Unlike the upgrade for Ultimate I did on my tower, the laptop (HP) upgrade actually reformatted the drive and installed clean. They also had sent a dvd with all the driver upgrades. Smoothest upgrade I ever did. Vista is a lot to get a handle on, especially the Ultimate version, but the Home premium wasn't very daunting. Check the documentation for your machine and/or the web site about upgrading. Even if you don't install it right away, at least get it before the offer expires (end of March for some manufacturers I believe).

If you do like Vista eventually, MS had a sweet deal if you bought the Ultimate upgrade for 259.00. You could purchase 2 Home premium copies for 49.95 each versus 159.95 each. If you have multiple 'puters (you really think we only have one or two with seven kids? And I'm tech support!) it's a good deal.

Sorry for the late comment. I had wanted to before you bought it, but J/U seemed to be having some sort of hiccup the night I saw your post. Looks like you got really good advice though! Have fun, and all my best!

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