Most expensive is never the best. Cheapest is always CHEAP. Do not ever buy dell. I wouldnt buy a sony eighter since it is way too over-priced. If i was to buy a laptop now I would be looking at some toshibas.
Recommendations Please
My college freshman son has decided that his dorm is just too small for his older desktop. So I'm now in the market for a laptop.
I've looked at some of the ACER machines and they seem pretty well equipped for the price. Any thoughts?
I use a Dell at work and it's been pretty reliable - except for that pesky motherboard replacement - but we have the corporate policy. I'm wondering if consumers have had good experience with Dell?
I'm not a fan of Sony (well it did last nearly 3 years before kicking the bucket).
He'll be using as his main computer for school work, the normal teenage schnangans, games, etc.
Any recommendations?
I've looked at some of the ACER machines and they seem pretty well equipped for the price. Any thoughts?
I use a Dell at work and it's been pretty reliable - except for that pesky motherboard replacement - but we have the corporate policy. I'm wondering if consumers have had good experience with Dell?
I'm not a fan of Sony (well it did last nearly 3 years before kicking the bucket).
He'll be using as his main computer for school work, the normal teenage schnangans, games, etc.
Any recommendations?
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What Do You Think About This Set UP?
HPzv6000
Win XP Home w/sp2
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (2.0GHz/512 KB L2 Cache)
15.4 WXGA Brightview
128MB ATI Radeon Xpress 200M w/ Hypermemory
1x 512MB DDR SDRAM
60GB 4200 RPM HD (he's got a 180G usb auxillary drive)
DVD +/- RW/R CD=RW Combo w/double layer
54g 802.11 b/g WLAN w/125HSM
2 x 8 cell Li batteries
MS Work/Money but no Norton (yeah!!!)
Price $925
HPzv6000
Win XP Home w/sp2
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (2.0GHz/512 KB L2 Cache)
15.4 WXGA Brightview
128MB ATI Radeon Xpress 200M w/ Hypermemory
1x 512MB DDR SDRAM
60GB 4200 RPM HD (he's got a 180G usb auxillary drive)
DVD +/- RW/R CD=RW Combo w/double layer
54g 802.11 b/g WLAN w/125HSM
2 x 8 cell Li batteries
MS Work/Money but no Norton (yeah!!!)
Price $925
It looks quite good for the price. Which make?
In shopping for one for myself, I heard only good things about Toshiba. I went with an Acer, however. And it was cheap - $795. I've only had it for a month, so I don't know about it's longevity, but it rocks performance-wise. I've tried to kill it and can't. I had 4 Macromedia programs, 5 IE windows open, and could still play Madden 05. I'm satisfied with it's performance. I just hope I didn't need to buy the extended warranty.
In shopping for one for myself, I heard only good things about Toshiba. I went with an Acer, however. And it was cheap - $795. I've only had it for a month, so I don't know about it's longevity, but it rocks performance-wise. I've tried to kill it and can't. I had 4 Macromedia programs, 5 IE windows open, and could still play Madden 05. I'm satisfied with it's performance. I just hope I didn't need to buy the extended warranty.
Right now I use an Acer and I LOVE it. Other than that I can only recommend Toshiba. Dell, Sony, HP, and Compaq are at the bottom of my list. I'd recommend them only if there were nothing else left in the world.
I'm very happy with my budget acer. It's just a sempron 2800+ (1.6 ghz) but with an extra 512 stick of memory, it flies. Battery life is an hour and a half tops... but thats what you'll get for a $590 laptop. It seems to handle Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, and Flash with flying colors. Also runs 35 to 45 degrees, which is great.
Me too. I was afraid that my setup (very similar to yours) wouldn't be able to handle the aforementioned programs, especially when they are running simultaneously. But I haven't made it so much as hiccup.SixShooter said:I'm very happy with my budget acer. It's just a sempron 2800+ (1.6 ghz) but with an extra 512 stick of memory, it flies. Battery life is an hour and a half tops... but thats what you'll get for a $590 laptop. It seems to handle Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, and Flash with flying colors. Also runs 35 to 45 degrees, which is great.
The battery life is a drawback, but if one needs more, one can buy an additional battery. It's not like I am going to take it on a tent camping excursion. I wasn't looking for an "ultra portable" - that's what the PDA is for.
I also agree with ebackhus. Don't know about Dell. Sony way overpriced. The other two "makes" I wouldn't use unless someone gave it to me free of charge. Just my simplistic opinion.
Since I mentioned it I might as well give specs...
Acer Aspire 1522LMi
AMD Athlon62 3000+ (1.8Ghz 1MB L2)
VIA K8N800 Chipset
512MB PC2700 DDR RAM (2GB PC3200 max)
S3 UniChrome Pro II
AC97 Digital Audio
80GB HDD
DVD+-R/RW
10/100/1000 NIC
56K v.92 Fax Modem
15" XGA TFT
2hr battery
Windows XP Professional SP2
$1,135.00 NEW
It runs all of my stuff great. I don't play games on it much so I'm not worried about the lack of 3D performance. My desktop has plenty of power in that area.
Acer Aspire 1522LMi
AMD Athlon62 3000+ (1.8Ghz 1MB L2)
VIA K8N800 Chipset
512MB PC2700 DDR RAM (2GB PC3200 max)
S3 UniChrome Pro II
AC97 Digital Audio
80GB HDD
DVD+-R/RW
10/100/1000 NIC
56K v.92 Fax Modem
15" XGA TFT
2hr battery
Windows XP Professional SP2
$1,135.00 NEW
It runs all of my stuff great. I don't play games on it much so I'm not worried about the lack of 3D performance. My desktop has plenty of power in that area.
But will it? I was attracted to the HP because of the 128MB ATI graphics card. He'll play some games - WOW, and other take over the world type games...ebackhus said:I don't play games on it much so I'm not worried about the lack of 3D performance.
I too liked the ACER but was worried about him complaining about gaming ability .
Simply put, laptops are NOT for gaming. And if you think, "Oooh, I can game on the road!" then you'll be in for a surprise. That 1.5-2hr battery life will plummet if you do any major gaming on there. That pretty much means you'll be tied to a power outlet, thus nullifying the whole idea of having a laptop.
Mine can play games, I've gotten WC3 to run on it with decent speed. I can even upgrade the video in there to an nVidia FX5700. Not much I know, but it at least has dedicated VRAM.
Mine can play games, I've gotten WC3 to run on it with decent speed. I can even upgrade the video in there to an nVidia FX5700. Not much I know, but it at least has dedicated VRAM.
NO ON THE TOSHIBA'S, they have really screwed up on the current models. Nothing but headache's and lack luster support.
I would suggest HP.
DV1000 is a nice machine that will play audio CD's or DVD's without even booting Windows!! You can even get a IR credit card remote control for about $40 more that will store in the PCMCIA slot!! Built in memory card slots as well! Amost 3 lbs lighter than the zv6000.
HP DV1000
With rebates, the machine with a few upgrades as listed below is $969. I just set one up for someone and they are very happy with this machine. One note, do not go with the high capacity battery as it protrudes from the bottom of the machine like a keyboard prop. Nice for laptop cooling, but a little more bulky.
Operating System - Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
Processor - Intel(R) Celeron(R) M 370 (1.5 GHz)
Display - FREE Upgrade to 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen!
Memory - 512MB DDR SDRAM (1x512MB)
Hard Drive - 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
CD/DVD Drive - DVD+/-RW/R & CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer Support
Graphics Card - Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900 - Celeron
Networking - FREE Upgrade to 54g(TM) 802.11b/g WLAN w/ 125HSM!!
Primary Battery - FREE Second 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery!!
Productivity Software - Microsoft(R) Works/Money
JamesO
I would suggest HP.
DV1000 is a nice machine that will play audio CD's or DVD's without even booting Windows!! You can even get a IR credit card remote control for about $40 more that will store in the PCMCIA slot!! Built in memory card slots as well! Amost 3 lbs lighter than the zv6000.
HP DV1000
With rebates, the machine with a few upgrades as listed below is $969. I just set one up for someone and they are very happy with this machine. One note, do not go with the high capacity battery as it protrudes from the bottom of the machine like a keyboard prop. Nice for laptop cooling, but a little more bulky.
Operating System - Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
Processor - Intel(R) Celeron(R) M 370 (1.5 GHz)
Display - FREE Upgrade to 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen!
Memory - 512MB DDR SDRAM (1x512MB)
Hard Drive - 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
CD/DVD Drive - DVD+/-RW/R & CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer Support
Graphics Card - Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900 - Celeron
Networking - FREE Upgrade to 54g(TM) 802.11b/g WLAN w/ 125HSM!!
Primary Battery - FREE Second 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery!!
Productivity Software - Microsoft(R) Works/Money
JamesO
I disagree. I've never seen even a decent HP computer or laptop. All were low in performance and reliability.
Agree to disagree, but I have had no problems with HP or Compaq's for many years. You can get most documents online and the online support is better than most manufacturers. Maybe what you have been exposed to was not so good and maybe it might be the enviornment they have been used in?
Many of the late model Toshiba's are plagued with problems. The A70/A75 and the M30X/M35X Toshiba platforms are really causing users a lot of problem. I will let the forums speak for the products and user expierences.
You could always consider a Panasonic Toughbook, but you will pay for the durability.
JamesO
Many of the late model Toshiba's are plagued with problems. The A70/A75 and the M30X/M35X Toshiba platforms are really causing users a lot of problem. I will let the forums speak for the products and user expierences.
You could always consider a Panasonic Toughbook, but you will pay for the durability.
JamesO
The HP stuff I've worked with was always new and never worked. Years ago my friend's parents bought an new HP PC and hardly got to use it because it was ALWAYS out for repair. I've known plenty others who had the same experiences. Sam with Compaq. I just can't trust them.
Thanks for all of your input. I ended up buying a HP 6130: $850 at CC. I was looking at the ACER but it was literaly falling apart on the shelf - the keyboard was very flimsy. The Toshiba was a contender but I chose largely on the final price.
So again, thanks for the recommendations. Let's hope JamesO is more right is on this one than ebackhus.
So again, thanks for the recommendations. Let's hope JamesO is more right is on this one than ebackhus.
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