Where's The IT People? Advice Needed Pls!

CowGirlUp1833 · 11-10-2006, 06:57 AM

I've decided after 3 years of wanting one that I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a laptop.

I have NO idea what to look for. I don't want to spend a ton.... $500-800.00 preferably.

Below is what I'll be using it for; please help me find something appropriate for my needs.

THANKS!!

Internet (preferably wireless) for things like HGS, messanger, etc.
Photo editing (nothing fancy, just cropping, color enhance, redeye, etc - basically so I can post pics on HGS, email them, etc)
DVD writer so I can burn pics/music, etc.....
MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PP, Movie Maker)

Thats it pretty much. I'm not a gamer or anything like that. Don't need it to play high-def DVD's. Don't need a huge monitor-

Anything I'm not thinking of/should have?

JCH · 11-10-2006, 07:05 AM

i was going to get a laptop and was talked out of it by the it guy at work he said they dont last very long, the keyboards are small, and that mouse drives you nuts. I had the displeasure of using one at work for awhile and hated it so when it was time to replace my old puter i went with another desktop

Moostang · 11-10-2006, 07:06 AM

Are you planning on doing much traveling?
You can normally find a dell/gateway/HP for that price with an AMD/Celeron. You can check online for something custom for you or check Bestbuy.. I found that the prices are about the same now (best buy vs online) I just matters on how much custom you want.

Moostang · 11-10-2006, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jch

i was going to get a laptop and was talked out of it by the it guy at work he said they dont last very long, the keyboards are small, and that mouse drives you nuts. I had the displeasure of using one at work for awhile and hated it so when it was time to replace my old puter i went with another desktop

Agree'd I normally un-recommend laptops.

CowGirlUp1833 · 11-10-2006, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moostang

Are you planning on doing my traveling?
You can normally find a dell/gateway/HP for that price with an AMD/Celeron. You can check online for something custom for you or check Bestbuy.. I found that the prices are about the same now (best buy vs online) I just matters on how much custom you want.

Yes, I plan on taking it with me everywhere. I do a lot of house sitting up at the barn, plus I'd like to have it when I'm at Scotts for the weekend, etc....

I am pretty illiterate when it comes to 'hardware' (see, do'nt even know if I used that term properly!) lol so I'm a little worried to just walk into Best Buy and not get ripped off.

I'm good on computers if they are set up and ready to go...but as far is ROM/RAM/Gigs etc..... er....no clue!

Moostang · 11-10-2006, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowGirlUp1833

Yes, I plan on taking it with me everywhere. I do a lot of house sitting up at the barn, plus I'd like to have it when I'm at Scotts for the weekend, etc....

I am pretty illiterate when it comes to 'hardware' (see, do'nt even know if I used that term properly!) lol so I'm a little worried to just walk into Best Buy and not get ripped off.

I'm good on computers if they are set up and ready to go...but as far is ROM/RAM/Gigs etc..... er....no clue!

To answer those questions you really have to give a little more details on what you plan in doing. If you plan on using any memory intensive programs then you will want more RAM.. if you plan on storing videos then I would suggest an updated harddrive (gigs) otherwise normally the standard harddrive that comes with most pcs/laptops are more than enough for just pictures and word documents (especially if you plan on burning dvds/cds)
The best thing would be to do some shopping online, then post laptops you think are good deals.. then we can pick them apart, showing good and bad points.

I will do my best to keep my intel bias out of it

Blistering Winds · 11-10-2006, 07:17 AM

I have a Compaq laptop that has done me fairly well.

Toshibas are great from my dad's view. He beats the SNOT out of his laptops, and his Toshibas last him much better!

LOL

Whatever you do, go Lithium Ion battery. Stupid Nickles dont' last long, especially once you turn on wireless.

ches · 11-10-2006, 07:51 AM

Compaqs/HPs generally are pieces of **** that last until one day after their 1 year warranty is up. BW you're lucky with yours. My hubby works on computers a lot and 2/3 that he works on with broken hardware are Compaq/HP. And I don't mean dead harddrives, I mean dead motherboards, broken IDE chains, stuff that makes a computer useless, nevermind a laptop. Sony Vaios aren't much better.

As a general rule, don't walk into BestBuy/Sam's Club/Wal-Mart/etc. and buy a computer. Those computers skimp on warranty (very important to get an extended warranty on a laptop as they're MUCH more expensive to work on and generally not DIY to replace a harddrive, for example), RAM, etc.

We picked up a really nice IBM T43 (last one made before the sale to Lenovo) last week at the PX for $997 (price tag said $1450 less $100 online rebate, but that's what it rang up as and I just marched out of there feeling like a criminal, especially since they sell for $1800 online). This came with a 3 year factory warranty, but the time started counting the minute it was shipped to the PX so we only have 2 years and change left on that. Still, that's a year longer than you'll get on an HP and with the IBM warranty, if ANYTHING goes wrong, they send us a FedEx box and overnight it either way. We can purchase a 2 year extension. This computer will still be going strong long after any other computer from its generation is dead. I know this because we have a 1998 IBM 550e and a 2001 IBM T23, both of which are still fully operational.

After IBM, I'd consider a Toshiba. Hubby said Panasonic (not very common) or Samsung (did I get that right?), but those are not sold much in the US. He's miserable that IBM sold to Lenovo, and is very grateful to have the last ever laptop made by IBM. He says he's keeping it and his 1982 Diesel Rabbit forever.

I see you've listed wanting MovieMaker -- that's part of WinXP, not MS Office... but if you're going to want to do video editing you're MUCH better off with a desktop. Processor speed, graphics card and harddrive space are the three most important things for video editing, and laptops don't do those three things well at all. The reason is that processor power and graphics EAT through power consumption, which means that your battery will last half an hour off a full charge while doing video editing, as opposed to 4 hours for browsing the internet (which uses mainly RAM). As for the graphics stuff, laptops generally have low quality graphics and less RAM/video RAM than desktops. You could easily pick up a Gateway computer in your price range from Wal-Mart or buy a Dell online that will burn through video editing in no time. A laptop will just frustrate the heck out of you trying to do that. You'd have to spend $3,000 to get the same level of satisfaction out of video editing on a laptop.

As for MS Office, if you want that, in your price range, you're going to have to get a used computer... reason being that MS Office retails at $400 and new computers come with a trial version that you have to purchase after 3 months. MS Works is cheaper, but still around $200. Download OpenOffice and give that a whirl. You can't beat the price (free) and it's getting better every day.

nanenj · 11-10-2006, 08:00 AM

Well, I'm not one to 'unrecommend' a laptop, cause typically, you're house sitting situations you'll have a plugin that you can plug the laptop into and run it off that instead of the battery.....

But, a quality laptop will be a bit outside your price range. 1400+ for one that one that won't break at the drop of a pin and has enough power not to be frustrating while working on things.

You can however get a decent, powerful computer, that does video editing, and has a metric ton of space for around 400$. Buy two of those and set one up at each place :P

--

Ok, that being said. You want a laptop, buy a laptop. Your current machine probably isn't all that and a bag of chips anyways, so buying a decent laptop in your price range will probably seem better than your current machine anyways. You shouldn't look to do much gaming with it though.

You'll want it to have a DVD-RW drive in it as well, due to the space issues and you'll want a decent amount of hard drive space. You should look for at least 512mb of ram (1024 if you can swing it). Wireless should come on most modern laptops, if not, ask the sales-person about the most effective way of getting wireless, I'm not sure you understand how wireless works exactly either, you'll need something to broadcast the signal to your laptop in order for it to receive, wireless internet just doesn't appear out of thin air like a television signal.

Hope this helps, if you need some more help, feel free to PM me

CowGirlUp1833 · 11-10-2006, 08:41 AM

Thanks everyone. I'll start shopping and post some that I think might do... Thanks in advance for everyones help!

11-10-2006, 06:57 AM	#1
CowGirlUp1833 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: On the Lake Michigan Shoreline Posts: 17,367 Images: 438 Blog Entries: 41	Where's The IT People? Advice Needed Pls! I've decided after 3 years of wanting one that I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a laptop. I have NO idea what to look for. I don't want to spend a ton.... $500-800.00 preferably. Below is what I'll be using it for; please help me find something appropriate for my needs. THANKS!! Internet (preferably wireless) for things like HGS, messanger, etc. Photo editing (nothing fancy, just cropping, color enhance, redeye, etc - basically so I can post pics on HGS, email them, etc) DVD writer so I can burn pics/music, etc..... MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PP, Movie Maker) Thats it pretty much. I'm not a gamer or anything like that. Don't need it to play high-def DVD's. Don't need a huge monitor- Anything I'm not thinking of/should have?

11-10-2006, 07:05 AM	#2
JCH Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: upstate ny Posts: 2,162 Images: 127	i was going to get a laptop and was talked out of it by the it guy at work he said they dont last very long, the keyboards are small, and that mouse drives you nuts. I had the displeasure of using one at work for awhile and hated it so when it was time to replace my old puter i went with another desktop __________________ I just mixed baileys and Yoohoo . I feel like an alcoholic 2nd grader HGS members met 16

11-10-2006, 07:06 AM	#3
Moostang Senior Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Northern Calif Posts: 11,221 Images: 760 Blog Entries: 55	Are you planning on doing much traveling? You can normally find a dell/gateway/HP for that price with an AMD/Celeron. You can check online for something custom for you or check Bestbuy.. I found that the prices are about the same now (best buy vs online) I just matters on how much custom you want. __________________ A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station... http://moostangproductions.com http://www.hoovesnirons.com

11-10-2006, 07:17 AM	#7
Blistering Winds Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Augusta, Kansas Posts: 32,425 Images: 864 Blog Entries: 18	I have a Compaq laptop that has done me fairly well. Toshibas are great from my dad's view. He beats the SNOT out of his laptops, and his Toshibas last him much better! LOL Whatever you do, go Lithium Ion battery. Stupid Nickles dont' last long, especially once you turn on wireless. __________________ Can I have a midlife crisis now?

11-10-2006, 08:00 AM	#9
nanenj Full Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 24 Images: 1	Well, I'm not one to 'unrecommend' a laptop, cause typically, you're house sitting situations you'll have a plugin that you can plug the laptop into and run it off that instead of the battery..... But, a quality laptop will be a bit outside your price range. 1400+ for one that one that won't break at the drop of a pin and has enough power not to be frustrating while working on things. You can however get a decent, powerful computer, that does video editing, and has a metric ton of space for around 400$. Buy two of those and set one up at each place :P -- Ok, that being said. You want a laptop, buy a laptop. Your current machine probably isn't all that and a bag of chips anyways, so buying a decent laptop in your price range will probably seem better than your current machine anyways. You shouldn't look to do much gaming with it though. You'll want it to have a DVD-RW drive in it as well, due to the space issues and you'll want a decent amount of hard drive space. You should look for at least 512mb of ram (1024 if you can swing it). Wireless should come on most modern laptops, if not, ask the sales-person about the most effective way of getting wireless, I'm not sure you understand how wireless works exactly either, you'll need something to broadcast the signal to your laptop in order for it to receive, wireless internet just doesn't appear out of thin air like a television signal. Hope this helps, if you need some more help, feel free to PM me __________________

11-10-2006, 07:51 AM	#8
ches Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,472 Images: 38	Compaqs/HPs generally are pieces of **** that last until one day after their 1 year warranty is up. BW you're lucky with yours. My hubby works on computers a lot and 2/3 that he works on with broken hardware are Compaq/HP. And I don't mean dead harddrives, I mean dead motherboards, broken IDE chains, stuff that makes a computer useless, nevermind a laptop. Sony Vaios aren't much better. As a general rule, don't walk into BestBuy/Sam's Club/Wal-Mart/etc. and buy a computer. Those computers skimp on warranty (very important to get an extended warranty on a laptop as they're MUCH more expensive to work on and generally not DIY to replace a harddrive, for example), RAM, etc. We picked up a really nice IBM T43 (last one made before the sale to Lenovo) last week at the PX for $997 (price tag said $1450 less $100 online rebate, but that's what it rang up as and I just marched out of there feeling like a criminal, especially since they sell for $1800 online). This came with a 3 year factory warranty, but the time started counting the minute it was shipped to the PX so we only have 2 years and change left on that. Still, that's a year longer than you'll get on an HP and with the IBM warranty, if ANYTHING goes wrong, they send us a FedEx box and overnight it either way. We can purchase a 2 year extension. This computer will still be going strong long after any other computer from its generation is dead. I know this because we have a 1998 IBM 550e and a 2001 IBM T23, both of which are still fully operational. After IBM, I'd consider a Toshiba. Hubby said Panasonic (not very common) or Samsung (did I get that right?), but those are not sold much in the US. He's miserable that IBM sold to Lenovo, and is very grateful to have the last ever laptop made by IBM. He says he's keeping it and his 1982 Diesel Rabbit forever. I see you've listed wanting MovieMaker -- that's part of WinXP, not MS Office... but if you're going to want to do video editing you're MUCH better off with a desktop. Processor speed, graphics card and harddrive space are the three most important things for video editing, and laptops don't do those three things well at all. The reason is that processor power and graphics EAT through power consumption, which means that your battery will last half an hour off a full charge while doing video editing, as opposed to 4 hours for browsing the internet (which uses mainly RAM). As for the graphics stuff, laptops generally have low quality graphics and less RAM/video RAM than desktops. You could easily pick up a Gateway computer in your price range from Wal-Mart or buy a Dell online that will burn through video editing in no time. A laptop will just frustrate the heck out of you trying to do that. You'd have to spend $3,000 to get the same level of satisfaction out of video editing on a laptop. As for MS Office, if you want that, in your price range, you're going to have to get a used computer... reason being that MS Office retails at $400 and new computers come with a trial version that you have to purchase after 3 months. MS Works is cheaper, but still around $200. Download OpenOffice and give that a whirl. You can't beat the price (free) and it's getting better every day.

11-10-2006, 08:41 AM	#10
CowGirlUp1833 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: On the Lake Michigan Shoreline Posts: 17,367 Images: 438 Blog Entries: 41	Thanks everyone. I'll start shopping and post some that I think might do... Thanks in advance for everyones help!

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