Affordable yet good Laptops, do they exsist?

Unfortunately, I won't be able to help with this one. I'm an Apple fanatic and rely on my PowerBook aluminum 15" on a daily basis...

Expensive? definitely on the higher end...

Any problems with it? None whatsoever...

 

hey lilprincess,

what's your budget??? there a lot of good laptops with good price. What kind of specs are you looking for ?? That'll give us an idea which one to recommend

ang

 

Well, if you're buying a new laptop, I suggest you wait a 1 1/2 years if possible. According to my friend, who is a computer technician, Windows is supposed to come out with a new great verision of Windows, I seriously want to go with a Powerbook when I graduate (one that is current at the time) and take my Windows desktop just in case. Mac are easier to use and don't get virus' and stuff as much as Windows.

 

the new version of windows (called longhorn) is supposed to come out in mid 2006 but will be extremely expensive becuase it will need powerful graphics cards and the new pentium 5 that will be out at around the same time. it is a 64 bit operating system so that's the main reason why. there will be a 32 bit version but i dont think they want to wait until mid 2006. for good, lower-priced notebook computers i have been recommeded Fujitsu, Toshiba, and HP/Compaq. Some models those companies have are very good and have lower prices. Try going to http://www.cnet.com to check customer reviews and popular low cost notebooks.

 

Are Toshiba laptop or other producst any good?

Also, is this a good deal for a laptop made by Toshiba from Costco? $1699.00 for the system that is posted below (*see below)?

Thanks.

It is a Toshiba P25-S5263 P4 3.0 GHz with 512MB, a 80GB hard drive, and a 17.0" WXGA (widescreen) screen.

Here are the specs (in case anyone is interested):

Processor & Memory:

Intel® Pentium® 4 3.0GHz processor with Hyper-Threading technology
800MHz processor system bus speed
512KB integrated L2 Cache
512MB DDR SDRAM memory (expandable to 2048MB, both slots may be occupied)
Intel 865PE + ICH5 chipset

Drives:

80GB 4200RPM EIDE hard drive

DVD-SuperMulti Drive:

Max Speed - CD-ROM (24x); CD-R (24x read/16x write); CD-RW (12x read/4x write); DVD-ROM (8x); DVD-R (4x read/4x write); DVD-RW (4x read/2x write); DVD+R (4x read/2.4x write); DVD+RW (4x read/2.4x write); DVD-RAM (2x read/2x write)

Graphics & Video:

17.0" WXGA TFT LCD display
supports up to 16M colors at 1440 x 900 resolution
NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX Go5200 graphics controller; 64MB DDR external video memory

Communications:

Integrated V.92/56K modem; data and fax support
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Integrated Wireless LAN (Atheros 802.11b/g)

Audio:

Realtek ALC202 Codec Chip; software sound
Built-in harman/kardon stereo speakers
Direct 3D Sound (supported by driver); DirectSound and DirectMusic (supported by hardware); full duplex support; MIDI (playback) support
Sound volume (by dial)

Keyboard:

Full sized, 85 keys with 12 function keys; 2.7mm key stroke, 6mm height
Dedicated Windows® keys support
HotKey function
TouchPad pointing device (scroll function supported by software)

Expandability:

Two memory slots (both slots may be occupied)
Two PC card slots (support 2 Type II or 1 Type III)

Ports:

Parallel printer port
RGB port (monitor)
Four USB ports
FIR port (infrared)
RJ-45 port (LAN)
RJ-11 port (modem)
TV-Out port (S-video)
i.Link® port (IEEE 1394)
Secure Digital card slot

Operating System:

Microsoft® Windows XP Home Edition

Additional Software:

Microsoft Works
Intuit® Quicken® New User Edition 2004

Security Features:

Slot for computer lock
HDD, modem, LAN module and memory (by screw only)
Main battery pack and module bays (sliding lock and latch)
User Power On password
Setup Security (by SVPW utility)
Keyboard lock and Screen Blank (by HotKey)
Screen Saver (by software)

 

That definately is a good price for that system. Go with it! But I have some concerns:

1. It will be extremely heavy and bulky and that will not be good for travelling at all. It's basically a desktop replacement.

2. I can also see this system getting very hot. I don't trust P4's w/ HT in notebook computers. I don't even like the normal P4 in my Hell Inspiron 5100.

3. Is there a warantee on it?

4. Look for some customer reviews for this notebook and see if there's any problems with it.

Other than that it seems pretty good. Toshiba isn't that bad of a brand and when you consider what is above and accept it it really is a good deal for only $1700.

 

You might want to look at HP laptops also. I've got a Omnibook X3 that's pretty nice. You might also look at laptops with a AMD CPU in it, they should be a little cheaper then the Pentiums.

As for Pentiums over Celerons it depends on what you are doing, if you are going to be gaming I would suggest a P4 because it has more memory on the chip. If you are going to be web surfing, and doing things not CPU entensive you could go with either and not notice a real difference.

 

DO NOT GET THE INSPIRON 5150 LILPRINCESS!!! I have the Dell Inspiron 5100 and know someone with a 5150 and we both HATE them. The only good Dell notebooks (if you even dare to get a dell) are the Latitudes. And even if you aren't doing very powerful things on a computer, never get a Celeron. Reviewers and consumers alike agree that they are just plain bad. I used to have a computer with a Celeron and highly regret it. But you are correct about AMD, they are not that bad and are a little cheaper, but I still will stay with Intel.

 

Why stay with Intel?

I've talked with people that have Celerons and they are happy with them, personally I haven't used one I've either had a Pentium or a AMD.

 

Gideon,

Are Toshiba laptops better than HP or Sony laptops?

What brand of laptop has the least amount of problems and good user reviews?

Thanks for your help.

 

xkile, how can you say Celeron's are good if you havn't had one? I've had two and both times they were poor performers.

Gamer, here are some good reccommendations: HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6000, Dell Latitude D800, Sony VAIO A and S series's, Toshiba Tecra and Satellite series's, and some Fujitsu series's (computer too slow to look now).

Lilprincess, the reason why I hate Dell Inspiron's so much is that I have one and know people with others and they are just terrible. And can you tell me more about the one's you found? The Sony may be good and I'm not totally sure about the Toshiba but that could be good, too .

 

Well I got your PM! Reply with all of your questions lol.

 

My thoughts:

If you are going to move the computer around at all, get a "thin and light" model. Not ultraportable, mind you, but one which weighs maybe 5 lbs. I had an older Dell Inspiron 7500 and it weighed so much it was a pain to carry.

I like Powerbooks, but I currently own an IBM Thinkpad. If you are looking Mac and do not need all the highest end stuff, the iBooks are quite good. Not as sexy as the POwerbooks, but you will save money.

As for PCs, just about everyone I have spoken to loves their Thinkpads. They do not look flashy, but they are very durable. They have excellent keyboards and then one I have has not ever had a problem (for the two years I have been using it).

Get a good screen and make sure you have plenty of RAM. At least 512 MB.

You may be able to get a DVD burner in several computers now. Your school or college might have good offers, too. I saw one for 1899 that was an IBM Thinkpad with integrated wireless, an 80 GB hard drive, combo dvd burner and cd burner, 512 MB of RAM, an SXGA screen and a good video card. That was a T42.

If you are going PC, I would look for one with the Pentium-M chip (I believe they have new names, but you are looking for the Dothan). The mobile chips ini the laptops theses days have much improved battery life. If your notebook has tons of features and a giant screen, it is probably going to weigh far too much to move around. If your concern is just having one in your home that does ont take up too much space, then that might be fine, but if yo uare going to take it with you, you will be sorry if it weighs a lot.

I suggest getting a bag from Roadwired. I have one of their sleeves, and it is quite light, making it very easy to take my computer with me. I purchased an extra power cord as well and when I was taking it back and forth to work, I would just leave one power cord in my apt and one at work, so that was one less thing I had to carry.


I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE with the advice to wait a year and a half.


There will ALWAYS be something new, and you just have to accept that a newer computer will come out right after you buy yours. Buy what is good for you and don't worry about it. Enjoy it and use it. Down the road, you will have to buy another anyway. Don't skimp on the one you buy now too much, or you will just be annoyed with it. Plus, when a new OS comes out, there will be plenty of bugs. And the release date is tentative. Who knows when it will truly be relased? I have had Windows XP professional for a couple of years, and it is stable.

I doubt I will buy another Dell. I was not that impressed. My friend has an Insprion 600m and they have a screen issue, where his screen keeps getting scratched due to poor design. They have to keep replacing it! How irritating.

But, then next time I buy a computer, I think I will likely go Mac. They are very cool, stable, and don't seem to get bothered by these security issues!

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks Gideon for the information.

I will check these laptops out.

 

The people that I talked to said that they were good. The times that I have used a Celeron it worked fine, I didn't have any problems with them. Personally I prefer using either Pentiums or AMD Athlons, rather then Celerons, or Durons.

 

You are correct about Durons, they are also terrible.

FB, Dothan is just another wireless technology like Centrino. Not part of the Pentium M processor. Plus they won't be getting Apples because those are a little higher in price. Plus I wasn't reccommeding to wait until mid 2006 I was just saying that that is when Longhorn is coming out .

Gamer, I'll try to get you some more detailed models when I get the chance but my lousy Dell Inspiron 5100 is giving me problems .

 

One can find good deals at BestBuy, CompUSA, and Circuit City. I haven't seen one beat the deal on the one I got in June though . I see good systems with 3.0 processors(usually athlon-xps), integrated 802.g, 512 ram, 60-80gb, CDRW/DVD, etc. for 900$ or so. Well worth the 900 dollars IMO. Usually the systems are HP's (bleh), compaqs, or toshibas.

 

When you say a good reliable notebook, the IBM T series comes to mind.

 

lilprincess, earlier this year I was in the market for a new laptop as well. Previously, I used a Compaq Presario 1200 laptop for nearly 4 years before getting a new one this year. The selection here in Europe is quite amazing with American brands readily available as well as several European brands. Anyway, I would recommend that you look into a Sony, Dell or Compaq (not sure if their quality has changed since HP took them over) laptop as these tend to be quite good on the lower end as well.

Some things that could save you some $$ would be to get only what you need. The cost for new laptops are higher if you go with a Centrino-equipped Wireless-LAN laptop but their CPU fans tend to be quieter.

Good Luck

 

This is SOOOO true! I bought my Powerbook at mid-April and at the end of April, another, new, faster one came out!!! But I had the money and the need at that time...it's true not to skimp too much. You want the laptop to last for a while...buy it with too little, and you'll be buying a laptop every year just to keep up!

I've had my PowerBook 15" for several months now...while everyone claims about the little idiosyncrocies, I've had no problems with it!! it's a great, reliable computer with a lot of kick (even though it's now considered an "older" edition!).

 

I haven't seen anyone recommend Acer yet. What's the consensus on this brand? My local computer store sells these but they readily admit that the prices are not all that competitive compared to Dell, HP, etc.

 

Thanks Gideon.

I appreciate it.

I had narrowed my choices down to either a Sony VAIO, Toshiba (P-25 series), or a HP.....but of all those choices...I prefer either a Sony or Toshiba.

One of my choices will definitely not be purchasing a Dell.

Thanks again.

 

Two I really want are the Sony VAIO A Series and the Toshiba Tecra A2-S336 . Those two are pretty good and are exactly what I'm looking for: portability and power. The Dell Latitude D600 seems ok but I'm not going there .

R32VW, as for Acer's... I've had very bad luck with their desktops so I won't ever be getting at notebook of theirs . But I have heard that some of the new ones are good.

 

My laptop doesn't have one and I've never had the urge to need one. I use the CD/DVD - RW drive often for backups and media storage. I find the DVD's are more reliable than floppies...I also have a USB-routed Zip drive if I absolutely need a disk for something (but for the life of me I'm not sure what ).