Question:
computer illiterate... please help!
Hi all..
this is my first post on this website :) although I have been reading a lot of posts here. I own a dell inspiron 1100 which is off the market now since its very ancient :( and would like to buy a new laptop. Im a graduate student in biology and I work very little with computers as such except for MS office that includes powerpoint and word mostly. :p
Ofcourse I have started working on a new technique called microarrays and data analysis for this technique involves a lot of graphical interface. Im scared of even thinking of running those programs on my laptop in case it crashes.:decision:
and since its been almost 3yrs i was planning on getting a new laptop and Im stuck in between choosing :budget:
Acer TravelMate 4202WLMi Notebook or
Acer Aspire 5672WLMi Notebook or the new apple MBP. It struck me as odd that apple put together the same configurations as the acer travelmate 4202 but is costing almost a $1000 more.
Any help and enlightenment is appreciated.
ohh yea and here are the answers to the questions so that its easier for some suggestions:
1) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen or
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
2) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
MS office, listen to music, watch movies, chatting and some graphic analysis software
3) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
shall be taking it home everyday
4) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
no
5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
no
6) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3 or more
7) What is your budget?
$1600 max
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
yes
9) What country are you buying this in?
US
Screen Specifics
10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
I have no clue how each is different so it doesnt matter!
a. XGA = eXtended Graphics Array; 1024x768; This resolution will give you the largest viewable text and images while offering the least amount of screen real estate.
b. SXGA = Super eXtended Graphics Array; 1400x1050; This resolution offers a middle ground between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA = Ultra eXtended Graphics Array; 1600x1200; This resolution will give you the smallest viewable text and images while offering the greatest amount of screen real estate.
d. WXGA = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array; 1280x768 or 1280x800; This resolution offers the same as XGA except that there is more horizontal real estate; 1280 versus 1024. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.
e. WXGA+ = Widescreen eXtended Graphics Array+; 1440x900; This resolution is offered on 17" widescreen notebooks and is comparable to WXGA in terms of text and icon size versus available screen real estate. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.
f. WSXGA+ = Widescreen Super eXtended Graphics Array; 1680x1050; This resolution is comparable to SXGA in that it offers a middle ground between WXGA/WXGA+ and WUXGA. Popular for movie viewing due to support for widescreen.
g. WUXGA = Widescreen Ultra eXtended Graphics Array; 1920x1200; This resolution offers the smallest viewable text and images while offering the greatest amount of screen real estate.
11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
no idea again
Build Quality and Design
12) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
a little but not particulary
13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
for atleast 4 to 5 years to come
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
80 to 100GB
15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
DVD+/- RW drive
Answer:
Re: computer illiterate... please help!
If you would like a wider selection of options, if you fill out the FAQ at the top of the forum we would be happy to point out a few recommendations.
Matt
Answer:
Re: computer illiterate... please help!
At your budget and considering what you are going to be doing with the notebook, you can get what you need, don't worry. :)
I recommend the Fujitsu S2110 - great quality, spectacular screen, and very portable. Gets nice battery life too, about four hours. Best of all, it will fall under your budget. Check out a review here:
If you want to spend less than that, I recommend the ThinkPad R50E, it will last you a long time since it is very well built. It is considerably larger than the Fujitsu S2110, but less money.
Answer:
Re: computer illiterate... please help!
At your budget and considering what you are going to be doing with the notebook, you can get what you need, don't worry. :)
I recommend the Fujitsu S2110 - great quality, spectacular screen, and very portable. Gets nice battery life too, about four hours. Best of all, it will fall under your budget. Check out a review here:
If you want to spend less than that, I recommend the ThinkPad R50E, it will last you a long time since it is very well built. It is considerably larger than the Fujitsu S2110, but less money.
Thank you very much for the recommendation chaz. I have a query however... as I said earlier i dont know much abt computers but friends have told me to avoid toshiba and fujitsu. Just like anthing new scares me, AMD processor scares me... theres an appeal to Intel (inside). Guess they know it too! but anyways am slightly sceptical about that and ever since this whole infusion of sempron, athlon and a myriad of processors are surfacing I am researching before I go ahead and actually buy the acer. so I would like to know how AMD processor would be different from and better than Intel core duo... pardon my ignorance!
Thanks again.
Answer:
Re: computer illiterate... please help!
You'll be fine with the AMD processor, don't believe everything you hear. ;)
Fujitsu is one of the top notebook brands, excellent quality, and the best glossy screens avaliable.
The AMD turion is on pretty much equal terms with the Intel Pentium M. You aren't doing anything that would benefit from a dual-core Intel, I wouldn't spend the extra $$ for that.
The Acer has MUCH lower quality than the Fujitsu.