Question:
Help me Pick a Notebook!
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1400 w/ MS Office
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
School Work, Web Browsing, MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES, Casual Gaming.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Taking it with me, Hopefully
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes, Things like The Sims 2, or Counter-Strike..
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No Preference really. I'd like to buy from a reputable company with good support. (IE Nothing bought from Newegg.)
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
The MORE the better! 3+
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I don't mind buying online.
9) What country are you buying this in?
USA.
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
WIDESCREEN
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
I'd prefer Matte/Non-Glossy, But I heard Glossy is better for movies..soo, whatever.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
YES
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
Through College..
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
80GB+
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes, I need a CD/DVD Drive
Thanks guys!
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
You can always go Open Office instead of MS Office :p
The ASUS W3v with a rebate, if you can still find it, is a good option :)
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
you can get the dell e1505 with the coupon codes. or maybe the compaq v3000.
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
The Asus S96j is a great option with the X1600. I'd recommend powernotebooks.com and geared2play.com
The E1505 is a much cheaper option, but I'd recommend something a little bit more sturdy if your going to travel with it and use it everyday in college.
But Dells latitude line isn't bad. Check out the D620 and D820.
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
I like the Asus because of its price, but I honestly dont trust them or their resellers.
I'll most likely go Dell..although Gateway had a pretty nice deal going on for pretty much the same thing as the E1505.
I havent been able to use any of the coupons for some reason, they won't work..perhaps everyone has used them. They also expire tommorow and im hoping some good deals will pop up in a week or so.
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
A 15.4" Lenovo 3000 N100 without Office but with a graphics card is $1,300 so you can add it yourself for not too much more. It's widescreen and has a generous hard drive plus you can get it with a 14.1" screen if you want for less. It's not totally customizable but they give you a lot of pre-built options.
Good Luck,
~ Brett
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
You could also go just over your current budget and look at the Lenovo ThinkPad T60. PowerNotebooks (an Asus reseller) has a excellent reputation and they have great support. I E-mailed them a question yesterday and a manger got back to me the same day.
~ Brett
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
I like the wide array of choices..I'll have to check the Lenovo and Thinkpad out.
Although I've been looking at the D620, and it looks rather intriguing. I was able to configure one with everything I wanted for about $1350 with the $350 off. Does anyone have any coupons for latitude's?
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
Does anyone have any coupons for latitude's?
Latitudes are technically business laptops so the deals are few and far between. That laptop's a great value as it is.
~ Brett
Answer:
Re: Help me Pick a Notebook!
Yeah, looks like I wont be able to order this before the deal expires. Aw well..Guess I'll just keep waiting for a better deal to come along.
Anyone know the weight differences between the D620, D820, and E1505?