Question:
2nd notebook (for my wife)
My notebook which I bought in January is an MSI-1036. It's been a pleasure so far. I am now looking for a new notebook to get for my wife for her birthday and to supplant our desktop (which is an old Gateway P-III 700 Mhz from 1999).
1) What is your budget?
Flexible. I'm looking for good value but have no particular price point in mind.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
d.
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
My wife mostly likes to websurf, watch videos, snipe on eBay, nothing too deep.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
She would like to take it out of a desk drawer and put it on top of the desk, plug it in, and put it away after using it. Other than that it rarely will go anywhere.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
no
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
as long as it's not poorly built or ugly
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
2
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
not at all
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Wide (though this is not critical)
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit lots of stuff on the screen.
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.
In most cases she won't need or want it to be better than (d). (But we still need it to look crisp, not cheap!)
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
glossy is preferred.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes. No matter how good a machine it is my wife will hate it if it's ugly. It doesn't have to be super-stylish (though it wouldn't hurt!)
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
For her birthday in mid September! And I want it to last a few years at least...
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
60 or more
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-CD/RW
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
The Fujitsu N6410 might be worth a look. It has a phenomenal glossy screen. Perhaps the HP dv8000/9000 should be considered if you don't want to spend less.
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
Yeah, I would also reconmmend the HP DV8000t/9000t
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
MacBook.
One of the best deals in laptops around, and one of the most stylish to boot. Also your wife gets her choice of OS X or Windows.
For a second opinion, see the linked reviews from this site or this one:
http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review3648.html
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
MacBook.
One of the best deals in laptops around, and one of the most stylish to boot. Also your wife gets her choice of OS X or Windows.
For a second opinion, see the linked reviews from this site or this one:
http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review3648.html
I suppose you have an macbook? You have been reconmmending them in every thread you write.
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
MacBook.
One of the best deals in laptops around, and one of the most stylish to boot. Also your wife gets her choice of OS X or Windows.
For a second opinion, see the linked reviews from this site or this one:
http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review3648.html
Do remember that a Macbook DOESN'T actually offer two OSes.
Also, Windows XP is not supported by tech support. Unless your wife is very good at fiddling with computers, you want to to keep this in consideration.
You need to buy a copy of Windows XP which is quite costly.
It's not as if you can choose one and you get a refund of the other.
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
Hi InsultComicDog,
If trendy looking notebooks is in your requirement, you may want to take a look at the Sony SZ.
I've recommended it to 3 female friends who all bought it and are still happy with it. (They all wanted stylish looking computers.)
The SZ is pretty darned decked out despite its stylish exterior, has a great screen, is very light for its size and has very good speakers compared to many other computers of the same build. There are complaints about the keyboard (which is based on personal preference) so it's important for your wife to try it.
If you've got budget to boot, there is a premium edition of the SZ which is pretty much overpriced but it is really swanky.
I would also recommend the LG T1 Express which you'll have to import from Canada. It is VERY stylish. (I would have swore it was designed only for females except that I like it a lot myself too.)
It sports a very big screen and has a drop dead gorgeous piano black exterior finish to boot. It's about CAN$1800 at the moment.
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
One more vote for the HP dv9000. It's a great-looking machine.
Answer:
Re: 2nd notebook (for my wife)
I would also recommend the LG T1 Express which you'll have to import from Canada. It is VERY stylish. (I would have swore it was designed only for females except that I like it a lot myself too.)
It sports a very big screen and has a drop dead gorgeous piano black exterior finish to boot. It's about CAN$1800 at the moment.
Isn't that a 14"? I believe he's looking for 17".
Insult, is that correct, or are you considering other screen sizes?