Question:
Any suggestions?
I'm looking for a laptop for school and home. I've never had a laptop and don't know that much about them so I would really appreciate some suggestions!
General Questions
1) What is your budget? I'm trying to stay as close to $1000 as I can. My max would probably be around $1400
2) What size notebook would you prefer? I'm a little flexible on size. 15" max. Lightweight is more important for me than screen size, I'd like to stay under 6lbs as I will be carrying it on campus, the lighter/thinner the better but I don't want to sacrifice performance.
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? Occational Word documents for school, lots of internet use (if I'm not mistaken I think they all come with a wireless network card, I have a Linxus modem and Netgear router), watching an occational movie, burning CDs, downloading music and an occational movie (I currently have about 5.7GB of music downloaded on my PC)
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? I'll be using it at home and taking it to school with me, thats basically it.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? I don't play a lot of games, but I do play World of Warcraft (Blizzard)
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? I like Sony because of style and Xbrite but I'm flexible on that. I was looking at the Sony Vaio FJ Series but I'm not sure about the battery life or how the graphics will be for WOW. (I'm a casual gamer though so I'm not too picky)
7) How many hours of battery life do you need? I'm hoping for at least 3-4 hrs +.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? No problem
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? I'm not really sure, but I'm inclined to say WUXGA. I like the flat panel I have now, its Native Resolution is 1280 x 1024. I'm not really sure what the difference is between WSXGA and WUXGA, but I know I don't want XGA or WXGA.
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.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? I currently have a Sony 17" HS-series flat panel (SDM-HS75P/S) with Xbrite which I love
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? ]yes but not essential, I want something somewhat thin though
14) How long do you want this laptop to last? I would like to get at least 3 yrs out of it, longer hopefully but I'm not really sure how long laptops typically last.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB? I was thinking at least 80? I'm currently using 29 of 200GB on my PC now and don't plan on using more than that (if anything a little less), so I defininately don't need as much as I have now.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive? I definately need DVD-ROM/CD+RW (DVD+RW a plus but not essential)
I currently have an HP Pavilion a720n #PJ509AA-ABA but I'm needing to get a laptop and will be doing everything on it now since my Ex is keeping the PC. The HP works great for what I use it for. I just want to make sure I get something that will be as fast. Here is a link for some of the specs on it if its helpful: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/p...31077&lang=en&. I was thinking about a Sony Vaio FJ Series, but I read a review that said it was not good for gaming and that I would want something with a graphics card for that. I'm not entirely sure that my HP has a graphics card though and the graphics seem great to me. (Is there a way I can tell whether it does or not?) I'm not a hardcore gamer though so maybe I'm not as picky as some. Proccessing speed (while playing and otherwise) is important to me though and again my HP seems fine on that too. I didn't do any research when buying it though, and I have a feeling the PC I have really has more than I personally need. I don't want to overspend in an attempt to match the specs that I have on it if I don't need
them. :confused:
Answer:
Re: Any suggestions?
you won't find those resolutions in 14" or smaller. integrated should be fine for wow, though expect lag. i wouldn't get the sony fj b/c of its outdated processor. i would look at the hp dv2000t/z or compaq v3000z/t. for the most bang for your buck would be teh dell e1405 with the dell coupon codes.
Answer:
Re: Any suggestions?
Dell D620 would be a good choice.
Answer:
Re: Any suggestions?
Thanks for the suggestions. Do you know how the integrated graphics on the e1405 or the dv2000t/z will compare to that of my hp a720n? And I'm assuming it is Windows Vista capable?
Answer:
Re: Any suggestions?
errr..i don't know what your computer has. the e1405 and dv2000t have the gma 950 that is vista capable, but the bare minimum. however, the dv2000t is supposed to have an option for the 7300go....dunno when though. the dv2000z has a bettter integrated solution, teh nvidia 6150. you could also check out the portableone ex (asus z62j).
Answer:
Re: Any suggestions?
I'd consider the HP dv2000z over the dv1000t as well because of the much better Go6150 graphics card. It is Windows Vista Capable.
The Dell Latitude D620 is another nice choice.