Question:
advice on a buying laptops
hi all and goodmoring.im abought a to buy my first laptop and i came across your forum.. its been very helpfull for some one who dosent know alot abought laptops or computers..my desktop is still running windows 98 :(
but thankfully my wife has a new dell.. that i get to use wen shess sleeping...
im looking to buy the dell e1505 and whould like to know what whould work for me?????
so here we go with the General Questions
1) What is your budget? $1200.00 or less
2) What size notebook would you prefer?Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?photos,email,watching movies,music,i pod,games,
4) yes i will be taking the notebook with me to different places.
5) yes i will be playing some games on it; if so, which games? im not a big gamer but i do like age of empires,diablo2,etc. Battle.net
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? dell
7) How many hours of battery life do you need? ok i dont know (can you charge a laptop in a car????
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?yes i mind.....
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
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Widescreen 15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?i dont know???
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?...nope....
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? i dont know 2 years????
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB? i dont know???
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
yes 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
all so looking at the 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™Go 7300 TurboCache
so far i have :
15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™Go 7300 TurboCache
8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
i dont know what:
processor
os
mermory
hard drive
most of all wireless (clueless)
basically i need help with the things i dont know..with out going over the top in price... thanks
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
get the ati x1400 instead of the nvidia 7300. the x1400 is better and cheaper at the same time. get a low end core 2 duo, like the t5600. 1gb of memory is plenty for your needs. do you have a wireless network set up at home? with a router, where you could be on the internet with your laptop with no cord... if so get a wireless card that carries G. and for the hard drive, dell's lowest option should be good enough for you as well (80gb 5400rpm)
so just to answer your questions in the list you provided...
Processor: t5500 (if you want core 2 duo), or t2400 (if you want a slightly faster computer)
OS: Windows Media Center
Memory: 1GB
Hard Drive: 80GB 5400rpm
Wireless: it comes standard with 1390 b/g which if you even have a wireless network will meet your needs.
for the graphics card: x1400 is better than 7300. 7300 is equal to x1300 in performance. to save the most money, get the x1300. to get the best performance, get the x1400.
i just customized one on dell.com and it came out to a little over 1200. if you go to the coupon section of this website i'm sure you could find a 20% off coupon for inspirons that would keep it in your price range :)
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
this is how new i am to this ..on a laptop dose it have standard 56k/v90/cable hook up???? or if i put a wireless card in do i have to covert to wire less to use the laptop???? im useing phone hook up now....
allso the wireless that comes standard with the laptop, dose it have good range??? or is there one with better range, or is it just a wast of money????
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
I would consider the HP dv6000 series. It has better quality than the Dell E1505 although it may be slightly more expensive when similarly configured.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...owse3/home_SDP
Its available 256MB Go7400 has about the same performance as the X1400.
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
thanks chaz but dell has peaproved me for there laptop... im sure hp whould too...
but what abought my last question ?????
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
i dont know what:
processor
os
mermory
hard drive
most of all wireless (clueless)
-Processor: make sure it is a Core Duo (not a Core Solo, Celeron)
-XP Home should be fine
-I would go for 1GB - that ensures enough memory for a smooth computing experience.
-Hard drive is up to you. I would get either a 60GB or 80GB.
-The laptop should come with it already. If not, check to see if it has "802.11" - that's wireless. Or, you could just post it here and we'll tell you.
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
I agree with Chaz on the HP over Dell if you can swing it.
Also, if you're willing to spend a little more, there are some much more powerful gaming systems available like the ASUS S96J/Z96J and F3Jm, Compal HEL80, and HP nc8430. They'll be more like $1300-1500 though.
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
chaz and everyone ,,,
-The laptop should come with it already. If not, check to see if it has "802.11" - that's wireless. Or, you could just post it here and we'll tell you.
im still not sure abought wireless.... im looking at the :Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Internal Wireless, Netgear 802.11g wireless router [add $79 or $3/month1]
or should i go with :Dell Wireless 1390 802.11b/g Mini Card (54Mbps) [Included in Price]
also dose the computer come standard with a 56k/v90/cable ....i dont have wireless yet....just dial up for now
my next question is abought the screen,
15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
or
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife™
witch whould you people prefer?????
Answer:
Re: advice on a buying laptops
im still not sure abought wireless.... im looking at the :Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Internal Wireless, Netgear 802.11g wireless router [add $79 or $3/month1]
The Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 is a wireless chip. If you don't already have a wireless router, then I suggest going out, reading a few reviews, and buying it yourself. I wouldn't get it from your PC maker, they'll probably overcharge.
Are you set on the Dell? I would try to see other models in person before buying.
15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife™
or
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife™
witch whould you people prefer?????
Screen resolution is personal preference, what are you using now? It's going to be hard to find a WSXGA+ screen to see in person, so I would go with WXGA. It's a good resolution. Higher resolutions have smaller text.