Question:
Advice for my First Laptop
Hi everyone,
I am a pharmacy student who needs a laptop within 2 weeks or so. I would greatly appreciate any help/comments that would make my decision easier. I am so far leaning towards an Asus W7J or W3J, although the latter is a bit on the pricer side.
General Questions
1) What is your budget? 1800-2000$ CDN
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
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
I will use it mainly for studying and work: Word processing, slide presentations, data entry... Web surfing and perhaps watching DVDs as well.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I intend to bring it to school/work and for teamwork meetings on an occasional to regular basis.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Nope
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I like the quality/aesthetics of Asus notebooks.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
The more the better, but 3-4 hrs would be great.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I don't mind. I trust the Asus pictures posted by fellow members :)
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in? Montreal, Canada
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen? Not too sure ... widescreen.
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.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Doesnt matter
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes. I'm willing to get a nicer laptop and pay the extra sum that comes along.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
4 years
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB? 80Gb-100GB
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive? Errr ... what is needed to watch DVDs
Answer:
Re: Advice for my First Laptop
maybe the ASUS A8F would be good. The only downside is it has an intergrated graphic card, but since you are not playing any games it will be fine. You could probably get one that has 80 gb harddrive, intel core duo 1.83ghz for under $1300.
The hp dv2000t is pretty good too, but it is very reflective, but the battery life is about 2.5 hours.
Answer:
Re: Advice for my First Laptop
the lg t1 is another one to consider. i think the asus w3j would be a bit of a waste for you b/c you are paying for a gpu that you would most likely never use.