Question:
Hard time "pulling the trigger"
:rolleyes: I research online obsessively about everything I am interested in and involved with, and so it was that I found you all at this forum. Perhaps you can help me out by offering your opinions on what I should buy NOW for my next laptop. I have a very hard time "pulling the trigger" when it comes to major purchases. BTW - I am amazed and grateful so many of you are willing to share your opinions with someone like me who has been lurking and learning for many months. Bless you.
Just the facts:
1) What is your budget?
$1000-1500
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Web surfing
Photo/video editting
Presentations
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
It goes where I go when I travel, but only occasionally to the office
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
No game playing
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Prefer:
Lenovo -Have loved my current ThinkPad A31
Sony - really drawn to the looks of the Vaio C (blush pink)
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3 is OK
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Willing to do that
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen looks cool, but standard OK to conserve weight
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900;
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Matte, but can live with glossy I think
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Somehwat ashamed to say YES
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Buying NOW before the end of the year
Would like it to last 3-4 years
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
80-100GB
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
YES - DVD-CD/RW
==========
I am drooling over the looks of the Sony Vaio C-190, especially blush pink. BUT it's a little more weight than I'd like, and it seems so silly to go by LOOKS when buying a computer. As an alternative, I am seriously thinking of the Lenovo 3000 V100, from PC Connection or Newegg online.
Thoughts anyone? And thanks in advance to any who take the time to share them! Appreciate it!!
CarolSW
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
Have you checked the Dell XPS M1210? It is a 12.1 Widescreen laptop, within your price range with really decent configurations. I think it looks good, too.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
I preferred the look of the C400 personally!
The Lenovo X60 is small, light and very customisable. You also get excellent build quality. The downside is the price, they're expensive for the spec, but you get quality and reliability.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
XPS M1210 from dell is good. Lenovo's T60 and R60 is also recommended, since you are somewhat concerned about weight, a T60 would probably be better, they come in 14 and 15 inch standard, they will have widescreen by the end of the year.
Lenovo/IBM design has stayed roughly the same for the past 10 years now so obviously some people think it looks at least okay, so all black is probably still in style.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
Actual weight and apparent weight are two different things. The Dell XPS M1210, although it has a smaller 12" screen than the Sony C-series, will feel heavier because the weight is condensed in a smaller area. The Sony C-series will feel lighter because the weight is more spread out.
I personally really like the Sony C-series. Weight isn't everything when it comes to laptops - there are a lot of other factors to consider, such as internal components, external appearance/design, number of ports, keyboard feel . . so I suggest not dismissing any notebooks based on weight.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
Sony=expensive then others for no reason and best of all, exploding batteries! Don't get me wrong I don't hate Sony, I plan to buy PS3 (when they are actually avilable) but their laptops are expensive, avearge quality you pay for the name brand and perahps the looks.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
The Lenovo Thinkpad z61t should be worth a look in addition to the T60.
I'm not fond of the X-series because there's no built-in optical drive. You have to attach a "media slice" which makes the thing heavier than a Z61t or T60.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
I'm in the same boat as you, after intensive searching, a 15" screen is nearest to perfect size and HP is the highest rated brand for $-value. My choice is going to be a 6000 series HP model.
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
the Asus w7j is a good size for you, good build quality, and is quite stylish
Answer:
Re: Hard time "pulling the trigger"
Here is my post from another forum:
"I bought a T60 just few days ago. After shipping/hanndling and tax, it was $1093. I got the config. price by following the "HOWTO: Get a Fully Customizable ThinkPad for Cheap" guide in Lenovo/IBM forum.
My T60:
CPU- C2D T7200
Screen- 14.1" TFT
Memory- 1 Dimm 1GB (I really perfer this over 2x512Mb, so I can upgrade later)
Video Card- X1300
Hard Drive- 60GB 5400rpm (I may upgrade it a year down the road)
Optical- DVD ROM (I have burner in my desktop)
Battery- 9 cell
Fingerprint reader
Thinkpad ABG"
The above model can be configured a little bit more to fit your needs.