Question:
Suggest a Laptop for College!
I have 1.5k to spend but I'd prefer if it was a little cheaper so I could have some money left on some other stuff, perhaps 1.2k?
What would you recommend for this budget? I'll either be getting it end of this summer or early next summer. Will the prices drop significantly if I decide to choose the latter?
The laptop would be used more for multi-tasking and such and not for hardcore gaming. I will be playing games like CS:S, BF2142, CoD2, etc. though but I don't think any of those are very CPU intensive. I use Photoshop/Flash quite often.
Should I go with a custom built laptop from one of the online stores or go with a mainstream brand like Sony, HP, Dell, etc.
What kind of screen is most popular these days? The usual 15.4"?
Should I go for Vista or XP? No Macbooks please - don't want to learn a new OS.
Thanks!
Answer:
Re: Suggest a Laptop for College!
Can you please fill out the FAQ so we can make some good suggestions please??
Thank you. Also, prices will always stay the same whether you buy this summer or next. Only the technology will change.
Answer:
Re: Suggest a Laptop for College!
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
1.5k, preferably 1.2k so I can get some other stuff
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
C - 15.4"
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Mainly college school work. Some games - CS:S/CoD2/WC3TFT/BF2142 as well as some Apps like Photoshop/Flash
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Taking it with me
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
CS:S/CoD2/WC3TFT/BF2142 - hopefully some new games as well
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Not sure - the longer the better I guess
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I do not mind
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Either XP or Vista - Need suggestion
Screen Specifics
11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
WS
12) 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.
No preference
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Never noticed there was a difference until now - so not sure
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not that much - I don't want a super ugly one of course
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Either this summer or next summer. Hopefully it can last through 4 years of college
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?
What's average? 160GB?
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Yes. whatever's standard
Answer:
Re: Suggest a Laptop for College!
For the games you play, I suggest you look at 15.4"s with the Geforce 8600m GT at the least. Laptops in 15.4" with this card would be the Sager NP2090, the Dell Inspiron 1520, the Dell Vostro 1500 and the Asus C90. Within your price range, the Sager can be well configured and still easily fit your budget, it price starts at $1100 and it comes with a Core2 Duo and the 8600m GT stock. The Dell and Vostro can be configured to make -$1200 with some coupons and maybe over the phone haggling.
Answer:
Re: Suggest a Laptop for College!
Hm I heard Dells aren't that good though - many people have recommended a Lenovo Thinkpad. Are there any of those models that fit within my range? How do those compare to the laptops you mentioned?
What about laptops from online companies like ibuypower & cyberpowerpc? Their specs look nice
Answer:
Re: Suggest a Laptop for College!
bump 10char
Answer:
Re: Suggest a Laptop for College!
Hm I heard Dells aren't that good though - many people have recommended a Lenovo Thinkpad. Are there any of those models that fit within my range? How do those compare to the laptops you mentioned?
What about laptops from online companies like ibuypower & cyberpowerpc? Their specs look nice
The recent Dells have certainly improved their build quality since the white bumper days of the e1505 a couple months ago, but still no match for a Thinkpad, which are built like tanks. If durability and build quality is important for you, the a Thinkpad would be better than a 1520, and vice versa if you value gaming performance.
iBUYPOWER has a less than stellar reputation and I wouldn't recommend them as their build quality seems to be bad as well from what I've heard.