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New Laptop-what should I look for?

128shot

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I'm looking for a new laptop to buy, now that I'll be traveling more.



What should I look for in a laptop?



What kind of battery should I get? How many?


What brands are good?




I'm not really a comp expert.


thanks all.
 
128shot said:
I'm looking for a new laptop to buy, now that I'll be traveling more.



What should I look for in a laptop?



What kind of battery should I get? How many?


What brands are good?




I'm not really a comp expert.


thanks all.

Personally, Sony Vaio's are the shiznit. I have owned 4 different laptops(Dell, HP, IBM, and Apple). The best by far is my Vaio. The most imperative thing in looking for a laptop is your processor, then gigaherze, then megabytes, then hardrive, then graphics.

The Sony K33 offers all of that at a reasonable price. I know cause I own it. It comes with the best processor on the market right now which is a Pentium 4, with 3.2 gigaherz(3rd best), with512megabytes(second best), with at least 20gig(depends), and the best graphics card out right now which is a ATI graphics card. It also comes with a nice size screen which is 17.5in.

The load time is very fast. The speed at which it works is just uncanny to anything else you will try. Depending on what you will se it for. It is best in all around activity use. For example, it records cd's and dvds very well and quickly. It is very good for microsoft office. If you are into programming ti is also very good. BASICALLY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO YOU CAN DO SO VERY EXPEDIATELY AND DELIGENTLY WITH THIS COMPUTER.
 
I recommend something w/ an AMD64 processor. The new 64bit Operating System for Windows will be out before too long. You'll need a 64bit CPU to run it. I recommend AMD over Intel at this point.
 
Simon W. Moon said:
I recommend something w/ an AMD64 processor. The new 64bit Operating System for Windows will be out before too long. You'll need a 64bit CPU to run it. I recommend AMD over Intel at this point.


I agree, not an intel fan myself. Dual core is the way to go.



I'm not familiar with buying laptops though..
 
Simon W. Moon said:
Are you using one now?



My friend has the new AMD duals and I was running intel extreme dual core.




They're both nice. I thought the AMD could handle heavier loads though. Cause we were gaming and his did lag at all and my lagged slightly with everything running the backround.
 
128shot said:
My friend has the new AMD duals and I was running intel extreme dual core.




They're both nice. I thought the AMD could handle heavier loads though. Cause we were gaming and his did lag at all and my lagged slightly with everything running the backround.


AMD's and intels svck balls compared to pentiums. Trust me. If you are into gaming then a pent 4 with a ATI graphics card is the way to go.
 
The first question to ask is what do you want to use if for and how much do you want to spend?

I need a laptop, but I don't need it to run power demanding applications. So I just picked up a nice refurbished IBM T21 20 gig HD DVD/CD burner, 256 Meg 800 Mhz PIII CPU for $385, including shipping.

IBMs have a rep for being tough, but are pricy. You definitely want a Lith-ion batt, not ni-cad.

I play games too, but use my fullsize for the power hungry or video intensive games. Power is much more expensive to buy in a laptop.
 
I don't game anymore really.



Intel makes pentiums, thats why they are called intel pentium 4 processors no?


I like to watch DVDs, burn CDs, and use the internet, thats about it anymore..
 
128shot said:
I don't game anymore really.



Intel makes pentiums, thats why they are called intel pentium 4 processors no?


I like to watch DVDs, burn CDs, and use the internet, thats about it anymore..

Yeah but I thought you were refering to the celerons.
 
128shot said:
I don't game anymore really.

Intel makes pentiums, thats why they are called intel pentium 4 processors no?

I like to watch DVDs, burn CDs, and use the internet, thats about it anymore..

If you do not need it to play high power video-intensive games (which need lots of CPU and video power) then you do not need to spend lots of $$ on a laptop. You don't need much in the way of processing power to browse the web. Nor do you need anything hot to watch DVDs and burn CDs.

If you are on a budget, you might consider a refurbished model. The T21 I just bought will burn CDs, play DVDs (15.1" screen) and has the horsepower to do anything except video intensive games. Why pay for power you don't need? Also, if you carry around a laptop a lot, another consideration is weight, an 8 lb laptop adds a lot more to a shoulder bag than a 5 lb one (like the T21) does. Finally, if I lose or break my $385 laptop, I am a lot less upset than if I lose or break a $1500 one.

If you want more info email send me a PM and I'll be happy to give you more details.
 
Iriemon said:
If you do not need it to play high power video-intensive games (which need lots of CPU and video power) then you do not need to spend lots of $$ on a laptop. You don't need much in the way of processing power to browse the web. Nor do you need anything hot to watch DVDs and burn CDs.

If you are on a budget, you might consider a refurbished model. The T21 I just bought will burn CDs, play DVDs (15.1" screen) and has the horsepower to do anything except video intensive games. Why pay for power you don't need? Also, if you carry around a laptop a lot, another consideration is weight, an 8 lb laptop adds a lot more to a shoulder bag than a 5 lb one (like the T21) does. Finally, if I lose or break my $385 laptop, I am a lot less upset than if I lose or break a $1500 one.

If you want more info email send me a PM and I'll be happy to give you more details.

You lose laptops? Make sure you dont forget your brain when you go out. :lol:

I have never losed a laptop (knock on wood):lol: . If you want to burn cd's or dvd's you will need to have power if you want the burning and downloading process to go expediately. You can burn a cd or dvd on a shabby processor, sure. But will you do it quickly and thoroughy thats the question.
 
one word wireless. If it aint wireless it aint **** I've got a gateway that I got on the after Thanksgiving sale at best buy for as cheap as the computers that aren't wireless and don't have the centrino chip which allows your battery to be smaller and hence makes your computer way lighter. I'd wait for the sales to make a purchase but get there early or they'll all get sold out.
 
SKILMATIC said:
You lose laptops? Make sure you dont forget your brain when you go out. :lol:

I have never losed a laptop (knock on wood):lol: . If you want to burn cd's or dvd's you will need to have power if you want the burning and downloading process to go expediately. You can burn a cd or dvd on a shabby processor, sure. But will you do it quickly and thoroughy thats the question.

Actually I have never lost a laptop -- though I certainly do not put it (or that it might be stolen) out of the realm of possibility! I do occationally forget to check the brain. :)
 
This really depends on your budget.

Honestly, I'll always go with a Desktop over a laptop, but I guess for a side-kick you should get a laptop as well.

I, personally, do not recommend Dual Core at this time. It has yet to be as useful as it will be in the future and something like Dual Core will need additions to be successfully used.
In the world of Laptops, your options are tiny.. you should just pick one from the major companies (Alien-Ware if you got the $$$).

GOod luck.
 
First of all, I reccomend look for an AMD 64 bit laptop, just because they have the new technology that intel can't compete with. However, it may take some time before you really begin to see AMD in a variety of laptops.

The only ones that really use AMD for laptops are HP and Asus. (Last time I checked).



with that said, buying a laptop depends what you need the laptop for.

For Gaming, go for Asus, alienware, or customized laptops..


Im, however, assuming its for work. So......

you may want to look at IBM, the T-series. IBM is great for work. Models T42 or T43 are one of the highest rated. They have awesome build, and are very reliable. THey also have the best keyboard functiotnality and the best wireless integration IMO. I currently have the T43, which has so far performed great. The only bad part is that their screens are mediocre (not the really sharp ones like the brightviews on Vaios or dell).

Go for dells if you want cheap, but still fairly reliable.
HP is also cheap, and I would go for AMD if you go for HP.

Viaos are alright, but they tend to have a bad build.
 
Ibuypower.com looks like a neat little site to buy from, even though its rather expensive.



I was thinking about IBM, but I like pretty looking things (I'll probably be buying around christmas) so I'm going to wait for intel's 64 bit chip to come to laptops cause after looking at OS X I started to loathe the looks of 64 bit enviorments..





I fell for it hehe.
 
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