(sorry for this non-relevant to anything post, I just wanted to ask for advice.. again… lol)
Sooo for graduation my grandparents gave me $1000 (which, it was really funny when I saw the check, because at first I thought it was another $100 one, and then I looked again and was like “wait, there were 3 zeros..” lol… THhe look on my face was priceless).. which, is really helpful, because I do need teh moneyz. I really want to get a laptop for college, so I decided to use the money for that.
Now my big dilemma is that I have no idea what is the best laptop to get.
I can tell you what I would be using it for:
Going online, Playing SIMS, using Word to type stuff, and saving pictures/music.
I’m not a big gamer or anything- just sims lol.
And my dad check the computer that we have at home (which I am using right now). It’s got 512 MG of memory and 80 GB of Hard Drive, and it runs fine with all the crap we have on it (and we have SIMS 2 on here, iTunes, a zillion pictures, my dad uses AutoCAD… so there is a lot of stuff). And most of the laptops we saw were 2-3 GB memory and 200-320 GM of hard drive. So the computer I am using at home right now is one sixth that amount. Now that I know that I’m not too worried about those numbers, since I don’t think I’m going to be doing any intense graphics or anything with it.
The brands I looked at the store and liked were 1 Toshiba, 2 Dells, a Sony, a Gateway and an HP. I wrote down all the stuff about them but I don’t have it with me at the moment.
Our computer we have now is a Gateway, but it isn’t a laptop, and I don’t know how their laptops are. Most of the comments I found online said they pretty much suck, but at the store they were the best price for memory and hard drive (it was like $750 for 4 GB and 320 GB)….
blarggg… I don’t know… I hear a lot of people saying good thing about macs/apples. But I know nothing about them.
It seems like none of these brands are the best, because there is always a negative comment for every positive one. Dell and Gateway got more negatives than positives, Toshiba was in the middle, HP got more positive than negative, and Mac got all positives pretty much (other than that they said if you havn’t used it before it is weird for PC users, plus it’s more expensive). But it seemed all the people who had Macs thought they were amazing and built to last and just all around the best.
I’m just wondering what laptops you all use and WHY you love/hate them. Or if you know laptops and know what would be good for me, since I have no idea what laptop is best for online-SIMS2playing-typingstuff-andstoringpicturesandmusic. Or any other all around laptop purchasing tips (I heard that “hp’s laptops. They also have an academic purchase program that knocks another 10-20% off the price you qualify for as a student.”). Stuff like that. Like I said, my price range is up to $1000 (I could maybe go a bit higher, but I’d rather have extra money to use for paying actual tuition lol).
Sooo.. any advice would be wonderful. Or just tell me, if you have a laptop, what you love about it, or if you had one that you didn’t like, why didn’t you like it.
I’m going to check out SamsClub sometime this week, since their prices are always great.
(and I promise this week I will have… ACTUAL posts lol. I was too busy yesterday about going to my Target interview. I have to go back today so I’m still on my nerve train and won’t be getting off for another day. Plus, I have to get pictures uploaded and take pictures for the book post and I just havn’t gotten around to doing so. But IT WILL BE DONE! I do have all summer here lol.)
Thansk again for any advice. And if you want the specs I wrote down from Best Buy about the computers I was interested in, I have it and can give it to you if you want them.
I have been using a Mac since the 90s, went through the hard times with Apple but also enjoy the good times now. I had worked with Windows machines before and sometimes still have to, but I am always happy when I can work on my Mac because it just works. There is much less to worry about. I think Apple has a students program right now, too, where you get an iPod if you purchase a Mac (http://www.apple.com/backtoschool/)
By: Mode für Mollige on June 10, 2008
at 11:10 am
If you can afford a Mac go for it, if not, Toshiba and Dell would tie at 2nd place.
By: Lu on June 10, 2008
at 11:11 am
I’ve got a Macbook pro, Which I got after 4 horrible years of having a dell. Macs are wonderful, functional, support both MSWord and the SIMS, and are generally slick and intuitive when it comes to pictures and music and such. I had nothing but trouble with my Dell. I highly highly recommend a Mac!
By: meegs on June 10, 2008
at 12:00 pm
If you go with a Mac, you don’t have to worry about the Windows Vista operating system (can we say massive memory hog?), which is a much bigger pain in the ass than XP (from everything I’ve read about it, anyway). Macs have it all over pcs when it comes to word processing and desktop publishing, so if you’re going to use it for papers in college, that might be the way to go. Anything new takes a bit of time to get used to, but you’ve got all summer. A lot of your decision should be based on what you’re comfortable with, and how you’re going to be using it. So this probably wasn’t much help, but good luck with whatever you decide to buy.
By: vesta44 on June 10, 2008
at 12:36 pm
My family has been using Macs ever since I’ve been alive, so I’ve kind of grown biased towards them. I have a iBook G4 and it works great for me (especially for someone who basically just needs a computer, not all the other little things that come with it).
Good luck!
By: Stephanie on June 10, 2008
at 12:58 pm
My Dell, my brother’s Dell, and my best friend’s Dell all had their DVD/CD drives crap out shortly after the warranty was up. Otherwise it has been an OK little machine (I have an Inspiron 6000 from 2005). It’s certainly very physically tough, but it’s quite heavy. Oh, and I spilled a cup of tea on it the other day to no ill effects (though now I have no left Shift key, oh well).
Have you checked out the Cnet site? It does consumer reviews of practically all consumer electronics and you can search by price, rating, brand, or whatever you want. Good luck!
By: 32-P on June 10, 2008
at 1:39 pm
I think the Mac laptop is awesome…as mentioned above, it just works (however, at close to $2000, it may be beyond your limitations). BUT, there are plenty of things I’m not happy with after having a PC desktop for six years (a Dell, that worked really well). Unfortunately, we live in a mostly PC-compatible world…
For example, I watch a lot of streaming videos online (ABC’s website for Desperate Housewives, The Bachelor, etc). I also belong to Netflix, which has a deal where you can watch movies online, many of which are on my queue–I’d love to take advantage of this. But they won’t play on a Mac, so I’m essentially losing money on that benefit.
I also play games on the computer and love old-school ones such as Heroes of Might & Magic and Civilization 2. But it’s really hard to find Mac compatible games. I go online to play MSN games and download hour-long trials of new games, but MSN games won’t work on a Mac, and neither do a lot of downloadable games from other sites.
Ideally, I’d like a Mac laptop and a PC desktop again. If I could choose only one, I’d go for a PC laptop (in YELLOW!). For my specific needs, a Mac just doesn’t fit ‘em.
Let us know what you choose!
By: genevieve on June 10, 2008
at 1:43 pm
Get a mac. They rock… i wish i had one…
By: Melissa on June 10, 2008
at 1:44 pm
I got a mac (ibook) when I started college and hate pcs now. I found it very easy & intuitive to use & I am not super at computer stuff. The best advice I have, though, is see whether macs or pcs are more supported at your school. I can get my ibook fixed on campus, but would have to go find a repair shop if I had a broken pc. Apple has a nice student discount and I think they let you pay in installments.
By: April on June 10, 2008
at 3:34 pm
I have a Dell right now. I got my first one three years ago when I went off to college, and have had two or three big problems with it since then. Add in a lot of bad experience with Dell’s repair people, and three months of having a broken computer, they finally gave me a new one for free a few months ago, though it took a lot of anger and trying on my part, which still frustrates me.
I really really really want a Mac. I don’t know if you’re interested in the visual arts at all, but if you are, you should definitely get a Mac. I found out after two years of college that my passions lie in writing and filmmaking. Macs are great for music, film/video editing, photos, etc. So if any of that stuff interests you even the slightest, you definitely would want a Mac. I go between school Macs and my laptop all the time, and once you get used to a Mac’s general concept, they’re really really easy to use. So don’t let that throw you off.
And the repair people at Mac are really really good and really really nice. So I’d say, if you can do it, try for a Mac. It has everything you want, and then some, plus Mac people are really nice.
Otherwise, I guess I’d suggest Dell, as long as you get a good warranty. They generally last for awhile, and compared to Toshiba are way better.
Good luck! Laptops are VERY important for college. You’ll really want one!
And, P.S. CONGRATS!
By: Chrissy on June 10, 2008
at 4:03 pm
I am a Mac girl, myself. BUT I do need PC compatibility, so I have an Intel Mac and run windows when I need to run specific windows applications. . .
BUT for what you want to do either would be fine. . . I think April is on the right track – call your school. You might get a nice discount at the school bookstore, too!
Happy shopping and congratulations on graduating!
By: Lisa R on June 10, 2008
at 4:12 pm
I got my MacBook for $1000 and have had great luck with it. I had a Dell that had two motherboards fail. At work they get us Dell or Gateway and people have had constant problems with them. But Dell does offer good support packages–but you have to pay for them. I don’t think I’d ever buy anything but a Mac again.
By: pennylane on June 10, 2008
at 4:38 pm
dell xps! it rocks my socks. It’s reliable, easy to use, less expensive then some other computer and comes in pretty colours. I have never had any problems. It makes me happy.
By: elizabeth on June 10, 2008
at 5:36 pm
Wow, I love how many Mac fans there are! I’m a graphic artist and have always worked on Macs. I have had a PowerBook G4 for a couple years now, and it’s still going strong. MacBooks start at $1099 and I don’t know how much the student discount is. My husband has an HP laptop as well, and I’ll say, the money he has to pay to Norton to keep the viruses out (much needed on a PC) would balance out paying a little extra for a Mac – the best thing about em: no viruses! Apple also has a lot of their own text editing software that comes installed on the comp and would probably suit you just fine for papers and such. But – the downfall is, any of your existing PC software most likely will not work on a Mac. Also, didn’t I read in one of your posts that you are into Photoshop? Or photo editing anyway? Well, if you are going to be doing any kind of work like that, I would recommend getting as much RAM as you can on any computer you purchase. It will make tasks in Photoshop, games, and the internet go faster.
Congrats on your graduation!
By: the delish on June 10, 2008
at 6:07 pm
I’ve used Windows machines for ages ago, and Linux machines for a few years. I got a MacBook about a year and a half ago, and it’s absolutely the least troublesome machine I’ve ever had. They start at $1000 after the student discount, I think.
A bit of a downside: if you currently have The Sims for Windows, you’ll have to install Windows on your MacBook (you can dual-boot Windows and OS X), or get the Mac version of The Sims.
Notea about RAM and hard drive space:
(1) If you get a MacBook, don’t add extra RAM through Apple. It’s way overpriced. Buy it elsewhere and install it yourself.
(2) If you’re worried about hard drive space, you can always get an external hard drive later. Hard drives for laptops get really expensive as they get bigger.
By: calculusdude16 on June 10, 2008
at 7:56 pm
The MacBook Pro is really expensive, but the MacBook starts at around $1000 after the student discount. I got one a year and a half ago and it’s the least troublesome computer I’ve ever had.
Since you’re on a tight budget, here’s my MacBook recommendation: Get the cheapest one at the student price. Get the extended AppleCare 3-year warranty, ’cause repairing laptops is *expensive*.
The cheapest MacBook can’t burn DVDs. If you want to burn DVDs, shop online for a $50 external DVD burner – cheaper than getting the DVD-burning MacBook. Apple’s RAM is really overpriced: if you want more than the 1 GB that’s included, shop around – you can find 2 GB for $40 or 4 GB for $80.
By: calculusdude16 on June 10, 2008
at 8:44 pm
Get a Mac!!! I always had PCs until I got my MacBook last year, and I absolutely LOVE it. I will never ever ever go back to PCs. I’ve also turned several friends onto Macs and they’re complete converts as well. You can do everything on Macs that you can do on Windows, and the OS runs so much more smoothly and quickly it’s ridiculous. In the 10 months I’ve had my Mac, I think I’ve had to restart it… once. Also, Mac software is great for photos (iPhoto) and music (iTunes).
After disastrous experiences with Dells and Gateways, I can’t sing the praises of the Mac highly enough. Not to mention Apple customer service is absolutely top-notch. They’re a little pricier than PCs, but if you can swing it, it’s totally worth it. I have a friend who has a Mac laptop that she bought in 2000 and still she still uses it. Also, if you want to save a little, on the Apple site, they sell refurbished Macs. My boyfriend bought one two years ago and has had absolutely no complaints. (He’s the one to turned me onto Macs!)
By: Katie on June 10, 2008
at 9:33 pm
The best computer I’ve ever used is my Macbook. They are really easy to use, they never get viruses, they are far quicker downloading stuff on the internet (I can click through six or seven sites in the time it takes my mother’s computer to download one fully) and they last forever – I’ve had mine a year now and it’s just as quick as it was when I first bought it, unlike PCs which I find slow down dramatically as soon as you put anything on them. You never get those weird pop-up windows from the system tray, it’s never frozen on me… I could go on for days.
If you need a PC then the best one I used was my Dell Inspiron laptop a few years ago, but I have to admit I think they are the best of a bad bunch. I can’t recommend Macs highly enough.
By: Katy on June 11, 2008
at 12:51 am
Get a mac. The notebooks are really convenient and reliable. The Macbook Pro is probably your best choice with the kind of applications you want to run. Good luck.
By: MOAT on June 16, 2008
at 3:41 pm