Help buying a laptop

kernix · April 10, 2010

I'm thinking of buying a laptop, but not sure of all the specs I need. Basically, I'll use it for the internet, some word docs, and maybe dreamweaver\website updates. CD\DVD player would be nice too, but I assume they are standard. All of that is pretty basic, so I'll need enough to handle PS and pic editing. I'm thinking a ~ 15" screen should be enough.

I was thinking $500-600. I was told about TigerDirect.com for a great place to buy computers and related stuff. So my questions are:

1. Is Tiger a good place to fing deals, or does anyone know of a better site?
2. New or Refurbished?
3. What are the minimum specs I would need - ram, processor, etc?

Thanks!
Jim

AlbertZeroK · April 11, 2010

Honestly, we tend to buy laptops at Best Buy. Although, we spent something like $50k at Newegg last year on computer parts. Why Best Buy? If you catch a laptop on sale, it's dirt cheap. Also, some of their laptops are cheaper in the store than online because the store gets special deals. And lastly, Best Buy is not in the buisness of selling laptops, they make nothing on them. Instead, they make their money on accessories.

I would goto best buy or a store anyways, I always like to click the clicker, touch the keyboard and make sure it suites me. My wife is horrible to please in this area, so it's a must for her to goto the store.

Also, see if the store runs a special, our local store runs an in store special, 10% two accessories, 15% off three accessories when you buy a computer - if you need something, it's worth taking advantage of - but make sure they take off the discount, they never remember at the register and sometimes it takes a manager to do (but they never give me grief).

As for what to buy? I personally prefer Sony Laptops. I have two and my wife has one.

Art Scott · April 11, 2010

kernix wrote:

1. Is Tiger a good place to fing deals, or does anyone know of a better site?
2. New or Refurbished?
3. What are the minimum specs I would need - ram, processor, etc?

Thanks!
Jim

!- I buy quite a lot from TD....never had a problem........

2- refurb can be as good as new........but I have been having nothing but night mares dealing with dell........first off my laptop (studio 1745) the dvd burner went bonkers.....everything shook and soiund like it was skipping...had to send back but it arrived back to after the 21 day return period was over and they have been dead set on that.....2ndly.....I asked little ?'s like will this lapptop hold a 2nd 500gb hard drive.....yes I was told....can I install it myself...yes I was told......tech even had me open the back and see the carriage and adapter......

3rdly I asked will it run my ages old printer, scanner and other hardware and software on my old XP machine....ues I was told.....NOT ONCE but 3 different calls ....2 prior to buying and the 3rd was when DVD was acting up..........

Got laptop back had already purchased a 500gb HDD and what happens.....I can't get the back off the computer......the idiots that worked on it did not put a drip of lock tite on the screws....it was from top to bottom and the carriage and adapter are gone..........I did get the same machine back as I had the s/n and model # photographed.......now I am always #87 in que online or will be on hold for upto 3 hrs before I could hope to talk to someone.......so i cannot recommend dell.

3- A dual core or Core 2 duo processor as much as you can afford
ram----if you get a dual core machine then upto 3-4 gb what ever the machine will recognize.....if you go quad core then I do not think you need more thatn 6-8gb

might want to look at HP......business laptops or make the jump to apple............

of course you could always build your own......not a cost effective as building a desktop but it can still be done.

AlbertZeroK · April 11, 2010

Art Scott wrote:

!- I buy quite a lot from TD....never had a problem........

2- refurb can be as good as new........but I have been having nothing but night mares dealing with dell........first off my laptop (studio 1745) the dvd burner went bonkers.....everything shook and soiund like it was skipping...had to send back but it arrived back to after the 21 day return period was over and they have been dead set on that.....2ndly.....I asked little ?'s like will this lapptop hold a 2nd 500gb hard drive.....yes I was told....can I install it myself...yes I was told......tech even had me open the back and see the carriage and adapter......

3rdly I asked will it run my ages old printer, scanner and other hardware and software on my old XP machine....ues I was told.....NOT ONCE but 3 different calls ....2 prior to buying and the 3rd was when DVD was acting up..........

Got laptop back had already purchased a 500gb HDD and what happens.....I can't get the back off the computer......the idiots that worked on it did not put a drip of lock tite on the screws....it was from top to bottom and the carriage and adapter are gone..........I did get the same machine back as I had the s/n and model # photographed.......now I am always #87 in que online or will be on hold for upto 3 hrs before I could hope to talk to someone.......so i cannot recommend dell.

3- A dual core or Core 2 duo processor as much as you can afford
ram----if you get a dual core machine then upto 3-4 gb what ever the machine will recognize.....if you go quad core then I do not think you need more thatn 6-8gb

might want to look at HP......business laptops or make the jump to apple............

of course you could always build your own......not a cost effective as building a desktop but it can still be done.

Yeah, two dell laptops I've had at work. This time I went Sony. One thing you can count on for Dell, you ALWAYS have to demand onsite service and it ALWAYS takes more than one buisness day to get the guy out to the office to fix it after they get the part. We also have HP and Compaq and Gateway laptops at the office - I like them all. HP/Compaq has the best turn around for mail in service - Gateway (now part of eMachines) tends to take weeks just to get a laptop fixed.

Eclipsed · April 12, 2010

I like HP laptops, Sony laptops and higher end Dell laptops. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. The better laptop you get, the longer it will last you.

gramps50 · April 12, 2010

At work I always had Dell laptops so when I retired I bought a Dell Latitude which is their business class laptop. Last year I needed a better LT for the wife so I bought a new Dell Vostro 1520. I have always had good luck with the Dells and I get the next day fix at office/home warrenty.

I ordered the Dell off the Dell web site and you have to watch there might be different prices at different sites, Dell has several sites. When I got my vostro I bought one of their bundles and got a better price that piecing one together.

I wouldn't get less than 4 GB for ram.

I think if you stay with the major brands and with a business grade model you should be alright.

Help buying a laptop

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