The horror, the horror, I need a windows laptop

[cherry su]

Toshibas are pretty good.

But if you are going to spend 800$ on a pc laptop, why not get a refurb macbook for same price? Upgrade ram to 4g for like 60-80$. A 13 inch screen is fine, why do you NEED 15?

He's not satisfied with the core 2 duo processor. Also, a 13" screen would be fine if the pixel count were higher. OP probably wants a 1440x900 or higher.

 

[GLS]

+1 for Lenovo. We use their laptops at work, and they've easily matched the high quality of my older (read: IBM built) Thinkpad. If I wasn't buying a mac portable, i'd buy a Lenovo Thinkpad.

Mostly true.

I've been buying IBM/Lenovos for years now in bulk, and here are my observations.

When IBM had their laptop division, the Thinkpads were bulletproof. We had nearly every model produced from 97 through 2005...when they sold the division to Lenovo. After Lenovo took over, this stayed the same...until a few years ago. Now, you can purchase Lenovo laptops that are not under the Thinkpad umbrella that are no better than the economical Dell or Compaq models.

What is worse, however...is some of the more recent models they have put under the Thinkpad label....absolute crap.

If you are willing to spend some cash, you can still get an excellent build quality laptop from Lenovo...but looking for the phrase "Thinkpad" does not automatically equate quality any longer.

 

[hamlin]

He's not satisfied with the core 2 duo processor. Also, a 13" screen would be fine if the pixel count were higher. OP probably wants a 1440x900 or higher.

My question is why though? Whats so bad about the processor? I have a 2010 macbook and the 2.4 ghz processor does more than I need. I surf the net, use office, watch vids, download, play steam games fine. What does he plan on doing with his computer? Seeing as hes in school I doubt he will be editing videos and creating animations.

 

[huck500]

According to Consumer Reports reliability ratings, Toshiba and Acer have the best, Apple and Lenovo are second, and Dell is last... but there isn't much difference between most reliable and least.

They rate Macs first overall, but they also seem to like the Toshiba Satellites.

Really, with Windows 7 the windows experience is pretty painless, and any of these machines will get you through college. I'd go play with them at Best Buy or the equivalent and see which one you like before you order. There's more to a computer than specs, especially if you're going to be lugging it to classes.

Good luck!

 

[macjonny1]

I hate Lenovos. I use them day in and day out at work. Always seem to be falling apart. Maybe I'm hard on them but I can't stand them but I'm stuck.

My Sony Vaio seems much more solid...

 

[pcb]

I am going to try and make it out to best buy on friday to check out the HP DM4. It wont be quite the same specs I would order from HP but it would still give me a pretty good feel for the computer.

I would want it with the 512mb switchable graphics option, and I can get it with a larger hard drive upgrade free from HP.


WHAT IM THINKING...
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-460M Dual Core Processor (2.53 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz

512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5470 switchable graphics [HDMI, VGA]

4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)

6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.25 hours of battery life

14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)

FREE Upgrade to 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support

HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader

Wireless-N Card

Standard Keyboard




All that for 833 including tax shipped to my door with a student discount doesnt sound like to bad of a deal.

 

[pcb]

Im pullin the trigger, its on sale with a 180instant rebate plus a 250 coupon.

HP dm4t
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
i5 2.53ghz
1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 switchable graphics
4gb ddr3
9 cell battery(extra large) gets 10hrs of battery life
500gb 7200rpm
802.11b/g/n with bluetooth
plus my system recovery disks-(hate that hp charges me for them)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)

Price before discounts $1,133.99
Laptop Instant Rebate -30.00
Notebook Instant Rebate-150.00
Online Coupon code -250.00
TOTAL PRICE(pre tax) 703.99
TOTAL PRICE(post tax) 747.99


With a 21 day return policy after i get it if I dont like it. Seems to be a good deal to me.

 

[sjinsjca]

Fix your current machine, jam in some RAM, run Win7 in VMWare Fusion. Much nicer than Boot Camp. Cor2Duo is plenty enough powerful.

 

[kevink2]

I was lucky when, 3 1/2 years ago, I purchased an extended warranty with my pricey Toshiba. The motherboard died 2 years ago, and they replaced it. My power supply died once too, and they replaced that under standard warranty.

The case wasn't strong enough above the PC card slots. Case is cracked there. Obvious week point, which I should have thought of before lifting it too many times at that point.

 

[transam7816]

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2352477

Check this one out

 

[weckart]

According to Consumer Reports reliability ratings, Toshiba and Acer have the best, Apple and Lenovo are second, and Dell is last... but there isn't much difference between most reliable and least.

They rate Macs first overall, but they also seem to like the Toshiba Satellites.

Asus not Acer! Do not make the mistake of confusing the two. Acer was a split off from Asus and specialises in cheap and, all to frequently, nasty. Asus has a more convincing premium range and very decent motherboards.

 

[Laurencia7]

If you don't care if it is used, you can get great deals on Ebay for Macbooks...and not have to stoop low and buy windows.

 

[cube]

Acer was a split off from Asus

What are you talking about??

 

[japasneezemonk]

Obviously if your using anyone of the Adobe CS products or doing some meshing I know ever little ounce of speed counts, but do so many people actually need all the processing power of the modern PC?
I'm wondering why everyone thinks Core 2 Duo is so slow? Yes it's old, but slow? I have been using an iMac with a 2.0ghz C2D and 4gb ram for the past 3 years and it still feels fast to me. It's not like I'm old or anything, I'm in my mid-twenties. Can anyone chime in on what is so bad about c2d?

 

[talmy]

Can anyone chime in on what is so bad about c2d?

For most purposes, nothing at all! I appreciate my quad-core i7, but every other computer I have and/or use has either a C2D or Pentium IV and they are all working just fine. For the "average user", one who uses a browser and an office productivity suite (MS Office or iWork), even a C2D is overkill.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

I needed one also

Be sure to get 4GB memory and get Windows 7 64-bit, not 32-bit. Core i5 5xx or greater.

But, my biggest advice is make sure that you are OK with the "pointing device". I hate the mouse buttons on my cheap Windows laptop.

 

[balamw]

Be sure to get 4GB memory and get Windows 7 64-bit, not 32-bit. Core i5 5xx or greater.

But, my biggest advice is make sure that you are OK with the "pointing device". I hate the mouse buttons on my cheap Windows laptop.

Ditto. I had an IBM ThinkPad T42P that was built like a tank and outperformed many newer laptops even 8 years after it was originally built but I couldn't stand the trackpad or eraser thingy. More recently i had a Dell Vostro 1330 i5 520 (as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, it had the same resolution as the 15" and 17" models. If I was at my desk I could plug it in and get higher resolution and plug it in, but when mobile I wanted something actually portable.). I also found the touchpad on the Dell furstrating after working almost exclusively on my MB and MBP for over a year. You get spoiled by the smooth and huge multi-touch pads on recent Macs.

B

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

One more thing

BTW, I would judge a:

"15'' Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33ghz MacBook Pro 120 GB HD 2GB RAM"

as worth saving.

 

[shyam09]

u...u...u...uuuuuu
how dare you ask about a PC in a MAC zone..
you call yourself a macrumors member. tsk tsk tsk

lol! JK

i love replying like this to people's post (those who ask about a PC.. it makes them laugh hopefully and others too!)
your specs are:
i5 2.53ghz
4 gb 1066 ram
500gb hard drive
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB (switchable)
isplay
15.6" HD LED Glare 1366x768
for $789

thats a damn good deal.. the thing about lenovo is the keyboard is amazing (according to cnet.com) so thats a plus!
but one thing man.. can you post the model of the lenovo or something (like a link) so we could check it out , and see the design.. im on a PC now (im planning to get an apple so i can help you out a lot 🙂 )

personally if i did not go for lenovo it would be dell, HP, or Acer... acer being maybe a top choice?but for those specs that a very nice deal..

one question comes to mind- this isn't a special where you got student discount above the already discounted product right? just wanted to make sure because i would suggest to wait maybe a couple more days and do a little more research for the best bang of your bucks...

also do you know the estimated battery life.. once again if you post the link i can help you out further 😛

i will subscribe to this thread and check back regularly for you!😎

 

[pcb]

BTW, I would judge a:

"15'' Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33ghz MacBook Pro 120 GB HD 2GB RAM"

as worth saving.

Oh its definately being saved, it just wont be my primary machine anymore. I plan to use it in clamshell mode as a desktop.

u...u...u...uuuuuu
how dare you ask about a PC in a MAC zone..
you call yourself a macrumors member. tsk tsk tsk

lol! JK

i love replying like this to people's post (those who ask about a PC.. it makes them laugh hopefully and others too!)
your specs are:
i5 2.53ghz
4 gb 1066 ram
500gb hard drive
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB (switchable)
isplay
15.6" HD LED Glare 1366x768
for $789

thats a damn good deal.. the thing about lenovo is the keyboard is amazing (according to cnet.com) so thats a plus!
but one thing man.. can you post the model of the lenovo or something (like a link) so we could check it out , and see the design.. im on a PC now (im planning to get an apple so i can help you out a lot 🙂 )

personally if i did not go for lenovo it would be dell, HP, or Acer... acer being maybe a top choice?but for those specs that a very nice deal..

one question comes to mind- this isn't a special where you got student discount above the already discounted product right? just wanted to make sure because i would suggest to wait maybe a couple more days and do a little more research for the best bang of your bucks...

also do you know the estimated battery life.. once again if you post the link i can help you out further 😛

i will subscribe to this thread and check back regularly for you!😎

I was hearing horrible things about the lenovo's battery life, like 2hrs was about the best to expect. Being a student who will be carrying the machine in a backpack 6days a week if not 7 I need better battery life so I am not always tied to a plug.

I actually ended up purchasing a hp that is being delivered. The specs are as follows...

HP dm4t
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
i5 2.53ghz
1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 switchable graphics
4gb ddr3
9 cell battery(extra large) gets 10hrs of battery life
500gb 7200rpm
802.11b/g/n with bluetooth
plus my system recovery disks-(hate that hp charges me for them)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)

Price before discounts $1,133.99
Laptop Instant Rebate -30.00
Notebook Instant Rebate-150.00
Online Coupon code -250.00
TOTAL PRICE(pre tax) 703.99
TOTAL PRICE(post tax) 747.99

 

[shyam09]

I was hearing horrible things about the lenovo's battery life, like 2hrs was about the best to expect. Being a student who will be carrying the machine in a backpack 6days a week if not 7 I need better battery life so I am not always tied to a plug.

I actually ended up purchasing a hp that is being delivered. The specs are as follows...

HP dm4t
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
i5 2.53ghz
1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 switchable graphics
4gb ddr3
9 cell battery(extra large) gets 10hrs of battery life
500gb 7200rpm
802.11b/g/n with bluetooth
plus my system recovery disks-(hate that hp charges me for them)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)

Price before discounts $1,133.99
Laptop Instant Rebate -30.00
Notebook Instant Rebate-150.00
Online Coupon code -250.00
TOTAL PRICE(pre tax) 703.99
TOTAL PRICE(post tax) 747.99

oh congrats hahha

actually i was gonna spend a couple of hours in the morning (right now) to find a great laptop but nice!--awesome man!

 

[katebmac]

Im pullin the trigger, its on sale with a 180instant rebate plus a 250 coupon.

HP dm4t
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
i5 2.53ghz
1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 switchable graphics
4gb ddr3
9 cell battery(extra large) gets 10hrs of battery life
500gb 7200rpm
802.11b/g/n with bluetooth
plus my system recovery disks-(hate that hp charges me for them)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)

Price before discounts $1,133.99
Laptop Instant Rebate -30.00
Notebook Instant Rebate-150.00
Online Coupon code -250.00
TOTAL PRICE(pre tax) 703.99
TOTAL PRICE(post tax) 747.99


With a 21 day return policy after i get it if I dont like it. Seems to be a good deal to me.

let us know how it is! I was supposed to get a PC for college cause our business school requires it and I just go to the computer lab and do everything there.. but how do you like it? was it worth it? Any problems?

 

[jljue]

Whatever you do, please don't buy a laptop with a 15.6 inch 1366x768 screen. This is no different that the one you get on a 13 inch. So you might as well get a smaller one with the same screen estate.

Seriously, it will frustrate you crazy.

1366x768 resolution on a 15" display is a bad idea. Some of my co-workers just got Toshiba 15" Core i7 laptops (not Sandy Bridge) with 1366x768 resolution, and they have issues with that resolution not allowing them to be able to enough vertical data. So far, I plan to keep my Dell Latitude D820 with 1280x800 resolution until the budget can be opened up enough to get something with a little higher screen resolution, such as 1440x900 or better like on my Late 2008 MacBook Pro 15". Just because the screen is 15", it doesn't mean that you will get to see a whole lot at one time. You are better off with an upgraded display option or a 13" MacBook or MacBook Pro.

You may want to consider a used Unibody 15", as well.

 

[sittnick]

Acer Aspire AS7741G-6426 $699

Acer Aspire Notebook Intel Core i5 480M(2.66GHz) 17.3" 4GB Memory 640GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi AMD Radeon HD 6550M

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115990

On sale $70 off.

The Acer has higher resolution (160x900), faster i5 processor, bigger hd, Radeon graphics, bigger screen.

Battery life is marginal, microphone reportedly stinks.

Newegg is an exceptional website for consumer and prosumer PC/Windows gear.

I don't have a lot of experience with Acer laptops, and I find the economy line of ALL the brands have reliability issues (e.g. Dell Latitudes mostly good, Inspirons not so much). I like that Acer doesn't add much in the way of gimmicks. My present desktop is an Acer Veriton (Business line) small form-factor with an i5, VERY satisfied with it. I used to try to use all premium parts (Asus, etc.) and just had compatibility headaches.

I have never been a fan of HP/Compaq laptops. They were eccentric even pre-fiorina. No opinion of Lenovos, except that Thinkpads were quirky, and I don't care for a company that is in part owned by the Red Chinese government. Toshiba makes some solid units, though the better ones cost more.

ONE NOTE: Whatever you get, get the MANUFACTURER'S warranty. NOT the Best Buy warranty, not Joe's warranty, not Com-USA's warranty--the MANUFACTURER'S warranty. I used to work in service depots, and laptops and the MANUFACTURER'S warranty is most likely to be honored without headache. You can wait while you are in your initial year of warranty before getting the extended MANUFACTURER's warranty.

 

[Mav3067]

I am not quite sure if you can fit it into your budget but if I couldn't have my MBP I was going for a Lenovo T510. By far it is better than the Dell, Toshiba, and HP ones I have had for work.