Calling All Computer Experts
Laredo, TX: After a pre-dawn delivery this morning, I have a bit of time to myself while The Lovely Mrs. Carter is in a Wal-Mart Supercenter presumably purchasing controlling stock. So, I have a favor to ask of you please.
I finally have the wherewithal to purchase a new laptop, but I'd like some advice on what to purchase. My needs are fairly simple in this regard:
1. A large screen, as I have great distance vision but have to use reading glasses for everything else.
2. Sufficient memory for copious amounts of research and reference.
3. Ability to write to disk or otherwise store data, as I have a book or two in me that I'd like to get rolling on.
4. At least three USB ports; for wireless mouse, printer, and to tether my smart phone for internet access.
5. Comfortable and durable keyboard, as I normally clip along at about 80 wpm.
6. Two or three hours battery life minimum.
7. I don't know if one computer is better with Skype than another, but I need that capability as well for podcasts and related adventures.
Like I said, it will be mainly for writing and reading, with very few media requirements except to play music while I'm reading and writing. I've talked at length with my friend Bob Lee and he is extraordinarily knowledgeable about computers. I on the other hand am not. I remember once when Bob suggested I get a "check up from the neck up." When I told him I wanted a second opinion, he shot back, "Okay, I think you're ugly too." He was right of course, but I want to benefit from the assembled wisdom of Ricochet as well (on computers, not my various aesthetic challenges).
Presently, I'm leaning toward HP, or Dell. I'd like to keep this under $700 as well. Ideas anyone?
Incidentally, I'll be behind the wheel again soon, so please pardon my long stretches of silence.
- Comment (44)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (3)
Comments :
May '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
Sam's Club has had some good deals on HPs and Dells. Here's a 17" for $600. The HP I bought from there last year is comfortable and hasn't had a hiccup.
Jul '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
Pop into a Sam's Club or a Costco and test drive the keyboards on either a Dell or an HP. If you've narrowed it down to Dell or HP, I'd go with the HP.
I used to purchase 40 - 70 new machines a year, and I've had success and failures with EVERY brand. It's cyclical - one manufacturer will have excellent support while another is lackluster: then they will reverse positions. Test drive the keyboards to see what feels good. Feature-wise they're all pretty comparable. I'd add Lenovo to the mix - in terms of quality, the business class Lenovo Thinkpads have been above average for me.
Good luck!
Nov '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I have had very good luck with the HO Pavilion series. I bought one each from a seller on eBay and my wife and I have enjoyed both. I replaced a hard drive on one of them to get a larger and faster storage unit, but that is all. Hers is a 17 inch screen and mine the 15 inch. Both are quite adequate.
You might also try admin@i-sellproduction.com directly. I have had good luck with a Dell machine that I bought for my office from his site, and at a most reasonable price. Be sure to get lots of memory for Windows 7. (On most of my machines, I am sticking with Windows XP.)
Nov '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
http://by148w.bay148.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
The above is a sales flyer from Tiger Direct, a company with which I have had satisfactory dealings in the past. The HP computer advertised for just over $430.00 looks like a good one.
Oct '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I would make sure you get one with Windows 7 with 64-bit (vs 32). A good way to extend the life of an aging computer is to add memory, and Win 7 with 32-bit can only use up to 3GB of RAM. Toshiba is known for its reliability, so I would recommend them. Also look for a Intel I-core 3, 5 or 7 (or at least a dual-core cpu)which are among the faster cpus, and will therefore be usable as time goes by and software requires more RAM. Avoid Celeron or Sempron cpus which are slower and will therefore limit the useful lifetime of a laptop. Be sure to try using one in a store as J. Davey said "Test-drive the keyboard." Newegg.com and Tigerdirect.com have very good prices.
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
Well, I'll keep my mouth shut. I'm an Apple guy. I love my MacBook Air, which is tiny and light and powerful. But it's expensive, and would really ruin your image at the Love's.
I hear excellent things about the HPs, and Tiger Direct (thanks, M1919A4!) and agree utterly and totally with the best piece of advice so far, from John Davey -- go look at it in person, bang on the keyboard a bit. Keyboards differ more widely, in my experience, than anything else (for some reason) and yet, it's the most important part of the machine. And everyone on Ricochet wants you to be a happy writer, Dave. More happy = more posts.
Jul '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
As one who spends a good deal of time repairing other people's computers, particularly laptops, I would suggest one of two brands: Apple Macbook or Toshiba. The MacBook is my personal preference since I have found mine to be rock solid, fast, and intuitive. Most Techies own Macs even though they repair Windows machines. Toshiba has a terrific track record in the Windows world. Their computers hold up well, they have excellent tech and repair support, and the computers are high quality. HP, Lenovo, Dell, and a host of others have had a large number of problems ranging from Keyboard failures to screens dying to WiFi cards coming adrift from their motherboards. HP, by far, has been the company whose units have been the ones I see most often that are post-warranty and essentially dead, as repair costs exceed or match the cost of replacement. Dells are totally inconsistent in terms of components as Dell buys whatever is available at the time they are assembling your unit, great marketing device, lousy for the end user. Final word, if you go for the cheap you will end up paying for it.
Edited on Dec 28, 2010 at 11:06amMay '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I love this advice. I was all geared up to recommend a Mac Book Pro until I saw your price range, Dave. About five years ago, my brother and I bought the exact same HP laptop at the same time. Mine has lasted five years without any problems, his crashed and died several variations of a horrible death within two years. So, I would listen to someone like Eugene who has been exposed to a much larger sample size to base his advice. I'm with Rob on Apple, though. After I bought my Mac Book in early 2008 I can never go back to PC.
May '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I suspect you use curious networks in a variety of places -- get a Mac. Everything you do will work. The current iteration of Mac Book Pros will let you run on battery for at least six hours. Yes you will pay more then $700, but you will not deal with the frustrations that MS Windows constantly presents...just like the Windows-based laptop I am unknotting for a client now.
Dec '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
If you are on the road, get an HP laptop from Best Buy or another big box store. Buy a full warranty, and keep your warranty info with you when you travel. Then, if something goes wrong, you can stop in at any location and get it serviced. You can find a decent Pavilion or Inspiron laptop with a 15" screen, webcam and bluetooth for $700. Also, definitely go with Windows 7 64bit and 4GB of RAM.
Jul '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I don't know about current prices, but I've been very happy with my SONY. It has a 15-inch screen and a nearly-full-size keyboard - with actual spaces between keys and a very nice feel. I've been a touch typist since college and the SONY is the only laptop I've ever used that lets me just fly across the keyboard.
It weighs about a a zillion pounds, but that and price are the only drawbacks.
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I have been using Dell for some years, and the experience has been good. I have a new Desktop at home, another at the office, and a mini-10 for the road. The last has Windows 7 Starter edition and 1 Gigabyte of RAM. It is slow and Quicken tends to crash (not enough memory).
If I were buying from scratch I would get that Dell M101Z with Windows 7 Home Premium and 4 gigabytes of RAM at ca. $550. The screen is 11.6 inches, which works for me. I would also get GPS on it, and let me suggest the Magic Jack (www.magicjack.com) as an alternative to Skype. I find that it works wonders even when I am abroad.
Dave, you may want a bigger screen (14 inch through 17 inch). I prefer something easy to carry. But make sure that it comes with a webcam.
Dec '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
May I call you Dave?
Here's the thing; apart from your keyboard taste, you don't require much from a laptop. Except for battery life, which I do not consider realistic, especially with Windows machine. Strip it down and keep it to a minimum, maybe you can cajole 90 minutes out of a new, standard, battery. Perhaps you can find an XP machine form Tiger Direct, really stripped down, then add the streamlined version of Word available from Open Office. Microsoft Windows is famous for "Bloat Ware", massive piles of accumulated detritus that all has to be run, just in order to type a single word. The MS operating system that is so necessary for operating in the business world was vulnerable to the Y2K issue because it was built upon the old IBM software developed in the 1950s, because nobody back then envisioned their early efforts as something that would be just dragged along by later entrants. Bill Gates disagreed and just copied everything from the folks at IBM and Xerox (Har!). cont'd.
Dec '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
If you decide to avoid Apple, for price reasons, you will be running an operating system that sucks up more battery life than the cleaner Apple OS. There's your battery life issue, put as briefly as I may.
That said, I have had one or two of every product out there and I agree with several other commenters; look at the Toshiba. I'm a road warrior and have had the "tough" versions from HP/COMPAC, Dell, IBM, Lenovo, Acer, etc. Sony is not even in the mix, in my opinion (though I have had one). I currently pound away on the absolutely most basic, business model, Toshiba TECRA. Very tough machine (no webcam), not a single bell or whistle, in terms of styling. I got mine through "Best Buy For Business". Don't bother with extended warranties, in my opinion. I have had to replace the CD/DVD ($15) and the keyboard ($25), after 2 years; easy swap outs.
Here's something Toshiba has, or at least mine does; Recovery Disk Creator. Creating a recovery disk that includes all of your drivers and software is not an easy process. It is if yours has this.
May '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
I'll ditto the Mac Book Pro recommendations. If you go to the Apple store (online) and search "refurbish" you'll get the list of factory refurbs available, most of which have very little mileage, and cost considerably less than regular retail. Stock changes daily, so check every day.
Jul '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
There is a company called Small Dog Electronics that I often go to for parts. They generally have a stock of Mac refurbs. Here is their url: http://www.smalldog.com/
You can check it out. My son has a Macbook Pro. They are pricey, but they are worth it. It is a beautiful machine. I have the basic Macbook. I bumped up the RAM to 4GB and the HDD to 500 GB because I have a 21.5" iMac at home and wanted comparable capacity at work.
Edited on Dec 28, 2010 at 4:57pmMay '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
There is some very good advice here. Some bullet points:
continued . . .
May '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
What ever you get - enjoy it. Best wishes,
Robert
Aug '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
Built in Bluetooth can save you the need for the mouse USB port. The Bluetooth mouse will cost a bit more, but it saves a lot of hassle.
Oct '10
Re: Calling All Computer Experts
You were in Laredo today, Dave? That town is my birthplace. I was in Laredo myself earlier today, visiting friends and family and having fajita tacos for lunch at the Palenque Bar & Grill (located on Loop 20 @ Lakeview). I don't know how familiar you are with Laredo, but growing up there was an adventure to say the very least.