# Starting to save for a new laptop



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I have that funky feeling that I should start saving up money for a new laptop. The laptop that I'm using, a HP ze49xx, is a Celeron 1.6 GHz that I got in 2005. It does the job, but sadly, XP is just not cutting it anymore. The specs that I am looking at:
Windows 7 64-bit OS
Non Intel graphics chipset
Ability to Virtualize apps (I use Virtualbox)
WiFi Networking
Uses for the computer:
Presentations - I am starting to do more public speaking, and need a laptop to do Powerpoint
Watching DVDs 
Internet on the go
Playing games
What has me confused is the graphics chipsets that are available from nVidia and AMD (ATi). If I know how much I'll be spending, I know what to start saving for.

BTW: This will be in addition to my main desktop computer, not replacing my desktop computer. Call me old school.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Check out Alienware if you want cutting edge.
Personally, I have a HP Elitebook i5, and it does most those things you mentioned. I dont know what Virtualizing apps are tho. The Elitebooks are fast. Heard Asus laptops are good too.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Just about any sub $500 laptop will do what you need.

Just check out slickdeals every day for deals. I bought two laptops in December (one Asus, one HP), both for under $300 (Win7, quadcore, HDMI out, camera, DVD burner, etc.)


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Davenlr said:


> I dont know what Virtualizing apps are tho.


See this entry from Wikipedia for Virtualbox. What I like to do is run Virtual Machines of Linux and Windows operating systems to test out functionality. Virtual machines, however, require a fairly fast processor and lots of memory.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Gotcha. Reminds me of running MSDOS and Windows3 on my Amiga way back when.
Only other OS I use besides Win7 is an occasional linux boot to copy a Tivo drive or run some software of that type. For those, I just boot off the CD. Interesting app tho.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

I agree with Dave on Alienware. They're rugged , well designed computers.
You might want to ask the guys who went to CES for their views on what they saw that will be coming down the pike.
Coming in May or June are laptops from Vizio that have all the critics excited. Here's a first look from the Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/9/2694072/vizio-thin-and-light-laptops-first-hands-on#2827791
CNet also spoke excitedly about the Vizio line. Biggest downside I can see is the lack of an internal DVD drive due to the thinness of the computers. Vizio will have an external Blu-ray drive for them. It appears that the two USB ports are USB3, so there should be no problem with the external drive.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I noticed a laptop from Dell that seems to be up my alley. It has a Intel Core i5-2410M Processor, 2.30GHz and a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M w/ HDMI 1.4, Mini Displayport. Maybe there will be similar or better deals in a few months.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Ive never owned one, and may be totally out in left field here, but I have been advised by friends and co workers to avoid Dell at all costs. Various different reasons were given. Might check with some Dell owners before going that route.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Dell's OK, but there's less usually less expensive options.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

I'm typing this on a Dell 610 refurb I bought about 3-4 years ago for under $300 -- still going strong.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Nick said:


> I'm typing this on a Dell 610 refurb I bought about 3-4 years ago for under $300 -- still going strong.


Why was it refurbed  ?? J/K


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Davenlr said:


> Ive never owned one, and may be totally out in left field here, but I have been advised by friends and co workers to avoid Dell at all costs.


I'm doing the same thing that I did with purchasing a television. If I'm going to plunk down some serious cash, I can also do some research and ask questions. If I recall correctly, I set down my parameters and what models I was interested in and got opinions back in September for a television that I ended up purchasing on December 31st. The opinions and experiences helped with my purchase.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

Check the Dell outlet occasionally. These machines are not refurbs (necessarily) but returns that people don't want. Sometimes you can find a good deal.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

I personally have never been a huge fan of Dell but my mother in law has had a Dell laptop (Inspiron series) that has been running solid now for almost 6 years and has never had a single issue with it.


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## Rob77 (Sep 24, 2007)

With new high speed/low power processors coming on the market in a few months.....there will be lots of computer "sales" coming up as they try to clear stock. Besides being much faster the new chips, will allow for 8 to 10 hours of REAL operating time.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

AHA! A co-worker pointed me to this chart comparing the different mobile graphics chipsets. Funny how Intel isn't consider a "Class 1" graphics chipset.

The new "high speed/lower power processors" will probably come out at the same time as Windows 8. I think I can live with Windows 7.... as long as its 64 bits.


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## lugnutathome (Apr 13, 2009)

I've owned or used Dell, Compaq, IBM, Lenovo laptops and have no preference for any particular brand. For the graphics cards I am an Nvidia fan as their cards have backward compatibility whereas ATI creates cards that are not backward compatible in many cases. If you have a locally installed game or 2 you play a newer ATI card might not support it.

Personally I'm pitching the Windoze environment as my boxes at home die and replacing with Mac hardware/OS. Between the IO issues, advanced features instability, OS related "nuggets" I have to deal with daily at work using SqlServer that make this supposedly point and click OS anything but, makes me consider it in most unkindly terms YMMV.

Compaq hard drives seem to have shorter lifespans in my experience but I've not had one new since the HP merger and they became one large rock sinking in the pond.

The old IBM think Pads were definitely industrial strength and I believe Lenovo bought the rights to that particular line.

With pricing coming down as it has though as someone earlier mentioned, pretty much any reasonably priced unit should do what you ask. And do you really need the amped up graphics?

Don "cheap and disposable is now possible and perhaps desirous" Bolton


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Avoid Dell - HORRIBLE quality control and even worse customer service. Shame, because they were best-in-breed at one time.

Honestly, see if you or a friend can build a PC. It's not terribly tough, and you'll have a PC free of "crapware" that all the manufactures load. (Stuff like Norton anti-virus, greeting card makers, etc).

Windows 7, 64 bit home ultimate, Microsoft security essentials, your favorite browser (I like Chrome) and e-mail client, and you're well on the way.

(PS - I'm a Windows fan, but that Mac Mini is darn interesting)


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Building a tower is easy, but I don't think I'd consider building a laptop to be easy.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

I'm partial to HP, but I bought my granddaughter an ASUS and my daughter has had some Dell's over the years. The problem with saving up for a particular computer is that unless saving up time is less than 60 days, technology changes. I'd decide how much I want to spend and save that up, then go looking for the best combination of features I could find. Regarding graphic chipsets, at various times I've had nVidia and ATI, and for what I do there didn't seem to be any noticeable difference. If I were a gamer, I might have a different opinion on that.


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## SeaBeagle (May 7, 2006)

I have both a Dell and a Asus. I am happy with both.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> Honestly, see if you or a friend can build a PC. It's not terribly tough, and you'll have a PC free of "crapware" that all the manufactures load. (Stuff like Norton anti-virus, greeting card makers, etc).
> 
> Windows 7, 64 bit home ultimate, Microsoft security essentials, your favorite browser (I like Chrome) and e-mail client, and you're well on the way.


(Mild chuckle) This tech support person assembled my own PCs over 15 years. In fact, I intentionally put in removable hard drive bays so that I can easily swap between operating systems. My tower case is a monster.

However, it is very hard to custom build a laptop at a component level like you can with a regular PC. I have to ask the very stupid questions as to which manufacturers are good and which ones to avoid.


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## ke3ju (Aug 18, 2006)

Davenlr said:


> Ive never owned one, and may be totally out in left field here, but I have been advised by friends and co workers to avoid Dell at all costs. Various different reasons were given. Might check with some Dell owners before going that route.


I work for a company that performs warranty repair service on laptops. Dell is not bad at all. HP is what needs to be stayed away from. I'll only buy Dell. Lenovos are good too, but much more pricey...


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

MacBook Pro. 

Don't like Mac OS? Not a problem, just load WIN7 on it and it will be the best Windows machine you have ever had.

But not cheap.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

For laptop repairs, I have found Dell to be the easiest to work on. They have detailed technical service manuals, parts are easy to find, and you can get in and out of them fairly quickly. HP's are not too bad either, but finding the technical service manuals is a little more difficult. Toshiba's are very hard to find any kind of technical service manual.

I usually recommend Dell to people since they have a fairly simplistic order process and their laptops just generally work without issue. Most of the times, I find that I am working on older Dell laptops, while with other manufacturers, they are newer models.

- Merg


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

The Lenovo Ideapad Y570 08623TU has been added to my watch list for both Amazon and NewEgg. I need to check for a manual to see how easy it is to upgrade the hard drive and to add memory.


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## trdrjeff (Dec 3, 2007)

Best Buy has an impressive Toshiba 17" for $380, maybe not robust enough for what you need, but I was real impressed with my last Toshiba


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I've been keeping an eye on the laptop deals at http://dealzon.com/computers/laptops . The biggest frustration that I have encountered is that so many laptops have Intel graphics chipsets, which I really don't want to use.


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## pfp (Apr 28, 2009)

I'm very happy with Dell too. They are what I use personally (laptops) as well as what I buy for our offices (both servers and desktops).

Like any brand/product there will be both lovers and haters.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Mark Holtz said:


> I've been keeping an eye on the laptop deals at http://dealzon.com/computers/laptops . The biggest frustration that I have encountered is that so many laptops have Intel graphics chipsets, which I really don't want to use.


Laptops with a seperate GPU are not ones that go on sale often. Newegg had an ACER recently with an NVIDIA for like $699 and then an ASUS I think with a Radeon for like $899.

So far I've had a couple Gaming laptops and really they don't hold a candle to a desktop. Even with dedicated GPU's it's still not the same, if you want a laptop for work then buy one with an i5 or i7 and call it good. Gaming laptops are over priced and become outdated too quickly. Overall it's worth dealing with lesser graphics in a game which is probably a small % of the time you're using that laptop. If you want to use this as your primary gaming machine then expect to drop $1200-$1500 for one that will last a year or so.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Plus at least with the Dell laptop I had with an AMD/ATI card, you couldn't use standard drivers, only what Dell offered on ther site, which they did not update often. I did find a hack to allow the normal drivers to install, but was a hassle.

Plus it added heat, reduced battery life and still wasn't great for gaming.


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## Red Orc (Oct 11, 2011)

spartanstew said:


> Dell's OK, but there's less usually less expensive options.


I'm pretty happy with my Asus laptop. One of these days I'll get around to swapping out the factory drive with an SSD so it doesn't take so long to boot.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

So, here I am resurrecting an old thread to get advice....

So far, I'm leaning towards either a Lenovo Y580 laptop or a HP dv7t laptop. Now, if I order from Lenovo, there is customization, I have my selection of whats there, and the WiFi chipset from that I have been told isn't all that great. With the HP Laptop, I would upgrade both the wireless and the graphics from the 630M to the 650M.

ARGH! This is to replace a 7 year old HP Laptop, and I think I would be better off with Windows 7 instead of Windows TETRIS. I would also swap the hard drive out in a few months with a SSD and get an additional battery and power supply through Amazon.

Thoughts?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

In March 2010 we bought a HP Pavilion DV6 to replace an old one. I was amazed how happy we are with it since it had only an i3 - 350M, but then again we only use it while traveling. We use HP desktops at home.

I don't know why, but we have had really good luck with HP over the years since I stopped building my own.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I have completed my order for a HP dv7t Quad Ed. The specs are:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
FREE UPGRADE to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
NO mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache
Microsoft(R) Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel(R) only, No PowerPoint(R)/Outlook(R)
_I am ordering a copy of Office through college_
No additional security software
_Microsoft Security Package, anyone?_
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - Up to 5.75 hours of battery life
_I can get an additional battery and charger through Amazon cheaper_
17.3-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1600 x 900)
FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
HP TrueVision HD Webcam
Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
Included 2 Year Warranty
This will be a NICE laptop that will last me for a few years. It cost a bit though. I have to get a new laptop bag as well as backup drive. Eventually, the internal drive will be replaced with a SSD.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Mark Holtz said:


> I have completed my order for a HP dv7t Quad Ed..


Sounds like a nice system, congratulations!


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## heathramos (Dec 19, 2005)

personally I like laptops with 13" screens because I hate lugging around heavy laptops.

I bought my boss a Sony VAIO 13.3" S Series Premium Custom Laptop with a docking station just so I can play with it. Expect to get it this week.

I normally buy Dell Latitude laptops for work but hate the look of their latest model


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I just discovered that the dv7t has the space for a second drive bay. This kit includes both the tray and the cable needed. Which means that, down the road, I'll swap out the included hard drive for a SSD for OS & Programs, and a 1TB physical drive for data (movies).

Another interesting thing is that an additional 120W power supply costs $90 through HP, but the same supply goes for Amazon for $19.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Wow, that's handy. And awesome.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

That second drive bay would be really nice if you could power it up/down on the fly. That could really extend battery life with the SSD.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

After spending several days in Shanghai, China, my laptop is in Anchorage, Alaska.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> Ive never owned one, and may be totally out in left field here, but I have been advised by friends and co workers to avoid Dell at all costs. Various different reasons were given. Might check with some Dell owners before going that route.


Good friends you have. Good advice they gave you. I had several Dell computers and I'd never buy another one. Also taught computer classes at a local college and they had just signed a contract with Dell to supply all their computer labs with Dells. They were unhappy with that choice.

We've got three Lenovo laptops. They seem to work well. You'd want the ThinkPad model.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

The Merg said:


> For laptop repairs, I have found Dell to be the easiest to work on. They have detailed technical service manuals, parts are easy to find, and you can get in and out of them fairly quickly. HP's are not too bad either, but finding the technical service manuals is a little more difficult. Toshiba's are very hard to find any kind of technical service manual.
> 
> I usually recommend Dell to people since they have a fairly simplistic order process and their laptops just generally work without issue. Most of the times, I find that I am working on older Dell laptops, while with other manufacturers, they are newer models.
> 
> - Merg


Huh. That contradicts my last post completely, but I haven't had a Dell since the late '90s, so I don't know how right or wrong I am... :lol:

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Mark Holtz said:


> The Lenovo Ideapad Y570 08623TU has been added to my watch list for both Amazon and NewEgg. I need to check for a manual to see how easy it is to upgrade the hard drive and to add memory.


If you can afford one, the Lenovo ThinkPad will suit your needs much better than an IdeaPad will. One feature the ThinkPads have is a "waterproof" keyboard. Would have saved me a Lenovo laptop that got involved in a water fight and the keyboard was wrecked.

My wife has one and the damn things take a real beating and keep on ticking.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

phrelin said:


> In March 2010 we bought a HP Pavilion DV6 to replace an old one. I was amazed how happy we are with it since it had only an i3 - 350M, but then again we only use it while traveling. We use HP desktops at home.
> 
> I don't know why, but we have had really good luck with HP over the years since I stopped building my own.


I've got an HP desktop with a quad core processor (I have no idea what that means) that's gotta be 5-6 years old and it blows away our i7 laptops as far as speed goes. I keep thinking about buying a new one, but it works so well I can't justify it. I'm running Vista Home on it.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

That's what I get for reading the threads backasswards... :lol:

Hope the HP works well for you.

Rich


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

As far as I can see from here, there is a full service manual available for the laptop.

Of course, under murphy's law, delivery is attempted in the 5 minutes that our receptionist is away from her desk. 

_Update_ FedEx redelivered.


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## kikkenit2 (Oct 26, 2006)

Mark Holtz said:


> I have completed my order for a HP dv7t Quad Ed. The specs are:
> Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
> 3rd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM Processor (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
> NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
> ...


That thing had to go for about $1,000?


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

kikkenit2 said:


> That thing had to go for about $1,000?


$1,020.

So, I'm doing what is necessary, which is to perform all of the updates needed. Then, I'm going to do a full backup, then install all of my favorite programs and configure everything, including decrapifying the computer. Then, backup again.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Just upgraded the wife's HP 3105m with a 120GB Agility4 SSD. Thing is like lightning now.


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