Need Computer Advice Please - Purchasing a Laptop

[The Active 33]

I appreciate any help.

I don't know much about computers other than they are much cheaper than when I purchased my first laptop 7 years ago. I do not want to spend a lot ($250-400?), but I want something that will last.

I will be using the laptop for Rosetta Stone, internet, and itunes. Does anyone have suggestions on brand? model?

Thanks a lot!

[nate82]

I appreciate any help.

I don't know much about computers other than they are much cheaper than when I purchased my first laptop 7 years ago. I do not want to spend a lot ($250-400?), but I want something that will last.

I will be using the laptop for Rosetta Stone, internet, and itunes. Does anyone have suggestions on brand? model?

Thanks a lot!

A laptop that will last? How long are you looking for the laptop to last?

I like HP, Dell, and Sony for laptops the best are Mac's but those are extremely out of your price range.

This is a good laptop but a little bit over your price range.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157822

[The Active 33]

By saying I want it to last, I mean that I am willing to spend a little more as long as I'm not getting a piece of junk. I keep hearing great things about Mac's, is there a way to get an older model for around $500-600? Is it stupid to spend that kind of money on an old computer?

[nate82]

By saying I want it to last, I mean that I am willing to spend a little more as long as I'm not getting a piece of junk. I keep hearing great things about Mac's, is there a way to get an older model for around $500-600? Is it stupid to spend that kind of money on an old computer?

Kind of stupid especially for a laptop as they will be so far behind in technology you will probably be wanting to replace it within a year or two. I put the cut off for a laptop at the $400 mark if you want it to last longer than 2 or 3 years. The one I linked to would last around 3 or 4 years as long as you are not doing anything that will cause a lot of stress to the laptop for example playing video games on it. It will probably last around 4 or 5 years for what you are looking to do with it.

I am not sure about older Mac's where you could buy one.

 

[mothershipconnection]

I'm a Sony guy, and a decent one can be had for $550. Tech guys will bemoan their use of proprietary parts, but I never upgrade my computers, as I'm going to want a new one with better features in 3 years anyway. My Vaios have been really reliable and durable. On the one near my couch, I've spilled water on it, knocked it off the stand, and one of my parrots likes to land on top of the screen and poop onto the keyboard, but I've had zero issues.

 

In my experience with low-price Dells, they've generally been pretty crappy. My wife and I each bought one maybe 6 years ago, and both were sent in multiple times for repairs before being scrapped in under 4 years due to hardware failures. We have slightly higher-end Dell laptops at work and seem to be having work done on them constantly.

 

I avoid Macs, but it's pretty much because I don't feel the luxury brand price is justified.

[cwolf2012]

Stay away from Dells for sure. Other than that, HP does a decent job with their lower end models. I would keep the amount of time it's on per day to less than 4 hours if at all possible.

[Katuluu]

On the one near my couch, I've spilled water on it, knocked it off the stand, and one of my parrots likes to land on top of the screen and poop onto the keyboard, but I've had zero issues.

I'm not sure the laptop would say the same for you. Huzzah!

 

He's right that Sony's are notorious for not playing well with others. Quite frankly their isn't much besides a Playstation that I would get from Sony. Their tech is just too hit and miss, and when it misses it is brutally bad. I will admit the Vaios sure do look nice.

 

HP's are solid if unspectacular if your primary driver is getting something cheap.

[strawbossisevil]

I've had two Vaios go down on me in less than a year after purchasing it. Unless you are going to spend a significant amount of money to get something like a Macbook, I think all laptops can essentially be expected to last 2-3 years. I tuck away money every month so that I have enough to purchase a new one after three years.

 

Funny thing is, the laptop that has lasted me the longest is my current laptop, an Acer Aspire. It was also one of the cheapest I've purchased.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Kinda hard to glean anything from these types of threads. brand loyalty usually goes a long ways.

 

I have a Dell Inspiron laptop that's been running strong for 4 years, and it was about $400.00 when I got it. My wife has a Dell, and has no problems.

 

On the other side of the coin, I have an HP desktop upstairs that's a year old, and have had many problems with it.

[jjkoestler]

I'll vote for Lenovo.

 

Check Www.slickdeals.net. They always have great computer deals and the forums provide solid reviews.

[BillScottCanRake]

I've worked for a software company the past 12 years, and the only recommendation we make when customers ask what kind of computer they should buy is "Whatever you buy, make sure it comes with a good warranty." Having seen top-of-the line computers from the best manufactures fail within weeks of being purchased, you'll never be able to ensure your computer will last as long as it should. Having a good warranty at least protects you from expensive repairs or premature replacements.

 

HTH

[1992casey]

An added cost consideration for a Mac would be the purchase of the OS X version of Rosetta Stone.

 

If you're trying to go cheap, I'd be really tempted to use Linux rather than Windows. But then there's the issue that there's no Linux version for Rosetta Stone.

 

As BillScottCanRake says, I'd look for warranty. I'd also compare the specs of the computers in your price range to be sure you're not choosing something that's grossly substandard.

 

Is there a particular screen size that you're looking for?

[The Active 33]

The screen doesn't have to be a certain size, but the smaller the better - maybe 14". Someone in the thread mentioned the Acer Aspire. That is only $270 and has great reviews, but I have been told to avoid Acer.

[1992casey]

If smaller is better, you can get all the way down to 10 inches, maybe even less. 13" is generally considered the "happy point" between portability and offering room to maneuver.

[rwa12]

Among the low end brands, I just tend to go for "bang for the buck"...I try to find the chip I want, with a decent amount of RAM. For internet browsing and day to day stuff, I really don't care about detailed specs. In that range, I would guess the difference would be negligible. If you're going somewhere like Best Buy, get a decent warranty and you'll be fine. The way it was explained to me at Best Buy is Alienware is the top of the line, Gateway is midtier, and Acer is lower end; but they are all made by the same company. If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will jump in.

[jjgott]

I have liked buying from TigerDirect.com. Always seem to have low prices and bonus rebates plus their shipping is crazy fast.

[TheRealMattKain]

I've been in the software business for about a decade. Some brief comments from my experience at work and at home:

Dell: Terrible, terrible laptops. They *are* cheap, but they do not last. My GF had a Dell Inspiron which ended up having issues with the power board which prevents the system from charging the battery (check it out online - this is VERY common). Bought her another Dell Inspiron and it ended up having the same problem within a year of purchase.

Sony: I've had great luck with both Sony desktops and laptops for both personal and work use. I know the price tends to run a little higher than Dell or HP, but again, I've had good luck with them.

Lenovo: no experience with their laptops, but I've had great experience with their desktops. Cheap and very durable. We have a couple of Lenovos that we use for trade shows. These systems get shipped all over the country and get heavy, heavy use. No problems.

Fujitsu: had a few Fujitsu tablet laptops. Pretty reliable, but the batteries didn't last long. Had a few quirks with the screen response as well. I'm on the fence with them and wouldn't feel comfortable recommending them.

Macs: Personally feel that they are not worth the price. Like all Apple products, excellent marketing has created tremendous demand, but there are many, many better options out there if you're willing to do a little research. I don't want to have a Mac/PC debate, but I would say if you have deep pockets and want a fashion accessory, get a Mac.

HP: I currently have an HP laptop that I use for work and at home. It's been great. System gets heavy use, runs CPU and RAM intensive apps well (high-end image analysis, video editing, and MS software development apps), and I lug it with me around the world on business. No problems at all over about 2 years. Also I do have a warranty and the warranty has already saved me. Quick story: inadvertently smashed my laptop screen (so, yes, a problem, but totally my fault). Sent it in for repair on Monday, had it back on Thursday. Cost me $0. Without warranty would have cost about $400 to repair locally. The lesson here might be the same as the previous poster said: get a warranty.


Overall advice:
-if you're using a laptop for basic stuff like music, internet, word processing, etc. there is NO reason to spend a lot of money. I constantly see people buy powerful laptops so they can surf the internet and look at pictures from their cell phone. Don't make this mistake. You can get a solid laptop for around 500 bucks (or less) that does everything you need.
-if you want the laptop to run long term without worries, get a warranty.
-make sure to run reliable anti-virus software and be careful what you install on your system. I have plenty of friends who hand me their laptop and tell me it's dead or unusable only to discover that the system is bogged down with bloatware and malware.

[RightFieldCoder]

In my Operating Systems class, we got to discussing extended warranties. The teacher said that extended warranties are always a bad idea. He had one exception. He said you should always always buy the longest warranty you can for laptops. They make the components as small as possible, which leads to a higher chance of error. You are also more likely to knock, bump, drop, wet, etc a laptop than other pieces of electronics.

 

I don't have a suggestion for your laptop needs. I bought an Dell XPS almost 3 years ago and it's still going strong. I paid nearly $1300 for it. I upgraded most of the parts because I wanted it to be my main gaming rig for several years. If you are "just" using it to surf the web and check e-mail, this is overkill.

[GoudaBrew]

I'm not that computer savvy, but I agree with what everyone has said. A couple of years ago we bought a 17" dell laptop with plenty of bells and whistles and it's simply too much computer for what we need it for (internet, music, MLBTV). It cost around $1000 and I'm sure we could have gotten something that would have been more appropriate for half the price. That 17" screen just looked sweet on-line! The computer itself runs fine, especially consider we're running Vista (I know, I should be ashamed).

 

I wish we would have gotten a warranty. One drop of milk cost us $300 and now the left click on the mouse pad doesn't work.