Laptop Suggestions

[crab]

I'm going to be in the hospital for a bit, so I need a laptop. Price is not a problem as long as it's $3500 or less. I'm looking for the best, and after hearing about those PIII 1Ghz issues, i'm getting confused. Please let me know what you guys suggest.

(Sorry if this doesent belong in this forum.)

 

[cipher00]

I've got a Dell Inspiron (a 5000, and I've also used a 3800 quite a bit). I like it, though it's a bit heavy. Mostly used for office apps and stat analysis, no gaming (don't even know how I would....).

Hope the hospital thing isn't too bad.

 

[yakko]

Dell has some really nice refurbished laptops for a pretty good price.

 

[warcleric]

Really depends on what you are looking for. Personally I love ultra-portables, I currently have a Sony GT1 and a Sony Picturebook C1VN....love them both.

 

[RossMAN]

Here are two previous Off Topic threads which discuss this issue, go with Dell, IBM or Toshiba:

Suggestions for a new laptop?

Laptop Advice Needed

I would highly recommend the top rated Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop.

 

[warcleric]

Toshiba Tecra, do NOT get a satellite. I have had 4 Sony's and never had a problem with any of them. IBM is of course the best laptop made, but a little more expensive. I just dont understand anyone wanting to carry around an 8lb laptop. If this is not going to be moved much then go for the all-in-one, if you are planning on carrying it around with you, then get a slimline or an ultraportable.

 

[Raspewtin]

Thinkpad! Sony is good also.

 

[crab]

Are any available with the GeForce2 Go yet?

 

[RossMAN]

I've heard that Sony laptops are awesome but their service/warranty sucks the big one. When buying a computer (esp laptop) you have to think about the before and after service you're going to receive from the manufacturer. Dell simply offers some of the best hardware and warranties in the industry. It doesn't necessarily mean they make the best laptop but I would buy another Dell without hesitation.

Here's what you can get for $3,065:
Dell Inspiron 8000 Notebooks: Special Offer! Intel® Pentium® III Processor,1Ghz,15",UltraXGA
Memory: 64MB,SDRAM,1DIMM
Video Card: 32MB ATI Mobility M4? 3D Video, 4X AGP
Primary Hard Drive: 20GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
Operating System Software: Microsoft® Windows® Millennium
Modem: Internal 56K Capable V.90 + 10/100 Mini-
Fixed CD/DVD Drives: CD-RW/DVD Internal COMBO Drive
Bundle: Microsoft® Works Suite 2001 plus Money 2001
Anti-virus: Norton Antivirus® 2001
Hardware Support Services: 3Yrs Mail-In Service+CompleteCare
Internet Access Service: 1-Year DellNet? by MSN® Internet Access Service[add$0]
Special Offer - Financial Software: Free! Turbo Tax Deluxe
Resolution Assistant: Resolution Assistant
Choose Your Promo: Free! 2nd 59 whr Lithium Ion Battery with Express Charge

A few notes:
I chose the fastest CPU (1 GHz) with their best display (15-inch UltraXGA).
I chose the minimum 64MB RAM because SODIMM RAM is a lot cheaper elsewhere.
I chose the best graphics card they offer in case you want to play some graphics intensive games.
If you can live with only a DVD drive you can save $300 without getting the DVD/CD-RW combo drive.
Save $399 if you can live with just a CD-ROM drive, dropping the DVD/CD-R combo drive.
3Yrs Mail-In Service+CompleteCare will give you 3 years peace of mind.
If you ever need 56k dialup 1 year of MSN is included for free.
They're currently offering several promos for free printers, scanners and a cheap digital camera. I chose the Free! 2nd 59 whr Lithium Ion Battery with Express Charge.

For a limited time Dell is also offering free ground shipping, so that saves you another $50 off shipping.

If you're interested I can show you how to drop the $3,065 down to $3,003 and also receive a free $25 gift certificate to any web site. Just e-mail me at rossman@europa.com.

 

[RossMAN]

I forgot to mention where you can get cheaper SODIMM RAM at, oddly enough Dell sells Kingston SODIMMs for a good price.

$42.95 buys you 128MB SODIMM
$203.95 buys you 256MB SODIMM

Funny how twice the memory costs you almost five times as much.

According to the tech specs there are only 2 SoDIMM sockets so choose your RAM wisely.

Actually I guess you could eGay the original 64MB SODIMM then buy two 128MB's for $86, yeah that would be the way to go. Esp if you plan on wiping the hard drive clean and installing Windows 2000 Pro.

 

[warcleric]

The only thing that sucks about Sony's warranty is that it is non-transferrable. I have had to use their warranty service on one occasion, and it was a 24hour turnaround.

 

[KingHam]

In that price range I would go for the IBM A21p. I would get model #2629HTU(Win2K, NIC, etc.) but, any of the configurations would be an excellent choice.

I have also had good luck with Toshiba and Dell Notebooks but, I prefer IBM. They just seem to have a better feel qualitywise.

KingHam