Need to find a laptop for a family member

[covert24]

Alright. Im looking for the best laptop for the money kind of deal. The person who will be using this is a veterinarian in NYC so she is not computer illiterate. Needs to be able to keep up with a lot of files while maintaining stability. Will not be playing games. I'm not very up-to-date on laptops these days so i need some assistance on what the best laptop is these days. Im thinking a substantial hard drive with a lot of ram. Let me know.

 

[covert24]

also needs to be compatible with XP pro. For example, have full support for XP drivers.

 

[covert24]

?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Any $500-600 laptop should be fine based on what you've said. Dell Vostro might still be available with XP.

You should ask her about laptop weight & screen size wanted, what programs shee runs besides Office apps, and what she's willing to pay.

There are super-light small-screen Fuji tablet PCs, 5.x pound Dell lattitude models with 14" screens, 7 lb cheap models with 15" screens, super-thin Sony and Apple notebooks with big screens and very high prices .... all of which are "best" for different people.

In more detail,
- What screen size does she want? (5" to 17" from tablet to monsterbook)
- Is light weight more important than price? How much more important?
- Lots of files but how much RAM is needed? 1, 2, 3, or 4 GB?
- Trackpad OK, or is eraser head pointer control preferred?

 

[covert24]

Shes working as a Doctor at AMC in NYC so money isnt really an option if you catch my drift. Shes obviously not looking to go all out on some 3K$ laptop but i think anywhere from 600-1100 should be sufficient. screen size should be relatively big but not really a sellers point

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: covert24
Shes working as a Doctor at AMC in NYC so money isnt really an option if you catch my drift. Shes obviously not looking to go all out on some 3K$ laptop but i think anywhere from 600-1100 should be sufficient. screen size should be relatively big but not really a sellers point

That still only narrows it down to "almost all of them"

In more detail,
- What screen size does she want? (5" to 17" from tablet to monsterbook)
- Is light weight more important than price? How much more important?
- Lots of files but how much RAM is needed? 1, 2, 3, or 4 GB?
- Trackpad OK, or is eraser head pointer control preferred?

For example, there's a huge difference between 12" screens and 17". Which does shee want? If you hand her a 17" she may not be happy at all with the size & weight.

Or she might go "great, I can view x-rays at 1900x1200! yippee!"

We don't know, only she does.

You might want to go with her to an Office Depot and do some shopping in person.

 

[covert24]

haha yea....

-im thinking something like 15 would be just fine
-shes going to be carrying it around a lot so i guess the lighter the better without sacrificing power
-id say at least 2gb is more than enough
-trackpad is just fine.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Even 14 vs. 15 inch makes a difference, a typical cheap laptop with 15" is around 7 pounds, while a Dell Lattitude D6xx with 14.1" screen is 5.x pounds.

You may not be able to get a Lattitude with XP any more though, since MS wants to force us all to use Vista.