Notebook buying advice please!

[Slasher7]

I know nothing about notebooks and a friend of my wife asked for some buying advice.

So I thought I would pose the question to all of you.

What to look for and what to stay away from in a notebook.

Thanks in advance.

 

[arod]

1. I would get a PIII w/speedstep
2. Active matrix TFT screen (14.1 or 13.3)

those are the two main things but also get at least 64 mgs ram, 6 gig hd etc.

 

[johnny1111]

I'm shopping for a notebook to, I'm considering a Sagger. I won't need much,if any tech support. Anyone have any experience with this company? Also, what is TFT? Thanks -john.

 

[pdo]

you guys should check out the IBM laptop in the hot deals forum. I have an HP right now but I think the IBM is nicer.

 

[IamDavid]

I've had great luck with refurbished Dell's. Good prices and very nice.

 

[Lord Gwynz]

Try to get a higher end model that comes with a 3 yr warranty standard. You can probably find better deals and a greater selection of models online vs. shopping at retail stores such as Best Buys, CC etc.

Most important features would be a TFT display (avoid dual-scan & HPA),
min. 128 megs RAM (but 64 megs may suffice) and a PIII/Celeron (avoid K6-2 CPUs).

IBM, Toshiba, and Dell are top notch for the most part. Don't get too caught up with the sexier Sony units because their support leaves a lot to be desired from what I hear.

Good luck!

 

[RossMAN]

Slasher7 - It all depends on a few factors:

1) What's your price range?
2) What do you intend on doing with your laptop? (Hardware Requirements?)
3) Since a notebook is portable how important is portability and battery life to you? If you want the lightest, fastest and best battery life then consider taking out a second mortage and spending your life's savings.

First of all I would recommend the following brands after reading countless reviews, reading posts here, in the UseNet NewsGroups, and from people I know who have owned notebook PCs.

1) Dell
2) IBM
3) Toshiba
4) SONY

I'm sure there's a few other good brands but that's my personal preference.

Get at least a 14.1" TFT screen, AVOID a HPA screen no matter how good the price is or you will regret it.

If you're on a budget, don't need a speed demon, want less battery consumption then consider getting at least an Intel Celeron 600 for the processor. But I would start out with at least an Intel Pentium III 700.

Only buy 64MB RAM if you can, why? Because they charge too much for RAM, you can buy another 128MB RAM from Crucial.com for under $100. The notebook manufacturer's would only give you 64MB more RAM instead of Crucial's 128MB.

Get at least a 6GB Hard Drive but preferrably 10GB - 20GB.

Try to get Windows 2000 Pro or Windows ME.

Tell your wife and friend that they just missed an incredible deal on Dell laptops, they were offering 20% off up to $500 off $2500 but it's now expired.

Here's what I bought for $1,596.80 after MSN Passport 20% off rebate:
Dell Inspiron 4000 Notebook
Intel Pentium III/700 MHz CPU
14.1" LCD Display
MS Works Suite 2001
64MB RAM
10GB HD
8MB ATI
Tahoe Blue QuickSnap Color Insert
53 WHr Lithium-Ion Battery with ExpressCharge
Internal 56K Capable V.90 + 10/100 Mini-PCI Combo
3 Yr Next Business Day International On-Site Parts & Labor
Microsoft® Windows® Millennium (Windows Me)
Norton Antivirus® 2000 for Windows Millennium
AOL 1-Year Internet Access Service
Deluxe Nylon Case
Free $100 off
Free Upgrade! 8X Max Variable DVD Drive
Free Ground Shipping

Right now you can buy an IBM ThinkPad for $899 with free shipping. A very good deal if you ask me.

 

[rhinox99]

Stick with the good brands of notebooks such as IBM, sony, and dell.
The only thing that you do not settle for is a small screen... get at least a 14", just about everything else can be upgraded but the screen can't so it's best to get a good one. It's also the most important since you probably use the laptop for long periods at a time and you wouldn't want to strain your eyes 🙂