Reliable Laptop on the go

[vtohthree]

Hey guys, as the title says, any recommendations on a reliable(one that can take normal
travel usage) laptop, and at a decent price as well. It's a shame, I spent around $2400
on a Dell Inspiron 5150 laptop, it was well loaded for its time 2 years ago. I like the processing power, the functionality, battery life, and even the weight I can forgive, don't get me wrong, it falls short in many areas, but I'm rather comfortable with it.

However, as many might know, there seems to be an infamous design flaw with the casing, in which the slightest flex or even tap on the bottom "c" panel can severe the soldering on the mobo, basically making it useless unless you purchase a new mobo or try to repair it.
I had to get it fixed twice so far(under warranty, but its prone to happen again because the culprit was never fixed to begin with, and no i don't want to make my own mods to ruin my warranty in which i have 2 years left). It's quite a nuisance. As the months go by, I will have to travel even more. This laptop has forced me to plead with my professor for an extention on a paper before. I would certaintly not want it to jeopardize my job.

This time around, I just want a sturdy, solid, reliable laptop, that is under or around $1500.
I don't play games, I need it for general word processing, presentations, email, and maybe occasional multimedia playback.

Any experience with specific models? Not just name brands, I had faith in Dell, but this product was just a mistake. Any brand, as long as its proven from personal feedback and experience, how are averatec's?

thanks in advance.

 

[ssvegeta1010]

Do you have any sites telling about this problem with the Inspiron? I have one, and this may be whats causing my BSODs and random Windows instabilities....

It looks like a Dell 6000, or even 700m would be good for you. With coupons, they can be well under $1500, and have many upgrades. Ive never heard of any major issues with these models. If you had a higher budget you could go for a Thinkpad, but the Dells look good for you now.

 

[nonworkingmouse]

I would suggest getting a Dell 600m. It's got decent speed, good battery life, and weighs about 5-6 lbs. Visit www.notebookforums.com to get Dell coupons.

 

[fbrdphreak]

The 600m isn't bad, but IMO the build quality isn't up to "on the go" standards. The case flexes a good bit and the keyboard is absolute crap.

This model IBM Thinkpad T42 would do well for your needs. IBM was running a special on a T42 for $1095, but I can't find it anymore. It will do everything you need, just add more memory yourself and a warranty. Most people will agree that Thinkpad build quality is pretty much top of the line

Thinkpad T42 & T43 Reviews

EDIT

I found the $1095 deal I had in my head. Its actually a Certified Used T40 with warranty until 4/07. Ultra-Bay Slim Battery for $1
Link

 

[uOpt]

Get a Sony.

It won't work but you will learn to love your current Dell to death really quickly

 

[vtohthree]

Originally posted by: ssvegeta1010
Do you have any sites telling about this problem with the Inspiron? I have one, and this may be whats causing my BSODs and random Windows instabilities....

It looks like a Dell 6000, or even 700m would be good for you. With coupons, they can be well under $1500, and have many upgrades. Ive never heard of any major issues with these models. If you had a higher budget you could go for a Thinkpad, but the Dells look good for you now.

Yeah, theres quite a few out there, in fact... its even on the Dell community forum:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums...ios&message.id=32475&query.id=0#M32475

From reading around, Dell moderators had to shut down a ton of them. So it is rather
common.

 

[vtohthree]

Yeah, I was so close to getting an IBM T42. When I did my research, it came down to the
Dell 5150 and the IBM T42. But I went with the Dell because at the time, it had a little more bang per buck, plus I heard the screen was better on the Dell from some reviewers. But whatever, what's the use if you can't even commute with a notebook, or better yet, can't put the laptop on your lap without breaking it!

IBM has been well known for its business oriented machines, I will certainly look into it. However... Do you know if the change of ownership affects anything(as far as quality, warranty, anything, etc)? I believe it was Lenevo
or along those lines, some Chinese based company(?), that bought out IBM's pc making division.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: MartinCracauer
Get a Sony.

It won't work but you will learn to love your current Dell to death really quickly

Hahaha, nice

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: vtohthree
Yeah, I was so close to getting an IBM T42. When I did my research, it came down to the
Dell 5150 and the IBM T42. But I went with the Dell because at the time, it had a little more bang per buck, plus I heard the screen was better on the Dell from some reviewers. But whatever, what's the use if you can't even commute with a notebook, or better yet, can't put the laptop on your lap without breaking it!

IBM has been well known for its business oriented machines, I will certainly look into it. However... Do you know if the change of ownership affects anything(as far as quality, warranty, anything, etc)? I believe it was Lenevo
or along those lines, some Chinese based company(?), that bought out IBM's pc making division.

IBM warranties and service will remain 100% the same for the next 18 months, and IBM is overseeing for the next 5 years. I wouldn't worry about it

 

[vtohthree]

that gives a piece of mind.

 

[vtohthree]

I am wondering though... has anyone had any experience with Averatec's? I did read on some forum that they had quite a few issues(cheap price, cheap parts).


But their 6200 series laptop is just so enticing! It has an AMD 64 3000+, 80 gig HD, 512mb ram(pc2700), DVD+/- RW, wide screen, and its fairly light(around 5lbs).
All that for around $1300!!!

The case seems to be well structured, but the real problem that I've read were component failure, particuarly with their optic drives
in various models.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I've used a 12" Averatec and it is what you would expect from a $700 notebook: does what its supposed to do. The case does feel cheep and the quality is not evident compared to other manufacturer's notebooks that cost hundreds more. That said, it is a great bang for the buck. Haven't used the larger models, perhaps those cases are sturdier. The 12" I used had an Athlon XP-M in it, the system ran very warm and the cooling fan kicked in a lot with a loud shrill sound.

You get what you pay for

 

[ManyBeers]

Originally posted by: MartinCracauer
Get a Sony.

It won't work but you will learn to love your current Dell to death really quickly

I have had a Sony vaio PCGFXA 47 for 3 years and it has functioned flawlessly. Mine is an excellent computer. Why bash Sony's?

 

[Gulzakar]

Dell is terrible...

Have you considered a 12 inch Powerbook? it's $1500.00, well equiped, sturdy, and you shouldn't have any problems or issues with software.

 

[vtohthree]

powerbook eh? Honestly.. I haven't considered an apple, I've actually tried to avoid them(I'll tell you why in a second). That said, I believe they are rather stylish and look cool.

I also know some friends and family that use them as well, I've web browsed on them before, and it feels rather sturdy. So, yes, I have a lot of positive things to say about it, except.... I'm too lazy to learn a new interface(haven't really given it a shot either), I guess I could get equivalents to powerpoint(if they don't already have it for macs), and do they have extended full coverage warranties?

I have many reasons to believe that they are great products, but like many, I'm too lazy and comfortable to switch to another OS platform.

 

[Gulzakar]

well, the beauty of OSX is that it's intuitive and easy to learn. no, your not going to pick it up right away...but spend a little time piddling on it and you'll figure it out right quick. they are awesome laptops. I had the chance to play with a 12.1 inch g4 1,5 powerbook...after not having used an apple in 4 years. they have come a long way...and figuring it out was a breeze...I mean, theres not a lot to figure out

 

[niggles]

I've had nothing but trouble with IBM, my current Dell 6000 rocks.
You Can't go wrong with Apple, they're the highest rated in customer satisfaction.
Toshiba is the highest rated of the PC notebook makers ... all acording to the consumer report that bases their report on customer satisfaction and repair requirements. Dell comes after Toshiba, but IBM comes after Dell... When they have bad designs they REALLY have bad designs. My A21m was useless on the Mobo. it was constantly overheating and finally cracked. While the A21m may be a couple of years old they'd been making laptops for years so it's not like they were new to the game. I say Apple, then Toshiba, then Dell... get an IBM only if you know for sure that the design is solid.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: niggles
I've had nothing but trouble with IBM, my current Dell 6000 rocks.
You Can't go wrong with Apple, they're the highest rated in customer satisfaction.
Toshiba is the highest rated of the PC notebook makers ... all acording to the consumer report that bases their report on customer satisfaction and repair requirements. Dell comes after Toshiba, but IBM comes after Dell... When they have bad designs they REALLY have bad designs. My A21m was useless on the Mobo. it was constantly overheating and finally cracked. While the A21m may be a couple of years old they'd been making laptops for years so it's not like they were new to the game. I say Apple, then Toshiba, then Dell... get an IBM only if you know for sure that the design is solid.

Considering everyone else in the world knows IBM's designs are solid, I think we're good

 

[vtohthree]

I have some friends with 2 year old toshiba satellite's. I wasn't too impressed by them, as far as ergnomics, build quality, battery life, and price/bang for buck. They actually envied my Dell, haha, but that's after I found out about my problem. I'm not bashing on toshiba because I'm sure they are still good machines, and I haven't been checking their new inventory but I'm not too excited about them. Apple's are certainly fine and I may consider it, but still intimidated by the different OS, lol what's with the one-button mouse? (j/k)...... T42 does sound promising for being a "beater" machine that I can take anywhere and hope for it to hold up.


But it does go back to the Averatec, its just so attractive, in fact, it reminds me of Ibook's. The wide screen, the sturdy magnesium alloy casing, and the processing power. It's also a great value, I cannot believe what you get for the price, but the saying also goes, "you get what you paid..."

http://www.averatec.com/notebooks/6240series.htm

Check the specs if you get the chance. If I could only find real "reviews" such as long term updates and customer service issuse, I'd jump on it.
I read several reviews on cnet, zdnet, and other places that I can't remember... but basically they just look at it skin deep, and the reader reviews do the same. Then I found a few forums that discussed Avertec and they certainly had some issues with the older and lower end models, but I couldn't find anything on the 6240.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Averatec's are decent machines for the money. Would I expect to take it everywhere and still work great after 3 years? No. But in 1.5-2 years, you could buy a brand new machine with the money you save on the Averatec now. Its all up to you

 

[vtohthree]

*bump*


opinions on a Inspiron 6000?

 

[crisscross]

If you do decide to go with Dell atleast go with the Latitude series.

 

[fbrdphreak]

6000 is a big machine for on the go usage. Build quality is better than most Inspiron's, but no where near a Latitude.
Even the cheap Latitude D505 is better than the Inspiron's. I would get a Latitude D500 or D600 series if you must go Dell

 

[niggles]

my work machine is a Latitude D600 and my home laptop is an Inspiron 6000. To me they're pretty close. Sure the Latitude feels more sturdy, but not that much. I love my I6000... it's a beautiful thing.

 

[NoToRiOuS1]

averatec 6240
averatec 3200
averatec 3300
all of the above are budget lappys

thinkpad t42 and t43
dell 600m
dell 700m

i know you had a bad experience with dell but i work at a univ where all they buy in terms of laptops are dell 600m. lemme tell ya...they are pretty darn nice and well built..they are no ibm but they work very well and are pretty lightweight.
as for averatecs, i have a few of them in my house. i love them. they are cheap and look somewhat cheap but the features are just incredible for the price. i picked up my p-m1.6, 512mb, 80gb, 12in, 3-1 card reader, dual layer/dual format dvd burner, wireless g, 4 hr batt life......all for 999. got all my rebates from averatec and compusa in UNDER 2 weeks.

<--- averatec fanboy