Should I get a laptop? Now or later?

[spitz10]

I need some help guys. First, I am trying to decide whether or not I want to get a laptop, period. I have always been a desktop guy, because I played alot of games and didnt travel much. Now, I am playing fewer games, traveling a little more, and with free wifi at school, among other things, I am starting to think I might want a laptop.

Since I already have a highend desktop, I dont want to invest too much in a laptop considering I will be using my desktop as long as I am at home. With that being said, I really dont want a low end laptop (its gotta have at least 1gb ram, etc.) - I know I will still want to possibly be able to play games, and do other fairly intense tasks.

So basically, one, does it sound like I should really even invest in a laptop, and if so, is there anything I could get now for a reasonable price (<700) that would satisfy me, or should I wait a few months.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[mattBR]

there are some options but you wont be able to play any of the latest games.

 

[ShellGuy]

What games do you want to play and what do you consider inteseive tasks? AS those will say what you should get or not.. Laptops can be had for that price but they will prob have onboard graphics and such..


Will G.

 

[Arcada]

If you need one now, get one now. If you can wait till "later" wait till later.

At least wait till Vista though.

 

[corkyg]

You can now get them with Vista, or at least with a free Vista upgrade. Your usage determines the size and config. I travel a lot and size became very important, especially with restricted airline carry ons. So, I have gotten rid of my 17-in monster and now am very happy with a 12.1 in display. It also weighs 5 lbs less.

 

[bwatson283]

http://www.averatec.com/index.asp

 

[regnez]

Originally posted by: bwatson283
http://www.averatec.com/index.asp

I would be extremely wary if choosing an averatec laptop. Their build quality, externally at least, is sub-par and the few people I know who have had one regret their purchase.

For your price range, it is going to be difficult to get a high quality/good performing computer. If possible, you may want to wait until your budget is a little higher and then go with something high quality that will last.

Otherwise, get a Dell and stick a good sized warranty on it.

 

[lobbyone]

What games are you planning to play with the laptop?

 

[frostedflakes]

FWIW, I've been using an Averatec 3715-EH1 for the last 1/2 year and have been pretty happy with it. I'm sure it doesn't hold a candle to something like a Lenovo or IBM in terms of quality and durability, but for the money I don't think they're bad laptops. Where Averatec falls short is in support, I've heard this is basically non-existent, so if you have any problems with the laptop be ready to diagnose and fix it yourself. If you buy one new maybe spring for an extended warranty if available from the retailer.

 

[cheesehead]

I would go with an off-lease Thinkpad. I myself am now the proud owner of an X40; while it is not capable of any games past Civilization III, it is more than adequate for day-to-day work.

I paid $650 for mine, which features a 1ghz ultra-low-voltage Pentium M, a 20GB hard drive, and Windows XP Pro. While not a fancy machine, the weight of 2.7 lbs. combined with 3+ hours of battery life make it perfect for use in class - why use a pen and paper when your notebook is more svelte than the pen-and-paper variety?

I've owned a Dell laptop (9100), an Apple laptop (iBook), a HP/Compaq (Evo NC4010), and my current X40. Of the lot, I like the X40 the best - and, having dealt with Dell tech support, I would avoid them like the plauge. It's just not worth the hassle and amazing incompetence.

If you want a dirt-cheap machine, I've seen some HP laptops for about $400 at Office Depot after rebate. While they, too, are not capable of gaming, many feature widescreen 14" or 15.4" LCDs, and while they're generally not too powerful (Sempron at ~1.8ghz), they're adequate for basic use.

Trust me - you're better off with a slower laptop, and playing games on your desktop. Much more economical.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead
I would go with an off-lease Thinkpad. I myself am now the proud owner of an X40; while it is not capable of any games past Civilization III, it is more than adequate for day-to-day work.

I paid $650 for mine, which features a 1ghz ultra-low-voltage Pentium M, a 20GB hard drive, and Windows XP Pro. While not a fancy machine, the weight of 2.7 lbs. combined with 3+ hours of battery life make it perfect for use in class - why use a pen and paper when your notebook is more svelte than the pen-and-paper variety?

I've owned a Dell laptop (9100), an Apple laptop (iBook), a HP/Compaq (Evo NC4010), and my current X40. Of the lot, I like the X40 the best - and, having dealt with Dell tech support, I would avoid them like the plauge. It's just not worth the hassle and amazing incompetence.

If you want a dirt-cheap machine, I've seen some HP laptops for about $400 at Office Depot after rebate. While they, too, are not capable of gaming, many feature widescreen 14" or 15.4" LCDs, and while they're generally not too powerful (Sempron at ~1.8ghz), they're adequate for basic use.

Trust me - you're better off with a slower laptop, and playing games on your desktop. Much more economical.

why is it some people don't realize thinkpads aren't for everyone?

he said he'll be moving around a little bit and most likely will be used for schoolwork. that takes a 17" out of the picture. 2.7lbs though? that's more than a little excessive.

OP, at your price range, you won't get any laptop with a graphic card able to handle anything made in the last year.

will your budget go up in a few months?
how important is gaming for you?

 

[marulee]

Well price for the laptops are right in the market nowaday.

 

[spitz10]

sorry for not responding quicker - I was checking my post often at the beginning, but no one responded so I didnt check back. Thanks to all who posted though.

To be honest, being able to game is probably my last concern. If I wasnt able to game on it (and it doesnt sound like I will be able to), I wouldnt be heartbroken, seeing as though my desktop will fill that need. As far as intensive tasks, I would say something like video editing would be the most intensive, but again, I doubt I would do much of that. My main concern would be more on multitasking (something like, typing a paper, talking online, listening to music and ripping a dvd at the same time).

Like I said before, I realize this is going to be a budget laptop, but I just dont know if I could bare with something alot slower than my desktop when things start to get heavy.

I guess more specifically, does it sound like I need a dual core processor? That seems to be where alot of the price changes occur. I know for sure I would get at least 1 gb of RAM, I just dont know about the processor. And I guess the point of this whole thing is, how much will prices drop by say, may or so?

Thanks for all your help, its greatly appreciated

 

[spitz10]

anyone?

 

[alimoalem]

at a sub-$700 budget, it's going to be hard to get a gig of ram, dvd burner, and dual-core. i would wait til may

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: alimoalem
at a sub-$700 budget, it's going to be hard to get a gig of ram, dvd burner, and dual-core. i would wait til may

Yup, by then (I think) Santa Rosa will be launching, and all of the cool stuff of today will be "yesterday's technology." I doubt you'll get Santa Rosa for <700, but today's machines are powerful enough to last a little while; you'll get dual core, a gig, and a DVD burner for under seven hundred, and it'll probably have a good warranty too.

 

[spitz10]

this is what i figured. What is the best brand to go after that has the best overall value, and warranty?

 

[simms]

Please. My T42, 1.7 Centrino, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD, Mobile Radeon 9600, with new 9 and 6 Cell was $650 + $50 for the new 9-cell

Also it still has 1.5 years of ONSITE Warranty. It was $650 shipped... it's possible.

Check out eBay. There should be lots of T42/3s since the dual cores are out.