Time to buy a new laptop......

[Rallispec]

I'm in the market for a new laptop.... My Budget right now is 1,500 dollars max... I've got 300 dollars in gift cards for best buy and looking at thier toshiba laptops which all have a 100 dollar mail in rebate.

looking at centrino based laptops, as mobility is my prime concern rather than power.


currently looking at this laptop... (1,749.99 - 100 rebate - 300 gift cards = $1,349)


I've owned toshiba's before and was very pleased with them. Haven't seen the new lineup in person though. I dont even know if best buy even has this in stock (or possibly better laptops that are only at B&M places, not online)



SO.... any suggestions or comments? Think I'd be better off looking at another laptop somewhere else? (if so i gotta find something to blow these gift cards on)


anyhow, thanks for the help in advance.

 

[So]

Go IBM...that is all.

 

Toshiba, IBM or Dell. THAT is all.

 

[Orsorum]

IBM or Dell.

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: So
Go IBM...that is all.

i like thinkpads a lot... i think it was the R40 i was looking at that was really nice. However best buy doesnt carry them and i'm thinking that with the extra 300 dollars i get to spend at bestbuy, i could get something with a few more features.

 

[Chau]

thin laptops 8-]

 

[BCYL]

The only thing I don't like about this laptop is the 15.4 WXGA screen... This might sound crazy to some of you, but it will make the laptop a bit too large/heavy to carry around (which is the point of laptops anyways)...

 

[Orsorum]

Ralli, it really depends on what you want out of it. If you're looking for something small that you just want to take notes with, then transfer those notes to a desktop, I'd go with a palm pilot and a portable keyboard; not worth the extra money for an entire rig. If you'relooking for a desktop replacement, that's a whole nother beast.

If you want a desktop replacement, go IBM. IF you want something small and light, I'd go Dell or just get a kick ass iPaq with a good keyboard attachment.

 

[Ausm]

I like IBM personally.

Sysadmin

 

[helpme]

Windows laptop: IBM
Non Windows Laptop: Apple (Is there another choice, I don't think Sun laptops exist anymore?)

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: Orsorum
Ralli, it really depends on what you want out of it. If you're looking for something small that you just want to take notes with, then transfer those notes to a desktop, I'd go with a palm pilot and a portable keyboard; not worth the extra money for an entire rig. If you'relooking for a desktop replacement, that's a whole nother beast.

If you want a desktop replacement, go IBM. IF you want something small and light, I'd go Dell or just get a kick ass iPaq with a good keyboard attachment.

its more of a portable workstation... I quit my job and had to give bakc my old company laptop, and will be using this new one to do programming and go out to customer sites and do work. (doing freelance work) So i need a fully functional notebook.

I guess what i'm really getting at is this_ normally i would try and look around online for the best deal on a laptop-- but since i've got these gift cards, i figure its that much more i can spend towards the laptop-- but not sure if its worth it or not. 1,349 seems like a pretty good deal for the toshiba, but i dont know i can get a better deal on a similar laptop somewhere else.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: helpme
Windows laptop: IBM
Non Windows Laptop: Apple (Is there another choice, I don't think Sun laptops exist anymore?)

My sentiments exactly. Nothing beats IBM in x86 based laptops, but apple laptops pwn all.

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: Orsorum
Ralli, it really depends on what you want out of it. If you're looking for something small that you just want to take notes with, then transfer those notes to a desktop, I'd go with a palm pilot and a portable keyboard; not worth the extra money for an entire rig. If you'relooking for a desktop replacement, that's a whole nother beast.

If you want a desktop replacement, go IBM. IF you want something small and light, I'd go Dell or just get a kick ass iPaq with a good keyboard attachment.

its more of a portable workstation... I quit my job and had to give bakc my old company laptop, and will be using this new one to do programming and go out to customer sites and do work. (doing freelance work) So i need a fully functional notebook.

I guess what i'm really getting at is this_ normally i would try and look around online for the best deal on a laptop-- but since i've got these gift cards, i figure its that much more i can spend towards the laptop-- but not sure if its worth it or not. 1,349 seems like a pretty good deal for the toshiba, but i dont know i can get a better deal on a similar laptop somewhere else.

That does look like a good deal on it, better than I could get on an IBM through EPP. I'd say go for it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm typing this on a 3 year old 600MHz Celeron Toshiba right now. I found that this pretty much fits my mobile needs. I just bought it for $250 a couple weeks ago. Only had 64MB RAM but I was able to pick up another 128 for $35 and a wireless pcmcia card for another $29. It came with Windows ME but I trashed that POS and loaded Win 2k3.

What do you need it for anyway?

I vote Toshiba nonetheless.

 

[Rallispec]

Jules, I also still have an old 700mhz celeron toshiba satellite... well actually its my brothers now, i gave it to him a while back. Other than the fact that the mouse thinger stopped working, its still in great shape (needs external mouse though)


I need it to do programming and travel out to job sites to do work... nothing to processor intensive. I"m not too concerned about size or wieght, however i would like decent battery life.


Does anyone know if the BM bestbuys are actually carrying these in stock?

 

[Vette73]

Look at the Athlon 64 eMachines Laptop. Has been getting a lot of great reviews and is very strong for the buck

 

[Ionizer86]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Look at the Athlon 64 eMachines Laptop. Has been getting a lot of great reviews and is very strong for the buck

It's very powerful but it's intended as a desktop replacement. It's a big laptop (15.4 widescreen), it gets pretty hot, and battery life is short (about 2:30). But if you're gaming, then the A64 and the R9600 will allow for lots of FPS

 

[Vertimus]

Either the IBM X-series or the Dell 300m. The X-series is about $400 more than the dell with comparable configurations, but it's also better in many ways.

 

[Vertimus]

<--Happy 300m owner.

 

[Ornery]

Save the gift cards for other BB crap that's on sale or something. You can get that laptop for $1,549.98 OTD, plus it should still be eligible for that $100.00 rebate you mentioned.

 

[0roo0roo]

cheap/light/quality/and decent warrantee.

do not sink money into speed unless you really need it. laptops depreciate and grow obsolete at incredible rates. any part that breaks is not easily fixed.

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Save the gift cards for other BB crap that's on sale or something. You can get that laptop for $1,549.98 OTD, plus it should still be eligible for that $100.00 rebate you mentioned.

Hmmm.. here is my dilema though-- 1,449 online (after rebate).. plus shipping (shoudlnt be too much though) is still more than the 1,349 i'd have to pay at BB.

But like you said-- i could always buy other crap with those gift cards. But it'd just be worthless crap... maybe dvd's or something. But anyhow-- i think you've at least gotten me to second guess myself as to whether or not its worth dealing with bestbuy or not... might just hold off for a while to see what else is out there.

 

[fooshkee]

best buy occasionally offers an additonal $150 best buy mail in rebate on that toshiba... it varies on the week... check the website and or your local store tomorrow (new prices come out) and theres a possibility there could be $250 in rebates now ($100 toshiba MIR and $150 BB MIR)...

oh yeah and another thing... well a little context first, i sell computers at best buy... yes, poor me... but anyways, i've never personally been thrilled with the screen on that particular toshiba... i suppose it could just be our floor model at my store, but i've always thought it was very dull.

you honestly may also want to consider the 3 year performance service plan... a laptop is probably one of the only things in the story that i would get the PSP on. it'll cover a lot for you.... wear &amp; tear, battery replacement, pixel burn out, etc... it doesn't cover obvious abuse and software issues obviously.

if you have any more questions, shout...

 

[GLeeM]

I got the bigger hard drive on my laptop.

I wish I had gotten even an bigger one.

Or use the gift cards to get one of those external hard drives.

Good Luck

 

[Splork]

I'd say nix the Dell. I haven't been impressed w/ the quality of mine over the past two years, and I've had to have several Warranty things done on it. I'd go IBM as well. Just my two cents.

-sp