Buying New Laptop, Need Thoughts

Depends what you will be using it for.

As far as a brand, I definitely reccomend HP. I have a HP laptop which I have had for a year and 7 months, awesome computer, never had any problems with it. I also have a HP desktop which is nearing a year old and have never had any problems with that either. I think HP generally make really good computers.

Personally I prefer Intel processors over AMD, but my laptop has AMD and it's fine.

The graphics sound good, it sounds like it has dedicated graphics so that will be good if you want to use it for gaming. processor is an average good processor, similar to mine. 6GB of DDR3 is really awesome, the hard drive is good. Seems like a good computer all round, especially for the price.

 

I just ordered a new Macbook Pro 15in, I'm so excited and can't wait for it! .... So naturally I'm going to recomend a Mac ahaa

 

Um...i'd say the price that you're paying for is...around normal/average pricing. As for HP brand i've had a terrible experience, but that was a tablet series which i believe they purposely designed it to overheat or something (and several other little things that break on you...). But thats another story. I'm not a hardware guru...but they seem fine to me for what you're paying for...

Also, 15.6 inches is a fairly large laptop...so i'm guessing it's going to be somewhat thick and bulky. Also take note of its weight, if you move around with it a lot.

 

Got my 13" a few months ago, best decision I ever made. Before then, I had an HP, and it kind of sucked. It constantly turned off without warning and I lost my work every time it happened. And that wasn't the only HP laptop that I had that I had problems with - the one before was a slightly different model was the same. Also, the printscreen buttons worked on neither of them.

So basically, it looks okay... but I've learnt to stay miles away from windows, and especially HP laptops. (Also, my dad used to use HP hardware, and it always broke straight after the warranty was up).

Oh, and I can give you a download link for a decent version of office if you want.

 

I recently saw stats that indicated HP was at the bottom of the pile as regards durability and customer satisfaction rating (it quoted, IIRC, a 24.6% failure rate over 24 months - worst of all the big names). That sort of reinforced my opinion that HP makes good printers...

I don't know what prices are like where you are, but for an everyday laptop, here the best value for money when I was looking (by quite a long way) was ACER. Was unsure (at the time) of their reliability, so I got a 3 yr extended warranty (paid for by the cashback offer - less than $100). So far I'm happy with it (also a 15.6 screen). In the stats I mentioned above (where HP were at the bottom) ACER was around the middle of the pack.

I have noticed that Samsung are now in the market as well. They have what appear to be some quite good looking units - no idea how good they are and would be interested in a professional opinion. They certainly are among the leaders in mobile phones right now - so I wonder if that carries over to laptops?

 

Intel Processors are by far more complex than AMD processors so I'd definitely recommend an Intel i5 or i7(If you're really willing to go that far). The i3 is pretty terrible, so I wouldn't touch that one though. AMDs are decent but again, Intel processors are miles ahead.
Otherwise the specs really depend on the usage of the laptop. If you're using it regularly for work, this would definitely do.
Everything else should be fine...
In terms of computer makers, I do not recommend DELL for much... The laptop casings for their computers are pretty bad. They have small holes... which doesn't do much for cooling. I've heard ACERs aren't great but aren't bad either. If you're looking for an incredibly sturdy, over the top laptop/computer I recommend Origins PC.

 

Ooooh I'd love for you to share if you don't mind! I'm currently gathering a bunch of programs I want and their download links for when my mac comes!!

 

I've got a MacBook Pro and I love it...I would recommend it. It's hard to beat the Apple technology.

 

Please read the Op's post before making your own post: "The catch is, I need a deal such as '6 months to pay, no interest.'" Apple never provides such deals. Their computers are also expensive as hell--for what you're really getting.

As others have said, stay away from HP. Asus has fairly cheap laptops, good hardware, and great customer satisfaction.

Here's some suggestions:
Newegg.com - Recertified: ASUS G Series G60JX-RBBX05 NoteBook Intel Core i5 430M(2.26GHz) 16" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD±R/RW NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230079

 

May I grace you guys with my vast knowledge on computer science!!! <Aplause needed>
Thank you, Thank you very much... Ahhh thanks 007, that be my martini you are holding there, thank you, now run along, safe the world or do something LMFAO!!!

First of all there is realy no good or bad computer manufacturers (accept China -- No part intended but it is a fact) Rather there are bad choices made by executives who sometimes have no clue as to what they are doing and only trying to sell the company they are working for to get the high salaries they want.

If you look at the desktop PC i would suggest you rather put one together yourself or if you cant let a friend who has the knowledge and experience do it on your instruction.

1: First look at what you are going to use the computer for.
I know most is to play games, write some documents and more. If it is just for documents, you do not need anything powerfull, but keep in mind that you might also use it for another purpose in the future so upgradability is a must.

2: Choose your poison
Like most, want to play the occational game or you are a true gamer like me. So look at the type of graphics card manufacurer you want. There are many, many manufacturers out there, but in reality there are only two options you have. nVidia or ATI (now AMD) These two companies compete head to head for the best manufacturer of 3D high end graphics cards. I whish i can tell you go nVidia (personaly i love nVidia) but i would be wrong. for a few months one manufacurer out performs the other and a few months later it switches around. All i can say is look at the specs... the biger the RAMDAC processor and memory the better.

Also another thing to look at is the ability to run your graphics in dual or tripple mode... meaning if you have the whad of cash buy two or three (depending on the mobo [see below]) of the same graphics cards that has this capability. You will thank me later on when the visuals produced is so amazing that you will believe that heaven exist on your desktop monitor.

Do your reasearch and find out what is the current technology and also see what the future technology might lead to. A very good tech buddy will help you there. Your choice in graphics manufacturer will and must influence your choice in the rest of the computer assembly!!!!!!

3: What mobo jumbo bobo?
The motherboard (mobo) is the most crucial part of every computer. All the other devices like processor, motherboard, memory, drives and what not connects to the mobo. Look at the specs of the mobo. The higher the bandwidth the better (This is the speed at which your memory runs, connect to the processor, send data to the other devices connected to it and everything else inbetween. Your biggest influces here will be the chipset manufacturer. Both nVidia and ATI (AMD) produces chipset. If you have chosen the nVidia graphics cards your mobo chipset should be nVidia and the same for ATI. Why do you ask? One simple fact. ATI know how they are manufacturing their graphics card and their chipsets are made to boost the graphics card additionaly. The same for nVidia. If you do this then you can be sure that your computer will live beyond the 1 - 2 years life expectancy of the average computer.

Next look at the amount of SATA (for Hard Drive/DVD-ROM drives) connectors the mobo have... the more the better. Next look at the amounts of PCI-e ports the mobo offers... today the standard is two. If you are a serious gamer then you will need this as an upgrade option later. Two of them allow you to connect two of the graphics cards which doubles your performance.

Next look at the amount of RAM slots. These are the places where your memory connects. usualy the standard now is either two or four. If the mobo of your choice offer these in odds like three then stay away. Standard processors today has two processors in one chip. If you dedicate (the computer usualy automaticaly switches to this option it the correct parremeters are detected) a memory card to each of the two processor your computer will be able to run paralell processes, the one procesor might be busy doing some calulations of a program while the other processor does the processing of your movie or music or other software. Games n0w tends to use both processors at once. So the more memory slots in doubles your mobo provides the more memory you can dedicate to each processor.

Next look at the number of USB ports the more the better. Network connections is a must!!! FireWire... only if you do video edition then you do not realy need it. It works the same as USB only that the high end cameras uses firewire to connect and transfer the data to your computer. eSATA, wel either way if it has it... its cool, if not.. its not something to write to your mother and compain about.

4: Processor madness:
There are two main different processors in the market. A SISC processor which is like Intel and AMD and a RISC processors, typically in calculators, pdas and on the apple platforms. RISC is better and faster designed for multimedia in mind, while SISC processors are made for numbers in mind. back in the old day there use to be a big difference in performace of these two makes, but lately the speeds are so high that it doesnt realy matter. Besides apple dropped the RISC processor and is opting for the Intel SISC processor to make their computers cost less.

Second stay away from the Celeron line of Intel and the Duron line of AMD. These are scaled down versions of high performance chips with less functionality. Usualy these kind of chips is used in general office computers.
The more processors in one chip the better. It is now standard to have atleast a dual core but six core and eight cores does exist.
The more on die cache there are the better. This is the part of the processor memory, the more it has means the more it can process information that is on the RAM or memory of the computer. The more it has means it is faster.

Typically there are a few cpu manufacturers out there, but the main ones for PC is Intel and AMD. The main difference between these two is that AMD from early on chose to make their processor also handle some of the graphics while Intel only did that a few years ago. Today the two company runs neck to neck. I won't say choose this or that but just another thing. AMD (who has aquired ATI) has build the processors to aditionaly enhance the performance for the ATI lines. Currently Intel out performs AMD by a small margine but this can change any time. So choosing either of the two depends basicaly who your allegience lies. Like me I am an AMD fan, but when it comes to upgrading my rig every few years i look at the current situation and choose the best one. At the moment both my lappy and PC is Intel.

5: Memory madness
Choosing the memory is just as important as the motherboard. See what is the fastest bus speeds your chosen mobo supports and get the memory that matches the bus speeds. Then look at the amount of memory per module. Typicaly 2 - 4 GB per module. Make sure that when you buy the memory, you buy memory cards that is the same speed, manufacture and size inorder for the dual channel to work properly and optimaly. Additionaly look for modules that has a heat sink attached to it to make the memory run cooler and stable.

6: Case difficulties
When building a computer it is important to choose the proper case that will allow you to fit in your components. Make sure you have enough room inside, not just for your components but also to allow for better ventelation. This is very important, cases that does not have enough ventilation tend to overhead and make the entire assembly unstable. Cases comes with powersupply already build in, but look at the specs of the power supply. if it is below 450watts, take it out and buy another power supply. Check the specs of all your equipment, how much wattage each uses, add the watts together and that should give you the minimum watt ouput your powersupply should be able to give. Make sure the power supply gives you atleast 50 - 200 watts more for upgrades and more hard drives. This is important and allow you to upgrade anytime without warrying to much about the watts your powersupply can produce.

7: Hard Drives and space vs. speed
Hard drives are also important. The bigger it is the better. Serious gamers will look at an additional specs of hard drives... the speeds of the platters. the higher the rpms the faster it will read and write. If you find hard drives that is about 5000rpms... stay away... these are typical for office applications. The standard speeds id 7500rpms which is better. But the serious gamers will look at the 10k rmps and higher. Be aware the higher the rpms the higher the price. At the momend solid state drives (drives that does not have platters and therefor has no need for any rpms is at the moment small and unstable. They are lightning fast but keep away from it, until technologies becomes better you must look at the conventional platter driver.)
For your computer i will suggest this: Your first drive can be small, but your second drive can be as big as you want it to be. The reason why i say this, is the following: An operating system is just software, anything can happen to your installation, viruses, crahses and many more. install your OS and programs and games on the first drive, but your acual data, like music, movies, documents etc. keep it on the second drive.

If your system becomes infected or unstable and you need to format the drive in order to use your computer again, your acual data rest safely on the second drive. There will be occations that you may not be able to access your first drive to back up your data.
So all you need to do after a failure like this is format the drive and start from scratch with the knowledge that your data is safe on the second drive. This will also decrease your time in getting your computer up and running again.

I have not realy covered all the aspects here but these are the most important ones. Also remember that DVD drive and all those things. If you need help, just drop me a message and i will see what I can do.

 

NOTES ON LAPTOPS
Laptops are a far different animal than a convetional desktop models. Besides being portable, having batries and being lighter and smaller there is a another BIG difference.

Laptops are not as easily upgradable as PC's. OK guys come and argue as much as you want about this but lets face the facts. Yes the manufacturer does provide different processor upgrades, memory upgrades and hard drive upgrades, but who does ever upgrade the CPU. I have upgraded the memory, but never the CPU. First of all me being in africa, importing the cpu from the manufacturer to our little south western country with a weak currency can be very expensive!!!! I also never upgraded the hard drive, rather i brought a 500gb external drive to put all my data on as backup. but this is as far as upgradability goes.

Make sure your model you want meets all your requirements, not just some. you will end up being fustrated if it only meets some of it.

CPU
Choose a laptop that has the high end mobility processor. Dual core is a must! keep away from the others, it will slow you down, fustrate you and make you throw the poor lappy out of the window ontop of a poor passerby's head and end up pay for hospital bills!

Memory
If your lappy does not have atleast 4gb memory, then upgrade it! 4GB is today the minimum when comming to games and 3d applications.

Ports
make sure your lappy has all the ports that you may need. plenty of USB's, e-SATA, HDMI, network and many more

Size
Choose atleast a 15.5 inch display, anything smaller means your keyboard on the lappy is all cramped together and later on makes for akward combinations when using short cut keys in your favourit apps. This is important or you will end up with a cramped hand and fingers, making you look like someone who has a dissability (No part inended) Alternativly you can always buy an external keyboard and hook it up, but remember it takes more power from the batteries and so will reduce your battery time. Like me i use an external mouse as i find the touch bad a bit akward to use in most applications besides browsing websites and writing some word documents.

In short, buy a high end laptop, anything less is a waste of hard earned cash. Remember some of you does not have the money to buy a new laptop every year or so. Applications are getting better, but also resource hungrier. Like Microsoft Word uses much more resources than it did when Microsoft Office 97 came out. If you plan to play some games on the lappy, a high end one is a must!!!! If not you will only be able to play current games and not the ones that comes out a year or two later. Rather safe up for a few months more to afford the high end lappy than having to spend the same amount of money a year or two later beacuse the lappy does not meet the requirements of the new software or games.

About the manufacturer, it is realy up to you, but i prefer HP and has come along way with my HP lappy. The model is a few years old but i can still play the current games. In our currency one can expect to forkout 10 - 15k for a decent highend model that will last a long way to come!

---------- Post added 12th Jun 2011 at 06:57 PM ----------

I feel that i need to explain something here!

The mercadez benz or bently of computers is apple. You are wrong when you say that it is expensive for what you are paying for. I have worked for years and years on the apple platforms as i have worked with the multimedia companies. Speak to anyone, from Columbia Pictures, Sony Entertainment or any of the big studio producers and they will say apple every time. There is one very big reason for this:

OK Microsoft does a very great job when it comes to opperating systems. They have worked hard to make every tom, dick, and harry's hardware work on the OS without to much difficulty, but this feat has its drawbacks, hence the regular crashes one experience on the microsoft platforms.

Apple is a different animal all together. They make all their hardware themselfs just as they write the OS of their computers their selfs. The OS does not crash even a 10% of total Miscrosoft OS crashes. The reason is that they know how their hardware works and write their software only for those hardware. They do not have to oblige to support every hardware out there. Instead they choose a few good hardware manufacturers give them instructions as how the hardware should work and then they write the drivers and support for the hardware themselfs.

With an apple you truely get way more than you expect. Their support is the best of all manufacurers out there. Apple is the first with new technology with PC's following only a couple of years later. Like CD-ROMs, apple had the CD-Roms standard on all their models back in 1987, where PC's only made it standard from 2000 onwards. USB became a standard back in 1995 and PCs only followed in 2002.

Browse apples site... they temselfes does not provide easy payment options cause their market is not for the people with low income. Their markets is for the big budget studios and designers. I still use an old apple i recieved as a going away present when i left the Printer Studio back in 2004. The model is a rediculesly old 1993 model with only a dual 266mhz processor (thats right, back then you already had dual processor options). I still use the apple for rendering my animations and so on, its a great computer and i am saving up to buy a new one.

But to answer your question, there are some retailers that provide easy payment options on apples.

As manufactuers when it comes to PC laptops, well I am not a great fan of ASUS, they tend to use inferior hardware and their support in African countries is like the chinese shops one get every where. Once you buy there is no garuantee and no service!!!