New Laptop Help

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Tank

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2008
2,307
104
48
Niceville, FL
Alright computer savvy people on here - I am looking to buy a new laptop (non Mac) and was wondering what people have on here that has been successful for them.

I am not looking to play games or anything like that but am going to use predominately for iTunes, Microsoft Office, watch movies, etc... (no gaming).

So, what should I be looking for in memory, processor, brand, etc...?

Any help for me, since I am officially computer illiterate, would be great. Thanks.
 

fccy

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2008
3,967
67
48
Forest City
According to my friend who is an IT guy at NIACC, go with HP or Toshiba (I got a HP and am happy). Others can fill in specifics more, but I would think that a dual-core processor with 3GB RAM would be good. If you can wait a little, checl the stores for sales, as the newest laptops should be coming out soon, and last year's will be going on sale.
 

Cy4Patriots

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2011
3,662
61
48
Alright computer savvy people on here - I am looking to buy a new laptop (non Mac) and was wondering what people have on here that has been successful for them.

I am not looking to play games or anything like that but am going to use predominately for iTunes, Microsoft Office, watch movies, etc... (no gaming).

So, what should I be looking for in memory, processor, brand, etc...?

Any help for me, since I am officially computer illiterate, would be great. Thanks.


Everyone is going to have a different opinion on all of that. IMO I have had good luck on HP (some here have not) and not from Best Buy, but though HP directly. Why go directly to them? Because, if anything goes wrong, they worked with me to send me a new one in a week. Its a solid warranty. IMO I would never buy from Best Buy, my aunt got each of here 3 kids a computer from there and all 3 were different models and brands and they had to replace all 3 hard drives and were without a computer for weeks at a time (some people have had good luck with them).

I own 3 HP computers at the moment (2 laptops and 1 desktop) and they all have worked perfect with no issues. You can customize all of them to your liking.

But, when you post a question like this prepare to hear just about every brand available on the market.

My personal favorite and I currently own one...
HP ENVY 17 3D series | HP® Official Store

I am an IT professional
 
Last edited:

Cy4Patriots

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2011
3,662
61
48
According to my friend who is an IT guy at NIACC, go with HP or Toshiba (I got a HP and am happy). Others can fill in specifics more, but I would think that a dual-core processor with 3GB RAM would be good. If you can wait a little, checl the stores for sales, as the newest laptops should be coming out soon, and last year's will be going on sale.

4GB RAM is ideal for today's computing. Not a must, but ideal. Another GB does make a difference. :yes:
 

ISUAgronomist

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2009
26,634
8,294
113
On the farm, IA
I second the notion of buying directly from the manufacturer. You can turn the overhead the retail store tacks on into better components (CPU/RAM/etc.)

I have an HP that has worked great for nearly 5 years now for home use. My work laptop is nearly a year old and is a Toshiba and I like it (did come with a bit more bloat software than I'd like but that's easy to remove).
 

aauummm

March is National Celery Month
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 29, 2007
6,660
3,210
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I get around
Alright computer savvy people on here - I am looking to buy a new laptop (non Mac) and was wondering what people have on here that has been successful for them.

I am not looking to play games or anything like that but am going to use predominately for iTunes, Microsoft Office, watch movies, etc... (no gaming).

So, what should I be looking for in memory, processor, brand, etc...?

Any help for me, since I am officially computer illiterate, would be great. Thanks.
I've had my HP ZD8000 series laptop now for 5 years. Bought it new on Ebay. The only thing I have done to it was replace the LCD screen last month. Bought a new screen online for $118 and installed it myself. I use it exclusively for traveling. Someday I will buy a newer model HP laptop but this one may last for another 5-10 years.
 

Tank

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2008
2,307
104
48
Niceville, FL
Everyone is going to have a different opinion on all of that. IMO I have had good luck on HP (some here have not) and not from Best Buy, but though HP directly. Why go directly to them? Because, if anything goes wrong, they worked with me to send me a new one in a week. Its a solid warranty. IMO I would never buy from Best Buy, my aunt got each of here 3 kids a computer from there and all 3 were different models and brands and they had to replace all 3 hard drives and were without a computer for weeks at a time (some people have had good luck with them).

I own 3 HP computers at the moment (2 laptops and 1 desktop) and they all have worked perfect with no issues. You can customize all of them to your liking.

But, when you post a question like this prepare to hear just about every brand available on the market.

My personal favorite and I currently own one...
HP ENVY 17 3D series | HP® Official Store

I am an IT professional


I expect this and actually welcome it b/c I want to know what brands, models, memory size, etc... people have had success with and from that I will research those brands and models. I am in a unique situation b/c I can't just travel to a store (live in South Korea) where English is fluent and ask these kinds of questions and calling a specialist (I am 14 hours ahead of CST) is very difficult.

So, all opinions are welcomed, thanks.
 

Cy4Patriots

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2011
3,662
61
48
I expect this and actually welcome it b/c I want to know what brands, models, memory size, etc... people have had success with and from that I will research those brands and models. I am in a unique situation b/c I can't just travel to a store (live in South Korea) where English is fluent and ask these kinds of questions and calling a specialist (I am 14 hours ahead of CST) is very difficult.

So, all opinions are welcomed, thanks.

Well, as an added bonus if you were going to buy from HP directly and customize it, they are shipped from China. :smile:
 

aauummm

March is National Celery Month
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 29, 2007
6,660
3,210
113
I get around
Everyone is going to have a different opinion on all of that. IMO I have had good luck on HP (some here have not) and not from Best Buy, but though HP directly. Why go directly to them? Because, if anything goes wrong, they worked with me to send me a new one in a week. Its a solid warranty. IMO I would never buy from Best Buy, my aunt got each of here 3 kids a computer from there and all 3 were different models and brands and they had to replace all 3 hard drives and were without a computer for weeks at a time (some people have had good luck with them).

I own 3 HP computers at the moment (2 laptops and 1 desktop) and they all have worked perfect with no issues. You can customize all of them to your liking.

But, when you post a question like this prepare to hear just about every brand available on the market.

My personal favorite and I currently own one...
HP ENVY 17 3D series | HP® Official Store

I am an IT professional

Wow, I like your laptop! Maybe mine will last long enough that HP introduces another new series and then I can get one like yours on closeout!:yes:
 

dahliaclone

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 4, 2007
13,684
20,246
113
Minneapolis
Alright computer savvy people on here - I am looking to buy a new laptop (non Mac) and was wondering what people have on here that has been successful for them.

I am not looking to play games or anything like that but am going to use predominately for iTunes, Microsoft Office, watch movies, etc... (no gaming).

So, what should I be looking for in memory, processor, brand, etc...?

Any help for me, since I am officially computer illiterate, would be great. Thanks.

anything HP. period
 

Agkistrodon

Active Member
Feb 14, 2009
390
105
43
41
I had a Dell Inspiron 1150 that I bought in 2004. It worked great. Actually, it still "works" but the hinges started breaking back in 2008. I hook it up to a monitor now and use it for running simulations.

I purchased a Dell Inspiron 1420 in September of 2008 because I got a great deal. This laptop worked great for about a year, then turned into a nightmare. I would go for weeks, getting a BSOD almost daily, then it would be fine for a while, then problems would start again. Last summer it started overheating frequently. I opened it and cleaned out dust several times, thinking this might help with cooling/ventilation, but it did no good. Finally on Thanksgiving day 2010 it overheated for the last time and the motherboard got cooked.

I got a good Black Friday deal on a Sony Vaio EB series the next day (I guess if nothing else it picked a good time to die) and this laptop has worked perfectly since.

Back to Dell, a friend of mine also purchased an Inspiron 1420 around the same time in 2008, and he had even worse luck than I did. He went through 2 hard drives, 2 motherboards, a new screen, and at least 3 sets of RAM. Also, Dell customer service sucks, big time.
 

jdoggivjc

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2006
59,399
20,930
113
Macomb, MI
Anybody here on have a Sony Vaio laptop? Just wondering what people think of it, thanks.

When it comes to Sony, avoid their computers like the plague. Nothing ever but complaints about how their laptops are crap (break very easily) and their customer service is even worse.

I'm also not quite getting the love for HP. Okay, their products were good 5 years ago. But a year ago I fried my nVidia GPU due to an industry-wide overheating problem. Every other manufacturer, considering this was an industry-wide problem, repaired their laptops outside of warranty. HP refused - they would force you to spend about $500 (half the price of the laptop) for a replacement motherboard which in reality was just a poorly reconditioned motherboard which would fail in the same way in about 3 months.

Just like Sony, HP = bad products and even worse customer service.

Personally, I'd look at Lenovo, Toshiba, and Dell.
 

Alswelk

Slightly Radioactive
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SuperFanatic T2
Dec 5, 2006
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Albuquerque, NM
I'm normally a Mac guy, but I'll behave :smile:. I actually do have a PC related question.

I own a PC laptop (an ASUS eee 701) and love the little guy. Anybody know anything about their full-size hardware?
 

CYdTracked

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
16,950
7,649
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Grimes, IA
Lenovo makes a quality laptop but you'll also pay a higher end price for it too. One thing about their laptops though is they are built to be very sturdy and durable and aren't as "flimsy" as some of the cheaper brands/models out there.

Dell or HP, I don't think you can go wrong with either. Keep an eye on deals from sites like techdealdigger.com and gotapex.com who post some of the coupon codes.
 

Dopey

Well-Known Member
Nov 2, 2009
3,106
1,878
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I've had good luck with my Toshiba for 2 years now.

I wouldn't spend extra money for a huge hard drive, considering how cheap external hard drives are now.

I have 3gb of ram and it's fast enough. Mine is expandable up to either 6 or 8 gb. Faster is always better, I'm not the most patient.

I've bought my last two laptops from Best Buy. I've always taken advantage of their extended warranty too, which has paid off for me multiple times over with my previous laptop (Gateway). It's definitely a handy place to look, and their accident proof extended warranty basically covers everything for 3 years.

My laptop is still good, but I already can't wait for it to take a dump so I can get a new one. I want an HDMI output so I can link this up to my tv better. I stream a lot of movies and tv and I don't pay for cable so this would be a nice feature for me.

EDIT: Also, every computer nerd I've ever talked to has recommended ASUS. I don't know why.
 

1100011CS

Well-Known Member
Oct 5, 2007
15,718
5,419
113
Marshalltown
Count me in as one of HP haters. I had nothing but trouble with my ZD7000. I've had several friends bring me HP laptops recently that have had issues from hard drive failure to motherboards fried.

Dell has been good to me. Great customer service but that's through a corporate account so not sure how personal accounts get treated.