# lap top computers...



## CLMoss (Jul 21, 2012)

Hi, I am thinking about buying a new laptop computer. There are so many different brands of computers that I am lost! What would you recommend? I would just need it for; emails, or viewing websites and saving photos. I guess that I would like something that is not too expensive, maybe $500 or so. And I am not to sure about the size...I was thinking about a 17 inch, but maybe smaller. I believe that the one that I have now is around 13.5 inches across. Also I would like something that is fast. And one that is wireless. I really don't have a clue... PLEASE HELP!!!

Thanks, C


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## Madkins007 (Jul 21, 2012)

Get yourself to a good store so you can see and play with them, then get one you like. Locally, we have a furniture and electronics place that is good enough that I rarely shop there then buy online (Nebraska Furniture Mart).

There are a lot of models and brands that will work just fine, but in my own personal experience- I like HP for a general purpose low-end machine and Leveno when I want a bit more quality. I have a 13" HP Pavilion that I adore and my wife has the 17" version that would probably do a great job for you.

Now, speed, quality, and low price are not really compatible- you gotta trade one for the others. Personally, unless you are a gamer, I would not worry so much about speed- most laptops now are plenty fast as they sit.

I appreciate the HDMI and VGA outputs on mine- it lets me connect to a wide variety of monitors and TVs so I can either go dual display or watch something on one while I work on the other. I don't use it a lot, but I like the CD-ROM drive as well- but could learn to live without it if needed.

You MAY be asked about a solid state hard drive or a traditional platter style. The solid state is more like a USB drive or memory card-based drive. It is lighter, tougher, and uses less power so you get more battery life. On the other hand, they are almost always smaller and cost more per megabyte of memory. Lots of folks use the solid state drives, then get a big old portable hard drive for the bigger files. 

We used to always say to get the most memory you can, but with portable and cloud drives, the hard drive space is not as critical, but lots of RAM is always a good idea.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2012)

Nothing but Mac for me. Problem free and easy to use, but I don't think it meets your 'cheap' requirement.


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## CLMoss (Jul 21, 2012)

Tom said:


> Nothing but Mac for me. Problem free and easy to use, but I don't think it meets your 'cheap' requirement.



That is not nice Tom!


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## JeffG (Jul 21, 2012)

I have used about a dozen different lap tops. I resisted as long as I could, but finally tried a Mac a few years ago. Best machine ever, hands down. Took about a week to get use to it, but I will never have anything else now. You won't get a new one for $500, but it is worth the extra to me. I actually have four in the house now.


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## CLMoss (Jul 21, 2012)

Madkins007 said:


> Get yourself to a good store so you can see and play with them, then get one you like. Locally, we have a furniture and electronics place that is good enough that I rarely shop there then buy online (Nebraska Furniture Mart).
> 
> There are a lot of models and brands that will work just fine, but in my own personal experience- I like HP for a general purpose low-end machine and Leveno when I want a bit more quality. I have a 13" HP Pavilion that I adore and my wife has the 17" version that would probably do a great job for you.
> 
> ...



Thank you Mark!





JeffG said:


> I have used about a dozen different lap tops. I resisted as long as I could, but finally tried a Mac a few years ago. Best machine ever, hands down. Took about a week to get use to it, but I will never have anything else now. You won't get a new one for $500, but it is worth the extra to me. I actually have four in the house now.



Thank you! I did think about a Mac, but I just don't believe that I need it. It is not about the money. I just never tried a mac. ~C


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## Lilithlee (Jul 21, 2012)

With no disrepect to Tom, I hate Mac's. My mom likes to play around with brands a lot, and she had a mac and everytime I had to use I felt like I had to re-learn everything I knew about laptops. 

Have you thought about netbooks? 
You can check your e-mail, view websites, and they have USB drive so you can save your pictures.
They are a little small, which, is a pro and con in it's self. 
Con; if you're use to big laptops is that your going to have to get use to the keypad, but this happens with every new computer. Another Con no CD driver which I found not to be so much of a problem. You can download most programs not anyways. 
Now Pro. There small. Easy to move from room to room or place to place. Has a lot of battery power; 4 hours at least. 
I'm actually on a netbook right now. And I think I got it for about $250/75. They go up and lower in price.


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## CLMoss (Jul 21, 2012)

Thank you Lilithlee! I really don't want to go smaller than what I have. If I wanted to go small I would buy an Ipad (?). And I really don't mind spending more money. I am just putting it out there so I can get some ideas. I think that Mark's idea was really good, that I should go to the store and look at what is out there.


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## CourtneyAndCarl (Jul 21, 2012)

Madkins007 said:


> Get yourself to a good store so you can see and play with them, then get one you like. Locally, we have a furniture and electronics place that is good enough that I rarely shop there then buy online (Nebraska Furniture Mart).
> 
> There are a lot of models and brands that will work just fine, but in my own personal experience- I like HP for a general purpose low-end machine and Leveno when I want a bit more quality. I have a 13" HP Pavilion that I adore and my wife has the 17" version that would probably do a great job for you.
> 
> ...



Ah, good ole NFM. We also got an HP pavilion there, and then I left if on top of my car, and drove down the high way with it. So our NEW laptop is a Gateway, and it's also a great little computer. Also wasn't quite as expensive as the HP, which is nice since I will be paying my mother back for this computer for probably the rest of the year :shy:


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## CLMoss (Jul 21, 2012)

futureleopardtortoise said:


> Madkins007 said:
> 
> 
> > Get yourself to a good store so you can see and play with them, then get one you like. Locally, we have a furniture and electronics place that is good enough that I rarely shop there then buy online (Nebraska Furniture Mart).
> ...



Thanks! I still have a pc Gateway that is like 15 years old. It is still working! LOL! I want something that I can walk around the house with. I did look at the hp pavilion, and I may go for it. Also some of the HP look nice. ~C


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## Laurie (Jul 21, 2012)

I have had an hp laptop, there was nothing wrong with it but it doesn't compare to my MacBook.. If all you want it for is Internet browsing/email, I'm sure you can find an hp or equivalent in your budget.


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## Momof4 (Jul 21, 2012)

MacBook. Go to apple and play with one. They run so smooth and never have problems.


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## CLMoss (Jul 21, 2012)

Momof4 said:


> MacBook. Go to apple and play with one. They run so smooth and never have problems.



OK, Cool, Thank you! I am going to have to check out the Mac. ~C


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## AustinASU (Jul 21, 2012)

I know you said cheap....but when your wanting only 500....you get what you pay for. I've had my Macbook pro for three years now and have never had a single problem and i use it hrs every day (college kid).


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## CLMoss (Jul 22, 2012)

No, I did not say cheap. Tom said, "I don't think it meets your cheap requirement". I said, 
"I guess that I would like something that is not too expensive, maybe $500 or so." To be honest, I bought this little Dell laptop on ebay for $235 with free shipping from an outlet that works on the computers and sells them cheap It is a nice little laptop; however, it is the "professional XP" I believe. I have been using this Laptop for two years and I never had a problem with it. I was thinking about looking into a mac in October, but Joe's computer died on him, so he said that he would take mine. To be honest, I can afford to buy anything I want "out right." I just did not know if I needed something as expensive as a mac. So can you tell me what type of mac you have? Thanks, C


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## Nixxy (Jul 22, 2012)

Honestly, Macs are best for what you've stated your interests are.

However, Macs are more expensive.

You could definitely find a used (Probably less than a year old) Macbook for 500. Maybe less.

Alternatively, a Sony Vaio is nice, or anything by Acer.

I generally buy Alienware or build my own computers, being a gamer. But Alienwares run 2000$ ish.


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## CLMoss (Jul 22, 2012)

Nixxy said:


> Honestly, Macs are best for what you've stated your interests are.
> 
> However, Macs are more expensive.
> 
> ...



Thank you! You know I did see a few mac on amazon last night. I will take another look. What do you think that I need for just emailing, net and storing some photos? and what size? Thanks again, C


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## Nixxy (Jul 22, 2012)

Not much! Any current computer you find will do that easily, even one a few years old. I recommend newer, just as there is less risk of a failing part or it becoming dated too fast, etc, etc.

Take a peak for Macbooks from 2011-2012 on Amazon or Craigslist, or any Laptops.

If you can find the stats to the computer, or even the name of it and model, I'd be more than happy to give you some information on it.


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## CLMoss (Jul 22, 2012)

Nixxy said:


> Not much! Any current computer you find will do that easily, even one a few years old. I recommend newer, just as there is less risk of a failing part or it becoming dated too fast, etc, etc.
> 
> Take a peak for Macbooks from 2011-2012 on Amazon or Craigslist, or any Laptops.
> 
> If you can find the stats to the computer, or even the name of it and model, I'd be more than happy to give you some information on it.



Thank you Anthony! I may need to take you up on that! ~C


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## Tom (Jul 22, 2012)

CLMoss said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Nothing but Mac for me. Problem free and easy to use, but I don't think it meets your 'cheap' requirement.
> ...



Oh no. Sorry. Didn't mean it THAT way... Just meant that I really like the Macs, and that they were higher than the price range that you were trying to stay in.

I have an iPad too, and they are limited in some ways. For instance, I have not yet figured out how to upload pics to a third party website for posting pics here on the forum.

There is an alternative to all this that will meet all your requirements...
You can buy a small inexpensive laptop for $300-400 install the Mac operating system on it. You will basically have a $300 Mac. They have nicknames for this like "Hackintosh". Im not sure about all the technicalities, but some techie somewhere should be able to tell you all about it. I've seen it done several times, and they work perfectly and function just like any other $1500 MacBook Pro. All the benefits of a Mac, without the high cost.


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## CLMoss (Aug 6, 2012)

Well... I did buy a new laptop. Actually I bought two. One for me and a surprise present for my Joe (he was the one that really needed one). I wanted to up-grade, but I was not in a rush.


OK, this is what I bought. Please don't laugh! It has been really hot here in Brooklyn, so I have been a bit of a "shut in." I hate these hot summers that have become even hotter. I just happened to see a Gateway laptop being advertised on "HSN." Looked great! 


Gateway, NV55Se36u is the model #. Not too expensive, $550 & $12 for shipping & handling. It has a Quad-core Processor, 4 GB of memory, 750 GB HDD and it is (size) 15.6" 16.9 HD LED LCD. With a two year tech support and warranty. Also loaded with lots of software.


This laptop seems nice, but I am not sure if I am going to keep it. I may go higher end or even go with an Mac. I have a 30 day, no question asked, return policy on the computer. This I feel is my problem with this laptop: the volume is not high enough, It is not as fast as I hoped that it would be and I am not sure if I am 100% happy with the quality of the laptop it self, keyboard, etc. I could live with it, but I can afford to do much better, money is not a problem. I just what to be happy with it. I did not jump into the Mac because I am familiar with the format of Microsoft. The idea of learning a new format seemed a bit daunting.


Please tell me what you think about this new laptop.


Thanks, C


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## jaizei (Aug 6, 2012)

Is this it?

If the speed is already bothering you, it will only get more frustrating. Personally, I would prefer a faster processor and more RAM. 





If you do return it, I would recommend looking on the following sites:

http://www.tigerdirect.com
http://www.newegg.com

And of course: amazon.com


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## Yvonne G (Aug 6, 2012)

Don't settle. If it bothers you already, return it.


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## AustinASU (Aug 6, 2012)

I have the MACBOOKPRO....MACBOOK is just as good.


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## SamB (Aug 6, 2012)

The "brand" is pretty much irrelevant. It is just a shiny sticker/logo/case that a big company (ie HP, Dell, Acer, etc) slaps around computer parts.

Look at the stuff inside more closely then a brand.

Harddrive: 500gb will do just fine and is the standard now a days -- will hold alot of pictures and videos
RAM: Nothing less then 4gb
Screen: That is a person preference really
CPU: Atleast dual core -- quad would be better but would cost you more, and it doesn't sound like you will be needing the processing speed so dual core should suit your needs fine.
OS: Assuming you are going Windows, so Windows 7 Ultimate

Everything else is fluff 

And don't buy extra software, there is plenty of good and free software out there to suit your needs.

http://www.ninite.com is a great place to go and get all your needed software in 1 easy installation file.

All the software you need is on the link above 

In the end, you should be able to get everything you need for just under $400 (just did a quick look around my area and average price with above specs is $349)


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## CLMoss (Aug 6, 2012)

jaizei said:


> Is this it?
> 
> If the speed is already bothering you, it will only get more frustrating. Personally, I would prefer a faster processor and more RAM.
> 
> ...





Yes! This is the Laptop that I bought! But I saw the first "event" show on the laptop and got a better price...$550 (I believe) and then s&h about $12.00. 

You said that you prefer a faster processor and more RAM... What amount do you prefer? I don't have a clue about this stuff. 

When I bought my first computer, I just asked a friend of mine to pick one out, and I will call them with the credit card and address... 

Thanks for the web sites! And thank you for your help. ~C





emysemys said:


> Don't settle. If it bothers you already, return it.



Thank you Yvonne! Good advice! But my problem is that my brother put a "dark cloud" on my purchase, after the fact. Him being such an intellectual, pessimist (you wonder were I got this character flaw), and Tom saying that my budget was "cheap," I may be second guessing myself. All of the computer tech talk may as well be Greek to me! LOL! After looking at a few of them on the websites, they all blend into a confusing mess to me and I have to stop looking. Unlike my brother, I did not inherit the intellectual gene... I blame my mother for that! Old egg!


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## CLMoss (Aug 7, 2012)

jaizei said:


> Is this it?
> 
> If the speed is already bothering you, it will only get more frustrating. Personally, I would prefer a faster processor and more RAM.
> 
> ...





Did you watch the video?


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## jaizei (Aug 7, 2012)

I watched the video after you mentioned it. Maybe you are lucky after all, "the most powerful processor money can buy in a laptop".  I used to like watching the home shopping channels and infomercials when I was younger, but after I started working and had money of my own I had to stop; otherwise I'd own every product Ron Popeil ever invented. 

If I was buying a general purpose laptop, I'd probably get something with at least 6GB of RAM, and a quad core processor that's at least 2.0 GHz. I would avoid a built in web cam. 

It is hard to recommend a particular model because I think buying a computer is somewhat personal. Also, I tend to be hard on computers, so take my advice with a grain of salt.


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## CLMoss (Aug 7, 2012)

Thank you Jaizei! I have been watching the feedback numbers on the HSN site...and I am seeing mixed reviews. Some having the same problems that I am having. This laptop is not fast, and I am having a problem with the mouse pad. The screen is beautiful w/nice size, but I am still not sure if I am going to keep it... 

I did check out the Mac pro: Apple MacBook Pro MD104LL/A Amazons price is around $2,000. I may just order it. 

I respect you advice! LOL! Also, I know what you mean about these hsn type of programs. I try not to watch them also. I have too much stuff as it is. But I have to say that I love beautiful white diamonds... I can get sucker into buying one of those babies in a heartbeat... I guess I need to make a trip to "Best Buy," to see some of these laptops. Best buy also has that Mac Pro for about $100 more, but I can check it out. 

Thank you again! ~C


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## Vishnu2 (Aug 20, 2012)

I would return it. However, I didn't consult with the high powers that be. (Jason) The computer engineer. He would know.  I will consult with him and let him know what you purchased and see what he says. I would return it just because of your "doubt and dislikes". But, that's me.


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## ChiKat (Aug 20, 2012)

I have a Macbook...love love love it. I've had it for about 3 years and just had to replace the battery last week, but it's still running like a dream.  My sister has since gotten the Macbook Air and last week my mom bought the Macbook Pro. Definitely worth every cent.


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Aug 20, 2012)

I also got a Macbook Pro 3 years ago and works perfect to this day! I need to replace the battery because it only lasts about an hour and a half but other than that nothing is wrong with it. If you are still in the market for one get one from apple. I got mine for college three years ago because of the discount and they do the discount every year around this time. Heres the link http://store.apple.com/us/browse/campaigns/education_pricing


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