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Mark Hulette
12-08-2007, 9:29 PM
I know there are several computer geniousi (:D) that hang out here... my wife and I are considering buying a laptop for the family for Christmas.

Any tips on what brand to buy, where to buy it and some of the technical goodies to consider. We'll be using it just for basic computing stuff (email, internet surfing and watching DVDs on the road).

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Scott Hooker
12-08-2007, 9:43 PM
Hi Mark,

I'm biased, but would only advise you to buy a Mac. The Macbooks start at $1099 and have everything, except maybe a printer and internet connection, to get started.

They come with lots of VERY easy to use software and the best operating system ever. Very few viruses, malware, etc. compared to Windows.

I've been using Macintosh computers almost exclusively since 1986, two years after the Mac was invented. I use them to run my small business, a bicycle shop, and though I have had a few software glitches and maybe one hard disk crash over 22 years, it's been very smooth sailing. Apple is known for its great customer service and support. I've NEVER had to talk to someone from a foreign country when I needed tech support (at least they spoke perfect English!).

Go to Apple.com and check out your options. Many people are making the switch away from Windows because of all the problems getting a Windows machine up and running and keeping it that way. Many IT (information technology) types will tell you to buy Windows, but part of the reason is they want to maintain the monopoly Windows has to protect their jobs. The IT departments in businesses which have switched to Macs are much smaller, threatening the jobs of many IT experts.

Go Apple, get an Ipod, maybe an Iphone, and never look back! Your lives will be much better for it.

Disclosure: I do not own Apple stock.

Merry Christmas!

Scott

Gary Garmar
12-08-2007, 9:50 PM
Get a Dell Dude!!!! I have had great success with my computers and you can get some awesome deals right now by visiting www.gotapex.com (http://www.gotapex.com) and shop to find just what you want. In general the more memory(hard drive and especially the RAM) you get the happier you will be with whatever you buy.


disclaimer: I just own their computers, not their stock.

Mark Hulette
12-08-2007, 9:54 PM
Thanks, Scott.

I haven't completely ruled out Mac but I'm pretty well vested in my PC (tons of files saved, including 1000s of pictures). I've been well impressed with Apple and their products for some time - I just can't see making the flip...yet. :D

Denny Rice
12-08-2007, 9:57 PM
I agree with Scott you cannot go wrong with a Mac. Leave the PC's to the Nerds! LOL

Mark Hulette
12-08-2007, 10:07 PM
Get a Dell Dude!!!! I have had great success with my computers and you can get some awesome deals right now by visiting www.gotapex.com (http://www.gotapex.com) and shop to find just what you want. In general the more memory(hard drive and especially the RAM) you get the happier you will be with whatever you buy.


disclaimer: I just own their computers, not their stock.

Gary- I have owned 2 Dells and frankly have had what I consider a lot of problems with them. I'm not sure that I'll ever buy Dell again based on my experience. Thanks for the link... I'll have to check that out.

I've always tried to go with the "bigger is better" mantra when specing out the HD and RAM so I'm with you there.

I guess more specifically I'm looking for insight on the processors (Intel vs AMD vs whatever) and OS (no experience w/ Vista)--shoulda said that earlier, huh? :o

Thanks for your help!

Doug Shepard
12-08-2007, 10:26 PM
Gary- I have owned 2 Dells and frankly have had what I consider a lot of problems with them. I'm not sure that I'll ever buy Dell again based on my experience. ...


Amen. Friends don't let their friends buy Dell.:D
Been using a HP laptop w/ 17" screen for about 3 years now. So far so good.

Scott Hooker
12-08-2007, 10:29 PM
Mark,

Of course I don't know what format your "1000's of files" are in, but most of my files are Word, Excel, pics and email. If you have lots of Word and Excel files, just buy Microsoft Office for Mac and everything works! Cool, huh?

IPHOTO comes installed on all Macs. You can use all those pics without having to buy any additional software. You just have to get the data from your Windows machine to the new laptop. Many easy ways to do that.....

It's in Apple's best interest to get you changed over from the "dark side", so give them a call and ask how it's done. They're the only company I know of who has a "genius bar" in their retail stores to walk you through things like converting from Windows to Mac. Millions of people have done it before you! Most of them are VERY glad they did. Due to the popularity of the IPOD, Itunes, Iphone, etc., the younger generation is really embracing Apple as the solution to managing their music, photos, email, etc.

I know people who feel they have too much invested in their Windows programs, files, etc. They have made the switch and then ask themselves "Why did I wait so long?". Macs are much more intuitive to use. Stop into a Best Buy or Apple store and try one out. Ask questions. It may be a lot easier than you think!

Do you run antivirus software? You have to pay for that every year? I have used Macs for 22 years and have NEVER had to buy antivirus software. I do use a firewall on my internet connections, however!

Good luck with your decision....

Scott

Daivd Drickhamer
12-08-2007, 10:36 PM
There are two laptops I'd recommend. Either a Sony or an IBM Thinkpad. I agree with everyone else, get the largest hard drive you can and more importantly as much RAM as the computer will support. Also a DVD burner.

Mark Hulette
12-08-2007, 10:37 PM
Mark,

Of course I don't know what format your "1000's of files" are in, but most of my files are Word, Excel, pics and email. If you have lots of Word and Excel files, just buy Microsoft Office for Mac and everything works! Cool, huh?



Boy, you sure are preaching hard here! :D :D :D (Just kidding)

You've given me something to seriously look into... can you tell I haven't seriously considered converting?

Jim Becker
12-08-2007, 11:52 PM
The one thing that kept me from Macs is my major investments in software...and I don't mean things like Word. That said, I might consider one on the next round given the ablity to run Windows when necessary. But the cost differential is still a bit steep.

On the Dell thing...I've had nothing but exellence from them. In fact, this Latitude D630 I'm typing on "as we speak" is the best portable I've ever had in my possession by far. Even better than the ThinkPads that I carried for the past 6 years or so and they were great. I'm actually going to buy a machine for the girls to use, probably just after the holiday...it will likely be either a Dell or an HP (desktop) and the latter is under consideration only because the deal is slightly better relative to a printer. (Corporate discount for both brands--as well as for Apple)

Mike Henderson
12-09-2007, 12:11 AM
I have an HP laptop with the 17" screen - but I don't carry it around much. I haven't had any problems with this computer, but did with a HP desktop and got very good service on it.

Just a comment - if I remember right, the 32 bit Vista will only address 4GB of RAM and 750Gig of disk (without breaking it into multiple volumes).

And if you go to the 64bit Vista, you'll have problems with getting software for it.

Mike

Greg Cuetara
12-09-2007, 12:11 AM
I will throw my hat in the ring for you to get a mac laptop. I have been on the apple bandwagon since the early 80's....when i was a little kid and my dad brought home the first apple IIC then have just worked our way up through the macintosh chains. One of the great items mentioned earlier is that 98% of computer viruses are meant for windows so macintosh computers are unaffected. The new macintosh operating system is based upon UNIX which is the most stable platform out there...in the past 3 or 4 years I have been running OS X I have only had a handful of crashes whereas on my computer at work running windows I have had too many crashes.

With the new intel based mac computers you have the ability to run both OS X with the ability to run all the new ilife programs and also press a button and switch over to run windows native along with all the software you already own.

The IT guy in my office was hesitant to buy a mac but he was having problems with downloading movies from his camcorder and making a movie. He spend a few weeks, on his pc, with decent software trying to get it to work like he wanted it to and no luck. He got a mac and within 20 min he had a movie downloaded with titles and sent it onto the grandparents.

If you want to do anything with graphics or video or dvd's a mac in the only way to go. If you want to do business on the computer with business applications which are pc only then you will need to get a pc. The only problem i can forsee is the kids taking over a mac because it is so easy to use.

ps if you do go with a mac macmall.com typically has the best prices around and right now are offering free shipping on most computers....

Good luck with your decision....don't be scared to go to a mac though...very easy to use. I will also throw in if you get a laptop to get the applecare plan. I just had a problem with my usb ports and sent it back one day and two days later it was back in my hands all fixed up and ready to go no questions asked. Software or hardware problems you speak to someone who knows the computer and can help.

if you have any more questions don't hesitate to email or pm me regarding how a mac works or any limitations you think might be there.

Greg

Brad Olson
12-09-2007, 12:56 AM
If you buy a PC, buy one at the level at which a business would buy one.

In other words do not buy "consumer" grade machines below $1800 for a laptop (mac or pc).

While these machines are very serviceable, when you buy the more pricey models (typically targeted to businesses) you have fewer problems because the manufacturer compromises less. Also unless you are used to fixing problems yourself, the 3 year warranties that are a few hundred extra are worth it.

Right now HP and Lenovo are making some very high quality laptops. Dell is also making quality laptops, but again, to get the quality, you have to spend a bit more.

With a laptop if you use the battery you need to budget buying a new battery every 18 months or so, or buy an extra upfront. Batteries just poop out after so much use.

If you have ANY students in your household, make sure you buy MS office student teacher instead of pro. MS qualifies any family with a student. You can also install this in 2 PC's and the student teacher versions save a LOT of money. Your child will also qualify you for other academically priced software and I buy my academic software from Academic Superstore. You will have to send them proof of you student, but after that, you can order without re-proving.

Unless you need the portability, for a family PC I would recommend a desktop. You get more for your $ and you can get a bigger monitor. Again, plan to spend $1500 for a quality machine. Anything less will have inexpensive components that may be troublesome. If you are into tinkering with your machine, no big deal get a cheap one. I find that 9/10 problems with OS crashes (again both mac and PC) are not due to software but due to faulty hardware. In fact, that is the first thing I check is a faulty peripheral and/or faulty memory. These days it is actually less common to have a purely software issue.

Viruses on PC's are not a problem unless you are doing something VERY VERY VERY wrong. A good program such as Nod32 and a firewall will keep you out of trouble.

Finally, avoid integrated graphics cards on both laptops and desktops. Intel who makes many of these is notorious for not supporting their chipsets with well written graphics drivers which can lead to crashing and/or issues. I would look for something like NVIDIA which tend to be more responsive to releasing new drivers to fix issues. Where I work we have had a long line of intel integrated graphics cards that have issues and Intel's response is to buy a new PC since they aren't writing driver updates for "old" chipsets.

Brad Olson
12-09-2007, 1:03 AM
The one thing that kept me from Macs is my major investments in software...and I don't mean things like Word. That said, I might consider one on the next round given the ablity to run Windows when necessary. But the cost differential is still a bit steep.


If you do switch to Apple you WILL have to re-buy software. This can easily double the cost of the machine especially if you use programs like Adobe and MS office.

If you have and old license to MS office you can transfer it to a new PC same with adobe programs.

A co-worker of mine just switched to a Mac and the total cost of the switch was just under $4000 after he re-bought software and this was just the basics (Office, CS3 and a few others)

Not saying they are bad, but the "free" software on a mac is just as good as the "free" software that comes with a PC. It does the job, but if you want professional results you need professional software and this costs $.

Tim Morton
12-09-2007, 6:49 AM
We are a 4 mac/ 1 dell family....and we have only had problems with one of the 5....can you guess which one? Yup, the dell notebook has been a POS:cool:

Buy a macbook!!!! But Macworld SF is the second week in january...so you might want to put off the actual purchase until then;)

John Shuk
12-09-2007, 8:01 AM
I have to go with the Mac suggestion as well.
I've got an IMAC and a Mac Mini for my kids and they are both are trouble free.
I don't have a bunch of software though.

Jay Jolliffe
12-09-2007, 8:33 AM
I second what Tim said. I've had Dells for over 6 years with few problems. Dell had good repair rating but has gone down hill big time. I paid extra for in house repair & they denied fixing it unless I sent it back. Took 4 weeks to get it fixed. While we were waiting for it we bought a Mac. What a difference. When the lease is up on the Dell I won't be getting another. The Mac book is great & I can run Microsoft office on it which I use to bill people & keep records. No more Dells for me.

John Bailey
12-09-2007, 9:10 AM
I just bought a new laptop this week. If you are going with PC, I would suggest a Micron. As a high school principal, we bought Microns whenever possible. They never gave us a problem. Unfortunately, they were about twice the price of others and we were not able to afford them for long. I personally have bought 5 and have never had to call for service.

What did I buy - an HP. Can't afford the Microns anymore in my retirement years.

My son, who builds and services computers gave me this list as a minimum list of features.


Windows Vista Home Premium
2MB of RAM (as much as you can afford)

Itel Core Duo 2 (not Dual Core), or AMD Anthlon, or AMD Turion.
3 USB ports
CD and DVD writable (some only write/play CD and play DVD)
80 GB Hardrive (as much as you can afford)
Wireless
After saying all that, I would buy a Mac if I could afford it. I used them and really like the way they always work. That's the best part - they always work. I didn't want the less expensive "book" model. I think Brad's comments are very worthwhile. As somebody who was responsible for buying 100's of computers, I agree if you can go to the higher priced models you're better off - not for features, but for their robustness in hardware and applications.

John

Charlie Velasquez
12-09-2007, 9:25 AM
In general the more memory(hard drive and especially the RAM) you get the happier you will be with whatever you buy.




Have to agree with that, but ... I bought a Dell for my wife and the cost for Dell to upgrade from 256mb of RAM to 1 gig was astronomical. I ordered the 256 and was able to buy 2 gig of memory (PNY brand) for half the cost ($54) of Dell installed 1gb.
Similar story with the hard drive. I got a "servicable" hard drive -80gb- and later added a 500gb external hd for $120.

Finally,
I got the Dell for my wife because that is what she wanted and I have learned the best response is, "Yes, dear." But after the kids used it to download videos and music and we found 47 spyware and such programs, we restrict all online financial transactions to my Mac.

David G Baker
12-09-2007, 10:06 AM
I don't know about Dell laptops but many of my senior citizen friends have had horrible experiences with the desktop Dells that they purchased, even with the in house repair warranty service.
If I was going to purchase a "FAMILY" computer I would not buy a laptop because too many things can happen to a laptop when used by a child or teen. For example a liquid spilled into the keyboard can knock the laptop for a loop. A liquid spilled into a desktop keyboard, you unplug the keyboard, throw it in the trash and buy a new one for a minimal amount of $. A laptop repair can cost almost as much as a new laptop.
I have never used a Mac but several years ago when the PC started becoming usable the very aggressive Mac believers switched to PC for the major difference in software cost and equipment upgrades. From having worked around Mac's in the news editing and creative areas of broadcast news I observed that Mac seems to be a much smoother and trouble free system. If I had the bucks I would buy a Mac.

Scott Shepherd
12-09-2007, 10:36 AM
I'm a life long PC user, and I'm typing on a Dell, have a Dell at home, a dell laptop and IBM thinkpad at home. I've had few problems with any that weren't resolved quickly. However, I bought my parents a Mac several years ago and I can't keep myself from using it every time I go over to visit. My parents are 70 and always fought with keeping things updated. Virus scanners, mal-ware, all that stuff. They had all but stopped using their PC's (and my Dad ran a government computer run for most of his career) because it was such a hassle.

Now I see my Mom taking photos, adjusting them, cropping them, and emailing them to friends all the time. She's always using it for something. It's just so darn easy. You don't have to understand any file structure system. Super easy. I'd own one myself if it weren't for the fact that the equipment I run doesn't support Mac's for their drivers. As soon as they do, it's all over. I started with a Commodore 64 plugged into the TV and it's been PC's ever since. But it's time to switch for me.

Also, a lot of software now comes with both versions installed. I purchased Adobe LightRoom and on the disc it has the Mac and Windows version so you might not have to rebuy everything you own these days.

Brian Weick
12-09-2007, 11:35 AM
In my opinion there are pros and con's to every laptop and operating system- I have heard good and bad about both the PC and Mac - I have used a Mac , my friends, and it is a nice machine but I noticed ,as he claimed as well, it's a little slow - and the software for the mac- little pricey, although -Mac owners claim there are less problems with them - which may be true. I bought a Hp DV6000 AMD 1.6 ghtz processor , windows XP media edition, and lots of software including Lite scribe which is really cool- burn any image on a CD (litecribe capable of coarse) last year and I have had no complaints. I like the Mac- very nice computer but for know I am sticking to the PC , I am sure to run into problems from time to time, but at some point in the end - you have to ask yourself - are you happy with the performance of your PC. I found this article about Mac and PC lap top and he owns both and this was his viewpoint on them.

http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/003868.html
Brian

Rob Russell
12-10-2007, 7:44 AM
We replaced our desktop with a 17" HP laptop about 3 1/2 years ago. These are my observations about living with a laptop as a primary computer.


In terms of brand, I wanted a PC vs. Apple because of all our software. I went with a stock model from a big box electronics retailer.
BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!!! Ours has been in for service 3 times to repair where the ac/dc adaptor plug inserts into the computer. Apparently that can be a weak spot on some computers. I bought the 3 year extension when the original 3-years expired earlier this year, mostly because I'm not ready to replace the machine yet. It's still fast enough for what we need.
If you get a 17" laptop, you can watch DVDs on it when you're travelling. Understand that a 17" is big enough so that finding carrying cases isn't as easy as the 15" sizes. The 17" model is heavier and the batteries don't last as long.
Upgrade the memory, but you can do that yourself for cheaper than the factory can do it as memory prices come down. I'd probably order a machine with 2GB now and in another year or so, uprade it to 4GB when the memory goes on sale at the local big electronics.
Order the biggest hard drive you can. This may mean custom ordering a laptop instead of taking an 'of the shelf' model. In my mind, wwapping out hard drives in a laptop is a major undertaking when you think about reinstalling all of your software and such. I also would NOT partition my HD as I originally did.Rob

Walt Nicholson
12-10-2007, 9:30 AM
Go online and get the toll free numbers for customer service for the brands you are interested in. Call them and tell them you are at work, the new laptop is at home but you are having trouble getting the unit to read anything in the cd/dvd drive. See how long you have to wait, see how knowlegeable and helpful the people are (do they speak English). See if they will try to help you without all the purchase date, serial number, etc. This will give you an idea of who you will be dealing with in the future as no laptop is perfect and you are going to be needing help sooner or later. Some of these companies that outsource their customer service overseas are terrible. If you can find a local, independent (non big box store) that has been around for a while with a decent price, buy from them. Then you have someone local you can call (or go see face to face) to solve a problem. The vast majority of all laptops are exactly alike inside. It's getting the help to keep them going that makes a difference. Just my 2 cents worth.

David G Baker
12-10-2007, 9:59 AM
Walt,
I have found a solution to the "heavily accented", to the point that no one can understand them, tech support personnel. I am hearing impaired and push it to the limit when trying to communicate with the foreign tech support people. By the time they get as frustrated as I am, they get a person on the line that has little or no accent.
I had Charter Telephone service added to my place. The tech that did the installation had to verify the phone number transfer and a couple of other things. He was on a phone that allowed me to hear what the other party was saying. I told him that I could not understand anything the person on the phone was saying. He told me that he didn't either and that he had given up trying months ago. He knows what they want to hear and gives them an answer that seems to satisfy them. They have been calling him by the wrong name so often that he gave up trying to correct them and just accepts what ever name they call him.
Prior to purchasing a computer related product checking with the manufacturer's tech is a great idea.

Lee DeRaud
12-10-2007, 10:21 AM
Based on my experience at work (two years out of date at this point), I rate Dells as "desktops good but not great and laptops substandard".

At home, I'm on my third generation of a HP/Compac laptop, Sony desktop combination...will probably do it again early next year. (Although I have been considering a low-end Macbook for the "kitchen" machine, given the option to boot Windows if necessary.)

On the other questions:
Intel vs AMD...no discernable difference in "mainstream" machines, hardcore gamers may have a different answer

OS...won't touch Vista until SP2 unless XP becomes completely unavailable

RAM...more is always better, 2GB for XP, 3GB if you're stuck with Vista

Disk...not that big an issue for a laptop unless it's your only machine, even then I'd rather spend the extra money on a big (500GB+) disk on the network for backup and media storage.

Christopher Stahl
12-10-2007, 6:24 PM
There are two laptops I'd recommend. Either a Sony or an IBM Thinkpad. I agree with everyone else, get the largest hard drive you can and more importantly as much RAM as the computer will support. Also a DVD burner.

Unfortunately, there are no more IBM Thinkpads. Lenovo owns the notebook and desktop divisions now, and has for quite some time. The new Thinkpads are not as good as the IBM versions, and I've let the engineers know. The next round of Thinkpads will not have the IBM logos, and may not even be called Thinkpads. Shame, the Thinkpads were the staple of business notebooks.

However, I've moved over to a MacBook Pro and 4 iMacs at home. I'm not going to say what to buy, but I personally don't find many laptops of quality anymore. The Macs are of a good quality and that's what I'll be using.

Christopher Stahl
12-10-2007, 6:36 PM
If you do switch to Apple you WILL have to re-buy software. This can easily double the cost of the machine especially if you use programs like Adobe and MS office.

If you have and old license to MS office you can transfer it to a new PC same with adobe programs.

A co-worker of mine just switched to a Mac and the total cost of the switch was just under $4000 after he re-bought software and this was just the basics (Office, CS3 and a few others)

Not saying they are bad, but the "free" software on a mac is just as good as the "free" software that comes with a PC. It does the job, but if you want professional results you need professional software and this costs $.

Brad, this is not necessarily true. Most companies will allow you to switch OS versions at least once. Adobe will definitely do this. So there would be no need to repurchase a CS3 suite. You just need to call the company to do make it happen. Certainly worth the effort.

Tom Godley
12-11-2007, 10:23 AM
You may have made your move by now - but I will add my vote for the mac. I am still using my old powerbook, this thing is almost 5 years old an still makes many new PC's look outdated - still on the original battery!

I have taken this thing all over the world - connected to very dubious outlets/ports and have never had any problems. One plus since I switched my systems to Apple in 1999 is how easy and trouble free the updates have been. Adding software/hardware is just not an issue with the mac.

When I first converted to mac - I tested a few of the original imac CRT units just to see if I could switch my company over to apple -- we still use them as web stations - I use one myself to store a lot of pictures. And they are running updated current software (not the one that came out last month) -- try doing that with a 3 year old PC let alone one going on 9!

The new macbook is a really nice unit - I have purchased two this year for the family. I never have any major mac/pc problems. You will have to get word for mac to talk to the outside world :)

In the long run the MAC's are less stressful and less expensive.

My2C - happy hunting

Curt Harms
12-11-2007, 11:04 AM
Unfortunately, there are no more IBM Thinkpads. Lenovo owns the notebook and desktop divisions now, and has for quite some time. The new Thinkpads are not as good as the IBM versions, and I've let the engineers know. The next round of Thinkpads will not have the IBM logos, and may not even be called Thinkpads. Shame, the Thinkpads were the staple of business notebooks.


I just purchased a new Thinkpad R61i. It has the IBM logo on it but says Lenovo on bootup. Lenovo makes a Lenovo-branded series of notebooks that don't have the "pointer stick" device. I won't buy a notebook that doesn't have the "pointer stick". I then found out that there seem to be 2 lines of Thinkpads. I bought one from Staples and brought it home. It had "lenovo" in the lower right hand corner. It came with Vista--I won't have Vista, at least not yet. I looked at IBM/Lenovo's driver matrix http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-67856.html
and found out that some types have windows 2000/windows xp drivers available and some don't. The one from Staples didn't have the driver support I wanted so back it went. I found the "type" I wanted online and ordered it. It has "IBM" in the lower right hand corner.I'm happy with it. I think I read where IBM & Lenovo have a 5 year marketing and support agreement. After that, who knows.

HTH

Curt

Christopher Pine
12-16-2007, 11:11 PM
Amen. Friends don't let their friends buy Dell.:D
Been using a HP laptop w/ 17" screen for about 3 years now. So far so good.

Had the dell desktop I am still using for 7 years now and not a single issue! Not one.

James Jaragosky
12-17-2007, 12:02 AM
I know there are several computer geniousi (:D) that hang out here... my wife and I are considering buying a laptop for the family for Christmas.

Any tips on what brand to buy, where to buy it and some of the technical goodies to consider. We'll be using it just for basic computing stuff (email, internet surfing and watching DVDs on the road).

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Let’s see
I have had Macs and I loved them. Easy to use and very user friendly, also I never had a hardware issue.
The down side is that there just is NOT ANYWERE NEAR THE SOFTWERE SLECTION FOR THEM AS THERE IS FOR A PC.
I have owned one dell, a desk top, and it has had many issues, failed hard drive 1st week failed ram within 3 months and at 6 months failed video card.
I have had compact’s desktops and laptops and I will never own a compact again. I had nothing but problems and very poor performance when they were running.
I have a 5 year old e-machine that is still kicking ash. So I like them, never had a issue with it.
For me HP all the way, I have their 19’ laptop and two desks tops, all work flawlessly.
.
As for Pentium or Celeron? Pentium is the performance chip as of right now.
Get a quad core if you can afford one, everything is moving that way.
Laptops to watch movies? You will need to use an inverter, as the batteries won’t last that long playing DVD’s, especially with the bigger screens. My 19” hp laptop gets about 1 hour 15 minutes of movie time.
I find that micro center / fry’s or circuit city usually have the best prices.
This is all MHO and is based on far too much money spent on my toys as the loml calls them.
The dell is back up and running as of Friday, no problems yet. I hope it stays that way.
One last thing, I would strongly recommend you get the extended service contract with whatever you choose to buy, as any repairs done on a laptop tend to be outrageously expensive.
Be an informed shopper, and you will do fine.
Hope this helps.
Jim

Jerry Clark
12-17-2007, 12:16 PM
Remember when they used to bundle software when you bought a new computer--:) Now, they still bundle a lot, but it usually 60 day trial period or limited use until you pay the randsom fee-- $$!:cool: Might want to ask before you purchase.:D