[stlshawgo]

Alright well here's the deal. I'm currently in the market for a new laptop because I think mine will probably be crapping out sometime soon here.

I my limit is about $1500 and I need a NEW laptop. I don't know a ton about the different brands, so I'm relying on you guys for that. I'm looking at the Dell XPS and HP Pavillion the closest, but I don't know much on the reliability of those two brands. I need the following specs at the BARE MINIMUM:

Intel Core Two Duo processor - around 2.0 GHz
2GB RAM - would prefer 3GB though
160-200GB Hard Drive - the bigger the better though
The ability to support wireless 802.11n.
CD-DVD burner
I don't know much about video cards, but I would prefer a decent one.
Nice looks always help too.

The laptop will mainly be used for browsing the net and doing a lot of my school work. I'm an information systems major...so I'm always having to get on the schools mainframe to write code and things like that.

I know it's not much, but whoever is the first to post a link to the laptop that I end up getting will get $3 sent via PayPal by me. I'll probably leave this post open a week or two, but I'll end up paying SOMEONE.

This is a huge purchase, so I'll have to do my own personal research on reviews and such before committing to something, so don't feel bad if you post something that meets all the specs but I don't choose.

Good luck and thank you all in advance!

[casper89]

Well i personally use a mac, With bootcamp installed,
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...family/macbook
You can use 2 OS , You can do everything you do with windows
And can also use mac's strong video, audio editting software,
After a while,
You will really find a mac alot easier to use than XP;/ Vista.
Mac laptops looks PRETTY,
It's clean and brief.
With your budget you can probobly get a Good Macbook,
Or if you have more even the air.
I have a MacBookPro myself,
And i really enjoy it.
Hope you find the right laptop for you^^

[itami]

No way, do NOT get a mac. Those things are for noobs who can't handle the real internet or real computers.

Toshiba. My mom has one just like this and it runs just fine, it's actually better than my crappy computer.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834114443

Here's a quick look at the specs. I'm pretty sure that wireless is coming standard on all laptops now.
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 1.83G
Screen 13.3" WXGA
Memory Size 2GB DDR2
Hard Disk 250GB
Optical Drive DVD Super Multi
Graphics Card Intel GMA X3100
Other Features Fingerprint reader

[casper89]

You can post your opinions,
No need to flame me,
Thanks.

[stlshawgo]

Ah I forgot to say that I don't really want a Mac. I do so much work with windows and share the work...the compatibility thing kind of pisses me off sometimes.

Sorry, but that was a really informative reply.

Thanks

[stlshawgo]

About the Toshiba, I was actually looking into that one earlier. I just didn't know much about Toshiba's quality. My friend has one and it seems to have problems all the time, but I think he got one of the tablets.

About the wireless...I know most laptops come with wireless standard, but I just need wireless N compatibility. It comes standard on most of the really new laptops anyways though I think.

[Sandbox]

Sager NP2092

http://www.sagernotebook.com/product...custmed_update

$1364.00

- Display: 15.4" WXGA LCD with Super Glossy Surface (1280X800)
- Processor: 45nm Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8100 / 3MB L2 Cache, 2.10GHz, 800MHz FSB[+$130.00]
- Video & Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT Graphics with 512MB DDR2 Video Memory
- Operating System: Genuine MS Windows® VISTA Home Premium 32/64-Bit Edition
- Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 X 2048MB[+$110.00]
- Primary Hard Disk Drive: 250 GB 5400rpm SATA 150 Hard Drive[+$85.00]
- Optical Drive: 8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
- Wireless Network Card: Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module
- Primary Battery: Smart Li-ION Battery Pack (9 Cells)
- Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office Ready with Free 60-Day Trial
- Warranty: Sager 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty with Three-Day Shipping Both Ways Paid


This price/quality for this laptop is very tough to beat and is EXCELLENT value. I don't think the XPS1530 is cheaper than this and it's pretty much similar specs. I like Dell's warranty better though.

If you're unsure of Sager, read this article: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=156621 - The truth about Alienware laptops.


Notebook video card rankings: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-...ist.844.0.html

[krackhead]

i say dell xps m1330 or m1550. those look tight

[Chewy]

macs are actually good >_>

im a linux user, so windows users look like noobs to me :p

but mac is better than windows if u want to get into something other than gaming, better for programming, its close to BSD.

if u want a dell:

http://www.dell.com/content/products...tab=bundlestab

pick the 'better' one, upgrade the processor to 2.2ghz and video card to the 256mb one.

thats equal to like a $600 pc btw, laptops arent meant for gaming unless u wanna spend a assload of cash.

[Dj Chang]

Manufacturer:
Laptop HP DV6500 (Student Edition)
Processor:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T5250 @ 1.50GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.5GHz
Memory:
4094MB RAM
Hard Drive:
200 GB
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
Monitor:
Generic PnP Monitor
Sound Card:
Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Speakers/Headphones:
Keyboard:
USB Root Hub
Mouse:
USB Root Hub
Mouse Surface:
Operating System:
Windows Vista™ Ultimate x64 (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.071009-154



This is mine and it cost me $1500

it also has 802.11n/g/b and cd and dvd burner

[Chewy]

the one I posted is wayyyy better, 2.2ghz cpu compared to your 1.5

4gb of ram isnt needed, 2gb max for gaming, 3gb probably by 2009

[Dj Chang]

yeah except when gaming needs 4 gigs don't cry to me

[stlshawgo]

I'm liking the one that Sandbox posted so far. I'll need to do a little research first mainly because I've never heard of Sager.

I'm not a huge PC gamer, so I don't really need to worry about that TOO much.

I also like the one that Chewy posted. I was looking into those quite a bit before I started this thread just because Dell is kind of known for their quality and all that.

[Chewy]

Originally Posted by Dj Chang

yeah except when gaming needs 4 gigs don't cry to me

crysis maxed it i think at 2gb

most games wont need passed 3 for this year and probably the next, hell, some games still utilize single core..

[Sandbox]

Originally Posted by stlshawgo

I'm liking the one that Sandbox posted so far. I'll need to do a little research first mainly because I've never heard of Sager.

I'm not a huge PC gamer, so I don't really need to worry about that TOO much.

I also like the one that Chewy posted. I was looking into those quite a bit before I started this thread just because Dell is kind of known for their quality and all that.

if you do decide to get it, you should get it from xoticpc.com or powernotebook.com for lower prices and better CS. That's what most recommend that do get Sager: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=217165

[stlshawgo]

Do you guys know any cons to the Sony Vaio?
For $1,199 it looks like a good deal as far as I can tell. Any thoughts?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834117653

Brand SONY
Series VAIO FZ Series
Model VGN-FZ340E/B
General
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 2.0G
Screen 15.4" WXGA
Memory Size 3GB DDR2
Hard Disk 250GB
Optical Drive Dual Layer DVD Burner
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Video Memory 256MB dedicated Video RAM
Communication Modem, LAN and WLAN
Card slot 1 x Express Card
Dimensions 14" x 0.98-1.4" x 10.02"
Weight 5.75 lbs.
Tech Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology
CPU
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed T7250(2.00GHz)
CPU FSB 800MHz
CPU L2 Cache 2MB
Display
Screen Size 15.4"
Wide Screen Support Yes
LCD Features XBRITE-ECO technology
Display Type Wide XGA
Resolution 1280 x 800
Operating Systems
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Graphics
GPU/VPU NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Video Memory Dedicated 256MB
Graphic Type Dedicated Card
Hard Drive
HD Capacity 250GB
Memory
Memory Size 3GB
Memory Spec 2GBx1 + 1GBx1
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type Dual layer DVD Burner
Optical Drive Interface Integrated
Optical Drive Spec DVD±RW : Yes (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/DVD-RAM)
DVD+R DL Write : 4x max.
DVD-R DL Write : 6x max.
DVD+R Write : 8x max.
DVD+RW Write : 8x max.
DVD-R Write : 8x max.
DVD-RW Write : 6x max.
CD-R Write : 24x max.
CD-RW Write : 16x max.
CD Read : 24x max.
DVD Read : 8x max.
DVD-RAM Read : 5x max.
DVD-RAM Write : 5x max.
Communications
Modem Integrated V.92/V.90 Modem (RJ-11)
LAN 10/100Mbps
WLAN Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth Yes
Ports
Card Slot 1 x ExpressCard /34 Slot
USB 3
IEEE 1394 1
Video Port 1 x VGA, 1 x S-Video TV-out, 1 x HDMI
Audio Ports 1 x Microphone jack; 1 x Headphone jack
Audio
Audio Integrated Sound card
Speaker Internal Speakers
Input Device
Touchpad Electro-Static touch pad
Keyboard QWERTY, 86 keys with 2mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch
Supplemental Drive
Card Reader Multimedia Card Reader: One Memory Stick Duo media slot with MagicGate functionality
One Secure Digital Media slot (SD)
Webcam Built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE camera
Power
Battery Lithium Ion
Physical spec
Dimensions 14" x 0.98-1.4" x 10.02"
Weight 5.75 lbs.

[Sandbox]

Originally Posted by stlshawgo

Do you guys know any cons to the Sony Vaio?
For $1,199 it looks like a good deal as far as I can tell. Any thoughts?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834117653

Brand SONY
Series VAIO FZ Series
Model VGN-FZ340E/B
General
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 2.0G
Screen 15.4" WXGA
Memory Size 3GB DDR2
Hard Disk 250GB
Optical Drive Dual Layer DVD Burner
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Video Memory 256MB dedicated Video RAM
Communication Modem, LAN and WLAN
Card slot 1 x Express Card
Dimensions 14" x 0.98-1.4" x 10.02"
Weight 5.75 lbs.
Tech Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology
CPU
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed T7250(2.00GHz)
CPU FSB 800MHz
CPU L2 Cache 2MB
Display
Screen Size 15.4"
Wide Screen Support Yes
LCD Features XBRITE-ECO technology
Display Type Wide XGA
Resolution 1280 x 800
Operating Systems
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Graphics
GPU/VPU NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Video Memory Dedicated 256MB
Graphic Type Dedicated Card
Hard Drive
HD Capacity 250GB
Memory
Memory Size 3GB
Memory Spec 2GBx1 + 1GBx1
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type Dual layer DVD Burner
Optical Drive Interface Integrated
Optical Drive Spec DVD±RW : Yes (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/DVD-RAM)
DVD+R DL Write : 4x max.
DVD-R DL Write : 6x max.
DVD+R Write : 8x max.
DVD+RW Write : 8x max.
DVD-R Write : 8x max.
DVD-RW Write : 6x max.
CD-R Write : 24x max.
CD-RW Write : 16x max.
CD Read : 24x max.
DVD Read : 8x max.
DVD-RAM Read : 5x max.
DVD-RAM Write : 5x max.
Communications
Modem Integrated V.92/V.90 Modem (RJ-11)
LAN 10/100Mbps
WLAN Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth Yes
Ports
Card Slot 1 x ExpressCard /34 Slot
USB 3
IEEE 1394 1
Video Port 1 x VGA, 1 x S-Video TV-out, 1 x HDMI
Audio Ports 1 x Microphone jack; 1 x Headphone jack
Audio
Audio Integrated Sound card
Speaker Internal Speakers
Input Device
Touchpad Electro-Static touch pad
Keyboard QWERTY, 86 keys with 2mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch
Supplemental Drive
Card Reader Multimedia Card Reader: One Memory Stick Duo media slot with MagicGate functionality
One Secure Digital Media slot (SD)
Webcam Built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE camera
Power
Battery Lithium Ion
Physical spec
Dimensions 14" x 0.98-1.4" x 10.02"
Weight 5.75 lbs.

depends on what games you're going to be playing. Games like Crysis will barely run on this. The 8400m GT is not that good compared to the 8600GT video card. The 8600 is 2-3x as powerful. It's a good laptop but not what I would call a superb gaming laptop.

[stlshawgo]

Thanks.

I'm not much of a gamer other than the occasional flash game online. I have my xbox 360 for everything else.

So the only thing that you see wrong with it is the video card?

The 2.0x2 GHz processor will be great for awhile right?

[stlshawgo]

I did find this HP that looks pretty nice too, but it's slightly over my price limit at ~$1600

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147559

EDIT: Going over it some more, I think it's a little more than I need, so nevermind on that one.

Brand HP
Series Pavilion
Model DV9750US(KC349UA)
Part# KC349UA
General
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 2.0G
Screen 17.0" WXGA+
Memory Size 3GB DDR2
Hard Disk 500GB
Optical Drive Blu-ray Disc / Super Multi
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS
Video Memory 512MB
Communication Modem, Gigabit LAN and WLAN
Card slot 1 x Express Card
Dimensions 15.16" x 11.22" x 1.65"
Weight 7.7 lbs.
Other Features Finish and Features:
HP Imprint Finish & HP Pavilion WebCam with Integrated Microphone

Security:
Kensington MicroSaver lock slot
Power-on password
Accepts 3rd party security lock devices

In The Box:
Mobile Stereo Earbud Headphones (1 pair)
HP Mobile Remote Control
HP ExpressCard Digital/Analog TV Tuner (with QAM and FM)
CPU
CPU Type Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed T7250(2.00GHz)
CPU FSB 800MHz
CPU L2 Cache 2MB
Display
Screen Size 17.0"
Wide Screen Support Yes
LCD Features High-Definition BrightView
Display Type Wide XGA+
Resolution 1440 x 900
Operating Systems
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Graphics
GPU/VPU NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS
Video Memory Up to 1791MB Total Graphics Memory with 512MB dedicated
Graphic Type Dedicated Card
Hard Drive
HD Capacity 500GB
HD RPM 5400rpm
HD Spec 2 x 250GB
Memory
Memory Slots 2 x DIMM
Memory Size 3GB
Max Memory Supported 4GB
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type Blu-ray Disc / Super Multi
Optical Drive Interface Integrated
Optical Drive Spec Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer
Communications
Modem 56K
LAN 10/100/1000Mbps
WLAN Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection
Ports
Card Slot 1 x ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
USB 4
IEEE 1394 1
Video Port 1 x VGA, 1 x S-Video TV-out, 1 x HDMI
Other port 1 x Consumer IR
Port Replicator 1 x notebook expansion port 3
Audio Ports 2 x Headphone out
1 x microphone-in
Audio
Audio Integrated Sound card
Speaker Internal Altec Lansing speakers
Input Device
Touchpad Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad
Keyboard 101-key compatible
Notebook keyboard wi