I don't know much about computers so I need recommendations. I don't need it for anything fancy, just basic word processing and internet for school but I also want to be able to watch things online without it pausing every couple minutes. I can't afford to spend too much. I don't want a Gateway. Any recommendations? Are you happy with yours? What is it?

I just bought a Sony Vaio a week ago and I am loving it [so far].

She's looking for a budget laptop.

Cassie, get a dell. They make pretty decent machines and are relatively cheap; you can also handel with the salesperson and they'll knock off up to 20%. They have specials and promotions going all the time.

What Shuli said, but pay for insurance or an extended warranty. More than worth it, and their customer service is usually very good.

I think it was only $1,100 at Circuit City, and they actually had even cheaper Viao models as well which would meet her basic internet needs [for approx. $900, if I recall correctly]. When I purchased my Dell laptop over 2 years ago it certainly wasn't any cheaper.

As for Dell, my previous laptop was a Dell and even though I loved it when it worked, after 2 months of problems I got so fed up with their inability to fix or replace my computer (which is still under an extended warranty), that I finally gave up and decided to purchase a new laptop early. At this point I wouldn't recommend a Dell to anyone, after sending my laptop back multiple times and spending countless hours with tech guys on the phone doing diagnostics.

ETA: It was great for the first two years though.

I think laptops are mazal...I had three dell inspirons that worked extremely well and their customer service was always excellent (not in trouble shooting, but in repair turnaround time). They definitely have laptops under $900 (or at least they did when I was looking for a friend a few months ago).

Yes, their turnaround time was indeed impressive. But what would have been more impressive would have been actually fixing my computer, instead of sending it back with the same problems it left with. As I mentioned above, I loved my Dell (which was an Inspiron 6000) for the 2 yrs. and a bit that it worked well, but once I ran into serious problems I was very disappointed in the level of service I received for the "Complete Care" that I paid for, and their inability to properly diagnose or fix the problems. Just my opinion though... I was perfectly happy with the Dell desktop I had that preceded my laptop.

I might also be in the market for a new laptop if my current one can't be revived, and my needs are about the same as Cassie's (internet, word processing and some media playing).

Dell is the best deal I've found so far-- I haven't looked into it recently, but I recall them having a bare bones laptop for under $600, although that may have been with the student discount.

Cassie, are you still a student? Most schools have deals with computer companies that give you a good discount on computers.

I would to become a mac user, since every laptop I've ever owned has been kvetchy and my mac friends never have these problems, but the initial investment is so much more.

Shuli, how do you handel with the Dell people? I have never been successful in handeling with any major company.

That was my problem with Gateway. I lucked out and my computer died like two weeks before the one year warranty was up and they took it back and had it back to me "repaired" within three days. However, I can't afford to not have my computer and it wasn't fixed and they took it back three times. Finally after weeks on the phone with them and sending it back three or four times total and losing everything each time all over again, they sent me a "new" refurbished computer that has been fine since I got it about a year ago. It hasn't been giving me trouble, but I don't know if I trust it to last the semester and I can't afford to be stuck without it (though my friend is trying to convince me not to waste the money on it and use the computers at school which I wish I could do...). Anyone know how Sony's customer service is? Incidentally, the one thing I liked about Gateway customer service was that they all spoke English, but speaking English wasn't exactly all I needed in customer service...

One of the main things I look for in a laptop is weight -- anything more than 7 pounds is too heavy.

The extended warranty package that I purchased is actually through Circuit City, not Sony, and since it's a laptop I decided to purchase the total warranty package that covers it even if I drop it. The advantage of having a warranty through the store is that I don't need to sit around for 4 hour windows waiting for DHL to come pick up my laptop. I can drop it off at the store and then pick it back up there once it is ready. Since I have a long commute into the city that is a much better option for me.

I had the same issue as you, it was very hard to be without a computer every time it was out getting fixed. In my case my 3 yr warranty was up in Sept. anyway, so I'm really only purchasing this 8.5 months early [or at least this is how I justified the purchase to myself].

I would suggest that you go to a store like Circuit City, Best Buy or J&Rs and check out the different options of laptops available to you as well as their service plans.

Also, since Goldfish mentioned weight, my new laptop is only about 4.5 pounds or so, which is much lighter than my previous Dell.

Do you REALLY need one?
From what you said it sounds like your current one suits your needs just fine. Buying a new one because you are afraid the old one will "break" is stupid, as the NEW one might be even worse...

So unless you could get a good price on eBay for the old one and get a great deal on a new one I would say Shev V'al tassey adif....

Most people buy computers that are totally unnecessary for their needs. I mean for simple word processing and web surfing you can get away with an old Celery or Pentium III, or maybe even a Pentium II with enough Ram and HD space...

politico is not impressed.I agree.

If you don't need it now, I would wait until they clean out the bugs in Vista.

The only benefit I see of waiting is the warranty starting later and having the new computer last longer. The thing is that mycomputer may actually live till the day I am a full time student with no income and then I won't be able to get a new one. Also, now are the sales. Still think it's not worth it?

If you save the money, you will be more than able to afford it -- your money will increase if invested well, and you'll get more bang for your buck the longer you wait usually.

If you really are afraid that you will squander all of your money and be left without the bare necessities, by all means buy it now. But I (perhaps wrongfully) assumed that you are a big girl and are financially responsible....

Why don't you put the money you have saved up for it in a separate account, and don't touch it until you're current computer dies? True, you'll lose out on the sales, but computer technology is always changing, and you never know how much time you still have in this one. It's a gamble, but a gamble that might be worth taking.

If you're spending $1,100, shouldn't you be getting a Mac? I thought non-Macs were supposed to be cheap.

Not impressed with what?

Crappy non-Macs are cheap. To get a comparable Windows laptop will usually cost MORE....

In your DREAMS are you getting a Mac laptop for $1100.

"Hi, I'm interested in buying a laptop and I know that you're authorized to give 'x' discount. Can you give me that discount please?" It is no secret that dell employees are given the leeway to "sweeten the deal", and many will do so if you ask because they want to make the sale. (I actually do this anytime I know a company has the policy - I ask Cablevision to wave my installation fee, and Sprint to extend short-term credits because I know from dealing with them that their reps are authorized to do it. Most CSR's, particularly when you outsource, are more than happy to give you whatever you ask for, so long as it's within their capabilities.)The basic model IS $1100, which is plenty of computer for most people now that they've upgraded the RAM. I echo Xi's sentiment in saying, if I spend over a grand on a laptop, why would I go with a PC?

I actually think $1,100 for a decent laptop is pretty cheap [although that price didn't include the MS Office s/w or extended warranty that I purchased]. I have no interest in a Mac as all the applications I use are Windows based. I also just bought a new iPod and I admit it was a pain transferring the music from my old laptop to my new one since I don't have a Mac, but with the exception of that, it's worth it to me to have a Windows based PC. I have never even considered buying a Mac.

Why do you ask? Do you use a Mac?

Just proves the point.
My friend got a Dell which was supposedly cheap, ie 500 dollars. But then she had to pay add ons for stupid stuff (I don't remember what) that were BASIC and mostly come ready in Mac, and she ended up spending over 800 dollars. For that price you can probably get a like new Mac with it all on eBay, too.


Why? That's all it costs.

Obviously. That is the typical macster response - "Why would you want anything else??? " As an aside, the new mac OS has Parallels, which allows you to run Windows on the machine simultaneously. It's great for being able to check websites in windows, use the more feature-rich pc-version of Quickbooks, or run PC-only programs like MS Money.

But then you need programs. Once you're finished putting in all the little extras that you need to make it run, it's more than $1100 ($1099 is the bare-bones price). But hey, if you can make it work for $1100, great!


Once you've tried a Mac, it's the land of no-return. They're gorgeous...aesthetically, functionally, technically...in every which way.

1100 dollars cheap??? That's nuts! I mean here we get the Dell catalogue every months although no one in my family (other than perhaps my traitor brother) would even THINK of buying a Dell and they look cheap and here the best argument for non-Mac is that it's cheap -- and a Mac with it all, or at least the basic Mac which isn't THAT different from the non-basic Mac (or at least not the way it is with non-Macs) is that price.
You should consider Mac. But that's for another time, especially since you say that your apps are Windows based (although now that you can run Windows parallel even that isn't an excuse).

I run Mac. And proud.

I've managed without buying any programs, although MS Word would be nice. Cassie said she doesn't need it for much more than word processing and Internet access, and she's like many people in that regard.

Life happens. If I don't spend it now I don't know how long I will have it for.


Yes, I'm a big girl, but life costs money. I can try squeezing it in now, but if I don't the money is sure to be spent.

You're right, silly me. Thanks for the info. on Parallels. Truth is, I figured it would be too much effort to deal with switching to a Mac right now. I had an urgent need to go out and buy a laptop that was in stock in the store (since I was at my wits end with my Dell last Sunday), and one of my requirements was to walk out of the store with a functioning laptop that had everthing I needed, so I could go home and transfer all of my files and programs before what little functionality I had left on my Dell disappeared.

Yeah, it was definitely a lot more than $1,100 when I added on the s/w I needed plus my 4 yr extended warranty, but it was well worth it as far as I'm concerned, and I have no regrets. They also threw in free Norton s/w and a free printer...so I'm definitely happy with my purchase. That said, if I hadn't been desperate because of my barely functioning Dell laptop I would have taken much more time to analyze my options before purchasing. Since Cassie has a functioning computer, I definitely recommend that she takes the time to review her options fully.

I know everone says that about a Mac.

You didn't have to buy iWorks?


You're just one of those timid Windows people who's scared to try a Mac...it takes a little adjusting, but once you're over that hurdle, it's awesome. I feel bad for people who haven't tasted this experience yet and am trying to understand why most of the world hasn't converted (unless it's a cost factor). But enjoy your new Sony Viao

No. I greatly prefer TextEdit for word processing, unless I need to know page count or it's a long document, in which case I use one of the free MS Word imitations. I don't need Excel or PP (though I have an imitation too somehow).


Hear, hear!

Mac sounds like fun, except that it took me like way 20 years to figure out how to use windows, and I dont have another 20 years to learn to use a whole new OS.

9

It took you 20 years to learn it because it was Windows. Unlike Windows, Mac is intuitive and you can actually find things and they don't give you stupid messages. There shouldn't be any reason my Windows friends have to ask me how to turn off Wi-Fi and do other simple stuff, but they do, because it's not all that simple on Windows....

Hear hear To be fair, there are some things that still confuse me on Mac. I should just PM you whenever I have questions

Yay! I love figuring out people's questions with computers, although considerably less so when the computers happen to run Windows....

actually, the majority of the problems that I used to have are gone.



My bro in law who knows computers sat down in front of a mac and had no idea what to do.



The most annoying part is that I was so used to XP and then VISTA came along and everything has a different name. It was so confusing talking to the Bezeq guy on the phone when I was setting up my internet connection, he kept telling me to do this and I didn't know what he was talking about.

You dont know me and computers....

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that's ok, I couldn't find the print screen button, even after my boss told me where it was. Then I realized that it was written in French, which is why I couldn't find it.

Sure he does.

I love the computer techies who come in here and are TERRIFIED of the mac.

Who is TERRIFIED of the Mac?

Int.


Have you tried Mac?

Yeah because they know they are liable to put them out of a job.....

Not for a long period of time but I have checked them out. When it comes to computers I'm usually pretty clueless.

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I wanted a Mac for graphics but apparently when a laptop is bought for you as a present, you don't get much say in the matter, so I got a Toshiba, which I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Well...I'm not sure I had enough time to get over the hurdle this time given that I was dealing with a barely functioning laptop and needed to transfer all of my data before it completely died. Plus, I still don't get what's so wonderful about a Mac. I don't need to do advanced graphics or anything, so why is it better for a regular computer user like me?

In my case it's not a cost factor, I am just happy using a PC. Tha Vaio has everything I need and since my work laptop is also a PC, it will make it easy for me to work from home when I don't feel like lugging my work laptop on the train and subway. I'm also pretty sure that I would need a PC to access the work applications from home.

actually, i prefer my laptops light - not more than about 5 lbs.

Get a Dell Vostro, under their "small business" line, currently $449 shipped with XP. If you can budget more, add the better battery and a few other things, but the base system is a good deal for the money.
Don't get a laptop with Vista!

Eli