betor notebook thread advice

[b etor]

please suggest a notebook for me to buy for college. preferably one under $1500. i'm not going to be playing lots of games, i'll just need it for college stuff. i have no idea what kind i need. oh and i don't want one with vista. thanks!

[Japher]

They're about $2...

[Asher]

Microsoft has a great commercial for you.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd stay away from Dells. They are nothing but trouble.

This is my favorite computer maker's mid priced laptop (starting at $1399):

http://velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=163

[Jon Miller]

Have you thought about a tablet?

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/price/product.asp?productFamilyID=1244&pid=173051

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1282

JM

[duke o' york]

I'm not going to be playing lots of games, I'll just need it for college stuff.

For shame!

[Dinner]

I honestly found the kids with notebooks got worse grades because they tended to do anything else but pay attention to the teacher. Listen to Japher, take notes the old fashioned way, and you'll actually retain stuff better in your memory, save $1500, and get better grades.

[onodera]

Vista's okay, you're just prejudiced. If you really don't want one with Vista, wait for several months and buy one with 7.
I've always liked HP. Go buy one of their Pavilions. If you buy a tablet, don't forget to download InkSeine.
Also, other posters are right, take notes in a paper notebook. Use the electronic one to do your homework.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I liked Rachel McAdams in this one, although she was good in Wedding Crashers too.





On topic: I bought a Dell and it's been a bit spotty. The only good thing about it was that it was covered under the law school's warranty. Does your college do any tie-ins with sponsored laptops? If they do, it may be worth getting one of those, no matter how crap, just for the warranty.

[Zoid]

How about this one?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3496523

It's dirt cheap and portable enough to be carried around with you for an entire day. If you use a bigger screen and keyboard in your dorm room you don't get squint-eye or finger cramp either

[Wiglaf]

Macbook, obviously. You are fashion conscious, want to fit in, and don't want to use it for anything important. I don't see why you need to post a thread about this.

[Q Classic]

Macbook, Lenovo, Toshiba.

[Jon Miller]

Those three are good, I have heard that Fujitsu is better.

JM

[onodera]

Gah, not Macbook. What if it gets stolen when your roommate throws a party with beer and hash? It's too expensive for college.

[-Jrabbit]

From your description, it sounds like most any machine will meet your needs. But if you intend to game at all, you really want to go with Windows. If dollars are important, you should probably go with a Windows machine. You get more computer per dollar and a better lifeline if there are problems.

OTOH, my daughter's been very pleased with Francois (her Macbook). In 3 years, she's had one HD crash and one battery incident. Both were replaced free.

Important: Whatever laptop you buy, get the extended warranty (e.g. AppleCare for Macs). Laptops are far more prone to damage, just because they move around a lot, get bumped, etc. The life expectancy of a laptop HD is considerably shorter than a desktop.

Also important: Get a backup hard drive and USE IT. It's not costly, not much trouble, and will save you a world of hurt if there's a bad crash.

Most computer companies have excellent sales for kids going off to college. Apple usually runs a rebates on machines and Office, and gives a free printer. Other companies do comparable things. These offers usually run during summer, duh. You also might want to check with your college to see what kind of deals they offer on campus. Some are pretty slammin'.

And if you're considering Apple, see if there's a nearby Apple Store or if there's Apple support on campus. If neither, it makes more sense to go with a Windows machine.