Best value for laptop?

[Scanner]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I did look at a Touchiba but in the end, I went with a Dell Vostro 1000 for about $480.00

I will buy Microsoft Office Student which gets Word and Powerpoint for about $128.00.

I will budget in a repair around 3 years for about $250.00.

Oh edit: I got Windows XP because I have heard so much bad about Vista

[mike8822]

I have used only Dell and I am pretty happy with them. Hard drives for some reason break on any brand you buy.

I guess they have not perfected them just yet.

[Blue Leader]

I'm going to stick up for Compaq. I bought one off of ubid.com two years ago and it has been amazing. Still plays high-end games even!

Compaq was indeed bought by HP. So you get the, imho, excellent quality of HP at discounted prices.

I would really recommend checking out ubid.com. My parents bought a refurbished (like my comp) HP, and its been running strong for 3 years. PLus, it was about half price of a new one. Not bad.

[Seeker]

I had to laugh at the comment about hard drives breaking every few years no matter what you buy....

You know, they rotate at 5400 rotations per minute, or 7200, or 10,000 rpm in some cases. That's an awful lot of momentum to keep up with any electrical device, not to say anything about the additional movements of a laptop in tandum (or not) with the movement of a hdd -- never walk with an operational laptop.

HDDs also have a MTBF -- mean time between failure -- a rating that is listed on the device itself. They will fail -- it's only a matter of when. They will NEVER be "fully perfected."

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As an IT person, familiar with laptops and computers, I have purchased refurbished units.... but I would never recommend that anyone, who is not techically proficient with computer hardware, purchase a refurbished unit

I have 2 Dell laptops one of which I purchased refurbished (3 month warranty) and soon after the 3 months the "o" key broke off the keypad -- the rubber underneath was cracked. So, I called Dell and ordered and replaced the keypad for an additional $50.... but it's run perfectly since then.

Prior to that, I also bought a refurbished Compaq where the CMOS battery kept getting drained... CMOS battery after battery. Ultimately I could only use theis laptop if I kept it plugged in, which sort of defeated the purpose of having a laptop. (Yes, I could have replaced the systemboard on this laptop -- i am authorized to repair Compaq, Dell, and IBM laptops/desktops -- but I would have to pay for the cost again and for me, it was not worth my time to repair it).

If you do purchase refurbished, make sure you understand what the warranty is on any refurbished product. And when you get it, test it thouroughly. Act on any problems immediately.

I'm not going to make any "brand" recommendations, becuase while there are good brands, anyone can end up with a lemon in any brand. All it takes is one malfunctioning component. And laptops, being designed for mobility, does not help with component life.

How many of us throw a warm computer into a bag and then drive home with it? How many of us actually shut off the computer before walking into a meeting with it (you know walking with a HDD running at 5400 rpm is going to jolt your data bits)? How many of us have actually waited for the computer to actually shut itself off completely before undocking it?

How many of us actually backup our data ??????

[Broken Arrow]

You bring up some very good points, seeker.

Yes, I agree that hard drives are fairly susceptible to failure. It's one of the most delicate pieces of equipment in a personal computer.

Backing up your data is a very important practice. It doesn't have to be a hassle though. Setting up with a system that you know you will use (or better yet, is automated for you) is the real trick.

Brands. I don't mind recommending Lenovo Thinkpads just as I don't mind recommending Toyotas and Hondas out there. Their business model is based on rock solid reliability, and they wouldn't be where they are today if they didn't live up to it.

Of course, to simply state that any brand never has any problems, or one brand is somehow better than another brand is patently false. But I've never made such claims myself. Perhaps now is also a good time to bring up the importance of consumer awareness to store policies and factory warranties.

[Blue Leader]

As an IT person, familiar with laptops and computers, I have purchased refurbished units.... but I would never recommend that anyone, who is not techically proficient with computer hardware, purchase a refurbished unit

Obviously I am thankful that my parents and I have had ZERO problems with our 2 and 3 year old refurbished laptops. I do think that there is something to be said for them though. My Compaq cost ~$750 refurbished. The price of the same unit new? $1600. I figure even if something goes wrong, i'll still be ahead after fixing it.

Granted there are always lemons out there just waiting for you to bite. So I fully agree you should be aware of the warranty on a refurbished model.

B-L

[pennrj430]

I've experienced a number of Laptops these past for years, and found the best value for your money is actually MAC. You will pay a little more initially, but over the years you will will save compared to other brands I have bought (Dell, Compaq, HP, and an IBM Thinkpad). Generally, with a Mac, you don't need to buy any extra programs, don't need to buy Virus protection (built in), no other security features. I had so many problems with the other brands I mentioned above, and spent time and money with Tech Support, because of crashing, Viruses, Worms, etc... Even thought the initial Cost was lower, they cost me so much more in the long run. With the Mac I have, it's been going strong for about 4 years now and I'm sure will last at least another 4, and I haven't put a dime into it since I bought it (thought I might boost the memory this year). With the other brands, aside from the Thinkpad, the average life span was about a year and a half before having major issues. The Thinkpad lasted a little over 2 years.
Just a thought.

[Broken Arrow]

Uh... well, I love Mac laptops. I've went through two of them myself within the past 6 years. That said... I'm not entirely convinced that they're worth the premium price....

As a hardware, the Macs are just as prone to breakage and failures as any other laptops. However, for a design that focuses on form over function, I have to agree that their build quality is surprisingly good. (Unlike VAIOs!)

As for software, it's true that they are much less prone to malware. (I think Apple still claims that there are no known viruses for it in the wild.) However, I think most techies agree that it's due to lack of marketshare, and hence, being too small of a target to go after.

In fact, I've never had anti-virus software the entire time I had Macs, and didn't experience any problems.... Nowadays, it's a bit more prone to malware now that Apple has shifted over to PC architecture (as opposed to the PPC chips) as well as a slowly but surely expanding market share....

What they DO have a problem with, though, is software selection. What I mean is, you can't use PC software (without booting into Windows somehow). Instead, you're stuck with using whatever Macs have to offer. Depending on what you need your laptop for, and whether it's available or not... this may or may not be a problem.

Again, depending on your computing needs, I am a personal fan Linux. I have an inexpensive Lenovo laptop (bought it at the time for $400) installed with Ubuntu (free). However, this arrangement worked out just fine since my needs are very basic for this laptop, and everything works just dandy.

[krayziebone33]

I am on my second Toshiba laptop in 8 years, and I give them a very high recommendation. Very sturdy and reliable. You can score some great deals on the entry-level laptops at Circuit city.com

I have actually heard some really good things about Toshiba laptops, particularly that they are good for the individual who travels frequently. Those things are built "Ford tough." The only downside to that is that they are usually a little heavier than most other brands. Battery life is the only major concern that seems to consistently come up on Toshiba conversations. I think that I'm going to go with Toshiba once I'm ready to purchase a new laptop.

Dells are interesting. I get mixed reviews on them mostly. Years ago, I would hear nothing but good things about Dell. Now, on the other hand, there seem to be a growing throng of dissatisfied Dell customers. A friend of mine has a Dell Inspiron 1520 and its been a champ so far. I use it quite a bit whenever I'm at her apartment. I don't use it enough to be able to vouch for Dell, though.

HP will forever have good reviews from me simply because they're the only brand desktop I've ever owned and they have been sound. However, even with the high praise, I don't think that I'm going to buy an HP laptop. They just don't seem sturdy enough and I have heard some people who love their desktops complain about their laptops. I don't know, though.

My best advice to you would be to just do your research and find the best deal based on what you like. Be aware that doing research can be a bit tedious, but its usually worth it in the end. Take your time and save more while you're doing your research. No brand is truly the best brand. Like many have said, there are "lemons" all over the place and there is always a chance that you could end up with one. However, the chances are small and you will, more-than-likely, end up with a good product if you do all the research and find what truly works for you.

[msnln]

I have purchase new both Dell and HP PCs in the past and for the money, HP seems to be the winner as HP uses higher end components for its parts such as video card. However, I recently bought my parents Dell refurbished system from DellOutlet.com for $209 for a desktop (AMD dual processor and Vista Home Basic), which is the best price I have seen anywhere. I would not be able to match that price even if I was to build system from scratch as Windows OS alone would cost some $150.

I just checked laptops and 15 inch Inspiron laptop with AMD dual processor and Vista Basic (2 GB RAM, 160 GB HD) can be purchased for $529. Due to quick turnover, the prices and systems vary but I have seen $489 laptop as well and refurbished system all come with same warranties as new systems and my HP refurbished system with Windows ME which I bought 10 years ago is still running strong, though it is seriously outdated and my kids use it mostly for games and internet browsing.

Though most would prefer brand new, refurbished systems have worked well for me and definitely worth considering as systems can be bought at half price or less.

[vinnieg24]

Althought I am not a fan of laptops due to all the problems I have had in the past. I can only think of Sony Vaio's as having the least problems. Dells are constantly being fixed as well as thinkpads. good luck with your purchase

[krayziebone33]

Althought I am not a fan of laptops due to all the problems I have had in the past. I can only think of Sony Vaio's as having the least problems. Dells are constantly being fixed as well as thinkpads. good luck with your purchase

I've actually heard the contrary about ThinkPads. As far as PCs go, I have heard absolutely nothing but good things about the Lenovo Thinkpads. I have talked to people face-to-face about them, and I 've heard the same thing online at various message boards. Here is a quote from another message board that I frequent:

Go buy a ThinkPad. It will probably cost you a little more up front, but it will run like the Energizer Bunny.

I sell new and used Thinkpads to customers and they NEVER have issues with them. I can't say the same about the Dell and Toshiba laptops I've sold.

Until recently, I was hearing nothing but good things about Toshiba. The last few days of research, however, have kind of dimmed my interest in Toshibas. I'm not giving up on them completely just yet, though.

Macs get ringing endorsements everywhere. The fact that you can run the Mac OS and Windows OS is an awesome thing to me. The many sites that test computers say that the Mac runs the Windows OS better than the highest ranked PC does. That's just ridiculous. The battery life is better and the speed is incredible, although PCs still have a slight advantage with the latter.

[InDebtInDC]

I've gone through about 50+ laptops to date due to my career in software and traveling consultant. I've had experience using and servicing most major brands. My recommendations for general civilian use from major manufacturers are as follows:

1) IBM, and esp. the ThinkPad lines are indestructible. Expensive, tacky to use, awkward to program, but very well built and can handle a lot of abuse.

2) Dell is the standard for business computing. Good value. Great support. Software and drivers work very well with Windows. Tend to be a little flimsy. I've broken about 10 Latitudes and Inspirons due to normal use.

3) Compaq. Great value. Questionable support but for general business use it's reasonable.

4) Other brands. I don't trust other brands quite as much due to their questionable quality, especially the lesser known brands. Lately there has been an influx of those new brands.

I don't use Mac so I can't comment.

Lately though, I've became a big fan of Acer. I've been using their hardware components for a long time so I trust their brand. I think this is the best value for general home use: Micro Center Online - the center of .computer shopping

In fact, I'm on an Acer right now. Great value. Even if it doesn't work out for the price you can afford to get another one.

So far I've bought 3 of these Acers for my personal use and I've been very happy with them. The only thing that I haven't been able to fix after the OS swap was that the sound card driver doesn't automatically turn off the internal speaker after you plug in headphones, but that's a minor issue and I disabled the internal speaker anyway. No big deal.

Another option is to get a factory refurbished. Similar warranty at lower prices.

Good luck with your purchase.

[Broken Arrow]

1) IBM, and esp. the ThinkPad lines are indestructible. Expensive, tacky to use, awkward to program, but very well built and can handle a lot of abuse.

This is interesting. Why would you say that? Do you mean it's awkward to program for their specific functions such as biometrics and customized buttons? Or do you mean awkward to program on the laptop in general?

The only thing that I haven't been able to fix after the OS swap was that the sound card driver doesn't automatically turn off the internal speaker after you plug in headphones, but that's a minor issue and I disabled the internal speaker anyway. No big deal.

Just curious, but which OS are you using?

The Asus Eee PC tempts me.

[InDebtInDC]

This is interesting. Why would you say that? Do you mean it's awkward to program for their specific functions such as biometrics and customized buttons? Or do you mean awkward to program on the laptop in general?

Ask any computer programmer. If you stick with the origina software on a Thinkpad then you are fine, but if you try to even do simple stuff like upgrade drivers, or do any sort of hardcore software development, it's like hitting a brick wall.

IBM does not design their laptops to be customizable beyond the general business needs. Technical people will tend to stay away from IBMs.

Just curious, but which OS are you using?

XP Pro v2002 SP2 corporate license

The Asus Eee PC tempts me.

I have 3 Aspires 3680. These recently got replaced with this even cheaper ones. I took one of mine apart, and I was actually very impressed with the build quality. Arguably similar or better build quality than a Dell, for much lower prices.