Laptop for college student.

[Stumper]

Actually, I was hoping that several someones would say....."get at leat1.Gb RAm 80 gig HD etc. etc. I reckon that most housers are little better off than I am. Every new laptop I've looked at is so far ahead of my current(old) desktop that I can't imagine "needing" more than the cheapest.....but I'm not going to school.

 

[SkwerI]

Justin, keep in mind that Vista takes up a ton more processing power than 98 or XP. My current computer has 4x the processing speed of my old computer, but the old one was faster surfing the web.

That said, I'm still thinking one of the cheaper laptops will serve me well enough. I hope.

 

[Paul B]

I have been thinking about getting one too, with my 'office' now existing as a small desk in the living room it is getting increasingly difficult to get any work done with Bub around. A Laptop would let me go to another part of the residence and be productive.

 

[sawinredneck]

Ok Justin, I wouldn't look at ANYTHING with less than 2gig ram! And 160gig hard drive. PERIOD!!!
Proccesors are so much faster than te majority of most software now, that isn't a huge issue. 2gig is the min to run Vista, which no matter what Windows environment you get is what you will end up with in a couple of years anyway.
Last I knew Office was at around 50gig? and to properly do homework they will need at least a portion of the Office software if not all of it.
Vista basic is a JOKE if you want to print out paperwork and edit homework, don't even waste the time. XP is a better O/S, but being Windows, don't be shocked if you lose support in six months to a year. Uncle Bill has to make money somehow!
The wifes machine was upgraded to 4 gig, and a 260gig external HD. She likes to edit videos and such. Needs lots of room to breathe Not the typical system by any means.

 

[Wagnaw]

A laptop is a good investment. I've had mine since 2003 (still runs great), and I can't count the number of business related things it's helped me with. ...It's also nice to be able to get out of the house, go to a coffee shop or something, sit down, and use the computer and Internet.

 

[SkwerI]

jeesus, I am sooooo frustrated with this damn computer! I tried searching the Target website (since I have an unused Target Visa credit card) and they don't list 'laptops' under computers, just 'notebook' computers (with an 8"-10" screen). So I did a search for 'laptop computer' and it came back with 1700+ results, and the damn site keeps locking up my browser! grrrrrr!




OK, I'm going to switch to the Google Chrome browser and try again.......

 

[C. Kirk]

check out www.newegg.com or www.pcmall.com
They have go deals & reviews on all there stuff.
If by a pc get XP pro. there is more soft ware out there . XP will be a round for some time. Most large company are not switching over to visa. Buy more ram for newegg or pcmall there are way more cheaper then best buy or from the dell, hp and so on. Hard drive 120gig min. 250gig is a good size. if going with integrated graphics card 128gig is mim. this will play most game. CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
If you need to run office see if you can get a student version from school. office 2003 is a good choice office 2007 is slow and uses more resources. now if you fine a laptop and it comes with visa you can get XP pro install disk for $139.00 from newegg and just install that.
Travis

 

[CurSedVoyce]

New egg is a great resource... good call Kirk..

 

[vharrison]

Justin, I like what Kenny said, ask the school what they recommend.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

More ram is cheap upgrade, and most (but not all) mem is cheap now. 2g is pretty fair, until ya get into advanced graphics, sound manipulation, autocad etc.; so the answer partially depends on use. And that then goes for graphics card too. More memory there, means less memory borrowed from main memory pool, leaving more mem for other processes... This is sometimes why you know you have 2gig mem installed and only seey 1.5 etc., the graphics are 'borrowing' rest.

32bit os will only address 4g(2 to the 32nd) mem, even if sys will physically hold more though. There is a work around(for gamers etc.), but then compatability problems for some programs and hardware. 64bit can address more mem too(2 to the 64th or 16 terabyes-which the machine physically won't hold), but it has compatability problems too.

If ya get focused on 1 or a few models; go to their sites and check their forums on that model. Or just put that model and 'forum' in a google search. There are passionate, inside computer people that can rattle off models and inherent weaknesses, just like tree workers! In fact for a lot of general searching, i'll put term(s) and the word 'forum' in a google search. There are people offering free help in almost every endeavor.

The word 'laptop' is a lil'touchy. These systems fight heat, and any, soft surface(lap, bed etc.) they sit on can potentially block ventilation. Also, with all the exploding batteries in the past, recomending or using terms that inherently recomend placing sys on lap has become a rather large potential liability...

Vista is more of a resource hog and has some compatabilty problems too. Office 2007 has .docx(xml based) instead of .doc files, and is totally changed interface, has compatablility problems(there is a free compatability upgrade for previous office users to read these files). Would only get it if i had too, once again, ask at target school, if office2007 is what everything is set up for though... There are real deals on educational software, and don't overlook office ultimate educational discount if shopping.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I can't fathom how a laptop can get away without a fan. Hell, my CPU has three, maybe four fans.

 

[fallguy]

The only thing I know from my kid is that your always short on memory. He has gotten couple of GIS programs and other tech info plus all his photo storage. For Christmas here got 2-500 gig external hard drives. This is one way of adding memory as they go through school and accumulate more technical information. Also buy a cool pad. It is a fan unit that the laptop sits on when you use it on your desk it will add years to the life of a lap top.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Ummmm memory is volatile, collapses when sys is off. HD is non-volatile strategy for storage, not really memory..

Laptops produce heat in smaller, tighter space, must be cooled more carefully and also processor will slow down etc. to keep heat to min. A lot of portable bios updates (never bump, move, shut off duirng a bios update, or risk having yourself a fancy ashtray or doorstop)are for fan issues. Even smaller desktops have more heat issues and drafting for same reasons. On desktops, don't get lazy and leave lid off or panels off where you insert cards. The sys is maid to draft a certain way, flowing by certain components etc. Openings where not designed, gives fan reliefs at wrong points and then coolling won't hit right parts as much in the draft path of the cooling air.

 

[Stumper]

We've already been down the school recommendation road. She was referred to the head geeklet that essentially gave her 2 options.--Buy this super bell and whistle burdened $2000 beauty which you will "definitely" need for your graphics courses in the second year of your major or go to Walmart and buy one of their $600 laptops to start out and upgrade later.-
Given that no parties involved have $2000 to spare and majors and computer specs are wont to change it seems prudent to buy cheap and move up in 18 months when the super model of today will likely be surpassed by several orders of magnitude. I like Walmart and they have some cool laptops but I have already figured out that I can get more HD. RAM and features for less elsewhere-Just trying to figure out what is truly important.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

HD for storage, mem for power. but processor is main power, and not generally as easily or cheaply upgradeable. Biggest breakage is picking up open laptop by screen, farther from from gives less support, and more chances for breakage, kind of a nice star cracking.

 

[C. Kirk]

OK what i would do i start at one price like $600.00 then look at the screen(size & clarity)
Then processor (you can't upgrade this in most laptops), then hard disk size(this can be upgrade (but you will have to clone the drive or reinstall the OS, then ram size not that important (this is the cheapest up grade and easy is to do your self.)

Now on to heat all pc base laptops need air to flow around the fans. mac laptops have nofans they do git warn but redesign to run this way.
Battery life on most pc is about 1-2 hr. Mac's will see 3-4 hr. thats surfing the wed or typing a paper .(My wife see about 40 minutes surfing the wed will i see 2 1/2 hrs.

Now if you were to buy a mac for $1000. you an run 2 OS (wac & XP) with a program or dual boot. I have an old mac power book form 2000 that is still running good. now you can get office for the mac. There are a lot of mac;s running XP faster then most windows machines. My macbook pro is as fast as my desktop machine design to run cad software. now then you compare prices of mac to pc look at the spec' . for a windows machine with the same spec's will be in the same or higher price range.

Office 20007 will save files in older versions (.doc & .exl) which can be open on most office programs. office 2007(.docx & .exlx) can be open with only 2007.

travis

 

[ewsa]

I have a Dell Latitude D810 thats got me through college so far. I dont know what theyre priced at these days. Definatly get an external hard drive. You can save all your big memory files on it, and if she's going into graphics it sounds like theyll be a lot of those. Good for saving music on too.