In the market for a new laptop, suggestions?
Like the title says, my mom is planning to buy me my first laptop next week for my 18th. I've been doing some research on what specs I should be looking for and what suits me best. I'm planning to use the laptop for school use and also for personal enjoyment like movies and such. My moms budget is in the price range of around $700 since shes planning to get a camera for my grad too. [b]I'm not interested in mac's since it's obviously out of my price range and I'm more of PC person.[/b]
I've been researching on various brands as well. Some brands I've been looking into are: Sony Vaio, Samsung, and Toshiba.
I've heard a variety of mixed reviews for Sony and I'm really unsure of whether Vaios are truly reliable. Two of my friends have Vaios, one mid ranged and one more high end. They both say that their Vaios are working fantastically for them, yet online reviews say otherwise, such as loose hinges on the screen, inconsistent keyboard back lighting, screen bleeding, short battery life, overheating, loud fans, and extremely poor customer service. I've always been a Sony fan for their stylish designs, but if most of these cons are true, I wont be buying a Vaio.
Samsung seems like a pretty good choice as far as I've seen, and as of right now, Samsung is at the top of my list. I've read more positive comments rather than negative ones. But the choices they have seem limited as most of their laptops comes with Intel core i3 instead of i5, is it possible to ask if I can get it with an i5 from the tech store I'm getting it from (Future Shop)?
Lastly, Toshiba Satellites seems like a pretty good choice too. I've haven't done research on Toshiba as much, but reviews seems to lean more on the positive side.
On a side note, I've heard bad reviews on Dell before and I've never been a fan of their products. My sister got an HP laptop for her 18th 4 years ago, and it wasn't that great. The battery overheated and broke and the battery life was terrible. So, I probably wont be considering these two brands...
I'm looking for a laptop that is:
- Smaller then a 17", preferably around a 15" for semi portability.
- Intel Core i5 for good speed (i7 is too much)
- A minimum 5GB memory and minimum 500GB hard drive
- Back lit keyboard and in the colour white if possible : ))
Questions :
- Whats the difference between AMD and Intel?
- If my parents allow, should I buy online rather than in store?
Other suggestions to brands are welcome, I want to get the best possible laptop with my moms money so it won't go to waste. If you have any experience with the brands listed above or any another brand, please let me know! Give me an unbiased review so I can make the best possible purchase .
Thanks!
20 Comments • Newest first
[quote=skye09]My opinion is that both Qwan and DJP have suggested laptops that would suit your needs.[/quote]
Okay, thanks : )
[quote=lykstoeat]Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, but if you're going to have a small argument, take it else where : |
But other than that, keep them coming!
@skye09 do you have any good suggestions?
I've been looking into the Samsung SF510, I think it's an older model and I'm not sure if Samsung is still manufacturing it, but what do you think?
I find myself looking at more asthetically pleasing laptops and it's really limiting my choices TT why do I have to be attracted to beautiful things.. Uhuhhuhuuuu D;[/quote]
My opinion is that both Qwan and DJP have suggested laptops that would suit your needs.
I'm sure its the color of the plastic shell.
Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, but if you're going to have a small argument, take it else where : |
But other than that, keep them coming!
@skye09 do you have any good suggestions?
I've been looking into the Samsung SF510, I think it's an older model and I'm not sure if Samsung is still manufacturing it, but what do you think?
I find myself looking at more asthetically pleasing laptops and it's really limiting my choices TT why do I have to be attracted to beautiful things.. Uhuhhuhuuuu D;
[quote=mp4mp4]@Melodie890 Like I would relay that to my friend[/quote]
Would you rather me quote your friend seeing as your friend posted the comment? Oh wait...
[quote=qwan456]Skye disagree with his opinion and replied to you because you had posted it on his behalf, so quoting you isn't really avoidable. Whether or not you wish relay that message to your friend doesn't really matter, as Skye post is still going to be seen by the person who is asking for pros/cons which is the TS.[/quote]
This
[quote=mp4mp4]@Melodie890 Like I would relay that to my friend[/quote]
Skye disagree with his opinion and replied to you because you had posted it on his behalf, so quoting you isn't really avoidable. Whether or not you wish relay that message to your friend doesn't really matter, as Skye post is still going to be seen by the person who is asking for pros/cons which is the TS.
[quote=mp4mp4]@skye09 Then why quote me.[/quote]
Obviously, he was replying to the comment that you had posted for your friend.
[quote=mp4mp4]@skye09 That was not my opinion[/quote]
Never said it was
[quote=mp4mp4]@lykstoeat He said "Idk LOL its just a brand there are no pros and cons it's just like any other laptop except for looks, and it's a ok brand"[/quote]
There are definitely pros/cons between buying from certain brands, from what demographic they cater to, to how their customer service handles issues, to many other factors that create pros and cons.
[quote=lykstoeat]@qwan456 I think I can handle 5pounds, but the lighter the better by all means, though there are more important things then weight . A 6 hour battery life sounds pretty good for a single charge. I doubt I'll be away from a power source for more than 8 hours seeing how I won't be taking the laptop here and there until I start university. I guessing I'll be performing more simple everyday tasks like word processing, entertainment, and web surfing.
@mp4mp4 I would really appreciate that! Do you mind also asking his opinion on other brands compared to Lenovo(if he's owned other brands), and the pros and cons of the product.[/quote]
If you really look around you can find bad reviews on just about any brand, you will likely hear more of it from one brand than the other due to the fact that there are more people to complain about said brand, and not to mentioned people who complains have a tendency to speak up much more than those who have positive feedback.
Anyways, a $400-$550 laptop would suffice, A few that DJP had mentioned other than the Envy will be in that price range are good as well. Beyond that would be more of an luxury of spending more for portability, for aesthetics (like the backlit which can increase productivity in the dark) or a higher resolution screen to give you a larger workspace.
Something like these possibly:
[url=http://ncix.com/products/?sku=70507&promoid=1069]HP Pavilion DV6-6130CA[/url]
[url=http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65161&promoid=1418]HP Probook 4530s[/url]
[url=http://ncix.com/products/?sku=67743&vpn=43349KU]Lenovo Ideapad G570[/url]
[url=http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_369&item_id=042455]Lenovo Ideapad Z570[/url] <- instore purchase
[url=http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_664_665&item_id=046281]Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520[/url]
[url=http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_821&item_id=042294]Asus A53E-XE2[/url] <- instore
[url=http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69034]Asus Pro P53E XH31[/url]
[url=http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-15r-n5110/pd?oc=ni15r2_ft_072&model_id=inspiron-15r-n5110]Dell Inspiron 15R[/url]
[url=http://www.dell.com/ca/business/p/vostro-3550/pd?oc=nb_v3550_g1_e&model_id=vostro-3550]Dell Vostro 3550[/url]
@qwan456 I think I can handle 5pounds, but the lighter the better by all means, though there are more important things then weight . A 6 hour battery life sounds pretty good for a single charge. I doubt I'll be away from a power source for more than 8 hours seeing how I won't be taking the laptop here and there until I start university. I guessing I'll be performing more simple everyday tasks like word processing, entertainment, and web surfing.
@mp4mp4 I would really appreciate that! Do you mind also asking his opinion on other brands compared to Lenovo(if he's owned other brands), and the pros and cons of the product.
How important is weight and battery life? Like is 5lb-6lb too heavy, or you are those who preferred <5lb? Is a typical battery life of 3-6hrs good, or you want a laptop that is capable of providing up to 8hr+ away from a outlet on more general task?
@djpinc19: Well, the backlit keyboard would be nice, but it's definitely not going to be a top priority when I'm looking for a laptop.
As for what I'm going to do with the laptop ranges from simple net surfing, watching movies, music, word processing and such to other things once I start post secondary. As for gaming, I don't play any high graphics games, maple would probably be the only one, but I don't know if I'm actually going to download it onto the laptop since I haven't played for the longest time .. As for the budget, around $700 more or less, but not over $800. I live in Canada .
I have a vague idea of what I'm looking for, but by no means am I tech savvy at all, that's why I'm asking for suggestions and opinions from others.
[quote=djpinc19]I don't care about brands. I don't let them distract me when I'm out looking at computer hardware. All low-end mass produced laptops have the same problems anyways.
In all seriousness, DELL Inspiron 14z, DELL Inspiron 15z, DELL Vostro 3450, DELL Vostro 3550, HP Envy 14, HP Envy 15. Backlit keyboards are a luxury and is severely limiting your options if you choose to stick to it.
I'm also certain you don't know what kind of specifications you are looking for:
What are you going to do with a new computer? List specific tasks and applications.
Do you play games? If you do, list those you play now and those you want to play.
How much do you want to spend?
What country or state do you live in? Buying online is often the better choice these days.
In the current generation of laptops, AMD processors have stronger integrated graphics and weaker computing abilities when compared to Intel counterparts. The justification for buying X over Y is dependent on the tasks, applications, and games you intend to run.
Online discounts and deals are more common than in-store sales. Online factory direct orders are almost always cheaper than retail purchases.[/quote]
Unless you go to best buy and avoid their.. "scams"
Like when I got a 400 dollar laptop, they tried to make my dad buy me 330 dollar insurance on a 400 dollar laptop lol
I don't care about brands. I don't let them distract me when I'm out looking at computer hardware. All low-end mass produced laptops have the same problems anyways.
[quote=lykstoeat]I'm looking for a laptop that is:
- Smaller then a 17", preferably around a 15" for semi portability.
- Intel Core i5 for good speed (i7 is too much)
- A minimum 5GB memory and minimum 500GB hard drive
- Back lit keyboard and in the colour white if possible : ))[/quote]
In all seriousness, DELL Inspiron 14z, DELL Inspiron 15z, DELL Vostro 3450, DELL Vostro 3550, HP Envy 14, HP Envy 15. Backlit keyboards are a luxury and is severely limiting your options if you choose to stick to it.
I'm also certain you don't know what kind of specifications you are looking for:
What are you going to do with a new computer? List specific tasks and applications.
Do you play games? If you do, list those you play now and those you want to play.
How much do you want to spend?
What country or state do you live in? Buying online is often the better choice these days.
[quote=lykstoeat]Questions :
- Whats the difference between AMD and Intel?
- If my parents allow, should I buy online rather than in store? [/quote]
In the current generation of laptops, AMD processors have stronger integrated graphics and weaker computing abilities when compared to Intel counterparts. The justification for buying X over Y is dependent on the tasks, applications, and games you intend to run.
Online discounts and deals are more common than in-store sales. Online factory direct orders are almost always cheaper than retail purchases.
If I were to not state anything else, please do take in mind that with the case of online reviews, those who write them tend to gravitate towards either end of the "satisfaction spectrum" (lol is that even a thing?). More often than not, you'll have people comment on either how good something is, or how bad something is; reviews saying how mediocre and middle-of-the-line something tends to be tends not to be the norm.
Also, most laptops under $700 that are under 17" come with at least 4GB of DDR3 and at least 500GB of storage, so it's really just your pick of brand preference if nothing else really matters too much.
I would recommend getting a bit more storage if you can, though
Guys, I appreciate all of your suggestions, but I'm not looking for a Mac, I'm even going to bold it in the text .
@mp4mp4 : Thanks for answering my questions! I'll keep that in mind when I'm deciding. But as for buying online, wouldn't it be some what cheaper to buy on sites such as Newegg and amazon?
I've heard nice things about Lenovo, would you say that it's one of the more trusted PC companies when it comes to quality?
I'm probably gonna go for a Mac when I go off to school next year.
As much as it kills a bit of me knowing how much I'm overpaying, I just want the reliability.
@Fiercerain : Thanks, I'll take into account when I'm purchasing one next week!
@Understood : nope, don't want one .
Here you go.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html
I've generally gone with Dell's since they've been most dependable for me, and many don't have the bloatware that other commercial brands have installed in their computers.
This is a performance chart of most available processors these days. It'll be a nice visual to compare pricing and performance.
Personally I've always purchased online. It doesn't make much of a difference for me. However, if you purchase online, or in the store make sure to ask if in the event you need to re-install the system, ask the representative if the laptop has its own built in recovery system, or if.. you have to re-install the OS (operating system).