The Line
Patti Mayonnaise
Real Name: Bumkiss. Stanley Bumkiss.
Peanut Butter & JAAAAAMMMM!
Posts: 36,698
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Post by The Line on Mar 31, 2008 17:39:40 GMT -5
OK, so I know I've started a few topics today(but after leaving for a week, I have a lot to talk about). But now something a little more...serious. Looking into what type of laptop I will be purchasing for college in the fall. What I want to it to do/what I want to do with it: - Be able to edit videos(hopefully with a better program than Windows Movie Maker)
- Have good speed/internal memory
- Be neither of the HP or Compaq brands
- have a DVD burner
- More than 100GB HD space
- preferably be under $900
any help would be greatly appreciated |
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Post by Gopher Mod on Mar 31, 2008 17:52:55 GMT -5
OK, so I know I've started a few topics today(but after leaving for a week, I have a lot to talk about). But now something a little more...serious. Looking into what type of laptop I will be purchasing for college in the fall. What I want to it to do/what I want to do with it: - Be able to edit videos(hopefully with a better program than Windows Movie Maker)
- Have good speed/internal memory
- Be neither of the HP or Compaq brands
- have a DVD burner
- More than 100GB HD space
- preferably be under $900
any help would be greatly appreciated The only thing that I don't have that you want is one of the HP or Compaq brands. However, my laptop is on the market for $700 OBO. If you want more info, please PM me, Mr. Duke. EDIT: It also doesn't have movie editing software. |
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AoDfan
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,431
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Post by AoDfan on Mar 31, 2008 18:25:45 GMT -5
Sony has several laptops that fit your criteria. But their price tend to be a bit high. You may have to build your own, or lower your specs.
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THE Baldy Kendrick
Dennis Stamp
may be an ursaring, may not.
I hear dem shoutin'.
Posts: 3,895
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Post by THE Baldy Kendrick on Mar 31, 2008 18:43:30 GMT -5
Full disclosure; I work for Wal-Mart. They do have some pretty decent deals on their website, and Toshiba/Satellite is one of their main brands. You could get a good one and have enough cash to buy whatever software you want.
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The Line
Patti Mayonnaise
Real Name: Bumkiss. Stanley Bumkiss.
Peanut Butter & JAAAAAMMMM!
Posts: 36,698
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Post by The Line on Mar 31, 2008 19:30:52 GMT -5
OK, so I know I've started a few topics today(but after leaving for a week, I have a lot to talk about). But now something a little more...serious. Looking into what type of laptop I will be purchasing for college in the fall. What I want to it to do/what I want to do with it: - Be able to edit videos(hopefully with a better program than Windows Movie Maker)
- Have good speed/internal memory
- Be neither of the HP or Compaq brands
- have a DVD burner
- More than 100GB HD space
- preferably be under $900
any help would be greatly appreciated The only thing that I don't have that you want is one of the HP or Compaq brands. However, my laptop is on the market for $700 OBO. If you want more info, please PM me, Mr. Duke. EDIT: It also doesn't have movie editing software. are you saying yours IS an HP/Compaq or ISN'T an HP/Compaq? Because I HATE HP/Compaqs. Horror Stories galore with them. and I'd rather buy brand new, as I want this laptop for college and at least a little beyond. |
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Post by Big Daddy Bad Booking on Mar 31, 2008 19:48:50 GMT -5
Alright Andy, here is what you need for a new laptop:
- Make sure its a good, reputable brand name (like Dell or Toshiba)
- Make sure if you have Vista (its unfortunately unavoidable), make it Home Premium. Its the perfect balance of stuff available.
- Make sure the processor is Dual-Core or more powerful. OF course the more cores, the more speed there is for info to process. A single core SUCKS with Vista, so the minimum is a dual-core processor, let it be either AMD or Intel.
- Make sure it has AT LEAST 1 Gigabyte (1 GB, or 1024 MB) of available memory, and if there is an option, upgrade to 2 or possibly even 3 or 4. The more RAM the better, it can help store more info about the operating system and other operations about to be processed. PLUS, make sure your memory is a minimum of 533 MHz (megahertz) in speed. You can have capacity, but make sure it is quick. This is probably the most important part of the computer buying process.
- Make sure your battery is a long-lasting one. If your battery is a from-the-factory special, look for deals to upgrade based on the laptop you have. I had a 6-cell with a hour and ten minutes of charge, and then went up to a 9-cell with a three hour charge. Huge difference.
- Make sure you also get a cooling pad, made out of aluminum. Trust me on this one, it will make your computer cooler and run more efficiently. Also blow it with canned air once in a while, it gets dusty.
Any other accessories are up to you. This is stuff I've learned at the time and over the course of the last year while buying a laptop. Now most of the stuff I've posted is available in many newer laptops, and at reasonable prices. I suggest looking at laptops in stores such as Best Buy, Staples, Circuit City, or any other retailer because they have the best combination of memory, hard drive space, and available features for the money. I got this crate (a Toshiba Satellite A205-S4567) at Best Buy with cooling pad and carrying case for about 850 in June of last year. Since then, I've upgraded the RAM from 1 GB to 4GB, replaced the battery, and wiped my hard drive several times, mostly due to experiments, but one time because of stupid Norton 360. It's been a good machine, and once you learn the operating system, it'll be good to you. I hope this helps you man.
EDIT: With almost ALL laptops nowdays, you can easily have a DVD Dual-Layer burner AND way over 100 GB of hard drive space in a affordable manner. Do not worry about that stuff.
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Post by dorf on Mar 31, 2008 19:56:19 GMT -5
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Post by That Loser Guy on Mar 31, 2008 20:24:13 GMT -5
Don't get a Dell. That is all.
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Post by Captain Wonderful on Mar 31, 2008 20:24:24 GMT -5
Maaaaaaac.
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Jay Peas 42
El Dandy
Totally flips out ALL the time.
Is looking forward to a Nation of Domination Kwannza Special.
Posts: 8,329 
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Post by Jay Peas 42 on Mar 31, 2008 20:27:21 GMT -5
I'm brought several Dells in the last few years. I've been happy. Try the Inspiron 1525. Keep in mind all the computer companies have sales in July/ August. However, keep in mind that Notebooks only have a two year lifespan.
First of all, your college may have a student purchasing plan. Check with them before you buy, you could be able to get a discount. This includes software, as microsoft will sell office to college students for a hundred dollars. In addition, your school may offer a cheap Anti-virus software. You need this.
Go with a AMD Dual Core Turion, get a decent cache and processor speed. Cache is the overlooked component, but it's the amount of data your processor can hold at a given moment. Put most of your money into the processor, you can always replace the hard drive, you can always add new memory, but the CPU is with you for the life of the machine.
Burners and memory are pretty cheap these days. Screen Size, on the other hand is where the money will start to get eaten up. Too small costs more, too big costs more.
if you go with Dell, look into a four year service plan. This will cost a lot more than 900 dollars, but it will cover any problems for the duration of college.
You may want to look into a PDA/Smartphone. I found this to be invaluable in college for being organized. Get one with a replacable battery. I can't give advice on this one, the machines change so rapidly.
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Post by jaywatts on Mar 31, 2008 20:32:06 GMT -5
Hippppppppppiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee. Just kidding! I don't think you'll be getting a MAC for under $1000. Check into Acer laptops! My Acer has been very dependable in the past couple of years. Under $900 should get you plenty. You can always get a decent dual core laptop with a DVD burner for under $700 and then add a couple more gigs of RAM pretty cheap. With video editing, the more RAM the better. This is about as good as it gets for the money: www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115451Being in IT, I can't recommend Newegg enough! |
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Post by Gopher Mod on Mar 31, 2008 20:36:36 GMT -5
The only thing that I don't have that you want is one of the HP or Compaq brands. However, my laptop is on the market for $700 OBO. If you want more info, please PM me, Mr. Duke. EDIT: It also doesn't have movie editing software. are you saying yours IS an HP/Compaq or ISN'T an HP/Compaq? Because I HATE HP/Compaqs. Horror Stories galore with them. and I'd rather buy brand new, as I want this laptop for college and at least a little beyond. Is not HP. It is a Systemax, and it will still be under warranty until August of 2010 (I originally got the laptop in early August of last year). |
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Post by Baixo Astral on Mar 31, 2008 20:40:19 GMT -5
Make sure to keep it full of Mountain Dew.
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