Choosing a laptop

[atlantisburn]

I have been given the task of finding a laptop for my father in law. I am a desktop person so here is what I think I know..

Well that is pretty much it.

He is looking for something that can travel in an RV, smaller than desktop, wireless capability (is it better built in or USB)that will have the best pick up at campsite or hotel. Price around $1200

Best type of mfg, speed, battery on different CPU versions.

I notice some smaller versions lacking the keys to the right, why do I need these keys?

What are the pro and cons of laptops?

I am hearing dell bla, gateway very bad, HP and compaq good. What about IBM Leveno or Toshiba or even Acer?

 

[rvnguy]

Portability, size vs weight.

I'll give 2 choices one small & light, smaller display.

Other larger display & heavier.

I vote for built in wireless (Centrino). And make the assumption that it will be primarily for email & web activity. No HP applications or games. But with a future(which is 1-3 years today)
These assume a Windows OS, and the future requirement for performance.
My opinion, if dedicated to email & web surfing, a much less expensive NB could be obtained & run on a linux distro i.e. knopix, Ubuntu or a similiar Desktop version.

Smaller & lighter

Toshiba 12.1 2.8lbs(need additional 512MB Memory)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834114211

15.4 WXGA display(heavier @6.6lbs)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834115223

They are many in this price range and this is by no means a comnplete list.

Hope this assists

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[j0ckser]

there are some other considerations:
*what country is he in? i can only offer suggestions for canada.
*how much time on the road? if on the road lots, then buying from an outfit like dell might work as they have service across the NA continent. if not much, buy from a local shop for ease of tech support and repair.
*how much computer expertise does he have? this will tell you how much sophistication he needs with the purchase
*STRONG SUGGESTION - get the longest service warranty available
p.s. if you are buying from dell, MAKE SURE they have him as the buyer. when he calls for tech support they may ask security questions related to purchaser and it's easier if it's him.

i purchased a dell latitudeD600 2.5 years ago and it's given me great service. dell also have been excellent with support and replacements of broken stuff.

per ardua ad astra

 

[atlantisburn]

Thanks all. He found a Toshiba at Sam's Club
with exstended 4 year warranty for additional $200. Which I thought was great.

 

[orypecos]

I hope he has better luck than I did with Toshiba. Every time I download the new patches from the Toshiba website my machine locked up and tech support was worthless. But that was years ago, so maybe they are ok now.
I have never seen any good deals at Sam's club on entree level computers. Even the odd ball brand names that they had cost more than a Dell. Not to say I don't shop at Sam's, but you really need to know what the going price is about town, cuz Sam's is still sometimes more expensive.

 

[atlantisburn]

Thanks

 

[atlantisburn]

Actualy I would like to here from others about Toshiba.

 

[dglienna]

IBM's are probably the best laptops that money can buy, but they aren't cheap. I'm partial to HP laptops, myself, as I've owned about 4 of them over the years, and am using one now.

HP/Compaq, Toshiba and a lot of the other ones are all made with the same parts, and most are assembled by the same company, so the difference is slight.

It all depends on what parts were installed inside.

High-end systems generally use good parts, that are reliable.

I don't like DELL laptops, but haven't really seen any high-end units. Mostly cheapie $599+ units that have pretty bad equipment inside.

We sold a real nice Toshiba today. Had all the bells and whistles, but it had an AMD processor. The screen was 15.4', though. We sold it for $850.

-David
2006 Microsoft Valueable Professional (MVP)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[Xaqte]

I bought a Toshiba once, and it will be the last. It was a real powerhouse for the time, and still would be if it were not for a video card problem numerous owners encountered... including me.

I paid too much for that to happen after 2 years. I currently have a Dell... happy so far, but it has only been one year.

Mind you, I use my laptop numerous times a day... nearly every day.

Good Luck!

X

 

[jurgen36]

Have a dell C840 for the last 3 years, no probs at all, ok was very expensive compared to other units 3000 $+ but so far trouble free. Uses the P4 2.0M processor and 1 gig of memory. Can do anything I can do with my P4EE desktop. Also have two IBM lap tops, dont like them much, too slow compared to the dell. Had one Toshiba, just lasted out of warranty and the main bord packed up.
Regards

Jurgen

 

[orypecos]

I had my Toshiba for about 4 or 5 years, and as I mentioned, I had software problems, but no hardware problems at all. But I rarely moved it though, so that saved on wear and tear a lot.