Need New Laptop

[dude_56013]

I would've gotten ASUS over Acer anyways...

 

[latkingz781]

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[lhuser]

I wouldn't buy an Acer laptop unless someone gave me a million dollars and I couldn't find anything better to use it on than a future paper weight and/or doorstop.

Just my 2 cents, but I've had a few Acers roll through my shop...even though they were only a year or two old, they've had both aesthetic and physical (hardware) problems up the wazoo. I personally would stick with Sony (though, I don't think they offer anything at your price point), HP, or Lenovo. I'm not a Dell fan, but, if worse comes to worse, check them out. I'm surprised J hasn't been around to this one. He's the laptop guy usually. I can dig up a few things tomorrow if no one else has replied.

Also, though you'll pay sales tax at the manufacturers website, I'd much prefer to buy that way than thru NewEgg.

I've never had problems with Acer. I've had 4 at home, and all were good and they're all good (1 laptop and 3 desktops).

I would've gotten ASUS over Acer anyways...

I find ASUS laptops...a bit overpriced sometimes, but yeah, ASUS is better than Acer/

 

[dude_56013]

I've never had problems with Acer. I've had 4 at home, and all were good and they're all good (1 laptop and 3 desktops).

See, I think it has LARGELY to do with what you do with them and how experienced you are as a user. If you know nothing about computers and how to keep them tidy, clean, and in good working order, pretty much any laptop is going to work for you. For the average user who doesn't know much about technology, I recommend a little bit high quality (I hesitate to use that word, for lack of a better one) laptop like Lenovo, Sony, and others. I usually recommend against Compaq, Dell (not all the time, but always the low quality cheap-os that every company has), Acer and Toshiba (again, not all).

At the end of the day, it's all personal opinion and experience.

I find ASUS laptops...a bit overpriced sometimes, but yeah, ASUS is better than Acer/

They can be a bit overpriced at times, but when you wait for deals on them you can usually get a steal. Generally speaking, though, they tend to be as good of quality (minus battery life, usually) as their more expensive counterparts--Sony, Lenovo, HP, etc.

 

[ddac]

Sorry to hijack this thread....but I'm in the same shoes as the OP. I allocated a $600 - $700 budget for a new laptop.

I currently have a '06 Dell Inspiron 640m (14.1" screen). This was my first laptop. Although the laptop works fine, it's time for an upgrade. The battery is completely dead. The power supply acts up once in a while (the cable seems to act up and no power gets to the power supply) and the hinge that holds the screen in place is loose (common on Dells....I think).

My budget for this new notebook is around $600. $700 would be the absolute maximum I'm willing to spend. Seems like laptops aren't made to last???

I've been doing some research and it looks like the technology today has been greatly improved. Because I don't have experience with other brands, I'm thinking of sticking with Dell.

Here are two notebooks (both 14") that caught my eye (and is within my budget). I don't know much about their Studio line....which is why I'm here. Both these machines cost the same. They go for $649. They seem similarly spec'd as well.

Which is the better machine? As you can see from the comparison below:
The Inspiron has more RAM (4GB vs 3GB)
The Inspiron has a slower spinning HDD (5,400rpm vs 7,200rpm)
The Inspiron has a lower quality camera (1.3pixel vs 2.0pixel)
The Inspiron has a longer Antivirus software (15 months vs 30 days)
The Inspiron has a better warranty (1 yr basic service vs 1 yr mail-in service).

My main use for this laptop will be mostly for web browsing, Excel files, word docs, music, pictures, online banking, youtube watching, home video editing, and the occasional game (very very little).

In terms of weight, durability, keyboard comfort, etc., do you know which machine would be better?

I'm mainly concerned about durability. I want this next computer to last more than 3 years!

Thanks in advance for any opinions or advice. If you don't like Dell and would like to recommend a different machine, I'm open to anything. Hopefully, with your help through personal experience, I'll be able to pick a good budget notebook.

Thanks again.

Again, both these notebooks are $650 on Dell's website.

Here's an HP I found. It's $50 more expensive ($700)...but has 4GB of RAM and 500GB @ 7,200.

http://www.amazon.com/Pavilion-DV4-...f=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1265611169&sr=1-34

Do you guys have any opinion of HP notebooks in general? How do they compare to Dells?

 

[latkingz781]

Hey guys, I'm the original OP. I still have yet to buy the laptop haha, I decided to wait a bit more. SO any new deals this week because I think its time!