Getting a Laptop Need Help Quick

[Birgitta Noel]

[quote name='jmj' post='1041094' date='Aug 10 2006, 03:52 PM']
Another thing that popped into my head: my University mainly runs Dells. For most of the incoming students who come in, we (I work in tech support for the Uni) recommend them getting a Dell or Mac. We can do limited tech support with Dells and Macs, mainly because we're used to working them them already. Some people bring in Vaios or whatnot and we sometimes can't help them out, their problem is so specific to the brand.
[/quote]

THis is the case at most univ these days. And if you go dell you should be able to get a discount either through your uni or through the dell small business site etc.

[chris]

[quote]The only reason I did not recommend a Mac is because he definitively said it was never happening. I think it should go without saying that when someone asks me what type of laptop to get, I always highly recommend a Mac. Problem is, people think learning a new OS is too hard...Macs are easy[/quote]

Excluding, their extremely high price rating. Heh.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='Convert4888' post='1041226' date='Aug 10 2006, 08:25 PM']
Excluding, their extremely high price rating. Heh.
[/quote]

Yes, but you get what you pay for, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Windows.

[curtins]

DONT get a Gateway

Dell or IBM is your best bet.

I agree get a mac w/ intel & windows.

but I have a dell and its great only thing is now you have to pay for customer tech support which really ticks me off

but otherwise its great

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

You all are pretty harsh on the Gateways. I have never had a problem with them. In fact, this one works fine and it was once thought to be trash because somebody spilled stuff on it.

My suggestion:
Get a barebones kit for $200, built it yourself, download the Kubuntu operating system, and then proceed to enjoy all the money you saved while managing to avoid getting a Windows machine.

[chris]

[quote]Yes, but you get what you pay for, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Windows.

[/quote]


I have said the same thing. The funny thing is that they think that Macs OS is more complicated than windows. Its actaully alot simpler. Heh.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='thedude' post='1041247' date='Aug 10 2006, 08:53 PM']
You all are pretty harsh on the Gateways. I have never had a problem with them. In fact, this one works fine and it was once thought to be trash because somebody spilled stuff on it.

My suggestion:
Get a barebones kit for $200, built it yourself, download the Kubuntu operating system, and then proceed to enjoy all the money you saved while managing to avoid getting a Windows machine.
[/quote]

Mine is from a bad bad experience with their tech support. I had a Gateway Media Center, one of those all in one things, and everything worked great, and I couldn't complain. However, so as to not interrupt others at night, and since I like listening to music, I attached headphones to it, most of the time it worked OK, but sometimes it would make a loud popping noise, which eventually wound up causing me to have no sound. I sent it away, still covered under warranty, they gave no information as to what they did, but the sound worked. So, I checked everything out again, and tried the headphone jack...same thing happened. Only this time the warranty had expired that day. They refused to take it back, and said I had to pay a couple of hundred dollars for them to fix it. I grew incredibly frustrated and thought it really unfair that I had to pay for something that they never fixed in the first place. They ultimately refused and when I tried talking to the head guy, in charge of IT, I could barely understand him, due to language difficulties. He told me he would refer me to someone who could help me, I asked if I would have to pay for that call, he assured me I would not. He forwarded my call to the toll line, I hung up, wanted to punch a wall or them at that time, and just gave up.

A couple of days later, when I was moving it, I dropped it and the screen went all different colors. There was no way to replace or fix it, and I was so frustrated with everything that I harvested it for parts and updated my mom's computer with the workable parts. The rest of it I tossed, swearing off Gateway for the rest of my life.

I can never recommend them or emachines (the company that bought them out) because of how horrible everything was. I can tell you one thing though, when I was dealing with Gateway tech support, before emachines bought them out, they were great, and I was very pleased, once emachines bought them out, their tech support became horrible and their customer service, for lack of a better word, sucked.

I hate Gateway and emachines and can never and will never recommend them again.

If you have to get a laptop get an Intel Mac, you can run both Windows and Mac. But who wants windows anymore anyway? I made a change to the hardware the other day on a desktop and had to revalidate windows. It used to be you could do that by connecting to the internet and validatiing it. Turns out they got rid of that, and now you have to call M$ anytime you make any hardware change to your computer, then explain to them what you did, then they give you a NEW serial number to use.

I am very close to also swearing off Microsoft...they have become way too greedy, making those of us that buy the software to seem like we are the thieves as well. That is why I am looking for more open source options for my Media Center (the one I built) but I still am a great fan for Macs, especially for laptops....that is what I use...an old Powerbook G4, and I have never had any problems.

Just my long - winded .02

Edited August 11, 2006 by Theologian in Training

[jiyoung]

I think the best combination of quality and low price is hp, myself. I bought one this weekend and just got it today. I found a good deal at Circuit City for a really good laptop. They also have a fantastic warranty over there--if they can't fix it, they replace it. That includes stuff like batteries and stuff (because they do end up unable to charge any longer). But hp manufactures its parts here instead of overseas, and supposedly they're just better parts. Compared to IBM and Mac and stuff, it's cheaper, but I think it's still good. But I've been told to keep away from Gateway as well as Dell.

[scardella]

[quote name='curtins' post='1041229' date='Aug 10 2006, 07:29 PM']Dell or IBM is your best bet.[/quote]

I can't believe I forgot about IBM (now Lenovo)... They make really solid laptops. I haven't really had much complaints with those either.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1041307' date='Aug 10 2006, 11:10 PM']
That is why I am looking for more open source options for my Media Center...
[/quote]
If you like the GNOME desktop, go with [url="http://www.ubuntu.com/"]Ubuntu[/url]. If you like the KDE desktop, go with [url="http://www.kubuntu.org/"]Kubuntu[/url]. I used to have a partition for Ubuntu and am thinking about partitioning again for Kubuntu (has a more Windows-like look judging from screenshots). The best part is both are free and they only require one blank CD to install. You can even run them from a Live CD and test them out before installing.

[goldenchild17]

I originally planned on getting a dell because I like them. But I don't have the time to order online and have it shipped. I may go with Mac in the future but I'm just not completely sold on them right now. All people keep saying is that they are much better because they don't get viruses. Well of course they don't, Mac's aren't in wide enough use to make it worth it to build a virus for them. But they will be soon enough then it won't be any different. I've been told by many people that the Gateway's are good, and their customer service is good as well. I guess it depends on who you talk to. I'm thinking I'll try this Gateway. It's my first computer so I can always do better in the future if it doesn't work out.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='goldenchild17' post='1041553' date='Aug 11 2006, 01:42 PM']
I originally planned on getting a dell because I like them. But I don't have the time to order online and have it shipped. I may go with Mac in the future but I'm just not completely sold on them right now. All people keep saying is that they are much better because they don't get viruses. Well of course they don't, Mac's aren't in wide enough use to make it worth it to build a virus for them. But they will be soon enough then it won't be any different. I've been told by many people that the Gateway's are good, and their customer service is good as well. I guess it depends on who you talk to. I'm thinking I'll try this Gateway. It's my first computer so I can always do better in the future if it doesn't work out.
[/quote]

But it is not just because they don't get viruses and are not as prone to spy/adware. They run faster, in my experience, they are very network friendly, as opposed to M$, the programs they have are seamless and work very well, due to the fact that the software is built alongside of the hardware, unlike M$ that designs their OS telling the hardware designers to make sure it work...hence so many driver failures, blue screen, etc. Also, in a Mac if a program crashes, just the program crashes, you right click, click on "force quit," problem solved, no rebooting, no blue screen. And, here is the clincher, you can actually restart the program again, without having to reboot the computer.

I also like my Mac because I have an iPod and there is seamless integration with the iPod, iTunes, and the Mac. There is also a cool little thing that I have used a lot...true multi task power. You know how if you have maybe five or six different windows open, say one is iTunes, one is Word, two or three are different internet pages? Well, whereas you have to Shift Tab in Windows, you merely hit F9 on your Mac, and every screen can be seen, you merely click on the screen you want, and there you go. Macs also, imho, are easier to use than windows.

Again, just my .02, I just really don't want to see you be unhappy with your first computer, and, believe me, as much as I hate to say it, you will have a problem.

Just another friendly warning.

God Bless

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1041635' date='Aug 11 2006, 02:10 PM']and, believe me, as much as I hate to say it, you will have a problem.

Just another friendly warning.
[/quote]

Well when I do, trust me, I will remember this . But I'm picking the gateway up today. I'll probably try a Mac someday in the future, but not now.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='goldenchild17' post='1041661' date='Aug 11 2006, 05:05 PM']
Well when I do, trust me, I will remember this . But I'm picking the gateway up today. I'll probably try a Mac someday in the future, but not now.
[/quote]

Well, I hope I am wrong...good luck with your purchase.

God Bless