Laptop Buying Advice

[Gamble]

I'm looking into buying a new laptop for using at college and taking to work with me and such..

I'm looking for something with around the specs of this one I found on the Dell website. I've heard Dell doesn't have the greatest reputation so I was wondering if someone could either shed some light on this set up or point me in the direction of something comparable for maybe even less money?

Here is the setup I made on their site, I think they are having some sale:
My Components
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5200 (1.6GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
MEMORY 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM
HARD DRIVE 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
OPTICAL DRIVE 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
VIDEO CARD 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
SOUND OPTIONS Integrated Audio

My Accessories
BATTERY OPTIONS 53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
WIRELESS CARDS Intel PRO/Wireless 3945a/g

1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service

Edit: I guess I should put the price in :P

This laptop would cost me 977$ on the Dell website.



Thanks in advance for any help given...:)

[PrntRhd]

The best names for laptops year after year:
Lenovo (IBM)
Toshiba- they make their own unlike many other brands.
Acer Travelmate- very good bang for the $$$

HP is improving, an acceptable choice depending on the model.

Dell has a history of not providing acceptable consumer support. A one year warranty is thin indeed, and calling offshore support only to be told to reformat and restore your drive does not make that any easier to accept.

[Gamble]

Alright, I looked around at those brands and it seems like HP is the only one where I can get those specs for around the same price...

The HP DV6000t with the following specs is 1,071 with free shipping:

Operating System Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T5200(1.60GHz/2MB L2Cache)
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Display 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
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Graphics Card 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7400
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Personalization HP Imprint Finish + Microphone
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Memory 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
edit
Hard Drive FREE Upgrade from 60GB 5400 RPM to 80GB 5400 RPM
edit
Primary CD/DVD Drive FREE Upgrade: 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
edit
Networking Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
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Primary Battery High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
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Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
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OS and Recovery Media System Recovery DVD w/Windows Vista Home Premium


Would that be a better buy or do you think I should I keep searching around for a better company?

[PrntRhd]

I would check out www.Newegg.com for "deals" on notebooks, and would also recommend you keep an open mind re XP Pro.
They have 64 different notebooks listed there just in that one section and will show you all sorts of different configurations and brands.
What is best for you is one that has the size and features you need for the price you want.

[Gamble]

Alright, thank you for all your help and your quick replies.

:)

[PrntRhd]

Alright, thank you for all your help and your quick replies.
My pleasure.
:)
The most important thing is to get one that works for you, so after you buy it you won't regret passing over a different one. The more you know about notebooks the more likely you will make a good decision.
Take a week or two to look at the choices, don't get pressured by a kiosk salesperson or single vendors.

[classicsoftware]

Alright, I looked around at those brands and it seems like HP is the only one where I can get those specs for around the same price...

The HP DV6000t with the following specs is 1,071 with free shipping:

Operating System Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T5200(1.60GHz/2MB L2Cache)
edit
Display 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
edit
Graphics Card 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7400
edit
Personalization HP Imprint Finish + Microphone
edit
Memory 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
edit
Hard Drive FREE Upgrade from 60GB 5400 RPM to 80GB 5400 RPM
edit
Primary CD/DVD Drive FREE Upgrade: 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
edit
Networking Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
edit
Primary Battery High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
edit
Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
edit
OS and Recovery Media System Recovery DVD w/Windows Vista Home Premium


Would that be a better buy or do you think I should I keep searching around for a better company?

Please make sure the university supports VISTA and if they do, make sure they support the Home Edition. At present, my daughter's university DOES NOT support Vista and the IT department will NOT provide any support to students who have VISTA on their PC's.