which notebook is best?

[jazzycat]

Hello. I am in the market for a notebook. I have never owned a notebook, so I don't really know anything about them. I don't know what kind of notebook to buy, or if I should look into buying a Mac (yes I know this site is about PC's, but I want objectivity on all fronts).

I want either a widescreen or a partial widescreen, and I will be using it for writing, playing games and surfing, but I also hope to learn some graphics and editing as well, which is why I thought a Mac would be good. Most of my experience has been on PC's however, so I don't know about having to learn a whole new system.

Gateway has a model I like, but I have been told Gateway computers are not very good and the service is lacking. I was told that Dell's are both very well put together and have excellent service. I was informed that Sony's are good, but they don't have a widescreen model yet. I will buying something sometime in the next couple of weeks. I want something that will last at least 5 or 6 years. Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks ever so much.

[killercow]

Welcome to

Gateway isn't that bad, and you are correct; Dell's are considered to be the best value because of their quality and service when it comes to personal computers.
I'm not sure if this is the widescreen you want but you can customize it on the website but here's the Inspiron 5150 with new P4 3.06ghz procecessor m. If you want it for multimedia and gaming I would customize it with a larger Hard Drive and more RAM, 512mb should be sufficient. But if you want to go all out with your gaming and multimedia the best is:
Voodoo Envy m:750
This bad boy's got everything you'll ever need for multimedia and your widedscreen.
ALSO THERE'S:
the Alienware MobileArea-51m™ Enthusiast
For around $800 dollars less and will give you good performance.

So if you've got the money and want to get the best performance for your video, multimedia, and gaming in a notebook bo for the Voodoo or Alienware. If you want one that will fit your budget better and still do the stuff you want it there's the Dell.

You'll probably hear for some of the more wise than me that what I told you is a little steep. Also I am not familiar with Mac.

[jazzycat]

Hey killer, thanks for the input. Those two notebooks you recommended are freaking beautiful!, but way out of my price range. I was just on the phone with a guy from Dell (no it wasn't Steve ) and he was very helpful. I will probably end up buying there, I guess. I was going to go with Gateway because they have a store here and everything, but a couple of people have told me not to. I'm confused. Anyway, I'm looking at the Inspiron 8600 15.4 Widescreen, with a 60 gig hardrive and 512 megs of ram, which I believe is way sufficient.

I probably won't be buying it for at least a few days, so more input is still appreciated.

[Budfred]

I use a Dell at work and I had a really bad experience getting support from them... They basically told me that it was my employer's fault for buying at a discounted price... apparently the millions my employer was spending on PCs from Dell was not enough to justify good service... Ironically, the info I needed turned out to be on the hard drive, but they either didn't know or didn't want to say. I only found it by browsing files in WinExplorer...

The truth is that most of the major companies make good computers and you will always find a person or two to tell you why they are not a good company to buy from. I would look closely at support options for the company and warranties since most work out of the box, but if they don't, you will want good, prompt and polite service.

Dell retains a reputation for good service, but it has declined over the years. Same with Gateway. They are both still near the top, but almost every company has declined as they have cut prices and reduced costs to cover the cuts....

[jazzycat]

Budfred, wow. This is the first bad thing I've heard about Dell. Of course I would buy the extended warranty for four years, and most likely the in-home warranty, so they will have to come to me if it can't be fixed by me through tech support over the phone. They also have a full accident coverage thing for $59 extra, where it's covered if you drop it in the pool or spill a drink on it or something. I would also get that. Gateway does have something similar as well, and I was set on a Gateway until someone advised me against it. I just don't want to be stuck with a lemon, or with a company that doesn't stand by it's product.

So... if you were going to buy a notebook, what kind would you get?

[karatekid3d]

If you want a notebook, and your want to game, there is NOTHING better then a Sager. I have a 5680 as your can read in my sig and they do have a widescreen (4760), but that will very soon be replaced by a new model (4780) with upgraded 800Mhz FSB and the M10 video card with 128 MB of RAM among other things. Here is a link to the specs/preorder, also check out PC Torque's (their Sager reseller and run the sagerforums) Reseller Ratings which is amazingly high. I would HIGHLY recomend the Sager 5680 because that's what i have. Anyone reading this feel free to PM me of check out www.sagerforums.com where I am a fairly active member. As far as i'm concerned there is NO better laptop period, especially when you consider the price.

Here is a link to my review of the 5680.

If you prefer you can Instant Message me at "Karatek3d", i'm on a lot and know a LOT about Sager.

[Budfred]

My take on extended warranties: they are a good way that the company can make extra money by getting you to gamble on their product being a piece of crap.... Generally if the computer is going to fail, it is going to fail in the first few months. If you don't mind spending the extra and it gives you peace of mind, go for it...

The accident policy might make a bit more sense, but then your betting on the product not being able to handle a simple fall without damage (and unfortunately that is true of most machines).

As for what brand I would buy... not sure... I have looked at used machines a number of times, but never needed one enough to go for it. Since I have one supplied by my employer, I certainly don't need one now. The ones I have been most interested in are some of the Toshibas, but I have heard some bad things about them around here, so I would have to investigate further if I was going to invest in a new one. I once had a Zeos Pocket PC and later had a little 286 (I forget the brand) and both worked okay, but I didn't use either enough to justify what I paid for them. The Zeos also ate batteries like candy, but they aren't around anymore anyway....

[PrntRhd]

I have my personal Toshiba I use at work for network connection stuff, I bought it because I found it at a great price ($899.00) and it has what I was looking for.

I had looked at Dell Inspiron when I came across my Toshiba.

I have used Compaq and HP and Dell Latitudes. I have friends who swear by Sonys.

You can find users who hate any or all of them. I have friends who have Gateway notebooks too, they have issues sometimes, just a lot cheaper to find drives for them on E-Bay...most laptops are made by the same people anyway.

[karatekid3d]

If you are going to game or want a full desktop replacement you need a Sager, no exceptions. Even the Current Alienware Area-51m can't come close. Here's a link of the Area-51m with some benchmarks comparing it to both a desktop and a 5680. I think you'll be pretty supprised how well the 5680 help up against the Alienware.

[Budfred]

You know karatekid3d, I am beginning to think you might like those Sager laptops...

[jazzycat]

karatekid, thanks for the link. I really like what it offers, but I am not a tech person when it comes to computers, and someone else advised me that Sager's are really good for techies. It does seem like a really sweet machine though, and the price is great!

[karatekid3d]

Yes, i am a Sager monger because it is simply a great machine. While they are great for techie people trust me there are plenty of people who own them who don't know much about computers (just look at some of the questions Sager owners post on the Sagerforums ). Basically Sager laptops are good for ANYONE who wants power and preformance in an innexpensive package. For my money they're the best notebook out there. If you need ANY help configuring a machine for your price/needs feel more then free to contact me.


I really show see if Sager would hire me, i advertise them more then they do .

[Mark Miller]

Compaq- Hp x1000 Nx7000 series Cetrino chip wide screen 15.4 dvd/rw under $2000. Can start as low as 1299
Have the X for 2 months and love it
www.hp.com
www.compaq.com
Check them out
Mark By the way only 6.5 pounds

[karatekid3d]

My sister-in-law's dad has one of those, it's a fairly nice machine. I felt kind of bad for him because he wouldn't even turn it on untill i gave him advice on what to do ( ), so i just told him he couldn't hurt anything and to just turn it on. Sure enough within about 2 hours he was nailed with the Blaster Worm, so i had to have him over and patch everything up for him

[Steve]

I've been using a Toshiba 2405 for over a year now with complete success. It does everything I need (I'm not a gamer). It's traveled many miles in the back of a Jeep, used on many construction sites and in many motel rooms. Connects with the lan at work and to my home lan, back and forth, without a hitch. The only thing I've done is bump the RAM from 256MB to 512MB. It came with XP and was dead dog slow with only 256MB.

I don't know anything about Toshiba customer service because I haven't needed it.

[jazzycat]

I just spoke with my brother, who swears by Apple. They just cost so much more. Waaaahhhhh! Any of you people know about Apple/PC comparisons? Especially as to editing and picture contenet, like using Photoshop?

[Budfred]

I have a friend who does web site design and development for a lot of big companies and they have gradually migrated from being mostly Apple based to mostly PCs now. The edge that Apple had in graphics seems to have faded and it is mainly used still because it carries a reputation that it used to be superior...

[pave_spectre]

My sisters a photographer who does a fair bit of digital editing, and she wants nothing but a Mac .
Frankly I think those who think Macs are 'Better' dont actually keep track of computer advances and still think macs are significantly more stable, and thats just not the case anymore so the extra cost is hardly justifiable.

And photoshop on PC is vitually identical to photoshop on Mac and files can be transferred between the two easily.

Save yourself some dough and avoid the Apple.

[classicsoftware]

I've had several clients with bad experience with DEll laptops. I usually recommend only three brands of laptops:

1) ACER. Their laptops have been good since they bought TI. I have an el-cheapo model that I use to log onto client's networks for large file transfers and just something to take with me on vacation in case I have to work while I'm away. It's been great to me.

2) IBM. The thinkpads are great, well built computers. They are rugged and stand up well to travel.

3) Toshiba. Long considered the "Lexus" of laptops. I have no personal experience with Toshiba, but they rate high in almast every review.

You can't go wrong with any of the three brands.

What model you get will depend on what you want. You can get one like mine for around $900.00 or you can get a super deluxe model with Pentium M, built in wireless for UP TO $2500.00.

I would go for the largest,fastest hard drive, and a large screen. A Centrino will provide better battery life and give you built in wireless, but will cost more than a standard Pentium. What is your budget?

[jazzycat]

I would like to stay under $2000, including the warranty. My first computer was an Acer, years ago. A 486. I don't remember having any problems with it. My sister ended up with it. I do not trust Toshiba products, because I bought a DVD player that started messing up within 3 months after purchasing it. I don't really know anything about IBM computers.

The Dell I was looking at (Inspiron 8600) comes with a Pentium®M Processor, 1.4 GHz, 15.4 in WXGA, Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional, 512MB, DDR, 333MHz 2 Dimms, 60GB2 Ultra ATA Hard Drive, 24X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive with Sonic RecordNow, and a 2 Year Limited Warranty plus 2 Year At-Home Service. It is $1499, after rebate. I can add the movie bundle for $466 and get a Canon ZR60 MiniDV Digital Video Camcorder, Canon ZR Accessory Kit and Canon Deluxe Tripod. I don't know. It sounds like a pretty god deal. I'll have to check out how much that camera costs somewhere else to make sure the price is good. And I would most likely extend the warranty for two years. Oh, the computer also comes with a free digital camera & printer (Kodak 6230 2MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and a Dell A920 All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer).

[Mark Miller]

You will love the 15.4 wide screen. I have it on a Compaq. I go to a board just for the X1000 and the Dell is compared very favorably with it. That is a very good price for that setup. As said the Cetrino chip really helps battery life [3-4 hours]. Also I think the Dell is also fairly light [under 7 lbs]
Go for it. One caveat, Classic is correct in that the Toshiba's are the "Lexus" of the notebook business, but so is the Sager.
That Dell setup and price is very good.
Mark

[jazzycat]

Mark, thanks for the input. I just ordered the Dell a little while ago. I can't stop smiling. I didn't get the camcorder, because I found another place where I can upgrade and it is less money. Can't wait to get it. I'm SO excited. (heeheehee)

[classicsoftware]

I Think if you are going to do this and plunk down this kind of money, I would go with Centrino.

Check these out: click here

[jazzycat]

The one I ordered does have Centrino, and for less than those prices. I'm happy with what I ordered. I can't wait to get it and try it out.

I want to thank everyone for their input. I would've liked to buy the Sager, but the Dell was just a better buy for me at his moment in time. Maybe in the future...hmmm. I'll let you guys know how I like it when it gets here. Bye for now.