New PC laptop

January 27, 2006 12:04 PM

New laptop filter. If you were going to purchase a new PC laptop - at the high end of the spectrum - which one would you pull the trigger on? primarily a desktop replacement - wide screen and bright screen, good graphics card are the most important features

weight would be the next. If I could get a Ti-book that ran windows exclusively and had a very bright high gloss screen that are all the rage on some pc laptops i would be a happy man.

This asus is looking interesting:
http://usa.asus.com/

posted by specialk420 to Shopping (25 answers total)

Thinkpad, Toughbook or Powerbook are the only ones I would consider. In my view, the long-term durability of Alienware, Voodoo, etc. is unproven.
posted by box at 12:19 PM on January 27, 2006

for price, centrino. whatever dell the latest deal is on, that shit is damned-cheep.

for everlasting redemption of the soul, amd 64 bit. asus or msi or acer.
posted by dorian at 12:20 PM on January 27, 2006

I have to agree with box- but I will add that my expensive-as-hell Dell M70 is awfully nice too, and has a kick-ass 1920x1200 15.4" screen.
posted by wzcx at 12:46 PM on January 27, 2006

I have had gateway, dell, toshiba and IBM laptops. The gateway was horrible, the dell and toshibas were OK, and the IBMs were awesome: built like a tank and fast, but expensive.

Since you are getting a PC, I would check out this, and make sure that you get something that will run Vista, which should release this summer.
posted by stupidcomputernickname at 12:46 PM on January 27, 2006

My friend has a vaio vgn-s560p and it seems like the HOTNESS. It has sata and the cool new ram and all sorts of neatness to the point that I want one :/
posted by 31d1 at 12:58 PM on January 27, 2006

The Toshiba Qosimo G30 is my current laptop wet dream:

Processor: Intel Dual Core T2500 Processor (2Ghz)
Screen Size: 17" HD WUXGA (1920~1080 - Full HD!)
RAM: 1GB RAM (512MB x 2)
Hard Drive Capacity: 240GB HDD (2 x 120GB, 5400RPM)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce Go7600
Primary Optical Drive: DVD SuperMulti drive (Double Layer)
Wireless: Wireless LAN Card (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g)
Weight: 9.47 lbs
posted by blueyellow at 1:11 PM on January 27, 2006

I got this one a couple months ago and couldn't be happier.
posted by ersatzkat at 1:12 PM on January 27, 2006

Since 1999, I've had a Gateway, a Dell, and three Thinkpads. If it came down to a decision between a Thinkpad and anything, I'd take the Thinkpad in a heartbeat. They're second to none.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:18 PM on January 27, 2006

Get an IBM (Or whoever makes the ThinkPads now) and don't ever think twice about it. Whatever you do don't buy an HP or a compaq.

I used an IBM for work for a year and it was the most wonderful computer I've ever had. I've had an HP for about a year and a half and I've had a faulty cd-burner, a battery that doesn't work at all and I think my hard drive's about to shit the bed. It has a nice big monitor and that's about it.
posted by miniape at 1:24 PM on January 27, 2006

I have a Qosmio G20 and I love it, although the keyboard layout is a little strange
posted by hardcode at 1:51 PM on January 27, 2006

Response by poster: i like the IBMs as well.. but they are lacking in screensize/brightness. what about sony? anything thin and cool with a nice big bright screen?
posted by specialk420 at 1:59 PM on January 27, 2006

I own a PowerBook, and they still have a few bugs to iron out I'm sure, but I would seriously consider a MacBook
posted by onalark at 2:23 PM on January 27, 2006

I have a friend who loves his Alienware laptop. It's heavy and cranks out a ton of heat, but it's apparently as fast as his desktop for gaming and photoshop.
posted by pombe at 2:37 PM on January 27, 2006

I have used (and sometimes owned) laptops by various brands.
My opinion, worth 2 cents, is usually based on one particular model, though I have used multiple models of the two brands I'm recommending without any problem.

Don't buy:

• Compaq: sucks. heavy bricks, bad battery, bad drivers
• Dell: sucks
• Acer: heavy bricks. slow
• HP: flimsy. also, see Compaq
• Benq: usually quite nice. Not too robust, though. (Think: fisher price) Quality varies between models.

Do buy:

• Apple. I've used and owned both iBooks an PowerBooks. I currently own a PowerBook (nowadays called MacBook Pro). It's my favourite machine, even though I'm a tad disappointed by the robustness, actually. Also, maybe wait after the initial bugs which are bound to appear in a couple of months are smoothed out).
• IBM Thinkpads. Nowadays they're sold by Lenovo, but they're still the best Wintel laptop money can buy. They're expensive, but I've used them for years, and think they're worth every penny. Especially check out the T series if you want ultra strong (throw it in your backpack everyday without any problems) and lightweight.

I've also heard some nice things about Sony Vaios, but never used them myself.

Also, don't even think about Packard Bell.
posted by lodev at 2:41 PM on January 27, 2006

I love my Asus V6V although there are widely reported (and I have experienced these as well) heat issues. Apparently they're fixed in the current V6Va, and mine are solved by opening it up and dusting off the heat sink (more like a lint trap) every few months.
posted by awesomebrad at 2:48 PM on January 27, 2006

My usual suggestion is that the extra cost of a convertable laptop (ie a desktop replacement laptop that folds into in a tablet-PC) is well worth it for the ergonomic benefit alone, even if you have no interest in art, photoshop, or note taking.

The range of models is also smaller, which makes it a lot easier to pick the best one for you (though the flip side of course, is less choice).

(I didn't even want a desktop replacement, just something portable and good for DVDs, but the convertable tablet-PC unexpectedly, single-handedly relegated the desktop to gathering dust, nearly completely unused.
posted by -harlequin- at 3:08 PM on January 27, 2006

(Tablets and convertables also have more emphasis put on long battery life and low weight than normal laptops)
posted by -harlequin- at 3:10 PM on January 27, 2006

Brands I recommend: Sharp, Fujitsu and (only for laptops and mostly for games) Dell. I used to recommend Sony before they went insane (they're dropping product lines at the moment and I'd have serious concerns about future support.)

Much as I hate dealing with Dell, your mention of graphics card being important points to them.

I like Asus for other stuff, but I haven't any experience with their laptops.
posted by krisjohn at 4:12 PM on January 27, 2006

Response by poster: The toshiba does look nice - but it's heavy as horse - the asus is a full 2lbs lighter with the same screen size. curious.

I have been a fujitsu user for the last couple years - but am looking to try something fresh.

its really suprising to me that no one has cloned the mac powerbooks.
posted by specialk420 at 4:37 PM on January 27, 2006

Husband has a Fujitsu, and he loves it. It is huge, but that is what he wanted.
My high-powered tech geek friend has a Vaio and loves it.
My nex laptop is going to be a Vaio. Do not get a Gateway. Stay away from Dell.
posted by oflinkey at 6:13 PM on January 27, 2006

If you want a Ti-book that runs windows check out the Thinkpad Z series. Not all titanium, but you can get a Ti top. I have a Z60M and it's the best laptop I have ever owned, and I have been switching laptops about every 9 months for the last 7 or 8 years and have owned most brands (Dell, Compaq, HP, Fujitsu, Sony, Asus, IBM, Sharp). Never have owned a Gateway, Apple or Acer - so can't compare.
posted by ill3 at 6:20 PM on January 27, 2006

Got an Acer recently. Big manufacturer but don't advertise as much as Dell, so somewhat less well known. Very solid so far. I'd buy another.
posted by JamesMessick at 7:44 PM on January 27, 2006

Whatever you do, don't get a Gateway. Within a year, the ethernet card and sound card were busted, and it overheated (and shutdown without warning) at least once every month or two.

I replaced my Gateway laptop with an IBM (now Lenovo, but funnily enough it still has the IBM logo on it) ThinkPad, and couldn't be happier with it. Everything just works, it's light and sturdy and the keyboard is really nice. I also like having both the touchpad and trackpoint. Also, judging from my last ThinkPad, they last forever. My old secondhand "designed for Win95" ThinkPad 600 is still in great condition, other than the fact that it only has about a 5GB HD.
posted by puffin at 4:49 AM on January 28, 2006

No one mentioned my personal fave and present rig -

Panasonic Toughbooks.

They are built hardcore - you don't have to get the mil-spec versions - the T4, W4, Y2 and Y4 models are excellent. And quite durable. I have an old CF-T1 and I still love it, it's just getting a little long in the tooth for the VoIP applications I run.

I've used and carried Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, Compaq and others over the years. Nothing compares to the Toughbooks in terms of quality and reliability, in my experience. They do cost a little more, but, IMHO, worth it.
posted by TeamBilly at 12:24 PM on January 28, 2006

ack. mea culpa
posted by TeamBilly at 12:46 PM on January 29, 2006