Comments on: New PC laptop

Question: New PC laptop

specialk420 — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:04:31 -0800

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/

By: box

box — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:19:10 -0800

Thinkpad, Toughbook or Powerbook are the only ones I would consider. In my view, the long-term durability of Alienware, Voodoo, etc. is unproven.

By: dorian

dorian — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:20:08 -0800

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.

By: wzcx

wzcx — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:46:13 -0800

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.

By: stupidcomputernickname

stupidcomputernickname — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:46:17 -0800

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.

By: 31d1

31d1 — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:58:28 -0800

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 :/

By: blueyellow

blueyellow — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:11:11 -0800

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

By: ersatzkat

ersatzkat — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:12:22 -0800

I got this one a couple months ago and couldn't be happier.

By: NotMyselfRightNow

NotMyselfRightNow — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:18:51 -0800

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.

By: miniape

miniape — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:24:38 -0800

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.

By: hardcode

hardcode — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:51:21 -0800

I have a Qosmio G20 and I love it, although the keyboard layout is a little strange

By: specialk420

specialk420 — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:59:43 -0800

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?

By: onalark

onalark — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:23:17 -0800

I own a PowerBook, and they still have a few bugs to iron out I'm sure, but I would seriously consider a MacBook

By: pombe

pombe — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:37:32 -0800

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.

By: lodev

lodev — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:41:51 -0800

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.

By: awesomebrad

awesomebrad — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:48:49 -0800

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.

By: -harlequin-

-harlequin- — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:08:59 -0800

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.

By: -harlequin-

-harlequin- — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:10:48 -0800

(Tablets and convertables also have more emphasis put on long battery life and low weight than normal laptops)

By: krisjohn

krisjohn — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:12:24 -0800

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.

By: specialk420

specialk420 — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:37:12 -0800

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.

By: oflinkey

oflinkey — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 18:13:54 -0800

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.

By: ill3

ill3 — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 18:20:15 -0800

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.

By: JamesMessick

JamesMessick — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 19:44:48 -0800

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.

By: Dasein

Dasein — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 22:58:50 -0800

I don't have much to add to this myself, but I thought this comment from another thread might be useful.

While some people here might recommend an IBM, I've heard from more than one person that their quality has taken a turn for the worse, and in my (limited) personal experience, they've had basic quality-control issues, such as power adapters that don't plug into the computer properly (and when you've got it right, you're afraid to touch the machine).

Also, I know you said you're looking for a PC, but I would second the recommendation that you look at a MacBook Pro. If I were in the market for a high-end laptop, it would be a no-brainer for me. It's simply superior. Though maybe not as useful if you want to do gaming.

By: puffin

puffin — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 04:49:48 -0800

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.

By: TeamBilly

TeamBilly — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:24:16 -0800

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.

By: Dasein

Dasein — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 17:16:01 -0800

No one mentioned my personal fave and present rig - Panasonic Toughbooks.

They were mentioned in the first response.

By: TeamBilly

TeamBilly — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:46:48 -0800

ack. mea culpa