<p>We are trying to choose a laptop for my eldest son. Eldest son knows nothing about them (other than how to use one). My younger son (major computer geek) thinks we should be buying a computer made by a company called ABS. My husband thinks we should just get a Dell. What do you think???</p>
<p>I've heard of ABS, but I wouldn't recommend it for your older son who has no PC knowledge. If something goes wrong, I think their support is quite limited, making them worthwhile only for computer geeks like your younger son.</p>
<p>Go with the Dell, like your husband wants. Your son will have no problems with getting help and support, perhaps even on his own campus, if something goes wrong.</p>
<p>Also look at ThinkPads, because of their strong reliability and support. If you want more details on that, then check out the many testimonials on this board.</p>
<p>Buy whatever your son's campus supports. Most schools have a preferred brand and offer some level of on-site support. If he were more computer literate, the recommendation might be different. Personally, I think Dell's customer support is so poor that I wouldn't own one. Thinkpads have the best support, along with Apple.</p>
<p>ABS produces the "Mayhem" line of laptops. The name alone may give you pause... The company is best known for its gaming desktop and laptop computers. If your eldest son is going to be majoring in "Battlefield 2", this could be a smart buy.</p>
<p>Dell laptops are sold at most colleges with educational discounts and some technical support. CC opinion seems to favor the Dell Latitude (business) line over their Inspiron models. The business machines seem to be built with better materials.</p>
<p>Before making a decision, consider what your son's major will be in college. Different fields may require software that runs best on a particular platform. I've seen posts from students that have bought an Apple laptop only to discover that his major's software runs only on a Windows based machine. And the reverse is also true... some fields have only Apple based software.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody. I think I'll wait now a little bit and see if Dell puts out any more good coupons for the Latitude.</p>
<p>My favorite laptops are the IBM Thinkpad (if you want a PC) and Apple Powerbook if you want mac. They are both very reliable and easy to use.</p>