<p>my dell (only two years old...) died twice within that time period. by "die" i mean, the hard drive was basically killed so it couldn't boot up. why? poor design of vents and heat flow... which i find out after the fact from the tech guy.</p>
<p>i have now switched to the macbook i'm typing this on, and could not be happier! some problems installing leopard, but, i suggest you install it immediately after getting a macbook (if you do so) to avoid any file loss. macbook problems pale in comparison to having lost all my work, twice, on two hard drives, just because of faulty design and moderate computer use (and yes, failure to back up my files...)</p>
<p>my main suggestion: whatever you choose, RESEARCH IT!!! find out any weaknesses in advance. had i known about my dell's inherent overheating problems, i would have taken additional precautions or not bought the darn thing in the first place. not worth what i spent on it, let me tell you.</p>
<p>every computer has its problems. the best thing is to know about them in advance so you can avoid them- so do your research!!!</p>
<p>lol! well i was kinda stupid and paid fairly good dough for... a fairly crappy computer. then again harddrives were more expensive 2 years ago... but still it amounted to several hundred dollars more than my macbook, plus the money for repairs and a new harddrive = lost investment.</p>
<p>oh well. student discount on macbook and iwork and i should be set for the next four or five years, with any luck!</p>
<p>macbooks tend to run really hot (almost burning hot to the touch) themselves, partially because apple is so adamant about silent computers that the fan rarely comes on. apple even advises you not to use them on your lap (and they never refer to them as laptops).</p>
<p>The sad thing is that my MacBook fans are almost always on. I could be using one program and my fans would be on. </p>
<p>When I look at a Sony product, I can't help but think whoever bought one spent 10-20% more than they should have if they were to buy another brand. I remember my friend saying tech support sucks and I remember building the same computer with dell for 600$ cheaper. The only difference was the Sony had a built in finger print scanner and a web camera. But maybe they got better. I last checked prices a year ago so I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Otherwise, if you got one of their low weight models, they are pretty nice. They don't weigh a lot and look pretty good.</p>
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macbooks tend to run really hot (almost burning hot to the touch) themselves, partially because apple is so adamant about silent computers that the fan rarely comes on. apple even advises you not to use them on your lap (and they never refer to them as laptops).
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<p>i know lots of people with macbooks, and i've used them before...never noticed a heat problem. i've heard macbook pros having heat problems, but 1) it has a high-end CPU and GPU built in, so it's not unexpected or unreasonable, and 2) not everyone has heat problems, so it doesn't seem to be a big deal. more of a quality control problem, maybe? or a wide range of what people consider "hot"</p>
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Can anyone tell me about Sony VAIOs? That's what I have, and I'm wondering if I made a stupid choice or something.
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<p>Viaos are fashion statements...they look nice but are overpriced and have relatively lower reliability than similar laptops.</p>
<p>lenovo may be a little pricier compared to say dell, but its worth the money since they are built to actually last and unlike viaos that cost more but are unjustified in its costs</p>
<p>Dell makes 3 or 4 general styles/models of laptops. My daughter just bought a Dell Vostro. It seems relatively rugged, has a metal case instead of plastic, and is priced competetively. As a student living in dorms or with roommates consider paying for the accidental coverage for 4 years and you're covered in case a drink is spilled, it's accidentally dropped, etc.</p>
<p>I don't like my VAIO. It's heavy so I rarely carry it anywhere, though that may change next quarter. How much are they supposed to be? I got this one on sale. </p>
<p>I'm not good at shopping around for electronics. Ugh @ fitting perfectly into a stereotype.</p>
<p>VAOIs are normally overpriced (because it's Sony, duh) but if you already have one, don't worry about it since they're still quality labtops. </p>
<p>At this point, I think Dells are the best value when customizing one on their site. My brother customized and bought a pretty sick one for less than $1200 a year back that would've sold for over $1600 elsewhere with the same specs.</p>
<p>Dell's are the best priced but are built ****tily and have problems. If I didn't mind spending just a bit more I'd go for a Vaio, best screens and fit and finish..</p>