<p>If you’re going with a VAIO, go get a Dell or macbook. Vaio is also overpriced based on looks too if you choose the higher end machines.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=aforautumn]
Cheap Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 15.6" LED Laptop Dual Core, 4GB DDR3 $499.00</p>
<p>i think we have a winner</p>
<p>4gb dd3 is usually very expensive. this is impressive.
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</p>
<p>That’s because the build quality isn’t as high on consumer-line laptops. ThinkPads may be more expensive, but they’re Lenovo’s business laptops. The quality you find in a ThinkPad simply cannot be found in laptops aimed at the consumer market.</p>
<p>What about Asus? I heard they build pretty good machines</p>
<p>Asus & Lenovo/dell are in completely different leagues. >_></p>
<p>ummm not really…</p>
<p>Thinkpads are Asus/dell/Ideapads are all fairly similar in build quality</p>
<p>Well…I had to do a ton of research and i’m still unsure about my decision (not too late to return and get a different laptop). However I ended up ordering a Lenovo Ideapad Y450.</p>
<p>-Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T6400 ( 2GHz 800MHz 2MB )</p>
<p>-Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD </p>
<p>-4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz </p>
<p>-14.0 " HD Wide LED 1366x768</p>
<p>-Hard Drive 320GB 5400</p>
<p>-DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)</p>
<p>-6 Cell Lithium-Ion</p>
<p>-Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5100</p>
<p>-3 year at home warranty w/ accidental damage protection</p>
<p>With tax it came out to be ~$800</p>
<p>Right now the only other brand I liked for the price against the Lenovo was the HP dv3t or the HP dv4t. </p>
<p>I couldn’t find a proper comparison of the two, but Lenovo had the slightly lower price.</p>
<p>If anyone here wants a tiny one…netbooks are the way to go!</p>
<p>i’ve got a dv2t-2000</p>
<p>i love it to death.</p>
<p>Don’t get a mac if you want good software… mac has better hardware.
PC has better software.
It is best.</p>
<p>^^^ Such as? </p>
<p>With a copy of Windows + either VMware, Parallels, or Bootcamp, a Mac can run Windows software, too.</p>
<p>Do you think a 16 inch laptop is too big? Its a Toshiba Satellite A505-S6960</p>
<p>-Intel® Core2 Duo mobile processor T6500
-4GB DDR2
-320 GB Hard Drive
-12 Cell Lithium battery for over 7 hours of life
-7.2 lbs.
-10.2" depth
-15.1" width</p>
<p>Compared to a 15.5 inch Sony VGN-NW150J/W</p>
<p>-Intel® Core2 Duo mobile processor T6500
-4GB DDR2
-320 GB Hard Drive
-6-cell lithium-ion for 5.5 hours of life
- 6 lbs.
-9.8" depth - 14.6" width</p>
<p>Are these both too big to carry to class in a bag? I’m really having a problem deciding on screen size, even after trying out different sizes. Any help would be great!</p>
<p>both are slightly bulky, and the 16 is going to be a little harder to take to class than the 15. i think of the 16 as being just as far away from being a 17" desktop replacement as it is from being being a normal 15", so its not exactly small. they’re still capable of being brought to class. people do bring them to class, and it isn’t really an issue any which way. i’m in love with my 13" though.</p>
<p>I think that I’m going to be on my laptop all the time, in and out of class. I kind of worry that a 13" will be too small and eventually hurt my eyes. Do you find it like this? Is a 14" safe enough so this wouldn’t happen?</p>
<p>i guarantee that will not happen on a 13" screen. the actual size of a screen has nothing to do with straining your eyes: its the resolution that determines how small or large things appear. the max resolution on a 13" is different than the max resolution on a 16" and the difference in the size of text and stuff is beyond nominal. you’re just as likely to strain your eyes on a 23" monitor as you are on a 13" laptop.</p>
<p>when you actually see it in person, not comparing it to other sizes, you’d be surprised at how big it is. especially since they’re all widescreen these days.</p>
<p>If your goal is to see the entire page of a document on the screen at once, the characters have to be smaller on a 13" screen than on a larger screen, and the smaller characters can cause eyestrain; it’s a matter of degree.</p>
<p>Thank you both. I really need to go into Best Buy and check some of these sizes out. I think a 14" may be ok, not to small and portable, but not to big</p>
<p>How about buying a net book and a bigger laptop (like 16"+) for college? The netbook looks really handy to carry around class, but I’m afraid I might be wasteing some money. I would use the larger laptop for typing essays</p>
<p>I have looked at pretty much every option imaginable. I looked at many stores and websites and I didn’t like any of the laptops i saw. I thought about getting a macbook pro 15" but the one I wanted was too expensive. I have been leaning toward buying a mac mini and netbook for college. The mac mini is seems powerful enough for my needs and light enough to take with me if i have to leave campus for a few days and not worry about it getting stolen. I can also put windows on it so i can have the best of both OS. I also have a really nice monitor already so i don’t have to worry about that. Also, a netbook seems light and small enough so i can view the professors online notes while having enough room to jot diagrams down on small desks or tables. I know some netbooks have terrible keyboards and slow speeds, but it seems perfect if all i will use it for is word documents and surfing the web. I am waiting for the new Hp mini 5101 to come out in late july (look it up, it is a sexxy netbook). It looks a lot better than any other netbook i’ve seen plus it seems powerful enough to run vista ok which means windows 7 will run like a dream on it (I hope :P) and I really enjoyed Hp’s keyboards on their other mini laptops that I have tested in stores. That is what i have decided so far and i think it will be a practical solution for my college needs.</p>