Recommendations for a good laptop?

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>[Amazon.com:</a> HP G62-455DX Laptop Notebook / Intel Core i3 Processor / 15.6" LED HD Display / 4GB DDR3 Memory / 500GB HD / Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW /Built-in HP Webcam & Microphone /Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit / Biscotti: Computer &](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/HP-G62-455DX-Processor-Multiformat-Microphone/dp/B004LL3MEA]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/HP-G62-455DX-Processor-Multiformat-Microphone/dp/B004LL3MEA)
^ my laptop I was talking about the other day. Got a pretty good deal and found it at Best Buy for just under $500.</p>

<p>webcam, pretty lightweight, 500 GB harddrive and 4GB memory (which my brother told me is good enough for a college student), intel core, and dvd player was about all I was looking for lol. </p>

<p>I’m not tech savvy either. Sorry for being no help at all. But good luck this weekend! If you get a macbook pro, I’ll be jealous haha. :P</p>

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<p>Didn’t know that pro offered core i7 but nonetheless, the i5 processor MBA benchmarked faster than the i5 MBP. That’s for sure.</p>

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<p>^ ok just to correct. First the macbook pro features 13’‘, 15’‘, and 17’'. The 13 inch has dual core while 15 and 17 inch have quad core.</p>

<p>The processor on 13’’ macbook PRO is faster than the 13’’ macbook AIR. 2.3 ghz core i5 vs 1.7 ghz core i5. The AIR has a low voltage processor… basically toned-down. The AIR has an SSD which gives it an insane boost in benchmarks. However the Air is not always faster. “Faster” is a very vague term. The Pro is faster when doing processor stuff… which is like doing everything. The Air’s SSD benefits it when using the hard drive which is transferring stuff and booting up/shutting down.</p>

<p>The Pro is faster basically. The Air is still very good though.</p>

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<p>No it’s not, especially for the ridiculous price.</p>

<p>[MacBook</a> Air: top 10 things wrong with it](<a href=“APC’s February 2024 issue is on sale now! | TechRadar”>APC’s February 2024 issue is on sale now! | TechRadar)</p>

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<p>^That article is from 2008. Apple is two generations of MBA’s beyond that. The one’s released last week are amazing machines.</p>

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<p>I bought a laptop 3 years ago for $500 that had more power than current macbook airs, so I would have to say otherwise. It also had an ethernet port, more than 1 usb port, and a disc drive.</p>

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<p>^Not even possible considering the technology used in these MBA’s (Intel core i7, SSD, Sandy Bridge) was not around back then. Plus you’re getting Mac OS X Lion and a computer that’s under 3 pounds, has a real 7 hours of battery life, and is a tenth of an inch thick at it’s thinnest and only .6 inches at the thickest. That wasn’t around 3 years ago.</p>

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<p>Uh it is possible, the name of the processor isn’t the only thing to go by, you also factor in clock speed and number of cores. OSX Lion also doesn’t mean better, neither does the thinness of the MBA. Why does thin equal better? For looks? I’d say when you don’t have a disc drive, or ethernet port, and have to carry around a usb dongle with you, you are sacrificing too much to be that thin and defeat the purpose.</p>

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<p>Fine dude whatever. I can’t remember the last time I used a CD and there’s wifi across Michigan’s campus, which is huge btw so the fact that I can’t even feel this thing in a backpack is a huge plus. I’m happy with it.</p>

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<p>Except many people do need a cd drive and ethernet port (not everyone has wifi access everywhere) and I’m not someone to advocate paying more for less.</p>

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<p>If you have money to blow, buy a mac. If you want to save a little bit of money for the same specs, a little downgrade aesthetically, and a TINY bit more complication, go for a PC. Windows 7 is comparable to OSX Lion.</p>

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<p>I got a Dell XPS laptop. Can run pretty much any game (2.9 ghtz processor, 4gb memory, 500gb drive, 1gb video card). Total price was about $700. </p>

<p>But since you mentioned you weren’t tech savvy, I’d suggest going with a Mac, especially if you’re willing to pay a few extra dollars.</p>

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<p>Okay, after reading all the suggestions I would like to clear the air for a moment:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>No, I’m not into gaming so that won’t be a problem. I barely touch any online games. I only want the basic neccessities. Something simple like I’ve mentioned in my original post.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t really have money to blow since I don’t even have a job -_- so my parents will be paying for it, along with all of my school supplies, dorm stuff, clothes, etc. To lessen the financial burden, it’d be nice to purchase something affordable yet runs smoothly, has great battery life, and isn’t chunky or ancient. </p></li>
<li><p>Remember guys, I’m not tech savvy so some of these comments I don’t even understand with your techie talk lol.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Thanks anyway though, it’s been helpful!
Keep 'em coming if you have anymore suggestions :)</p>

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<p>Making a hackintosh isn’t exactly simple.</p>

<p><a href=“http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/lenovofamily/StdAffinityPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=135A781CA29B4ECB9ADAD8E72CF6FD61[/url]”>http://shoplenovo.i2.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/lenovofamily/StdAffinityPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?action=init&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=135A781CA29B4ECB9ADAD8E72CF6FD61&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Not sure if the link will work, but you can get a ThinkPad X220 for under $700 (before tax and stuff) from the Lenovo Family and Friends site. It’s a pretty awesome deal.</p>

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<p>Look, I feel like we just went through a dust cloud of tech talk. </p>

<p>OP, all you need is a basic, functional computer- reliable and the right weight and size for you to tote around. YOU don’t need the bells and whistles and you don’t need something that impresses the next guy. You don’t need to simulate a Mac.</p>

<p>What you ned is a new Windows laptop, meeting the specs for your campus network (usually as simple as Windows 7, Vista- or OS7 with all the latest updates- all this is a NO BRAINER.) You need a USB port- and I do suggest a CD drive for your convenience. Right now, battery life is going to run 4-6 hours. Fine. If you are out long, eg, at the library, just plug it in. They all should have have webcams and wifi.</p>

<p>You will need to purchase MS Office, usually avail at a fine discount through the college (eg, $79 through eAcademy.) All you will likely use is MS Word and Excel, occasionally Powerpoint. You’ll probably want to watch an occasional movie online.<br>
The college will likely offer you their free anti-virus and any interface software you need for their network. [Be certain, though, that you start with your own anti-virus program, from the moment you start up the laptop at home- usually, something comes with the machine- you simply activate it or have the store do that. This is a must. You can pick up a virus fast and with no warning.]</p>

<p>I am a lot more savvy than my daughters (ha- I am a mom, but worked in the biz.) But, they followed instructions and loaded up their own laptops. These come with a start-up/restore disk. Or, for a fee, the store can do it for you. Make sure you keep the restore disk where you can find it- needing it is rare, but not having it is a hassle.</p>

<p>When you look at a particular laptop, look for user reviews. (Eg, Best Buy and WalMart link to them or CNET offers reviews.) You will see the sorts of arguments as above about one processor vs another- not significant for you. Just look at practical comments, positive and negative.</p>

<p>Please understand that innovations and problem fixes can happen fast from one pre-college selling season to the next. </p>

<p>I do believe in a warranty of at least one year. WalMart will upgrade you to 2 (or is it 3?) for round $70. Best Buy’s warranty is more expensive. No warranty is perfect, but it’s some assurance. IMO, most computers, like cars: if something IS going to go wrong, you’ll know it in the first 5 months. </p>

<p>So far, we are pleased with the new HP Pavilion (G4 1104dx- $349, Best Buy) and my Dell kid loves hers. People love Vaio, HP, Dell, Lenovo, even Acer. One thing to look for is how the actual laptop feels to you- the layout, how the keys feel as you press them, how convenient it will be to type on THAT keyboard for long stretches. Also, some come with a numbers pad on the right- very convenient for entering strings of digits, but it adds to the width, makes it just a tad harder to put in a tote or backpack.</p>

<p>Get extra Flash drives (the portable gizmos, cheap) and regularly save your important data- papers, research, etc, in case of a problem. </p>

<p>Someone will say I have over-simplified. Get a good, tech-savvy rep at whatever store to guide you through this. If he or she seems dumb, find another rep. Don’t be afraid to try several stores. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Do not get a tech savvy rep at whatever store as supermom said, unless you want to be pressured into buying Monster (c) cables that are “Absolutely better than the competition”</p>

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<p>Easy enough, go to Best Buy, find the cheapest laptop that has an intel core i5 processor and buy it.</p>

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<p>Samsung sf510.</p>

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<p>Fricken- we had the dumbest rep at BB. I guess I was dreaming a bit with that comment. The Geek Squad guy did try to sell us the expensive warranty, based on cords.</p>

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<p>How would I get those things from my college?</p>