Laptop advice needed.

[BeoBear]

Hi peoples,

(Forgive me for the wall of text )

I know this is the wrong section for this post and I apologize, but I checked the "TriniTechSquad Recommends" and "Child Boards: Laptops" sections and the most recent posts were about last year. So I figure I'll have a better chance of this post being seen if I put it here.

Feel free to move it to the relevant section if need be.

So, I'm in my second semester at UWI and the workload is quite overbearing. I thought I would get by just fine with my desktop in my apartment, but apparently a laptop is key as almost 90% of my lectures are uploaded online and as they are quite large, printing them all out to carry them around with me is not an option. There are also numerous times where I would kill to have a laptop on hand during school and in the library.

Now, I'm not particularly tech smart, But I can tell the difference between my toaster and my PS3 (most times) What I would like is some advice on what laptop to buy, if possible.

What I have in mind is something that will last me my 5 years of school (if that is possible), with the usual fixings, DVD/CD burner, webcam, a large hard drive, preferable 2-3 USB ports, and an above average wireless card. Being able to watch movies on it would also be nice.

One not so standard requirement is the inclusion of an HDMI port, so I can hook the laptop to my TV and view notes and lectures on it.

Size wise I keep hearing 15" is quite portable and convenient for students, also longer the battery life the better.

I have no desire to game whatsoever on this laptop, short of simple flash games to pass the time during lectures as my desktop and console handle those needs and games might just further distract me.

Preferred price range is under 500 USD, although I am willing to go a bit higher if a few dollars more will make a substantial improvement. I'm open to the idea of buying the laptop online and having it shipped down through a UWI student E-zone account, which does not apply additional tax on laptops and books.

Bottom line is I'm looking for a fast and efficient, school work centered laptop.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated

Beobear.

[Arcmanov]

If you can forgo the need for a DVD drive, then might I suggest one of these?

Nice and light.  Not too small, but not too big either.
Just got one myself.  Runs Win7 x64 like a champ, and has a Nvidia ION2 GPU that
can be 'switched on' independently for light 3D gaming if you so desire.

Has HDMI and  VGA output as well.

Don't let the 12-inch size fool you.  The LED screen's resolution is 1366 x 768 (essentially 720p), and looks fantastic.



Shortlist of specs:

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium
Display: 12.1-inch LED-Backlit WXGA display (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Atom D525 dual-core processor (1.8 GHz)
GPU: Next-Generation NVIDIA ION graphics with NVIDIA Optimus Technology
Wireless Data Network: WLAN 802.11b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
Memory: 2GB DDR3, 1 x SODIMM slot (expandable to 4GB)
Storage: 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive
Camera: 0.3 megapixel  with security lens cover
Audio: Hi-definition stereo speakers, high-definition audio CODEC, Microphone
Storage Cards: 2-in-1 MMC, SD(SDHC) flash card slot
Input / Output: 1 x VGA port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor), 1 x HDMI, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x audio jacks (Headphone & Mic-in)
Battery Pack: 6 cell battery (up to 7 hours)
Dimensions: 11.54 (W) x 8.11 (D) x 1.06~ 1.30 (H) inches
Weight: 3.22 lbs


The one con: no bluetooth.

[TriniXaeno]

At that price (US$500), you are squarely in netbook territory.

The unit Arcman recommends just about straddles the invisible line between netbook and laptop and will serve your needs well.

Best of both worlds.

Seconded.

(We really need to update those techsquad recommendations, will aim for end of the first quarter to so do)

[UltimateGamer]

These are some fabulous recommendations! I have been looking for a ~500 laptop for my mom for quite some time, and just couldn't find the perfect one. I myself have been eying this one:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7120339&CatId=4938

but the 0.3 MP webcam is a bit iffy as well as the integrated graphics. (though I have to remember its for my mom for UWI). On the upside Core i3, 500GB HD, 4GB DDR3 Ram and 1366 x 768 LED Screen. The pros outweigh the cons!

[TriniXaeno]

Strange that there are no reviews on those Hard O/C. Is it that they are new additions to Amazon's line up?

Very impressive specs on that Lenovo.

I have a Lenovo myself but the build quality is a bit iffy (despite the extremely high price paid at the time).

Processor fan started "wheezing and coughing" after year one.

Hopefully they are putting a little more effort into their QA these days.

[Arcmanov]

...and as fate would have it...I got an email from Amazon today informing me of these great deals:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ETLO6W/ref=pe_116700_18985590_pe_epc_d1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G60A1I/ref=pe_116700_18985590_pe_epc_d2

Pretty much ticks all the boxes you require, but battery life may be an issue if you
intend on being away from a wall socket for more than 3 hrs on a regular basis.


As always, for under $500 US, there's always a trade-off somewhere.

[Crixx_Creww]

Dell pretty darn durable yes.

quoted for lunacy.

I love the people that have the neigh impossible request.
Perfect machine for all the lint in my pocket.

All the recommendations... save the dell.. are nice and all for the sub 500 dollah range
but the one part that would not meet that request, is for a laptop that would last all of your 5 years of school dom, if the laptop was to sit on a desk and not have to be toted anywhere, and you didnt have to use anything besides.. say.. note pad and calc
then those would do fine.

Might i suggest you go up to the 650 to 680 arena and look at lenovo.
Their g series and business line at that price point should make it to 4 to 5 years.
The lifetime on laptops is almost never that long and definitely never that long in the sub 500 dollah price point.

[UltimateGamer]

From personal experience, I think no matter which you buy, expect that 5400 rpm hard drive to give out in due time! The rest of the laptop (whichever brand) should last 4 - 5 year period, but if that hard drive last all 5 years under the duress of a UWI student, I change my name to something offensive (suggestions welcomed)

[TriniXaeno]

I've found hard drives (5400 RPM and 7200 RPM) to be surprisingly sturdy of recent.

Once upon a time, we would get a call almost weekly from someone with a crashed disk.

Personally, I still span my data across about three drives from fair of spontaneous failure but without justification.

Note, I refer to drives in desktop and laptops.

The drives I have in external housings continue to fail with regularity. No doubt because they are bumped and dropped in transport and from butter fingers.

A crash proof SSD would be the way to go, but you won't get that in your US$500 budget.

[BeoBear]

Thanks everyone for the prompt replies.

Crixx I'm sorry for the "Neigh impossible request" but I am largely ignorant on the topic so I wouldn't really know whats appropriate, I was just giving my general wants without any real idea of what it would cost.

I was taking a look on Dell's website and saw the same Inspiron line that Hard O/C recommended and it seems to cover all my needs for about 599 USD - http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15r-combo-mod/pd?oc=fndor33bc&model_id=inspiron-15r-combo-mod#TechSpec


So I have a few more questions then in light of what I've been told,

Okay, so how long can I expect my laptop to last? If 5 years is unlikely. Is it common to replace laptops after about 2-3 years?

Is it worth it to say, pay 200 USD extra or so and get a "better" laptop, when all I want this laptop for is to work with documents and lectures? (No gaming whatsoever is required) And what exactly am I paying extra for?

Granted I would like a laptop to fulfill my basic needs and since my needs are basic I assumed the cost would be low, However I would rather it not do so at a snail's pace, so if it is that I must pay extra for it to move at an efficient speed then so be it. I don't want to wait forever to open microsoft word or to play a DVD.

A friend told me that Dell is a reliable brand (Hard O/C said the same while Crixx said otherwise) and there are certified Dell service personnel down here that can do any maintenance needed on it. I'm not sure if these two points are true. But it would be nice to have a certified place to take the laptop to service if need be, I'm not to sure if any other brand offers that down here.

Again I am sorry if these questions seem mundane and foolish but I am quite lost and the guidance is much appreciated

[TriniXaeno]

Coming from a spate of bad experiences with Dell over the past few years, I am a little curious as to why you advise against HP?

They've proven more reliable than the Dell machines I've sold in the last five years.

Had particularly bad experiences with Latitude (over heating) and XPS (display screen would just turn white).

HP also has local tech support and honor warranty.

[disciple]

since you are a UWI student, did you know that you could get a Dell laptop at a discounted price?
http://sta.uwi.edu/help/cits/dell.asp

(go to the TT dell site, configure a machine, and email it to the address in the page above. they;ll send you a quote
spend your money, extend your warranty.. if it were a desktop, i'd say warranty is a waste of money.. but since is a laptop , and that mobo aint exactly off the shelf..do yourself a favour and save the worry

 
oh, and back your ish up all the time.. nobody wanna hear bout your machine crash and your assignment on it. lol


@ lenovo..  cnever thought i'd say it but these days, huge meh... got 12 T400s early last year..  about 6 of them have the exact screen problem and being sent for service( LCD 'jumpin')

got another batch of 12 T410s near end of last year.. already one is being sent back for an LCD problem..

[UltimateGamer]

Agreed with hard and HP. Stay away! Our company purchased 6 in 2008, ALL ARE DEAD! Performed like rubbish from Day 1. Not to say that their new line is rubbish, but as a final recommendation, Dell seems like the best bet. I wouldn't be saying this 3 years ago, but I have seen them improve over time (perhaps the acquisition of alienware had something to do with it). But you can't go wrong on a 3 year warranty!!! And as disciple say, back your sh!t up externally! Keep that on a memory stick! Hard drive give out at anytime without warning.

[TriniXaeno]

lol, yeah if you google "anything" with the word problems you're sure to find 'em

No product is perfect.

Ultimate, what model HPs did you buy?

Interesting that UWI offers discounts at DELL.

Any idea as to what kind of percentage they offer? Last time I checked on something similar for a friend, it had the caveat of only applying to certain configurations.

Judging from the process I saw on UWI's page, looks like you can just order any machine you want.

[UltimateGamer]

Boy to tell you the truth I cyar remember nah! In 3 years time I done forget 70% of what went on. I have clear HD space in my brain for new experiences ... lol

[Arcmanov]

There's a reason most companies in T&T use Dell.

Their after-sales service and support have improved tremendously over the last five years.Some of their Latitudes still seem to have build/battery issues, but this is more than made up
for on the warranty side.

If you're buying a Dell, you're pretty much assured of a robust support system.  There are
quite a few Dell certified dealers here, so that honouring of the warranty will not be a problem.

Stay away from the HP Pavilion dv series.  They seem to be nothing but trouble.
Right now I have one here that needs a new motherboard.  Not sure who was in
charge of QA at HP for this series.  I hope he not still wukkin dey.

[Crixx_Creww]

Hands down, stay away from HPs, thousands of failed units later, i can say nothing but stay away from HPs.

Secondly, DELL, has the best, bar none, warranty support of all big retailers, yes including the disgusting fruit company.
The REASON dell has such robust support, is because it has turned out, some how, cheaper for dell to do this, than to build actual sturdy stably reliable machines.

In the laptop world, the only machine that fails as much as an HP is a dell.
BUT dell has tremendous support.

Yes you should clock your laptops life at around 3 years with actual mobile use.

Also the request for HDMI in a sub 500 dollar laptop added to its neigh impossible status alongside the last for 5 years thing.

I recommend the 6 to 700 dollars price range so that your machine will not be crawling after your first or second year.
Atom processors? seriously... oh gosh why you hate de man so boy arc, lol.

As for lenovo, you hadda know which bracket to shop in, they are still the best manufacturer in the world, just hadda hit their sweet spots, and especially since yu not looking for a gaming machine, i think a good lenovo g series or business machine would do you well.

Following good computer usage will of course extend the life of your machine
and being a good user will be even more beneficial to you.
Backups, no bonzai buddy, doing windows, antivirus and antimalware updates.
THat sort of thing.

[Spazosaurus]

I have to agree with Arc and the rest when it comes to Dell.

If you happen to get a problem, a fix is just an online chat and maybe a couple days away. We buy Dell machines exclusively and we very rarely get bad machines due to part failure. Mostly we have users abusing and breaking machines but thats it.

[SPK]

I have to agree with Arc and the rest when it comes to Dell.

If you happen to get a problem, a fix is just an online chat and maybe a couple days away. We buy Dell machines exclusively and we very rarely get bad machines due to part failure. Mostly we have users abusing and breaking machines but thats it.

Well, usually it's a couple days to make the fix usually.

In mid-December I had an issue with video chipset (artefacting) in my Studio laptop.

Went on Dell chat support, they got the info...then 2 weeks passed, no word even when emailed regarding it.

After the 2 weeks, the charger port on the unit died.

Went back on the system to update them to the compounded issue.

Another 2-3 weeks pass.

Went on the chat system AGAIN to try to get it expedited (this was by about January 28th or so).

A week later, both issues were fixed on site (replaced motherboard and base assembly with new parts). However, the CPU fan stopped functioning after that visit.

That was February 6th, and I've been waiting for them to send out a technician since then to take a look (just to verify if it needs a new fan unit).

IMO, Dell loss some good stripes in my book for response at least. Thank God I paid the extra cash for 3 year warranty, I would have easily spent 3 times that amount for the replacement parts if I was taking the 1 year warranty (currently 20 months since device was purchased).

[Preston786]

http://www.amazon.com/K50IJ-XD1B-15-6-Inch-Laptop-Windows-Professional/dp/B004CZR29G/ref=rsl_mainw_dpl?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Found this has good specs ram cld be upgraded but for the price is exceptional