new laptop purchase

[billyboy]

Hi,
I intend to purchase a new notebook pc in the near future, and need some advice on specifications and which brands are most reliable. My usage will be limited to browsing the internet, email, writing letters, and viewing family photos from digital camera.
I have browsed my local big-box retail stores and have settled on a 15" screen size, but I'm undecided on brand. Any advice on which brands are the most reliable, including technical support and quality of service and repair, would be most appreciated.

Thank You,
Billy

[Dan18960]

Bill,

Welcome to the board first off.

I use HP notebooks for my clients. They are VERY reliable and with the appropriate memory installed can be long lived. I would look at the top line prices and the low end prices then take aim in the middle range for getting the best from both camps.

Stay away from the "celeron" class units - they are ok for basic word processing and email but will choke on the digital video end.

I have a HP that is 3 years old and still makes the grade for everything I do in my day to day operations and when I am on vacation I take it with me for dumping my camera photos to and emailing out.

[mylanta]

Well if Dan and I agree, buy it as we do. I basically hate laptops and have had many which I immediately sold due to being annoyingly pig slow!
I have a Compaq I love, which was and still is the promo line of HP, and recommend both and no Celerons or Semprons in a laptop because they have too little cache to multi task. Those cpu's can work in a desktop but not a laptop. Unless you want to be really annoyed, do at least a gig of ram, whereas if you have broadband cpu is less important as long as Athlon or P4.
Personally I would be doing Core2 Duo Intel if I were to buy now although nothing wrong with Amd Turion either.

[Terry Hanushek]

Billy

I intend to purchase a new notebook pc in the near future, and need some advice on specifications and which brands are most reliable. My usage will be limited to browsing the internet, email, writing letters, and viewing family photos from digital camera.
I have browsed my local big-box retail stores and have settled on a 15" screen size, but I'm undecided on brand. Any advice on which brands are the most reliable, including technical support and quality of service and repair, would be most appreciated.
Welcome to Kicken Hardware :yo:

There have been several recent threads discussing laptop puchases that you may find helpful

Laptop Thread 1 (http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4668&highlight=laptop)

Laptop Thread 2 (http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3217)

Laptop Thread 3 (http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2970)

Laptop Thread 4 (http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2814)

I am a very satisfied IBM Thinkpad user. They have a little higher price but are a great value when you consider their features and functionality.

Terry

[mommalina]

:welcome: to our forum, Billyboy! Glad to have you
aboard and participating.

Billy, don't hesitate to ask us for more information
about any laptop you are considering. And please
get back to us and let us know about your final
choice. Our aim is to help and to learn from each
other.

We encourage and appreciate suggestions and
comments about our relatively new board. Please
post them in the KH Feedback forum for the
immediate attention of our Administrator
(Smokey) and our Super Moderators.

Billy, try to also join us in our Wednesday Night
KH Computer Help Desk Paltalk chatroom, from
9 pm EST until 12 pm. Here's how to get there:

www.paltalk.com
(Download free version)

..ChatRooms
...\Rooms
....\_Computer and Technology
........\_Computer Help and Advice
............\_Wednesday Night KH Computer Help Desk

For more chatroom details, please go to:

http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2006-6-14&e=1&c=1

In the chatroom you can receive or give one-on-one,
hands-on help for computer problems, alert us or learn
about new developments in computers and software.
Computer subjects get first priority. If there is a lull,
then humor, finance, and whatever can be discussed
intermittently. We try not to talk about politics or religion
-- there's enough disagreement about antivirus scanners
and motherboards. .. :)

Come join us. The camaraderie is great! .. :tea:

Lina

[billyboy]

Thanks for the welcome and the suggestions.
I am leaning towards an HP or Compaq, but would appreciate opinions on Dell. My Dell desktop has been troublefree for nearly 4 years- are their notebooks reliable?

Thanks,
billy

ps: Terry, the first two links were useful, thanks. the last two links came up blank.

[Terry Hanushek]

Billy

ps: Terry, the first two links were useful, thanks. the last two links came up blank.
:redface: .. :redface: .. :redface:

Oops, my mistake. :sorry: The links should be active now. Rookie mistake.

Terry

[mylanta]

Dell laptops are dogs. I have had 2 of them and no matter what I did they were "pig" slow....watch out for tricks where you have to buy the software or you get none at all as well.

[jcampi]

Like everything else in life - I find the purchase of a laptop is usually based on how much you plan to spend. It price were no object I'd prefer a new Sony VAIO Laptop. They are sweet! We had a budget of about $600 to spend on a new laptop for our son. We ended up buying a new Toshiba Core Duo laptop. If your budget is only about $600 it's difficult to afford a HP, Sony or other brand. Most of the low cost budget laptops come with Celeron or Intel Pentium M processors. I'd rather have the Core Duo processor, which is much more current.