Notebook Computer Purchase--Need advice
I am in need of a notebook computer. I only have a few minor needs. I'm not a gamer so I don't need all of the whiz-bang graphics capabilities.
I need a few programs (Excel, Word, Power Point). I also need wireless internet capabilities. My landlord has wireless and it kicks out such a powerful signal that people a few houses down get free internet through him. I would like to be able to watch streaming video on YouTube via the wireless internet connection.
I don't need anything else. I don't even need a huge screen. I sold my Dell before I left Iraq. It definitely suffered from the harsh dusty climate there no matter how well I tried to protect it.
I don't know much about who makes the best or the worst notebook computers. Does anyone have any advice on where to purchase online or what I should be looking at?
Thanks.
idsman75@gmail.com
I need a few programs (Excel, Word, Power Point). I also need wireless internet capabilities. My landlord has wireless and it kicks out such a powerful signal that people a few houses down get free internet through him. I would like to be able to watch streaming video on YouTube via the wireless internet connection.
I don't need anything else. I don't even need a huge screen. I sold my Dell before I left Iraq. It definitely suffered from the harsh dusty climate there no matter how well I tried to protect it.
I don't know much about who makes the best or the worst notebook computers. Does anyone have any advice on where to purchase online or what I should be looking at?
Thanks.
idsman75@gmail.com
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if you were happy with the dell, that would be my reccomendation. i do and will only use dell.
recently bought the inspiron E1505 with a few upgrades. best laptop ive ever owned hands down. bought it like two months ago during one of their like 50 sales a year. 750.0 -
What should I know about the wireless internet hardware? This is the only area of the computer where I would insist on nothing but the best. 0 -
I just bought a dell in December and have been very pleasd with the overall package and how helpfull Dell is.
I had a few discounts which totalled 42% off my purchase so I bought a 1400.00 laptop for only 868.00 dilivered to my house and 12 months interest free payment plan.
the few problems run into are usually operator error and the folks at Dell have been great about getting me back on the track.
My recommendation is to call Dell.
My laptop came from Dell WIFI ready.0 -
I bought an avertec and a compaq from the PX. Neither one of them was terribly expensive and I'm using them for the same things you are and have had no problems. The ONLY complaint I have is the piss poor sound out of them. I suppose I could use headphones if it was that big of a deal.
PX may be the place to get em. They are selling mostly older models. Hope this helped.0 -
Look on tigerdirect.com
I picked a toshiba tablet earlier this year and dropped almost 3k on it. My work justified the price and it has been the best computer I have ever used!
I have had dells, compaqs and this is my second Toshiba laptop. I will say that the toshibas have been the hardest to kill. They are built strong. Consider the "box" also if you inted ontraveling with it.0 -
Mac. $1k for the small ibook, a little more for Mac Office (but you should try OpenOffice.org - works on everything, and its office compatible.
Sure you can go Windows cheaper, but then you're up for all those security problems that aren't fixed yet, system rot, viruses, etc.0 -
What KevD said about the Dell E1505. Good base machine at a good price.
Most will come wireless ready. Currently, you should have 802.11b/g capability as these are the most commonly used standards (g is faster but not available everywhere). I saw Dell pushing a card that has a new 'draft' standard (I think 802.11n) but this standard hasn't been adopted in its final form yet, so I'd be leery about getting into that....probably most places won't be using the new standard for a while, anyway.
Hope this helps.0 -
i think all the new dells come with wi fi cards built in. i know mine did. there is an upgrade to the standard card that i think is preemptory towards a soon to be upgrade in wi fi( like 802.11a> ....>b>....g etc)
BE ADVISED: dell, being ahead of the curve as usual, is installing express card slots instead of pcmcia slots. pcmcia cards do not fit in the express card slots. the only adapter avail i could find was like 200. i bought a wireless broadband card(pcmcia) and it was nothing but trouble. headache after headache because i didnt know that.0 -
Think cheap. These things depreciate so fast. Get what you want, pick a brand name you feel comfortable with, and find one economically priced.
I bought a Gateway from BestBuy with a big screen. I don't remember the price, 650 or 750.0 -
I like Dell products, too.
The AAFES website sells Dell Computers at decent prices, take a look there. You'll need to log in, click computers, click Dell and another page will open, click CONUS shipment and take a look. You can add one to your basket and pay with a credit card. Free shipping, and no tax.
http://www.aafes.com/0 -
Go to Dell! 0 -
Don't forget to check out the Dell Outlet for factory refurbs -- great machines, great warranties, decent price. http://outlet.dell.com 0 -
quote:Originally posted by KEVD18
i think all the new dells come with wi fi cards built in. i know mine did. there is an upgrade to the standard card that i think is preemptory towards a soon to be upgrade in wi fi( like 802.11a> ....>b>....g etc)
Thanks. That's the kind of info I'm looking for. I don't want to be caught behind the curve on something related to the wireless technology. All I need really is a bare-bones system that can support WI FI connection to the internet. I'd like to go cheap but the computers I find online seem to have all the "extras". I'm wondering if there is a way to have one built to order.0 -
if that's all you need, a used one a few years old 1 GHz or better will work just fine. don't worry about "what it has" or "built to order" regarding WiFi, simply buy a WiFi PCMCIA card and stick it in the slot on the side. all laptops have PCMCIA slots.
if you want a laptop that has specifically what you want 'built in', then you're going to have to sell it when you want faster WiFi, right? just use a PCMCIA card. remove old, insert new. walla, you're upgraded.0 -
consumer reports says dell inspiron b130 best buy 0 -
Go to www.computergeeks.com and see what sort of notebooks they have that may pique your interest. Also note the prices of USB WiFi devices that are 802.11b/g compatible. There are the 802.11n(draft) devices that are backward compatible with the older stuff as well.
That way, you don't have to learn the difference between pcmcia/pcie/cardbus slots and can plug it directly into your USB hub.
I've had Trashibas, never mind what I think about them; you can waste a lot of money trying to get understood on those dozens of phone calls to Bangalore you'll be making.
Dells are OK, but you should erase about half the crap they preload your system with, or you'll have compatibility issues when you upgrade almost anything on them(and they're overpriced by about 40%!).
If you feel you have compensation issues; get a MAC, almost all the weenies have them, and they think they don't have virus issues, but the ones with the Windows-compatible OSs are susceptible to everything out there that attacks a w32 kernel. No, really!0 -
again, if you want a compouter built to your specs, either do it your self or CALL DELL! thats what they do. you have to pick every option on your new system. its custom made for you 0 -
I would also suggest that you go with Dell. I use a Dell XPS M2010, but this is far more machine than the average notebook user is ever going to need. Mrs. K uses an HP but frankly I was never all that impressed with any of it's features and I don't find it nearly as user friendly as the Dell. Both of my daughters use Macs and have no complaints. 0 -
fyi, all newer WiFi is 'backwards compatible' with older versions.
N will work with N, G and B
G will work with G and B
B works with B0 -
What is the difference between an "Express Card" expansion slot and a PCMCIA expansion slot? I'm looking at the latest and greatest wireless cards for notebooks and they all seem to be made for "Type II PC" slots or "PCMCIA" slots. Will these work with a Dell that ONLY has "Express Card" expansion slots? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by idsman75
What is the difference between an "Express Card" expansion slot and a PCMCIA expansion slot? I'm looking at the latest and greatest wireless cards for notebooks and they all seem to be made for "Type II PC" slots or "PCMCIA" slots. Will these work with a Dell that ONLY has "Express Card" expansion slots?
NO! the express card is 1/2 as wide as the pc card. there is an adapter, for like $200!!! this is the problem i had that i mentioned earlier. however, there is a reasonably priced adapter to go from express to pc(imagine that, the exact opposite of what i needed)0 -
The Dell sales rep told me that the Express Card is the latest in technology from PCMCIA. He claimed that its a "step up" and it's the direction that the notebook technology is going. I hope things move quickly because Express Card type expansion cards are not as common. 0 -
Whatever you do stay away from the Latitude D620 and D820. They are having some significant problems with the wuvga+ screens(I think, google Dell D620 + video). Very grainy and limited viewing angle. I sent one back.
If you go with dell outlet watch the prices for a while and check them several times a day. They add units at different times and some are very competitively priced. Others are just ok in pricing. In fact some of the sale prices are about the same as the outlet prices.
I bought a D520 for $400 shipped not a power machine but would do what you need. I also bought a D810 for about $550 nicely configured, but again not a power machine. All had wireless.
Steve0 -
it is the next wave in expansion card technology. as i said, dell is ahead of the curve as usual. much like every other facet of technology, it has to start somewhere. you start \seeing more and more express cards and less and less pc cards until they are phased out and express is the standard.
the wi fi card built in will be fine for you for some time. the next generation is n i believe, which will be backwards compatible with all previous versions and isnt supposed to be on the market for a while.0 -
I "built" my Dell Inspiron 9300 on Dell's website brand new. My wife found her's in the "Outlet Store" and saved a bit of money, but gave up some flexiblity in option choices.
My screen is the glossy finished 1920 res, 17" widescreen. Stunning to watch movies on, crappy to read print at full resolution. Wife's is 17" widescreen also but is the matte finish 1440 resolution screen. All the resolution you'll ever need, and the matte finish reduces ambiant light glare.
Of interest, her screen failed after a few months and Dell had a tech out the next day and he put a new one in.
My system has been completely trouble free.
To those who don't agree, go to Dell!0 -
what is PCMCIA? (also called 'CardBus' or 'PC Cards')
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCMCIA
Type I is the oldest. 3mm thick cards, 16 bit, has been obsolete for years now.
Type II was the next style, still in use and most common. 5 mm thick cards, 16/32 bit. you can use a Type I card in a Type II slot.
Type III is also 16/32 bit, but is twice as thick (10mm) as Type II. you can also use Type I and Type II cards. this thicker slot is for special cards like mini hard drives or whatever else engineers dream up.
Express Card?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExpressCard
PCMCIA is indeed going to be phased out in favor of Express Card, which quickly afterwards will be dropped- no cards will be used. users will only use USB for everything. fiascos like this are not unheard of. AMR modem riser cards in desktop computers, for example, were implemented for a short time as what you were supposed to use exclusively for your modem card, but was dropped because it was realized that new technology for obsolete hardware (modems) was nonproductive.
this is probably what's going on with the PCMCIA/Express Card/USB issue. it's cheaper for a manufacturer to make a USB port on a laptop than it is to make a card slot. plus, you can't use a card on a desktop computer without an adapter, whereas you can readily use a USB device on either. and why develop two different specifications when you can simply develop USB, which can be used for anything on any equipment.
WiFi N?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11
WiFi N (draft), currently available, is backwards compatible with all the above, like I said earlier. however, when the protocol is finalized next year, it may in fact not be compatible with anything previous, including the current WiFi N (draft).
summary:
WiFi is rapidly evolving; to date, it had always been backwards compatible but that may no longer be the case. shortly, all PC cards will be phased out also.
recommendation:
use whatever you want right now. whatever cards you buy, you can still sell them. the next advancement in WiFi will probably all be USB devices anyways.
Salesmen??
do not trust a computer salesman. they want to sell you a computer. I have had numerous users wanting to return items because they didn't do what the salesman told them it would do. One salesman told a customer that his WiFi B card would connect to a satellite so he could get on the internet.0 -
hmmm....i didnt know n was currently available
i stand corrected0
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