Laptop recommendations...

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Ollie123

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So I'm sure someone started one of these before but I can't find it and the search function is being screwy for me so here we go again:)

Any recommendations for a grad school laptop? I'm going to buy one now so I can load up on the cheap software I get through my current place of employment. Full version of SPSS for 100 bucks, Office 2007 Enterprise for 7 dollars, Windows Vista for 7 dollars, Endnote for free, Norton for free, etc.

I'd like to stick with PCs since its what I know and my campus is all Windows anyways. I know lots of people prefer Macs, but my experiences with them have been less than stellar and it seems like it would just be undue hassle to have a Mac when everything else is Windows based even if I can dual boot.

Been eyeing the Dell Inspiron 1505 since it seems like decent quality for little money. Don't need anything too elaborate since its just going to be work-related stuff (stats, MS Office, maybe some programming/basic web development projects if my lab needs me to do that). Any suggestions?

Edit:
Forgot to mention I'm looking to spend < $1000, preferably < $800 (which seems doable with some of the current deals)
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I wish I could be more helpful and say "____ is a great laptop!" but I've only ever had toshibas and I pretty much hate them (although it could just be that I hate the business I bought it from as their warranty makes me want to hurt someone).

That said, most of my friends who have laptops have Dells, and they're happy with them. I have a Dell desktop and I love it so far, but if you're going to buy one make sure you buy it under "small business" instead of personal or whatever the other option is. That's the way to make sure you speak with someone who knows the same language as you when you call the customer service center if there's ever a problem.

Happy laptop hunting!
 
I, too, can't be very helpful unfortunately. I have a computer snob in the household so all of our equipment exceeds your price range. :( My last two laptops have been Dells though. I agree with RD--if you decide to go with a Dell, I'd check into the small business line. They tend to be better in my experience and they have a lot less crapware on them. G'luck!
 
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Dells will probably be the cheapest, though they are middle of the road on quality. The software hookup is worth A LOT more than getting a laptop from another company. Though it is probably $250-$300, get the 3-4 year warranty. I use/abuse my dell laptop between class, research, work, etc....and it has really paid off. Warranties are usually a scam, but with the iffy quality, it should be worth it.

Make sure to get an external harddrive AND jump drive for backing up. Check out THIS thread for more info.

-t
 
Ugh. Vista. Barf. That better be one powerhouse of a laptop; I've seen vista suck almost half of a computer's processing power with nothing running but one of those "widget" things. Is SPSS even working for Vista yet? A few weeks ago, I don't think it was.

On the other hand, retailers like Best Buy only carry Vista. All the XP laptops got sent back to the factory. The manufacturers don't want to waste an edition of Vista on a computer a few months old, and I think the laptop is technically "refurbished" if it was sent back to the factory. So, you can get very inexpensive XP laptops for very cheap at some of the smaller stores.

I got a 12" Gateway for under a grand. Nice speed, great mobility (I refused to even look at anything bigger than 14"), it's perfect for me. Love it.
 
JockNerd said:
Ugh. Vista. Barf. That better be one powerhouse of a laptop; I've seen vista suck almost half of a computer's processing power with nothing running but one of those "widget" things. Is SPSS even working for Vista yet? A few weeks ago, I don't think it was.

On the other hand, retailers like Best Buy only carry Vista. All the XP laptops got sent back to the factory. The manufacturers don't want to waste an edition of Vista on a computer a few months old, and I think the laptop is technically "refurbished" if it was sent back to the factory. So, you can get very inexpensive XP laptops for very cheap at some of the smaller stores.

I got a 12" Gateway for under a grand. Nice speed, great mobility (I refused to even look at anything bigger than 14"), it's perfect for me. Love it.
Click to expand...

Last time I checked, SPSS was still incompatible with Vista.

I'm supposed to be able to upgrade to Vista for free w/ my laptop. But, for some strange reason I have yet to do so. ;)

And, I wholeheartedly agree with T4C, get the frakkin' warranty. I'm so tired of hearing people complain about their allegedly crappy computers that broke after x, y, or z reasons, when they could have easily taken care of it had they purchased the warranty.
 
My personal bias is for a smaller laptop (I had a 15.4" beast that was 8lbs+, and it was rough to lug around). I've had a Dell 700m for the last 3 years, and it has been vastly easily to lug around at 3lbs for a 12". Unless you are sold on a big screen, I'd suggest going on the smaller end, it should be plenty of power and not give you back pain.

-t

ps. My Dell 700m has had warranty work 4 times in 3 years. 1 LCD replaced (broken speakers), bad battery (part of a battery recall), 2 keyboards busted (sticking keys, etc). I am on a first name basis with my repair guy. With that being said, I am on my laptop 10+ hours a day, so I expect things to break from wear and tear.
 
Actually the reason I'm eyeing Dells is BECAUSE I can customize them to avoid having Vista taint my computer with its filth;) Some work folks got it and I let them use my office since Vista has just rendered their computers useless.

FYI I don't have to get the laptop through Dell to get the software hookup. That's just for being an employee, I can get any computer I feel like, then just stroll over to the computing center and buy a ton of CDs.

Also turns out the 1505 has been discontinued despite THIS MONTHS Dell catalog advertising a great deal for it. Think the 6400 is the comparable model.

Dell Latitude D520 seems like it might be a better deal though. Anyone have experience with the Latitude line? I can then get the smaller size, which sounds good to me.

Only reason I'm sticking with Dell is because everything else seems overpriced in comparison. So I guess the question is whether middle of the line just means a little slower, or whether it means constantly broken? Can live with the former if it saves me a months rent (though I'd love a $2000 tablet!). Would hate to deal with the latter. If someone can recommend a better system line that isn't TOO much more than Dell I'm all ears.
 
Yeah, I went with Dell 'cause I wanted XP. I bet their business has gone way up since they're making it still available.

My best friend's a huge computer dork and he's told me a few times that Dell's "middle of the road" computers aren't crappy, they just don't have the memory/speed of the top ones. If you're just gonna use it for school stuff and not super graphic-heavy games, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Although laptops in general have a horrible life span so DEFINITELY go with a big warranty. It's worth the expense and will likely pay for itself within a year or two.
 
Here is an e-mail I give to people to who ask @ Dells....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have enclosed some links to search for Dell Laptop deals. The first one is specifically for tracking coupons (sort by type of product). The other two links are general "Hot Deal" websites that track various deals on the net. The general forums are great for finding deals at Best Buy, Buy.com etc. Typically they have mail in rebates, but you can find nice laptops for ~$600-$700. Some of the lingo used on the forums is short-hand, but it should be pretty easy to catch on. If you have any questions, let me know.

Dell Specific Information
http://www.gottadeal.com/dell.php?category=inspiron

General Deals Forums
http://forums.gotapex.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5
http://forums.slickdeals.net/forumdisplay.php?sduid=0&f=9
------------------------------------------------------------------------

-t

ps. I have no monetary affiliation with any of them, I'm just a long time member of a couple and have benefited greatly from some deals they posted.
 
Ollie123 said:
Actually the reason I'm eyeing Dells is BECAUSE I can customize them to avoid having Vista taint my computer with its filth;) Some work folks got it and I let them use my office since Vista has just rendered their computers useless.

FYI I don't have to get the laptop through Dell to get the software hookup. That's just for being an employee, I can get any computer I feel like, then just stroll over to the computing center and buy a ton of CDs.

Also turns out the 1505 has been discontinued despite THIS MONTHS Dell catalog advertising a great deal for it. Think the 6400 is the comparable model.

Dell Latitude D520 seems like it might be a better deal though. Anyone have experience with the Latitude line? I can then get the smaller size, which sounds good to me.

Only reason I'm sticking with Dell is because everything else seems overpriced in comparison. So I guess the question is whether middle of the line just means a little slower, or whether it means constantly broken? Can live with the former if it saves me a months rent (though I'd love a $2000 tablet!). Would hate to deal with the latter. If someone can recommend a better system line that isn't TOO much more than Dell I'm all ears.
Click to expand...

I have a Latitude D820 and I absolutely love it. No problems with it whatsoever. Runs quicker (and better IMO) than my previous Inspiron 8100 and 'tis considerably lighter. And, as an added bonus, it was cheaper even though it had more umph to it.

My husband was given a Latitude D610 by his employer, however, and he hates it. He readily admits though that he dislikes it mostly because it is a lower-end model, although he also dislikes it because he sometimes has issues with it keeping up with some of his heavy computer database/programming crap. I think he's mainly angling for them to buy him a new one though, so who knows. :cool:
 
If I may ask, what made you go with the 820 over one of the other models? From what I can tell off the Dell website it looks like its about $300 more for slightly faster processing(2g vs. 2.4g) and a fingerprint reader. Not sure if I'm missing something or if the difference in processing would actually give me a substantial difference in performance for my typical grad school stuff.

I've got my desktop if I feel like playing games and I'm computer-savvy enough to upgrade those when I need to, so I don't care if my laptop can do any graphical stuff. If I can run Windows, Office, SPSS and SAS without it blowing up I'm happy:)

Edit: Anyone have an opinion on whether the Intel Core 2 Duo is worth the extra price over the AMD Turion 64 X2?

My guess is yes because I've had awful luck with AMDs in the past, but then again I haven't used a computer with one in a very long time so things may have changed.
 
Ollie123 said:
Anyone have an opinion on whether the Intel Core 2 Duo is worth the extra price over the AMD Turion 64 X2?

My guess is yes because I've had awful luck with AMDs in the past, but then again I haven't used a computer with one in a very long time so things may have changed.
Click to expand...

I DEFINITELY vote for Intel. I don't like AMD at all.
 
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Well there goes that plan for saving money so I can buy a Lenovo or one of the nicer models:)
 
You know, I don't mean to be that annoying person, but I am glad I don't have to worry about this part right now since my program is giving me a laptop. It won't be brand spanking new (1 or 2 yrs. old) or my choice in model, but it is one less thing to worry about.

Good luck in finding a good choice Ollie! I generally hear that HP is a good choice. My only knowledge comes from my dad who works with computers, but doesn't own a laptop. My only other source is an uncle who loves his Macs (which don't work with SPSS from the last I heard).
 
Traditionally I am *not* a fan of HPs...but someone in my class had this HP that was 12" (or so) screen, and it was modeled after the IBM ThinkPad. Very slick, ultra-portable. I don't know the model number, but you'll know it when you see it.

-t
 
I am going through this same process and had pretty much settled on a Dell (15something) but was put off by the fact that all the Dells I was looking at come with Vista. Am I understanding correctly that you can have them put XP on it instead? I have heard very bad things about all the bugs in Vista to this point.

I've never heard anything about Dell being classed as "middle of the road" these days. Granted, I'm not a techie by any stretch, but my brother is and he still endorses Dell heartily. If it's considered "middle" what's the better brand now?

Thanks for the head's up about Vista not working with SPSS by the way. One more reason to avoid it.:eek:
 
SPSS IS compatible with Vista if you have version 15, you just have to apply a hotfix. http://support.spss.com/ProductsExt/SPSS/Compatibility.html. That being said, I run Vista and it isn't quite ready for primetime yet for your average user (I am a nerd, frankly). I would stick with XP at this point, though I am ordering a new laptop with Vista.

I looked at the Lenovo Thinkpads and was close to going for one but the biggest problem is that they don't have a normal sized trackpad. If you have used a Thinkpad before you are probably familiar with the eraser-type mouse. In the new Thinkpads this is still present along with a touchpad (like in many other laptops) but the touchpad is towards the bottom and is MUCH smaller than other laptops. If you use a touchpad as your primary mouse like me please look at them in a store before you buy them. Also, the build quality between them and a Latitude isn't all that much, and there are many online reviews that demonstrate that.

I purchased a Latitude D830. I would recommend you go for the D830 over the D820 because Intel just came out with a new version of Centrino called Santa Rosa which you will get in the D830. If you are buying a new laptop, you may as well have it! It is said to improve the battery life a bit over previous versions and comes with faster wireless and some other improvements which I will spare you from.

Good luck in your decision but for your price range I would look at the Dell Latitudes. They are going to be on the higher side of your range but are very well built and offer a lot of customizability including Windows XP.
 
irish80122 said:
SPSS IS compatible with Vista if you have version 15, you just have to apply a hotfix.
. . .
I purchased a Latitude D830. I would recommend you go for the D830 over the D820 because Intel just came out with a new version of Centrino called Santa Rosa which you will get in the D830. If you are buying a new laptop, you may as well have it! It is said to improve the battery life a bit over previous versions and comes with faster wireless and some other improvements which I will spare you from.
. . .
Click to expand...

Good to know about the SPSS fix when, or even IF, I ever upgrade to Vista. Hell, it took me forever to finally upgrade to IE7 and that was forced upon me. I suspect Vista will be the same for the time being. :smuggrin:

I don't think Dell even offers the D820 anymore, unless you're buying refurbished or something. I bought mine (er, or someone bought for me!) not quite a year ago and it was "tops" at the time; but since new crap has been released since then (as usual), they've replaced it with the D830. Hmm, same thing happened w/ my Inspiron so many moons ago, too. Silly twats! S'okay though 'cuz I lurves my new laptop--'tis absolutely beautific. :love: Of course, I wouldn't complain too much anyway since I didn't pay for it. ;)
 
psychwanabe said:
I am going through this same process and had pretty much settled on a Dell (15something) but was put off by the fact that all the Dells I was looking at come with Vista. Am I understanding correctly that you can have them put XP on it instead? I have heard very bad things about all the bugs in Vista to this point.

I've never heard anything about Dell being classed as "middle of the road" these days. Granted, I'm not a techie by any stretch, but my brother is and he still endorses Dell heartily. If it's considered "middle" what's the better brand now?

Thanks for the head's up about Vista not working with SPSS by the way. One more reason to avoid it.:eek:
Click to expand...

Yeppers, you can customize your Dell, including a request for XP instead of Vista if you so desire. I don't know if they still do this but they gave me a free Vista upgrade when/if I want it. However, this could be because I bought my XP machine just before Vista was released.

As far as RD's "middle of the road" comment (and correct me if I'm wrong!), it sounded like she was referring to Dell's "middle of the road" computers, as in they have so, so machines and then they also have high end machines--dependent upon your needs. Not necessarily that they are ALL "middle of the road" computers. Or, at least this is the way I read it as it makes more sense to me.

When I was looking for a new laptop, my options were eventually narrowed down to Dell, Thinkpad, & Mac. The computer-dork wouldn't even consider letting me look at anything else more than once. I ended up with a Dell, yet again, and don't regret it a bit.
 
Ollie123 said:
If I may ask, what made you go with the 820 over one of the other models? From what I can tell off the Dell website it looks like its about $300 more for slightly faster processing(2g vs. 2.4g) and a fingerprint reader. Not sure if I'm missing something or if the difference in processing would actually give me a substantial difference in performance for my typical grad school stuff.

I've got my desktop if I feel like playing games and I'm computer-savvy enough to upgrade those when I need to, so I don't care if my laptop can do any graphical stuff. If I can run Windows, Office, SPSS and SAS without it blowing up I'm happy:)

Edit: Anyone have an opinion on whether the Intel Core 2 Duo is worth the extra price over the AMD Turion 64 X2?

My guess is yes because I've had awful luck with AMDs in the past, but then again I haven't used a computer with one in a very long time so things may have changed.
Click to expand...

Hmm, well, I'd have to go back & look at the specs I printed off when researching 'em back then, but from memory . . . The D820 had better multimedia options (which *I* personally preferred as it was going to end up my primary computer) and wireless options (also needed & therefore, preferred). Oh, yeah, most importantly, the display!! :laugh: I wanted a larger widescreen monitor, which I couldn't get with the model a step or two below.

And, just my opinion, but go w/ the Intel. :thumbup: Bad, bad AMD! :thumbdown: Or, that could be just my experience there, too.
 
Yup, if you order off Dell online you can "customize it" and make them take off Vista for most models. The other places usually only offer 1 or 2 models with an XP version. Since I can get Vista for 10 bucks, I'm just going to do that so I can upgrade myself when Microsoft decides to release version "now it sucks less".

So far I have it narrowed down to Dell and HP. I DID find some good deals on Lenovo's (around $700) but I'd have to get a REALLY low-end model. 512RAM, old, non-dual centrino processors, etc. I think I'm better off with a middle-of-the-road Dell than a VERY low-end Lenovo unless someone cares to convince me otherwise.

So I think Dell and HP are the way to go for me. The two models I'm eyeing are the HP Pavilion from Circuit City found here

Or one of the Dell Latitudes - still deciding which one, but since it sounds like everyone else has similar horror stories about AMD I'll be splurging on Intel processors. Right now it looks like I'm better off going with a lower end model and "customizing" to basically make it a more moderate-level model rather than paying for the higher end model. Weirdness. I will have to play with the numbers later.

This perhaps makes me look like an idiot, but despite being somewhat of a computer geek I know jack about wireless connections. All the wireless cards seem the same except for g, or a/g or a/b/g at the end. What is the difference? I can't find a decent explanation anywhere....

and thanks for the input everyone has offered:) I think either of these computers will work fine, so now its just a matter of finding the best deal.
 
If you go the Dell route, I'd strongly suggest price shopping within their site. They are long known for playing with the prices from group to group (Small vs. Home vs. Education, etc) You can buy it through any of their groups, don't let the name fool ya. They do it like that so they can push certain product lines in certain areas.

-t
 
I splurged a bit and got a nicer one because Dell had some awesome deals right now. Spent around 1300 but am getting a machine that would probably cost me almost double that at retail.

I find it odd that they ask no less than 4 times "Is this for your small business" and I assume they'd transfer me away to their overpriced home use ones if I did not. Yet despite making a big deal they require absolutely no evidence that is, in fact, for a small business. So if anyone asks, I plan on mowing lawns in graduate school;)

Also....NEVER take their online prices, ALWAYS call them. I mentioned a discount for "APA membership" but they don't ask for any proof of this because they're really just haggling with you. They also often deny the validity of certain coupons. DON'T BELIEVE THEM. I forwarded her the link to the popup and got myself an extra $400 off:)

In conclusion, Dell is a bitch to deal with and very high-pressure compared to getting one in a store. I can't yet comment on the overall laptop quality, but you can customize to get a high-end machine for the same price a mid-low level one would be elsewhere.
 
Shoot, I didn't believe that you would get a better deal by calling (I called while I was shopping for laptops) so I did order online. Oh well, what can you do now?

One thing I will say is if you are looking at a Dell or Lenovo I would ORDER SOON because many of their models appear to be delayed. I ordered my Dell about a week ago and it isn't expected to ship until 7/17!
 
Dell is a PITA, but the experienced shopper can do VERY WELL. I've bought probably $15,000+ of stuff from Dell over the years (a lot reselling), and it can be worth the effort to try all different combinations, coupons, sections of the website, etc.

-t
 
irish80122 said:
Shoot, I didn't believe that you would get a better deal by calling (I called while I was shopping for laptops) so I did order online. Oh well, what can you do now?

One thing I will say is if you are looking at a Dell or Lenovo I would ORDER SOON because many of their models appear to be delayed. I ordered my Dell about a week ago and it isn't expected to ship until 7/17!
Click to expand...

Dell almost always over quotes...it might take that long if its a new model but it's unlikely.
 
my friend, who's a computer techie at my alma mater told that the best deals for computers tend to be mid-july, when the new stuff that just came up start going down in prices.
 
Most of the time it has to do when then new CPUs come out....so when the new Pentium, AMD, etc.....that is when to buy. Computers/laptops are much more of a commodity than they use to be, so it is a bit easier to find good deals.

-t
 
What features should one look for in a laptop to be used for graduate school? The reason I ask it because I'm hung up on wanting one with all the buzzes and whistles, but I'm not sure I need something that can out preform my Desktop.
 
I'd have to guess not much.

Screw video cards, you don't need one unless you want to game on your laptop. I'm happy with my integrated one. I focused on lightweight, processing speed and RAM.

Big hard drive won't hurt either if you like to have soft copies of articles, tons of other research, etc.

Don't get Vista yet, since last I heard SPSS still wasn't working on it (at least not well if it is). If you want Vista to be pretty it might be the exception to the video card rule I stated above. If you're like me and would be happy with DOS or Unix as long as its stable and does what you want it to, its not worth it. If the day comes when I have to upgrade to Windows Vista, I'll just turn the graphics down to the bare minimum and from what I've heard from friends, it shouldn't have any problems, even with the integrated video card.

Honestly, even high-end analyses aren't TOO hard on a system unless you're running the giant epidemiological datasets with hundreds of thousands of subjects. I'm actually typing this on my new laptop, which just arrived a few days ago, and I love it:)
 
For me battery life is the number one thing I look for because I use my laptop to take notes in class, for presentations (and probably for my teaching this fall), meetings, etc. For that reason I have to have a laptop and it is worth every penny.

Nowadays all the computers are really pretty good and pretty quick, so I don't think it needs to outperform your desktop, but rather just needs to be an extension of it. If you can do all of your day to day work on it, then it should be fine. You probably won't be gaming on it.
 
Woohoo! Glad they finally fixed that. Work folks will be thrilled when I tell them tomorrow.

Dell Latitude 630, but I pimped it out pretty nicely (dual 2ghz intels w/ 4M cache, 2gig RAM, 120gig 5400RPM HD, a/g/n wireless, 9-cell battery.

Runs like a dream, keyboard is comfy, I'm happy:) Now just need to pick up a carrying case since right now I put it back in the cardboard box it came in. Not the easiest thing to lug around;)
 
Ollie123 said:
Screw video cards, you don't need one unless you want to game on your laptop. I'm happy with my integrated one. I focused on lightweight, processing speed and RAM.
Click to expand...

You're right. I won't be gaming on it so what do I need card for? As for Vista, I think I'll just go with it. I "upgraded" my desktop to vista and it does bog down more than it should, but I think 2 gb of ram should help out a ton.

What I'm thinking about is portability, durability and battery life. The Inspiron 1420 looks like a good deal. HP's Pavilion dv2500t seems good too.
 
Both seem good. I recommend Latitude's over Inspirons if you want durability though. If you get Dells Accidental damage thing it probably matters less, but I've heard bad things about Inspiron's durability, but only good about the Latitudes.

Then again, the experiences of my 3(ish) friends with Dell laptops hardly constitutes a representative sample!

If you want true durability though, you can always splurge and get a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOadERbdEA4
 
I have a two year old Inspiron which I took everywhere and it is still doing alright, I just really needed the ability to have two batteries in the machine at once so I went for the Latitude.

I thought about your D630 a lot, the 14.1 inch screen will give you a lot better battery life over my 15.4...it was close but I was used to 15.4 so I decided I would buy more batteries on eBay if I needed them. Speaking of which, they have the modular batteries on their cheap (about $20) if you want them...it will give you a few more hours of battery life but you will lose your CD. If you don't use your CD much, like me, then it is worth it...plus you can always pop it back in!
 
Ugh, Vista. I've seen vista drag down a system running the desktop and a widget. It's a major system hog.

If battery life is a concern, you might just look into grabbing an additional battery. You can keep one charged and just swap them if you run out of time.

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=2603&

Batteries aren't too pricey, and it's a lot cheaper than buying a bigger and more expensive system just to get more better life.

Portability and Battery life? My Gateway MX1023 has a 12" screen and a seperate optical drive. Lasts forever.
 
hey folks, after a lot of playing around, and finding deals, etc. I have gotten the Dell Vostro 1500 (over dell's inspiron 1420/1520). I wanted a business computer because it's more sturdier for travel, less frilly(don't have to worry about taking all the bloatware off), and better customer support, plus you can return it with 30 days w/no restocking fee. Here are my specs in case you were looking and wanted to compare:

Vostro 1500
Intel&#174; Core&#8482; 2 Duo T5470 (1.6GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Operating System Genuine Windows Vista&#174; Home Basic --> upgrading to business using school's discount)
LCD Panel 15.4 in UltraSharp&#8482; Wide Scrn XGA+LCD Display w/TrueLife&#8482;
Memory 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM --> upgrading to 2GB through newegg
Hard Drive 120G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Establish Hard Drive Partition Custom Factory Partition, 50 percent Primary / 50 percent Secondary
Optical Drive 8X CD/DVD Burner w/ double-layer DVD+R write capability
Video Cards 128MB NVIDIA&#174; GeForce&#8482; 8400M GS
Wireless Cards Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card
Bluetooth Wireless Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)
Camera Integrated 2.0 mega pixel Web Camera
Sound Card High Definition Audio 2.0
OTHER OPTIONS
Integrated NIC and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem

ADD MY ACCESSORIES
Primary Battery
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

came out to $878 I think including a 2-yr limited warranty, etc blah blah. My school gave me $1000 to spend on a computer so the left over will be spent getting software ($50 to upgrade to Vista business and $50 for microsoft pro office)
 
A word of warning about Vista....I've heard some people getting BSOD's (blue screen of death...which usually requires a reformat of the computer) with it, especially when installing software that may or may not be compatible. PLEASE make sure to back up your data!! There is a thread in the SDN Tech Forum that addresses some of this stuff (probably multiple threads). I'd suggest getting at least a jump/thumb drive for current document backup, and then burning copies of CDs/DVDs for longer storage. Others prefer an external HD.

Vista isn't horrible or anything, it is just buggy, and most new laptops have it, so just be warned that you may run into a few bugs.

-t
 
I recommend an older mac g4. They're very affordable now. I bought mine 2 years ago at nearly 2000 and I'm pretty sure it depreciated over 1K. Of course, you have to appreciate the design and format of a mac. I know I can't stand to use my school's systems. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I also have 2 PCs and I find their design and use boring.
 
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