What should I look for in a laptop?

Dr.Satan · 12-12-2009, 12:01 AM

I'm looking to buy a laptop for myself and I want to know what to look for. Up until now I have never even considered using one b/c I didn't really have a use for it. But with me starting school and working and stuff, I foresee a lot of times where I will have limited time to get home and use my pc and think I'm going to need one.

So, what should I look for in a laptop? I'm thinking I don't want to spend too much on one...maybe like 3/400 dollars and I'm not really looking for performance as much as practicality. Although I don't want to get frustrated b/c it's crappy either. So like it doesn't need to be able to run FF and hammer or something...but I would like to be able to run like 30-40 programs on it w/out it freaking out on me (I have this problem with not liking to close things

).

any help is appreciated.

Credge · 12-12-2009, 02:31 AM

I dunno about 30-40 programs but those netbooks are pretty spiffy for school.

Mooga · 12-12-2009, 02:34 AM

You said "starting school and work." If college, what's your major? In that price range, your best bet is finding something clearenced at Best Buy... Also, don't expect a non-intel GPU :-\ I would recomend at least a 2.4GHz Dual Core CPU and 4GB of ram. But that doesn't come cheap... Make sure you get a Dual Core and not a Single Core CPU. Windows 7 is fantastic, don't mess with XP any more.

Dr.Satan · 12-12-2009, 02:49 AM

Major is Computer Information Systems

What's an average cost for a laptop? I just assumed that 3/4 would be ok...but it's not my cap. And yeah cool on the other stuff...and yeah I haven't been on xp in ages.

KubeDawg · 12-12-2009, 04:32 AM

I would advise against a netbook. Those are mostly for browsing the internet and that's about it. Tehy may be powerful, but they're small as fuck, and if you have gorilla hands like I do, you will appreciate typing on a full sized keyboard, especially if you are going to be typing a lot of papers up.

My suggestion is to start online. See what deals you can find on newegg, tigerdirect, even dell or hp. Don't get one from best buy because you will pay too much for what you want.

With Christmas coming up, it shouldn't be difficult to find a good deal.

Newegg would be my first place to check though. Their prices are unbeatable.

Dr.Satan · 12-12-2009, 05:21 AM

yeah I definitely will check newegg and tiger direct first...I just am not sure what's the best to look for so I need some ideas on what I should be searching for or looking at or whatever.

Mooga · 12-12-2009, 05:32 AM

Check in the $500+ range for a decent laptop. If you want to run multiple programs, don't bother with a netbook. Also, you need baby hands to type on a netbook.

I personally like Dell Laptops... but then again I've had REALLY good luck with old-school Dells.

Dr.Satan · 12-12-2009, 06:23 AM

yeah I have giant hands...that's part of what's turned me off of most laptops is that I really hate the way it feels to type on them. And cool...any specific type of dell's like are there specific features I can/should search for?

edit: and yeah 500+ is fine...I'm just not looking to spend 1000 bucks on it or something.

Credge · 12-12-2009, 11:27 AM

Oh. I forgot, people have hands larger than that of a five year old girls. See, I have really small hands. Like a womans. Actually, one of my girlfriends had larger hands than what I had. It made me sad.

Then I called her a cunt and punched her in her vagina.

Iggy · 12-12-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.Satan

yeah I have giant hands...that's part of what's turned me off of most laptops is that I really hate the way it feels to type on them. And cool...any specific type of dell's like are there specific features I can/should search for?

edit: and yeah 500+ is fine...I'm just not looking to spend 1000 bucks on it or something.

I just bought an HP to replace the one that was stolen. It's this one here.

I really like it, and it wasn't a budget buster(even though I'm getting the cost refunded to me).

I like HPs products, never had a problem with them.

Paft · 12-12-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Credge

Oh. I forgot, people have hands larger than that of a five year old girls. See, I have really small hands. Like a womans. Actually, one of my girlfriends had larger hands than what I had. It made me sad.

Then I called her a cunt and punched her in her vagina.

Haha, Credge. My Sister has larger hands than me. Shes 19 and I am almost 24.
It makes me sad too

Back on topic, Dr. Satan, have you thought about "refurbished" ones? I know the major store do them here in the U.K. like PCWorld.

Mooga · 12-12-2009, 11:39 PM

Because of wide screens... laptops are getting, well, wider. Because of that, you will often find a full-size keyboard (and even a full number pad) on some regular laptops.

Etzell · 12-13-2009, 05:16 AM

Satan. Keep an eye on Dealnews.com. They have a lot of good laptop deals from time to time.

Dr.Satan · 12-14-2009, 07:32 AM

nice! I will for sure.

K, so far I have just to get a 2.4GHz Dual Core CPU and 4GB of ram. Is there anything else I should look for or does that pretty much cover it?

SomeOldGuy · 12-14-2009, 10:50 AM

Some other considerations:

If you're going to be using it a lot without power, or watching movies etc without power, definitely look at battery life.

If you're going to be carrying it around much, go for as light as possible, balancing that against battery life. That 8 pounder looks nice in the store, but you can really notice the weight if you carry it around a lot. For real work, agreed on steering clear of netbook.

That pretty shiny glossy screen makes colors pop, but if you're going to use it outside or in a room with a lot of light, you will curse all the reflections. Go with matte screen if you will be using it in varying light conditions.

Go with as big a screen as you can. Screen real estate is at a premium on a lappy, and if you really are running multiple things at once you will appreciate the extra space to see the other windows while working on your dissertation.

You might also want to google "laptop buyers guide" to give you other things that may not have been mentioned here as well as some other recommendations.

Dr.Satan · 12-14-2009, 04:27 PM

see that's what I'm talking about...shit like that makes since but I would have never considered it lol!

Thanks SOG

KubeDawg · 12-14-2009, 07:38 PM

Also make sure if you do get a bigger screen that it can support a high resolution. Check reviews to see if it runs hot. Most lap tops are warm to the touch, but there are a few that can get really hot on the bottom so if you put it on your lap, it might cause some discomfort.

Also check into what type of wireless networking capabilities it will have. What's the use in having a lap top if it doesn't have wireless internet?

stray kitten · 12-16-2009, 05:10 PM

I have an hp netbook and I love it. There are limitations because you are trading performance for battery power. I can go 7 hours of continual use on the netbook and with a small spare battery over 9. It's perfect for coffee shops, classrooms, bars, restaurants, trade shows, seminars etc. It will last all day at a seminar. And when I need something that requires a little more power I have GOTOMYPC for that. And with Win7 at home you don't even need that. There is plenty of disk space to hold a lot of programs. No CD-Rom however. I specifically chose not to have one anyway, it's about battery life for me. And it's almost a full size small laptop keyboard. Plus when it's parked at home it makes a great little media pc, its so small.

Mooga · 12-16-2009, 05:33 PM

A netbook is NOT that he needs. You can't run the number of aplications he wants or have the power he needs on a netbook. I like netbooks to some extent, but they aren't for everyone. They are for people who needs a light, small, secondary computer. It's not a main PC.

Plus if you are going into CS, you're going to want the extra power and screen space. Two things a netbook doesn't have.

Dr.Satan · 12-16-2009, 06:23 PM

yeah I saw the netbook and was definitely not impressed. I'm not too concerned about battery life, I just did my schedule and I'll only be in school for about 7 hours MWF and I've got an hour and a half break in the middle there, so I think as long as I have a backup battery and can find an outlet I'll be fine. Granted I don't want one with a 2hour battery life, but 4/5 is gonna be ok I think.

I had a go around bestbuy last night just playing around on some and the best one I found that I liked was this hp(click). I'm also very picky about how the buttons feel when pushing them...and this one was the best I found with the specs everyone mentioned that felt good and wasn't too expensive. Definitely still looking around, but I really liked that one.

12-12-2009, 12:01 AM	#1
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	What should I look for in a laptop? I'm looking to buy a laptop for myself and I want to know what to look for. Up until now I have never even considered using one b/c I didn't really have a use for it. But with me starting school and working and stuff, I foresee a lot of times where I will have limited time to get home and use my pc and think I'm going to need one. So, what should I look for in a laptop? I'm thinking I don't want to spend too much on one...maybe like 3/400 dollars and I'm not really looking for performance as much as practicality. Although I don't want to get frustrated b/c it's crappy either. So like it doesn't need to be able to run FF and hammer or something...but I would like to be able to run like 30-40 programs on it w/out it freaking out on me (I have this problem with not liking to close things ). any help is appreciated. __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF: Last edited by Dr.Satan; 12-12-2009 at 12:02 AM.

12-12-2009, 02:31 AM	#2
Credge FF Loremaster Beta Tester Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 4 Times	I dunno about 30-40 programs but those netbooks are pretty spiffy for school. __________________ "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Ronald Reagan

12-12-2009, 02:34 AM	#3
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	You said "starting school and work." If college, what's your major? In that price range, your best bet is finding something clearenced at Best Buy... Also, don't expect a non-intel GPU :-\ I would recomend at least a 2.4GHz Dual Core CPU and 4GB of ram. But that doesn't come cheap... Make sure you get a Dual Core and not a Single Core CPU. Windows 7 is fantastic, don't mess with XP any more. __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

12-12-2009, 02:49 AM	#4
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	Major is Computer Information Systems What's an average cost for a laptop? I just assumed that 3/4 would be ok...but it's not my cap. And yeah cool on the other stuff...and yeah I haven't been on xp in ages. __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF: Last edited by Dr.Satan; 12-12-2009 at 02:49 AM.

12-12-2009, 04:32 AM	#5
KubeDawg Nade Whore Server Owner Beta Tester Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oklahoma Class/Position: Scout/Soldier Gametype: CTF/TDM Affiliations: blunt. Moto Posts Rated Helpful 128 Times	I would advise against a netbook. Those are mostly for browsing the internet and that's about it. Tehy may be powerful, but they're small as fuck, and if you have gorilla hands like I do, you will appreciate typing on a full sized keyboard, especially if you are going to be typing a lot of papers up. My suggestion is to start online. See what deals you can find on newegg, tigerdirect, even dell or hp. Don't get one from best buy because you will pay too much for what you want. With Christmas coming up, it shouldn't be difficult to find a good deal. Newegg would be my first place to check though. Their prices are unbeatable. __________________ Moto's Funhouse \| Dallas, TX - 74.91.114.247:27015 ff_plunder - Complete

12-12-2009, 05:21 AM	#6
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	yeah I definitely will check newegg and tiger direct first...I just am not sure what's the best to look for so I need some ideas on what I should be searching for or looking at or whatever. __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF:

12-12-2009, 05:32 AM	#7
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	Check in the $500+ range for a decent laptop. If you want to run multiple programs, don't bother with a netbook. Also, you need baby hands to type on a netbook. I personally like Dell Laptops... but then again I've had REALLY good luck with old-school Dells. __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

12-12-2009, 06:23 AM	#8
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	yeah I have giant hands...that's part of what's turned me off of most laptops is that I really hate the way it feels to type on them. And cool...any specific type of dell's like are there specific features I can/should search for? edit: and yeah 500+ is fine...I'm just not looking to spend 1000 bucks on it or something. __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF: Last edited by Dr.Satan; 12-12-2009 at 06:24 AM.

12-12-2009, 11:27 AM	#9
Credge FF Loremaster Beta Tester Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 4 Times	Oh. I forgot, people have hands larger than that of a five year old girls. See, I have really small hands. Like a womans. Actually, one of my girlfriends had larger hands than what I had. It made me sad. Then I called her a cunt and punched her in her vagina. __________________ "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Ronald Reagan

12-12-2009, 11:39 PM	#12
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	Because of wide screens... laptops are getting, well, wider. Because of that, you will often find a full-size keyboard (and even a full number pad) on some regular laptops. __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

12-13-2009, 05:16 AM	#13
Etzell D&A Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Satan. Keep an eye on Dealnews.com. They have a lot of good laptop deals from time to time.

12-14-2009, 07:32 AM	#14
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	nice! I will for sure. K, so far I have just to get a 2.4GHz Dual Core CPU and 4GB of ram. Is there anything else I should look for or does that pretty much cover it? __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF:

12-14-2009, 10:50 AM	#15
SomeOldGuy older than dirt Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: just east of the jug handle Posts Rated Helpful 9 Times	Some other considerations: If you're going to be using it a lot without power, or watching movies etc without power, definitely look at battery life. If you're going to be carrying it around much, go for as light as possible, balancing that against battery life. That 8 pounder looks nice in the store, but you can really notice the weight if you carry it around a lot. For real work, agreed on steering clear of netbook. That pretty shiny glossy screen makes colors pop, but if you're going to use it outside or in a room with a lot of light, you will curse all the reflections. Go with matte screen if you will be using it in varying light conditions. Go with as big a screen as you can. Screen real estate is at a premium on a lappy, and if you really are running multiple things at once you will appreciate the extra space to see the other windows while working on your dissertation. You might also want to google "laptop buyers guide" to give you other things that may not have been mentioned here as well as some other recommendations. Last edited by SomeOldGuy; 12-14-2009 at 11:00 AM.

12-14-2009, 04:27 PM	#16
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	see that's what I'm talking about...shit like that makes since but I would have never considered it lol! Thanks SOG __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF:

12-14-2009, 07:38 PM	#17
KubeDawg Nade Whore Server Owner Beta Tester Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oklahoma Class/Position: Scout/Soldier Gametype: CTF/TDM Affiliations: blunt. Moto Posts Rated Helpful 128 Times	Also make sure if you do get a bigger screen that it can support a high resolution. Check reviews to see if it runs hot. Most lap tops are warm to the touch, but there are a few that can get really hot on the bottom so if you put it on your lap, it might cause some discomfort. Also check into what type of wireless networking capabilities it will have. What's the use in having a lap top if it doesn't have wireless internet? __________________ Moto's Funhouse \| Dallas, TX - 74.91.114.247:27015 ff_plunder - Complete

12-16-2009, 05:10 PM	#18
stray kitten mjau D&A Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Class/Position: kittens are sneaky, spy Gametype: Capture the mouse Posts Rated Helpful 2 Times	I have an hp netbook and I love it. There are limitations because you are trading performance for battery power. I can go 7 hours of continual use on the netbook and with a small spare battery over 9. It's perfect for coffee shops, classrooms, bars, restaurants, trade shows, seminars etc. It will last all day at a seminar. And when I need something that requires a little more power I have GOTOMYPC for that. And with Win7 at home you don't even need that. There is plenty of disk space to hold a lot of programs. No CD-Rom however. I specifically chose not to have one anyway, it's about battery life for me. And it's almost a full size small laptop keyboard. Plus when it's parked at home it makes a great little media pc, its so small. __________________ 6 of the 10 richest counties in America now surround Washington D.C. Our "capitol" edged out Silicon Valley as the nation's richest metro area. Reality Distortion Field = 1. Stream the distractions: One percent, hoodies, and kony oh my. Last edited by stray kitten; 12-16-2009 at 05:18 PM.

12-16-2009, 05:33 PM	#19
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	A netbook is NOT that he needs. You can't run the number of aplications he wants or have the power he needs on a netbook. I like netbooks to some extent, but they aren't for everyone. They are for people who needs a light, small, secondary computer. It's not a main PC. Plus if you are going into CS, you're going to want the extra power and screen space. Two things a netbook doesn't have. __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

12-16-2009, 06:23 PM	#20
Dr.Satan Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Greeley, CO Class/Position: Med / Solly Gametype: PAYLOAD Affiliations: DET- Posts Rated Helpful 19 Times	yeah I saw the netbook and was definitely not impressed. I'm not too concerned about battery life, I just did my schedule and I'll only be in school for about 7 hours MWF and I've got an hour and a half break in the middle there, so I think as long as I have a backup battery and can find an outlet I'll be fine. Granted I don't want one with a 2hour battery life, but 4/5 is gonna be ok I think. I had a go around bestbuy last night just playing around on some and the best one I found that I liked was this hp(click). I'm also very picky about how the buttons feel when pushing them...and this one was the best I found with the specs everyone mentioned that felt good and wasn't too expensive. Definitely still looking around, but I really liked that one. __________________ FF Community Map Pack(s): 1 / 2 (Released) conc_school \| hellion_classic \| ksour_PAYLOAD \| mulch_faf (Beta) alchimy_b1 (Lua) base_payload_2015 (Models) props_trainyard Support FF:

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