Alright so I'm a broke ass college freshman who's sick of sitting in a chair on my desktop and I'm looking to buy a laptop. I don't know too much about computers but am looking for something with a lot of RAM or a fast processor for running multiple things at the same time (like iTunes, web pages, AB programs etc.). Hard Drive memory isn't a biggie as I've got a 1TB external. For price... around $800 give or take some. I haven't really researched around and I've never even owned a laptop so I'm just looking for suggestions on brands or what specs I should be looking out for, or if I will even be able to find a nice one with my budget. Any help will be appreciated, thanks!
I can't speak for specs 'cuz I am essentially a technical dweeb I have owned four laptops in my life thus far (about due for a fifth soon) Past brands were Acer, Dell and HP By far I prefer HP - I love the design of the laptops themselves and just everything about them. Mostly I look at aesthetics when picking a laptop (I am such a girl lol - it has to match with my shoes!) so the shinier, pinker, sparklier etc is what I search for. However, my next one will probably be a Sony Viao - unless of course HP can create a pink lappy for me Otherwise I would not switch brands... Price-wise however, HP tends to be near the top of the scale, but in my opinion they are worth the money. I had a lot of problems with my Dell - which included having to ship it back to Dell twice for it to be fixed. With two HP's in a row (3-4 year lifespan on each) I have had zero issues that have required service work to be done...but maybe that's just me lol
Its out of your price range but if your looking for the ULTIMATE student laptop it is hands down a macbook pro. it may not be the best for all the programs on this site but like you said your in collage and im hoping neopets doesnt mean more to you then a degree.....
I must be the only person in the world who doesn't like Macs. You can't even right click! Anyway, if you don't intend to play games on your laptop, you really don't need the best hardware just to simultaneously browse the web, run word processors, use ABers, etc.. A 2.4 GHz processor speed and 4 GB ram is enough. Maybe you can search on Bestbuy. There are probably cheaper places, but I'm not really in the loop when it comes to shopping for electronics. Maybe something like this? These are the more portable models (around 5 lbs or less). Larger models should be cheaper. HP - Pavilion Laptop / Intel® Core™ i5 Processor / 14" Display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive - Argento Samsung - Laptop / Intel® Core™ i5 Processor / 14" Display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive - Black Aluminum
I think a Mac would work well for college. Mac Book Air is light (if that matters) A small Mac book Pro is affordable, and can run well. HP and Dell are good brands for a regular 13" laptop Acer and Asus are more for Netbooks, if you consider one of those
I should have mentioned.... I HATE MACS. I've been a loyal iPhone user for two years and absolutely love it, but we used Macs in photography and communications in High School and I absolutely hated them. Really, words can not express. @imjustjesus, No, NP's is way bottom on my list for anything. But I am a programming student and at times I have to have several applications open and on my current desktop it slows my computer down A LOTTTTT. Plus, I always have iTunes running and Skype. I don't really play any heavy games, more like internet browser ones. @powerof0, I don't understand how the larger models are cheaper? But I do want something with a decent sized screen. Mostly because when I'm working on a project I can dual hook up my current (21") monitor without the laptop screen looking puny as whatever.
Also, most laptops come in sizes: 13.3", 15" or 17" Thier are some 10.1" on Netbooks. I am not sure if you will find a decent one with over 17" screen and affordable
Ok, I guess I'm wrong. Larger (17'' +) laptops are actually more expensive. Bestbuy conveniently allows you to filter by screen size, so maybe you can find something there. Unfortunately, the selection in the $800 range doesn't seem to be too good right now. But is really a good idea to get such a large laptop? It almost defeats the purpose of having one if it's too large to be portable.
Ok, I guess I'm wrong. Larger (17'' +) laptops are actually more expensive. Bestbuy conveniently allows you to filter by screen size, so maybe you can find something there. Unfortunately, the selection in the $800 range doesn't seem to be too good right now. But is really a good idea to get such a large laptop? It almost defeats the purpose of having one if it's too large to be portable. To this i say that a 17" is still portable. You can really use while like sitting, but still wokrs at like hotel rooms and everything. But maybe not that good on an airplane. I have a 15 in laptop that I love cause It has a nice screen size, and portable. however, it does cost quite a bit
When I meant small I meant under 15". Anything above 15 would be good. I just didn't want a little baby one. I'm so used to my big monitor and when I use my cousins laptop sometimes it's a drastic difference. But I'll take a look at the BestBuy website. Don't they have terrible customer service though? I tried returning a stereo there last year WITH the receipt, but since it was opened and I told them it worked fine and I just didn't want it they wouldn't take it back or even give me store credit.
You can look at Bestbuy's returns and refunds policy here. Be sure to read the section called "Best Buy Store Exchange & Return Policy." Note that there appears to be a 15% restocking fee for returning opened laptops, so make up your mind before you buy. I'm not sure why they refused to give you a refund for the stereo. Did you return it more than 30 days after the time of purchase? Maybe the cashiers (or whatever they're called) just didn't know what they were doing. It would be helpful if other members can recommended good stores/websites for buying laptops. There ought to be more places.
Welson sort of Gravedug this board, but if you still haven't chosen... I just recently got a new cheap netbook from Acer. I love it xD
I would look at dell laptops, my girlfriend just bought one for AU$850 (with discount) . Inspiron 15R with i3, and 4GB Ram, 500GB storage. its not bad for value. also if you buy online look for coupons that you can get discounts on. We got a 3% discount on the laptop its better then nothing.
Oh yes, i hear about the Insiron 15R And they advertise it on neopets with some of thier Ads The one with the laptops and says i3 in the bottom right
I'm currently using a dell inspiron 1545 and they work really well. it has a 2.1 Ghz processor and 4G of ram and they start around $400. Plus they have a 15.6" screen. I find mine to be quick when running multiple programs like skype, itunes, web, AB, etc.