what kind of computer for around 1200 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

RG5384 · #1 05-02-2003, 02:24 AM

at the end of the summer my parents are going to be buying me a new computer(yes, i know i'm lucky

) and i was wondering what some of you guy's opinions were. I'm leaning towards a laptop as i will be a sophomore in college, and the compactness and flexibility of a notebook will be great. Basically, the computer needs to be a multi-tasking machine, at any given point i normally have open: outlook, AIM(with a few IM's), microsoft word, WinAMP, a music downloading program, weatherbug(i like to know how hot/cold it is outside), an antivirus program, and at least one window of internet explorer open. I know most of the newer computers can do this without too much of a problem(at least my friend's can). What laptop do you guys think offers the most bang for your buck? All thoughts appreciated, and if you think a desktop is better let me know that too! thanks guys,
Ryan

jsmith · #2 05-02-2003, 09:19 AM

you have to do price comparisons as the deals change all the time but Dell, Compaq and IBM all sell systems and even laptops around that price (laptops will have much less features for the same money). from what you describe you will need lots of memory - at least 256 Mb...

DieselHead · #3 05-02-2003, 11:36 AM

Dell is constantly having deals for laptops and desktops. Last week, there was a P4 laptop with a 15" screen for $1100 after discounts and coupons, and a P4 2.53 GHz/30GB/259mb RAM/CDRW for $399 without monitor. I frequent www.bensbargains.net a lot. he compiles online deals that incorporate discount codes and rebates. There's often a lot of Dell stuff on there so I look often.

If you get a desktop (which I recommend), definitely invest in the flat panel, if for no other reason than saving desk space.

Good luck. No matter what you buy, it'll be outdated in two years

Alex

DieselHead · #4 05-02-2003, 11:39 AM

There's a Dell Celeron 2.0 GHz laptop on the site I mentioned right now, with a free palm zire for $699. Celerons would be just fine for what you described. No gaming (I don't play games, so I think they're ok). Oh, I have no interest in that site, I've just saved a lot of money by using it.

Alex

Ken300D · #5 05-02-2003, 01:55 PM

A similar site:

dealnews.com

Ken300D

Rick Miley · #6 05-02-2003, 02:07 PM

Now you're talking my language - I've been programming computers for over 20 years.

For the desktop/laptop thing, definitely go laptop. Yes, you'll get a little less bang for the buck, but the portability more than makes up for it. Any of today's laptops, even the lower end ones, will meet the requirements you specified with ease.

In the balancing act of spending money on a faster processor, bigger disk, or more memory, always go for more memory - 512MB is a good target. If you still have money left over, get the bigger hard drive.

For brand selection, I'm going to pick two important criteria and you can report back if I'm off base. First is pointing device. The choice between touchpad and pointing stick is highly personal and you really need to try both in order to decide. Some models from IBM and Toshiba (which I recommend) only have the stick and some people hate it. Personally, I can't stand the touchpad. Second criteria is ruggedness. You've said you're a college student and your parents are buying this thing, so I will assume that you're young and bang stuff around a lot. IBM and Toshiba make most rugged computers in the business, with Dell probably being third.

So here are my recommendations
1. Toshiba - tough as nails, and good value for the money
2. IBM - very rugged, but also very expensive
3. Dell - great value, pretty good support, a little less durable
4. Gateway - good value, but sometimes quirky machines

Not recommended
Sony - great machines, but very expensive and poor support
Compaq - quirky machines often having lots of proprietary hardware and questionable support.

Now some things you didn't ask for: Get the longest extended warranty they offer, especially if you go with the laptop, But DO NOT pay extra for on-site service. Quick story: my office mate had a Dell laptop that went belly up so he called for on-site service. Appointment scheduled 2 days later. Tech arrives, has no parts. Parts ordered and tech comes back 2 days later. Tech unable to fix the problem, so the PC must be sent in. PC sent in next day, fixed at depot and sent back overnight. If he had just opted for depot service, the whole ordeal could have been over in 2 days.

And the other thing is to look for USB 2.0 support. This is only just becoming available on laptops, but will be a very handy feature to have and will be your signal that it is a newer laptop model/design. Most everything you want to connect to it will be USB 2.0 within a couple years.

Happy Hunting

RG5384 · #7 05-02-2003, 03:25 PM

thanks a bunch for the replies guys. I do play an occasional game or two but by no means need the latest gaming machine, i think i've played a total of three games this past year. on the durability note, do any of these manufacturers offer a dumba$$ warranty??(in other words they cover it if i drop it or spill something on it). That is a big concern of mine too, i dont want to accidentally drop the thing and end up in the whole 1200 bucks. And yes, i am rough on things, even though i try not to be. I've always had a negative opinion on celerons. Something to do with their front side bus or something?(that sound right?), but perhaps if i can get a bigger screen with more ram and a cdr/dvd combo drive in place of a P4 it'd be worth the processor hit. hmmm so many things to think about, i'm glad i have a few months. Thanks again guys
Ryan

Rick Miley · #8 05-02-2003, 03:53 PM

Yes, I have see the dumbass warranty offered, but can't remember where. That will probably be something to buy from the vendor, rather than the manufacturer. Definitely worth checking into.

As I said before, even the low end laptops of today will meet your needs - Celeron included. To prove my point, my current laptop is a three year old IBM Thinkpad i1480 with a Celeron 466, a 6 GB drive, and 320MB of memory and running Windows XP Home Edition. I can run a complete Oracle Database, Oracle development tools, a web server, and a web based Oracle application simultaneously. It will play DVD's, but that has to be done by itself. Your computer will have a minimum of triple the speed of mine and, unless you're a computer programmer or doing digital video editing, the tasks you'll perform pale in comparison to what mine does.

You got it right with prioritizing other stuff ahead of the processor. Get the bigger screen, the DVD/CDRW and definitely the memory first.

I also wanted to mention another reason why I like IBM and Toshiba - they're great about replacing defective LCD screens. Other companies are more apt to make you live with a few bad pixels.

Finally, my favorite vendor is CDW. They don't always have the very best prices, but the service is unbeatable.

oldsouth · #9 05-02-2003, 04:22 PM

Just wait until the last week or so before you need it. They are constantly coming out with a newer faster model. I think the new Intel M processor (Centerio ?) has USB 2 support.

dieseldude · #10 05-02-2003, 05:17 PM

...just ordered a Dell Desktop for home. Can't argue with the above benefits for a laptop over desktop, but I don't need the portabilty.

As a data point (or a couple) for $1258 I got the following:
Dell Dimension 8300
2.66 Ghz
512m RAM
120G Harddisk
64M Video
16x DVD
48x CD-RW
8(!) USB2 ports
"17 Flat Panel monitor

While PC's are certainly still advancing (esp. in the Wireless broadband arena), I'm hearing we've reached a plateau (at least for a couple years) in terms of hardware advances. A new (mid-line) PC today should last you awhile if you're not a hard-core gamer or video/photo editor.

Regards,
- Ryan

jsmith · #11 05-02-2003, 07:37 PM

isn't it interesting that unlike cars PC prices have dropped with increased horsepower and features through the years? in 1982 an IBM PC XT with a 10 Mb drive, 96 kb of memory, CGA graphics and a 360kb floppy drive, a printer and flight simulator cost $6,000! when the first 386 motherboards came out, had a friend who had to have one and he went and got it for $3000!

RG5384 · #12 05-02-2003, 08:09 PM

along that same line my parents first home computer-an apple IIGS cost 3500 dollars, and it didn't even have a hard drive!!! back to the original thread, i'm thinking that I am definately getting a laptop if i can get a dumbass attack warranty, if not then i'll have more thinking to do. thanks again everyone,
Ryan

84300DT · #13 05-05-2003, 06:54 AM

to compare the many different setups you can go to this excellent site - i got my laptop a harddrive for 80 dlrs they wanted 230 dlrs for the same thing locally here.

www.pricewatch.com

Rick Miley · #14 05-07-2003, 10:51 AM

I was just doing some shopping for myself. Found this and thought of you. If you bought it today, you'd be a little over budget after adding warranty, tax, and shipping. But the price should come down and be right in your ballpark in a couple months. Looks like a helluva machine for the money. Even has a DVD drive!

RG5384 · #15 05-07-2003, 07:59 PM

thanks for the link Rick, i also saw in i think compUSA's sunday mail thing a toshiba laptop with a 2.0 ghz celeron, 516mb ram, 15" screen and a cd-r drive for around 1199, which would be pushing the budget a little bit as well, and i think for the bigger screen and more ram i could either talk my parents into it or throw in some of my own cash for it. Right now i'm trying to figure out how to hook up my old computer to my room mates road runner without paying road runner 40 more bucks a month and without buying a router for 80 bucks. Anyone know anything about that?? thanks,
Ryan