Help with a new computer

Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
285
Alright guys,

I'm in the market for a new high end laptop. Preferably a 15 inch screen, running Windoze. I'm not a gamer but I do tons of work editing videos and really want something with a great graphics card and lots of RAM.

I plan on spending the next year in a forward deployed location so I'll also be doing reports, paperwork, checking email, surfing the web, watching movies, etc with it.

I though briefly about an Alienware, but I really think that they're way overpriced.

Anyone have any suggestions?
 
Check out the Dell XPS 15z.
It's fast, has good graphics and great battery life (for a laptop of its size and power).
I don't own one myself, but that's just because I can't justify buying a new laptop. :-p
 
You cant go wrong wrong with an Apple Mac book Pro, the hardware is fantastic and using boot camp you have a fully functional Windows 7 machine.
 
Checking out the Dell page now... it's looking pretty good.

You cant go wrong wrong with an Apple Mac book Pro, the hardware is fantastic and using boot camp you have a fully functional Windows 7 machine.

Also checking into an Apple, especially now that i know they can dual boot Windows. I've used and prefer Ubuntu to Windows, but we have some windows only software for work. I could never get WINE to run it properly. So I may just have to dual boot the Mac OS and Windows

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info.

Any other suggestions are invited
 
You could always just buy the Dell (or any other good non-Apple laptop) and dual boot Ubuntu and Windows. It's what I do on all my boxes.
Or you could run the windows only software in a VM in Ubuntu.
 
You could always just buy the Dell (or any other good non-Apple laptop) and dual boot Ubuntu and Windows. It's what I do on all my boxes.
Or you could run the windows only software in a VM in Ubuntu.

I've had great luck with the HP that i'm running right now. It dual boots Vista and Ubuntu, but is now 3 years old and is getting more and more finicky. I've picked up a great paying job and want to treat myself to a really nice computer.

I've scoped out most of the major manufacturers. I guess, it's just a matter of finding the best specs at the best price.

Thanks again everyone for your help
 
I would suggest going to a store and picking up a number of laptops. You might want to expand your search to include somewhat smaller screen sizes.
My work got me a nice 15.6" laptop but in practice, to travel with, it is huge and heavy. I miss my smaller laptop.
 
My daughter bought a laptop a few months ago. Before buying, she queried her IT-geek friends. They recommended Asus (NOT Acer) as being better and more reliable than Dell, Compaq, HP or Toshiba. She bought one and has been really happy with it. It's fast and she's not had any problems with it.
 
Acer laptops are not the best bang for the buck. I have had more Acer machines in my shop for repair in the last year than HP, Asus, and Dell combined.
 
I think if you can afford it go Mac. I've never owned one but I think they're the best machines out now. You pay more up front but you get more software, a solid machine, and probably better resale value than any pc based laptop should you want to sell it down the road.
I've switched from Toshiba (Tecra) to Dell desktops and laptops but their customer service (or lack thereof) finally turned me off. My current laptops are an Asus N61J 17.3" i7 machine which is acting as my desktop replacement, and most recently, an HP Pavilion DM1 3040ca 11.6" laptop as a birthday gift from my wife. I wanted it as a travel machine since it runs a laptop processor in a body the size of a netbook. Here's a link to the HP where you can read up on customer reviews: http://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-dm1-3020us-Entertainment-Laptop/dp/B004H0OA7S

Asus makes a really good machine with probably the best warranty in the business but I've heard nothing but bad things about their customer service. Sony's first Vaios were good but I've heard that their recent machines are sourced out from a lower end manufacturer and they just slap the Vaio logo on them...no where near the quality Sony initially offered.

I guess it's just hit or miss lately. I think you can find good machines, and bad machines from most manufacturers now. Narrow down the features, size, etc you want then search for brands who's machines fit those criteria and read customer reviews on them from places like Amazon. I would have never bought an HP and had my mind set on one of the Asus 12" netbooks but read too many issues with the power connector in the machine being too fragile. Based on their customer service reputation I figured I'd pass and HP was the only other maker that had what I was looking for at the time of the purchase.

Good luck, I know it's frustrating trying to figure out which to get.
 
ASUS - I picked ASUS based in part on an article about percentage of returns for problems on new computers. The worst ones were 20% or more the best ones were 12% but ASUS beat them all at 6% !! Laptops get higher capacity all the time and there are many within each brand so look at them carefully .
 
I have owned nothing but Macbooks for the last 4 years. I recently updated to the newest 13" Macbook Pro and sold my 3.5yr old Macbook for $500 dollars. There is no way you will hold a resale value like that with a PC from ANY of the leading brands. Up front you get better software, NO CRAPWARE, and nothing but quality internals. Plus they are a Unibody aluminum design, so they are pretty solid. I will never buy anything but Mac for a laptop ever again. They are hands down the best bang for the buck, plus you can always sell it down the road when you want to upgrade!
 
^^Rick pretty much confirmed what I mentioned previously. I should have just bought a Mac instead of the ASUS I bought last summer. As they say, hind sight is 20/20.
 
If you want a nice little portable powerhouse for an affordable price, go for an Asus. I got mine 2 years ago, a G60JX, and while it is a bit on the larger and heavy side, it's got an nVidia GTS 360M graphics card with 1 GB of video memory, 4 gigs of RAM, and an intel i5 processor. It's got a touch-capable navigation/control bar right above the keyboard, and lot's of useful Asus preloaded software. Got it for about $860, still running like a champ. It's a good laptop for gaming or general entertainment purposes. You can open tons of programs and you won't even notice it slowing down. You could also turn to an Apple, but I don't have any interest in the company and their computers are highly overpriced. However, a Macbook Pro is pretty much the ideal traveling and commuting laptop because of it's power and portability to most people.

Also OP, Alienware isn't overpriced, but very expensive. They use top-notch electronics, but it's mainly designed for gaming, some even have cooling systems integrated into it.. Way more than you need for editing videos.
 
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Thanks guys,

You have all been so much help.

Now that I know I can dual boot Windows with the Mac OS, I'm looking at the 13" MacBook Pro with 2.7g processor. I don't have much paperwork to do on Windows only software, but it must be done.



Thanks all, I areally appreciate your input.
 
Glad to help, I know it can be a daunting decision. I think the 13" Macbook Pro is a great choice. It's a great size for traveling and has a really nice hi-res screen but when you're at home you can just connect it to a larger monitor and use a wireless keyboard and mouse.
That may be my choice when next I'm looking for a laptop.
 
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