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My old Compaq laptop may be going to pasture. The hard drive may be having "issues". It has been great and will likely be retired to the truck exclusively, as well as some programming for radios. I will be sticking to a laptop. It just works better for me.

Time to upgrade.

What should I get?

Here are what I am "needing":

17" display , Nice and crisp
100 gig hard drive or more
2 gig ram and upgradeable would be great
Ethernet
Wireless G for sure , A and B would be nice for hotspots. I hear they are the most common. Maybe N is a good one to have?
DVD / CD read write
PC card would be nice
SD card reader would be nice
more than two USB ports would be nice
Faster is better.
Battery life is not a really big deal since I am line powered most of the time.

Price range- around $1k give or take.

What do I need to be looking for? Buss speed? Processor? Video memory? Display? Multiple drives?

Thus far Circuit City seems to have the best prices.
What about Toshiba?
How about HP?

Those two seem to be the front runners right now.

I have had SUPER good luck with Acer's.

I'm typing from an Aspire 5200 right now.

Specs:
Turion 64 running at 1.8Ghz
1Gb RAM
80gb HD
128mb dedicated video memory
3 USB ports
Rather large screen although I think it's only ~16" diagnoal.

I paid $799 brand new a year ago for it.

I use it for everything from advanced 3D modeling, to web browsing, to programming, to games, to Automotive tuning. It's held up exceptionally well, as did my previous Acer. I've had one warranty issue with Acer when my previous laptops screen went on the blink (quite literally). They replaced the entire unit, and had it overnighted to me because my boss demanded it that way. Very easy to deal with customer service, and they stood behind thier product.

This one looks nice from NewEgg.com for ~$900

I've also purchased from NewEgg multiple times in the past, and have always had great support from them as well.

Thanks for the input. NewEgg seems to be about $300 higher on their laptops than Circuit City.
I want to have my hands on one, so I'll do some looking this weekend, I hope.
I'll keep Acre in mind. There don't seem to be as many models out there? That may be good , or bad. I am not sure.
We have BestBuy , Circuit City, Staples, Walmart, Office depot, Costco , Sears and maybe a few others for "touchy feeley".

I dont think you can go wrong with either toshiba or hp. I personally have an hp I bought in october last year with 17" screen I love it and use it almost all the time instead of my desktop.

they pretty much all come with ethernet and wireless
mine has 4 usb
multi card reader
100 gig hd
1024 memory
amd processor turion 64x2 1.8 ghz (if you can afford it I would go intel core duo processors)
firewire
nvidia graphics
lightscribe dvd

I paid 899 at best buy

Intel core duo is better? Hmm...good to know.

Do you think more memory is better? I have heard that Vista is a memory hog. I am sure I will not really have the option to choose another operating system in an off the shelf laptop.
Is the light scribe something you use very often?

Buy your laptop ay Costco, they have a great waranty. They automatically extend whatever manufacturer's warranty by at least a year (I think). I bought a desktop last year, and used it for 5 months. I had trouble with the Vista upgrade whn it came, so I called them up and they said bring it back. I took it to the store and they refunded me my money. I turned around and boiught another machine for about $100 more with Vista already installed, better memory, Intel core duo, and Nvidia card. They have some very good deals on portables. Check out their website also. Another thing to note, is that Costco handles all warranty claims themselves regardless of manufacturer. No need to call HP, Gateway etc.. for tech support. Just call the Costco 1-800-0000 and they handle it in-house.

That sounds good. Probably worth the $50 to join. I have been thinking about doing that.

The core duo vs Turionx2 debate is like choosing ford or chevy. Neither is a bad product, and both will perform well. Just depends on which you like, whats in your price range, and whats available.

Can I ask why you are wanting 2gb of RAM? I've got 1gb in mine, and have opened 3d solid assemblies of entire rotary aircraft engines with no performance problems. I tend to agree that you can never have too much (especially with Vista being a bit of a resource hog), but 2gb is going to make the laptop be more costly up front.

I got my wife a dell inspiron for her birthday back in may with everything you're asking for (*except the 17" display) for $850

Intel Pentium dual-core processor T2080 (1MB/1.73GHz/533MHz)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 533MHZ
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950 GM
120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps)
SD card reader
4 usb2.0 ports

I realize you're reluctant to buy without "touching" it first but I've been looking for a better deal for years, nothing comes close. I believe costco carries dell in stores.

* Having a huge multi screen setup at desktop, weight and convenient travel size were more important to us than big screen. Resolution and picture quality are outstanding for an lcd with "TrueLife Wide-screenWXGA".

a friend of mine bought a toshiba before I bought mine and has the core duo processor and his looks to be faster than mine.

have yet to use the lightscribe yet.

Just from personal experience.

I love gateway laptops. Excellent build quality and customer service. Comes with gateway software that will automaticly detect old drivers or problems.

I prefer the glossy screen and a 17 size. Any bigger and the unit is too large for your lap. Also mine has a 16:9 screen.

I have had mine for 2 years with absulotely no problems.

http://www.gateway.com/systems/series/529498113.php

2kwik4u wrote:... 2gb is going to make the laptop be more costly up front.

I am running a gig right now on XP and it gets by pretty good. All signs point to Vista needing more. For most that I have checked it is only about another $100 to double the ram to 2 gig. The memory is installed in pairs. If I want to go to 2 gig later , I would have to buy two 1 gig chips. That would cost about double what I pay now and I am stuck with two chips I can not use in most cases.
Better to buy it now and upgrade to 4 gig later. That usually runs about $500 and may be just as cheap to do later.

barch97 wrote:I got my wife a dell inspiron for her birthday back in may with everything you're asking for (*except the 17" display) for $850

Intel Pentium dual-core processor T2080 (1MB/1.73GHz/533MHz)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 533MHZ
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950 GM
120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps)
SD card reader
4 usb2.0 ports

I realize you're reluctant to buy without "touching" it first but I've been looking for a better deal for years, nothing comes close. I believe costco carries dell in stores.

* Having a huge multi screen setup at desktop, weight and convenient travel size were more important to us than big screen. Resolution and picture quality are outstanding for an lcd with "TrueLife Wide-screenWXGA".

I had been wondering about the integrated graphics as compared to NVIDIA Geo. My brother likes NVIDIA.
Yours specs out in the right price range for sure.

24digger wrote:...have yet to use the lightscribe yet.

Might not need that...looks like

cdnuser wrote:I love gateway laptops.

Maybe another Ford / Chevy thing? I have met some that don't care for Gateway.
Maybe it is a pricing thing?

Looks like we are all over the place here. I am getting some good ideas though.
This will probably happen this week sometime. Maybe Sunday?

I've had an Acer laptop for a few months and the screen is starting to flicker once in awhile and the sound cracks. Other then that I love it. Specs:

AMD64 2GHz or 2.2GHz
2GB RAM
80GB HD
256MB Video
Vista Home Premium hacked to Vista Ultimate
15" widescreen

I prefer older thinkpads over any new lappys.

Here are some Reviews on lap tops. My Laptop is a Compaq as was my desk top until last year when I wanted to upgrade. After having a few problems with Compaq and hearing of others having problems with Dell I decided to give Gateway a try for my new desk top.
I have been very happy with Gateways performance, price and support and plan to purchase another new system for my son in the near future. Like you said its a Ford Chevy thing, As far as Costco go for it. You can find great deals there on everything from motor oil to food. They get about $4000.00 a year out of our food budget alone not to mention the other purchases. I shopped their prices last Christmas and found the better deals where at Costco. Well worth the yearly membership fee.

HenryJ wrote:I had been wondering about the integrated graphics as compared to NVIDIA Geo. My brother likes NVIDIA.
Yours specs out in the right price range for sure.

Sure the nvidia geo is a superior graphics processor but the integrated video ain't bad at all. If you're primary concern is getting the best graphics then don't buy a laptop. LCDs have a come a long way in recent years but they still don't compare to CRT in color rendering, contrast ratio, depth of color, scalability of resolution, etc.

HJ if you're interested, my Costco coupon book shows a sale on HP (15.4 widescreen) laptops staring Aug. 6. Intel Centrino Core2Duo T5300, 2GB Ram, 160 GB HD, DVD RW double layer, 802.11a/b/g wireless, Web cam, remote and 5-1 card reader for $999 minus the $150 coupon = $849.99.

Let me know if you need the coupon.

Thanks! I think I am going to order a 17" HP from costco.

HP Pavilion dv9000z Entertainment Notebook PC

Costco Member Price $1,177.99
Selected Features:

* AMD Turion(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-64 (2.2 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache )
* 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 240GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120GB x 2)
* NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 6150
* 802.11a/b/g WLAN and Bluetooth
* 17.0" WXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900)
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
* Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
* 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* HP Imprint Finish + Webcam + Microphone
* System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)


Included Features:

* HP PhotoSmart Essentials
* QuickPlay 3.x
* Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
* 1 Expansion Port 3 connector
* 1 ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
* 4 USB 2.0 ports
* IEEE 1394
* 1 Consumer IR (Remote Receiver)
* HP Mobile Remote Control
* TV-Out (S-video)
* 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
* Built-in Altec Lansing stereo speakers
* Integrated Stereo Microphones
* Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down pad
* Kensington(R) MicroSaver lock slot
* Power-on

What do you think?

While the extra storage capacity is a bonus, I wonder how much spinning two hard drives will shorten battery charge.

You could have done a lot worse. Best of luck.

I spend most of my time wired. At home and with an inverter on the road. The battery doesn't get used much alone. More of a back-up power should the power go out.

Good point on the twin drives. I had not looked at it that way. For rendering graphics, I am told a separate drive is desirable.

I think I am going to take the leap. I have heard no really bad stuff and haven't found something that looks better.

If it's not too late...

A larger single drive with a separate partition for graphics would provide the same benefit as far as file storage and scratch disk without the extra power drain. Another option is an external drive with its own power supply.

Even using the system "mostly" plugged in, laptop batteries are notoriously quick to discharge (2-3 hours at best). The less strain you put on the battery the more you'll get out of each charge and the longer the overall life span.

All things considered, that looks like a pretty good setup and a reasonable price. Not to mention access to bulk goods for another twelve months.

What do you do with the extra four and a half quarts of mayonnaise when you buy a gallon?

I can return it, but I did order it.

Most of them that I have been looking at only offer a 120 gb hard drive. I see the second as a bonus. The only option for a single hard drive is 160 gb for $48 more. I think two 120 gb drives for $0 is a better deal.
I have tried to come up with something else from Toshiba, Dell , Gateway, etc.
They all seem to come up costing at least $300 more and I don't get the two year warranty. A couple didn't come close at twice the cost.

I agree that the battery life may be reduced with twin drives. Not really something I am too worried about. If I were I would get the high capacity battery for an extra $33.

The old laptop I am using does pretty good after all this time, but about the same 2-3 hours at best is what it does too. I have to hope that things have progressed and become a little more efficient. If that is the case I will do almost as good with the new one.

It is a terrible thing to do. Shopping for a new laptop. So many choices and yet so few options. I hope I made a good choice. Thanks for all the input. It helps to talk thing through and consider all the options.

I've never been into all of this computer stuff before. After reading all the previous post, all I can say is "WHAT are you guys talking about, GB what". However, I'm getting into it more and more. Once the ex-wife took her computer, a friend advised me to go with a laptop. It was being a young, single guy that travels, as well as also thinking of putting a tv monitor in the truck for the daughter that convinced me to go with the laptop, eventhough I would pay twice as much versus a desktop. I went with the Gateway model MX6441. It is very nice, and has more features than I need. 15.4" screen, four USB's, plus two other inputs (?), CD/DVD drive/burner, AMD Turion 64, Graphics by ATI Radeon xpress 200M, and I had it hooked upto a wireless modem. I think I only spent like $700. I really only use it to get on the net and download/print pics from my camcorder/camera. I love being able to go anywhere around the house and get on the net, (or even out to the truck to look at diagrams/procedures while working).

HJ, go wireless now that you got the better speed, if you can.

What do you do with the extra four and a half quarts of mayonnaise when you buy a gallon? Laughing

Use the bushel of potatoes you picked up at the same time and make salad for the entire county in your case.

I need to be looking for a bigger fridge

I think they sell them there as well.

WVHogRider wrote:...go wireless now that you got the better speed, if you can.

I did.
The 2Wire modem I purchased has five ethernet connections and is Wireless G. It was twice the cost of the "standard" modem, but it will be a much better investment.
I went this direction since I had just finished installing and setting up the same one at the shop. I had to attach a range extender to get the service from the office to the shop computer. It is a little weak for signal, but it works.

2kwik4u wrote:I have had SUPER good luck with Acer's.

I'm typing from an Aspire 5200 right now.

Specs:
Turion 64 running at 1.8Ghz
1Gb RAM
80gb HD
128mb dedicated video memory
3 USB ports
Rather large screen although I think it's only ~16" diagnoal.

I paid $799 brand new a year ago for it.

I use it for everything from advanced 3D modeling, to web browsing, to programming, to games, to Automotive tuning. It's held up exceptionally well, as did my previous Acer. I've had one warranty issue with Acer when my previous laptops screen went on the blink (quite literally). They replaced the entire unit, and had it overnighted to me because my boss demanded it that way. Very easy to deal with customer service, and they stood behind thier product.

This one looks nice from NewEgg.com for ~$900

I've also purchased from NewEgg multiple times in the past, and have always had great support from them as well.

Great mine is already doing this and it is only less then 6 months old.

For those running low end versions of Vista here is an article to help you get everything out of your install DVD.

http://apcmag.com/5512/pirate_crack_vis ... activation

But what's the point of getting the most out of something that's horrible to begin with? When I bought my Asus notebook a month or so ago, Vista was the first thing to go. I'd recommend removing it to anyone with a notebook.

The new laptop arrived today. It was shipped Saturday.
I am busy updating, deleting, installing and configuring.

I killed the drive in my Acer last night. It was acting up and I hit it and that was it. Warranty authorization seemed easy enough. I was hoping they would send me a new one and return the old one like most hard drive companies do but to pay to shipthe whole thing back to them to fix I am just gonna say screw it and buy a better/faster hard drive and put in it and have it running in 2 days with a new drive not a refurished one that is worth the difference in money to me.

Ya, plus you can go w/ a 7200rpm drive.

Yup but I doubt it will be that noticeable. Being that it had already had a 5400rpm drive. Hope it doesn't kill the battery any faster as it doesn't last long now. LOL

A 7200RPM will draw more current, but it most cases, the hard drive is the performance bottleneck, so any speed improvement there should speed things up .

Walt wrote:A 7200RPM will draw more current, but it most cases, the hard drive is the performance bottleneck, so any speed improvement there should speed things up .

That's not entirely true. In my experience, more often than not, the weakest link in that chain is the user.

I was just messing around with my system and noticed Vista vs XP (running the same apps), Vista uses about 25% more memory resources than XP does. Just an fyi for those of you shopping around for systems get one with a lot more memory if you're getting Vista. But on a positive note they just released SP1 for Vista, atleast they're fixing bugs.