Laptop Shopping

Started by Paradox, November 20, 2009, 02:05:41 PM

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Paradox

Y'all ought to know by now that I'm no good with these newfangled computer-machines; hell, I'd probably access Elliquiy through an abacus if it were possible.

In light of my lack of knowledge on this subject, I have a question. As evidenced by my other recent HELP! topic, my girlfriend has an outdated macbook. I'm currently considering purchasing her a new laptop for Christmas so we can finally forget about all the technological woes that come with using obsolete hardware.

For Black Friday, Best Buy is offering this:

Sony 15" Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7


for

$399.


It sounds like a decent deal to me, but what do y'all think?


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Cecilia

I loved my sony Vaios when I had one.  Sounds like a nice inexpensive machine, though. I think the netbook I got my daughter four months ago was about the same price.    But, if she's a mac user, will she want a PC?  I mean, most people I know who have MACs think it's something akin to selling your soul to switch.

Paradox

The only reason she has a Mac is because it was a hand-me-down from her older brother as a gift when she went to college. She's been screwed over time and time again because the majority of our university's materials are PC-based and have compatibility issues on her old Mac, so she's definitely ready to switch to a PC. Good question though!

Speaking of questions, do y'all know anything about how to set up a laptop so it can access the internet without having to be in one of those wi-fi hotspots? Aren't some able to have integrated internet capabilities, and if so, how much does that usually cost?


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Maeven

Quote from: Paradox on November 20, 2009, 02:19:04 PM
Speaking of questions, do y'all know anything about how to set up a laptop so it can access the internet without having to be in one of those wi-fi hotspots? Aren't some able to have integrated internet capabilities, and if so, how much does that usually cost?

I'm pretty sure the only way to do that is with service and an air card from a vendor like Sprint or AT&T.  They are pricey though. Sprint runs about $50-$60 a month AND their service was crappy.  My better half had them but last I heard, he cancelled sprint and was switching to AT&T but I'm not sure if he did yet or not. 
What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you. 


The Cardinal Rule

Lilias

I have a netbook (Samsung NC10), which I absolutely adore. The big disadvantage is that it doesn't have a built-in disc drive, hence the smaller size. Although, with prices starting at $290 on Amazon, you can get an external drive and still be below the quoted price.

That said, Sony is a brand that has never disappointed me. On the subject of mobile broadband, though, if that's what you want, you'll have to check carriers over there.
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
~Wendell Berry

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Krysia

My laptop is a dell. >.> With in the first week of having it the mother board scorched itself. I had it replaced and haven't had an issue with it, well other then it being vista and I wanted XP.

I know you can get a pretty good laptop for the price I paid for mine (1200). With a lot more bells and whistles then I have that's for sure.

As for mobile broadband, virgin mobile has a pay as you go plan for it. :)

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband

Beguile's Mistress

I have a Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955, Intel Celeron processor 900 (2.2 GHZ) 2GB Memory and 160GB hard drive that ran $299.00.  It runs Vista.  Right now I have 4 Mozilla windows open with multiple tabs in each, 3 WI windows open also with multiple tabs, 4 word documents, 2 spread sheets and I'm logged into Yahoo IM.  It's running a tad slow but if I close something it will run faster.

Ket

The thing about Best Buy on Black Friday. They have maybe a total of 5 of anything that they have a spectacular deal on, and they don't give out rainchecks. You have to get in line pretty much the night before to be even near the front to try to get anything. And there will be hundreds trying to buy exactly what you want. 

she wears strength and darkness equally well, the girl has always been half goddess, half hell

you can find me on discord Ket#8117
Ons & Offs~Menagerie~Pulse~Den of Iniquity
wee little Ketlings don't yet have the ability to spit forth flame with the ferocity needed to vanquish a horde of vehicular bound tiny arachnids.

Paradox

Quote from: Ket on November 22, 2009, 01:31:06 PM
The thing about Best Buy on Black Friday. They have maybe a total of 5 of anything that they have a spectacular deal on, and they don't give out rainchecks. You have to get in line pretty much the night before to be even near the front to try to get anything. And there will be hundreds trying to buy exactly what you want.

Yeah, people start lining up at 3 am; doors open at 5 am.

I'll be one of those people at 3 am.

They give out tickets to people in line for whatever rare product you want, so I'll have my fingers crossed.


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Scott

I dug up the specs for you, I don't really know what all those gigs and rams mean either, but maybe someone that does will chime in. 

Features

* Dimensions (Approx.) : 14.6"(W) x 1.2"(H) x 9.8"(D)5,6
* Weight (Approx.) : 6.0 lbs5 (with standard capacity battery)
* Capacity : 320GB2
* Speed : 5400rpm
* Type : Serial ATA
* Camera : Built-in MOTION EYE® camera and microphone with face-tracking technology
* Keyboard : QWERTY, 86 keys with 2.0mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch
* Action Buttons : Mute, Wireless on / off, Display Off, Instant Web
* Computer Type : Notebook
* Pointing Device : Electro-static touch pad
* Type of Use : Portable
* Battery Type : Standard Capacity Lithium-ion Battery
* Estimated Battery Life : Up to 4.0 hours8 Standard Capacity Battery Up to 6.0 hours8 Large Capacity Battery
* Power Requirements : 86W + 10%
* Ethernet Protocol : 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T (Gigabit)
* Ethernet Speed : Fast Ethernet (RJ-45)
* Wi-Fi : 802.11 b/g/n3
* Multimedia Card Reader : One Memory Stick PRO™ (Standard/Duo) media slot with MagicGate® functionality One ExpressCard® / 34 media slot One Secure Digital (SD memory card) media slot
* Telephone Support : 1 year toll-free technical assistance available 24/710 at 888-476-6972
* Online and Email Support : Available at http://www.esupport.sony.com/EN/VAIO
* Onsite/In-Home Service : 1 year limited warranty with Onsite/In-Home Service17. See actual warranty for details.
* International Service : 1 year international service plan. Registration required. See www.sony.com/IRSP for details.
* Limited Warranty Term : 1 year limited warranty9. See actual warranty for details.
* Sound System : Intel® High Definition Audio
* Average Boot Time : 60 sec18
* Average Resume Time from Suspend : 2 sec18
* First Boot Time : 5 min19
* Chipset : Intel® GL40 Express Chipset
* Max. External Resolution via VGA : 2048 x 1536
* Processor : Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with Intel® Clear Video Technology Total Available Graphics Memory: 1750MB (max.)*13
* Front Side Bus Speed : 800MHz
* L2 Cache : 1MB
* Speed : 2.10GHz1
* Type : Intel® Pentium™ Processor T4300
* Operating System : Genuine Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit12
* The VAIO® Software Experience : VAIO Care™ - System diagnostics and maintenance
* VAIO® Multimedia Suite : VAIO® Movie Story - Simple Movie Creation VAIO® Media plus - Multimedia Streaming Software *Please access VAIO® Help and Support from your PC for a complete list of software applications and trials.
* Anti-Virus Software : Norton Internet Security™ 2009 30-Day Trial Offer15
* Supplied Software : Microsoft® Works SE 9.0 w/ 60-Day Trial Version of Microsoft® Office Home and Student 200714
* Resolution : 1366 x 768
* Screen Size : 15.5"4
* DC-In : 1
* Ethernet Connection(s) : 1
* Headphone Jack : 1
* Microphone Input : 1
* USB Port(s) : 3 (2.0 compliant)
* VGA Output(s) : 1
* i.LINK® Connection : 1 (4pin) i.LINK® connector (IEEE 1394)7
* Installed : 4GB PC2-6400 (2GBx2)
* Type/Speed : DDR2/800MHz
* Maximum : 8GB
* ENERGY STAR® : 5.0
* EPEAT™ : Silver
* ROHS® : Compliant
* CD Support : Read / Write (CD/-R/-RW)
* DVD Support : Read / Write (DVD±R/±RW/±R DL/-RAM)


Paradox

Geezus dude; I have no idea what the majority of that means, but thanks for digging it up!


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Marguerite

#11
What I look for is the memory, hard drive space, battery life (would be useless if you can only use it for an hour or two and have it charging every other hour), wi-fi and how much you can put on the laptop. I would suggest even asking the Best Buy people the layout of where the laptops will be or even see where you think they plan to place the Black Friday specials so you are not wasting time in finding the laptop area.
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Paradox

Quote from: Marguerite on November 23, 2009, 02:46:44 PM
What I look for is the memory, hard drive space, battery life (would be useless if you can only use it for an hour or two and have it charging every other hour), wi-fi and how much you can put on the laptop. I would suggest even asking the Best Buy people the layout of where the laptops will be or even see where you think they plan to place the Black Friday specials so you are not wasting time in finding the laptop area.

Like I said, they hand out tickets for the merchandise to people in line ahead of time, so finding the area more quickly is a moot point.

Thanks Mrag; I appreciate y'alls perspective on this.


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Marguerite

No problem at all, Para and nice of you to want to buy your girlfriend a new laptop.
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Ket

Quote from: Paradox on November 23, 2009, 02:40:49 PM
Geezus dude; I have no idea what the majority of that means, but thanks for digging it up!

It means that while you have a decent sized hard drive, it's going to run a bit slow, though, if she's only using it for school and web surfing, it shouldn't be too bad. It's not the fastest processor out there (heck anymore, it's on the low end), but again, it'll suffice. If she plans to do any real gaming, that video card isn't going to do it, but again, for internet/school, it'll work.

Basically you get what you pay for. It's not really a huge 'deal'. But, it's not too bad either.

And I can't believe you're going to Best Buy at 3 am. Of course, I don't understand Black Friday at all. Which is why I don't shop that day.
she wears strength and darkness equally well, the girl has always been half goddess, half hell

you can find me on discord Ket#8117
Ons & Offs~Menagerie~Pulse~Den of Iniquity
wee little Ketlings don't yet have the ability to spit forth flame with the ferocity needed to vanquish a horde of vehicular bound tiny arachnids.

Paradox

Shit man, if I were single, I wouldn't even know what Black Friday is; however, she pointed out this deal to me after I discussed buying a laptop for her, so I figured what the hell-- I have nothing to do Friday anyway, so I can go back to bed afterward.


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Trieste

I'm being dragged out on Black Friday this year by a mom and a bribe (or six). I've previously never been out on Black Friday, save working at Blockbuster...

*mourns*

Paradox

I feel your pain, Trixie. I was out about 4 am last year because she wanted to do some early Christmas shopping.

Luckily, I negotiated a compromise for waking up so damned early, but this is a public thread >.>


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Marguerite

I worked for almost 2 years at Express and it was mayhem when I worked on Black Friday and Christmas shopping.
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Scott

Wal-Mart has a few laptops in the same price range that look comparable.

Beguile's Mistress

Be wary of Best Buy, though, because they may tell you the only item available is one that has been "enhanced" by the Geek Squad.  They say they remove start-up programs in order to make the computer boot and run faster and sometimes install software that they charge for, even if you don't use it.  They installed Microsoft Office on a friend's computer and charged for it, then wanted extra for the key to open it.  In addition to that they refused to supply the disc.

Ket

Don't buy their stupid little plan for it either. Just get an insurance rider on it, which will cover ANY type of damage, user caused or not. Typically around $30 a year versus the $100 a year the Theif Geek Squad wants for theirs.
she wears strength and darkness equally well, the girl has always been half goddess, half hell

you can find me on discord Ket#8117
Ons & Offs~Menagerie~Pulse~Den of Iniquity
wee little Ketlings don't yet have the ability to spit forth flame with the ferocity needed to vanquish a horde of vehicular bound tiny arachnids.

Paradox

Quote from: Ket on November 24, 2009, 01:07:28 PM
Don't buy their stupid little plan for it either. Just get an insurance rider on it, which will cover ANY type of damage, user caused or not. Typically around $30 a year versus the $100 a year the Theif Geek Squad wants for theirs.

How would I go about getting an "insurance rider"?


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker

Ket

Dost thou has renter's insurance?
she wears strength and darkness equally well, the girl has always been half goddess, half hell

you can find me on discord Ket#8117
Ons & Offs~Menagerie~Pulse~Den of Iniquity
wee little Ketlings don't yet have the ability to spit forth flame with the ferocity needed to vanquish a horde of vehicular bound tiny arachnids.

Paradox

After losing my job, the only insurance I have is automobile insurance.


"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality."-Robert A. Baker