Laptop opinions......

brettw22

So my primary computer is a 17" Fujitsu laptop that's basically a tank and a PITA to travel with. As I'm going to be traveling a lot this year, I thought it might be worth just getting a traveling laptop that I can use that will be much more space and weight conservative.

I went out looking at laptops last night at Best Buy and was liking the HP's quite a bit. The two that I was most considering were a 13" and a 14.1" model but my sticking point right now is Vista.

I know we're on the cusp of getting Windows7 or whatever it will be called, so I don't know if it's best to hold off until later in the year for that or not. I have heard very little positive about Vista, as well as 7 being what Vista should have been etc etc.......

Should I wait until the new OS is out later this year? I've been traveling with this sized laptop for years, so it's not like I'm going to die if I don't replace it immediately........but it IS a pain in the **** and is almost half the weight of my carry on.......

I did look at the little netbooks, and while they're 'cute,' they're not the most functional for me personally (too small, no cd etc), where spending $6-800 will get me a pretty loaded computer.....

Anyone else in the same situation thinking about waiting vs. buying now?

Pauly

Wouldnt hold your breath for new Windows IMO. Might want to check out this since you mentioned HP.

http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/138048#more-32332


Pauly

exalted512

Vista isnt really all that bad. Just make sure the laptop has at least 2 GB of ram.

I have a Dell thats about 3-4 years old and its a 14.1"

I got it for the same reasons you did, small and easy to take with me. To me, the 14.1" screen is perfect. Not too small, but not large and bulky as well. Especially now where these laptops are getting super light!
-Cody

brettw22

Ya......the 14.1 that I was liking also has a 12 cell battery so nearly 5 hours of live sans cord, and I believe it has 4GB of ram....dual core centrino, burner, HDMI and other ****.......

Spec-wise, it's a great laptop.......I've just read issues where people have bought these HP's and had issues if they tried to run the laptops on XP with device issues due to drivers that were specifically made for Vista blah blah blah.......so would that cause problems if I wanted to replace Vista in a year (or whenever) to the new OS? With Vista being such a resource hog, and the new OS supposedly being a much more trim version of it that runs a lot like XP, I like the idea of the newer OS.....just don't really want to have to lug this 17" around for a year either though......decisions decisions.......

brettw22

spasticpitbull wrote: »

http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/138048#more-32332

Only problem I see with that coupon is that it came out in October, with a limit of 1800 units that could use it so I'm pretty sure that's a dead deal at this point........oh well.

polkatese

exalted512 wrote: »

Vista isnt really all that bad. Just make sure the laptop has at least 2 GB of ram.

I have a Dell thats about 3-4 years old and its a 14.1"

I got it for the same reasons you did, small and easy to take with me. To me, the 14.1" screen is perfect. Not too small, but not large and bulky as well. Especially now where these laptops are getting super light!
-Cody

I agree, Vista is not that bad if you have enough RAM (2GB+) to begin with. On my 4 years Dell Dimension 8400 desktop, Vista runs pretty good, fast enough for most work.

I was in the market to replace one laptop for my son, but I had no real justification, and was looking for crazy deal in the sub $600 with Centrino duo core 2 (yeah right, not there yet price-wise). For my main laptop, I have replaced mine with a MacBook Pro. Very happy with it so far, I can run all of my PC programs on it using VMWare Fusion 2, and not having to reboot as much as I did when I had wintel, is a plus.

Brett, if I were you, I would not wait for 7, and I think there are great deals this time around. Go for it.

Kex

Have you thought of going lighter? There are many good options these days, but you will first have to choose between small (12" screen) or really small (9" screen). In either case, you will be carrying 3lbs or less. The 12" models used to always cost $2,000 or more, except during clearance of older products, but you can find them now for $1,000 or so, and even less during clearance deals.

I have used Toshiba Port

brettw22

I did look at the netbooks, but where I want to be is between the 17" and the micro's........While the form function appeals, the reality is that I would be irritated at having to type on a tiny screen all the time (especially when you can get a LOT more computer for a few hundred more)......

I do have a usb HD so that is nice, but I also don't want to get a very very basic PC that's portable......I could see myself using it as my primary down the line, and typically the 14" models are about half the weight (barely over 5 pounds). It's not just a weight issue......the 17" is too bulky to travel with. I thought that 15" was where I might end up, but those aren't significantly smaller.........

Best Buy has a 13" that is probably about perfect, but it's $1k and i don't want to spend quite that much on this. There is a 14.1" special edition dv4 that i'll probably end up doing for $800........

I guess I need to get past the OS issue. I can always upgrade it down the line, but the retentive one in me says why pay now for what is known as a bogged down POS when the sleeker/faster/more powerful OS is around the corner. I know there will always be the "just about to be released" crap........but generally i don't do purchases when those timelines are so close to meeting, ya know?

Kex

brettw22 wrote: »

... I also don't want to get a very very basic PC that's portable......I could see myself using it as my primary down the line, and typically the 14" models are about half the weight (barely over 5 pounds). It's not just a weight issue......the 17" is too bulky to travel with. I thought that 15" was where I might end up, but those aren't significantly smaller ...

I find anything over 12" just too heavy. Three pounds seems to be the magic watershed for me and anything over 12" is also over that limit. I know it doesn't sound like much, but once you add the bag and power brick (always bigger and heavier on larger models), and then a few documents etc., it just seems like too much extra to have swinging off my shoulder.

The 12" models are big enough to have a full size keyboard, so maybe you could fiddle with some at Costco or Best Buy and see if you think (1) that the screen is big enough, and (2) that the keyboard is big enough. There is a trade off in performance, since the processors are limited by cooling issues, and RAM is also more limited, not to mention slower hard drive rotation speeds usually, but the 12" units will still work great for e-mail and internet surfing, as well as standard office stuff at home, and are credible IMO as a primary machine if need be. Honestly, the only thing I might add (other than a Bluetooth external mouse - since it's not RF, there is no need for the USB transmitter) would be an external 17-20" screen to plug in. I know quite a few people, for whom money is not really an object, that use this solution every day for fairly intense usage habits (hours and hours of work per day), and none of them seem to think adding a desktop into the mix, or a bigger laptop, is worth the extra hassle.

Once you get used to it, if you're like me, you'll never consider going back to those weighty beasts ever again, but it is a personal lifestyle choice in the end, depending on every user's own priorities!

brettw22

I agree that I'm to the point that a smaller machine is definitely my primary goal......the 17 might eventually be relegated to minimal use, but for now i need something to ease the travel burden. I actually gave up shoulder bags as of 4 or 5 months ago because I was tired of having all of that with me, so I got a roller bag that allows me to carry both my work 14, as well as a secondary (personal) laptop (probably another 14).

I have big hands, so going any smaller than the 13" laptops isn't really feasible. What really bugs me is that the smaller you go, it seems they get more expensive (the netbooks being the exception). The netbooks are ok for their intended purposes, but that couldn't ever become my primary device, whereas this 14" that I'm looking at could be.........

criteriadan

Kex wrote: »

Have you thought of going lighter? There are many good options these days, but you will first have to choose between small (12" screen) or really small (9" screen). In either case, you will be carrying 3lbs or less. The 12" models used to always cost $2,000 or more, except during clearance of older products, but you can find them now for $1,000 or so, and even less during clearance deals.

I have used Toshiba Port