If you were to custom build a laptop...

[bull]

I went to Best Buy today and looked at a bunch of laptops. Most of them were 3-4 gb with 320-500 hard drive for between $500-$800 but there were also plenty of 2 gb laptops with only 160 hard drive. Many of them mentioned a free upgrade to Windows 7 OS when it comes out and they said it's just like Vista but uses much less memory. Basically Vista sucked up too much memory because it's got so many bells and whistles whereas 7 is basically a stripped down version of the same thing but you can add features to it as needed until it basically becomes the same thing as vista.

One thing I liked on some of the larger ones was the seperate number pad. I use the number pad a lot so that was a bonus. We also went to Costco to have a look but we weren't too impressed with their selection. I think they only had 8 examples and Best Buy had probably 20-30 to choose from. Costco's prices aren't that great either. Much of their stuff is priced pretty good but not electronics IMO.

We'll probably get as much ram as we can get this time. I made the mistake of getting too little ram on my desktop and now I regret it. We'll be getting 3 at least and most likely 4. The more ram the longer the computer will keep up with the rest of the world.

[dodgecharger-fan]

Good idea on the RAM - just make sure the operating system can actually use it all.

32-bit vista can only use 3 GB maximum.

Windows 7 is 64-bit, so there's no problem there.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/64-bit-support
"This feature comes with all editions of Windows 7."

[Troy]

Windows 7 is pretty impressive so far (been running it for a few weeks). So much so that our Admin at work is confident that it will be the upgrade path most companies still using XP have been looking for (it's no secret that most avoided Vista). There's way more to it than using less memory than Vista.

Maybe I'm different than most but I use a laptop for travel - not as a desktop replacement. Therefore it needs to be light and capable but not maxed out. I don't need a huge hard drive (desktop has 1.5 TB) or a huge amount of RAM (desktop has 8 GB) for checking my email or making minor updates when I'm away from home. If I were to use it for gaming or video then things would be different but I mainly just need connectivity in case something goes wrong while I'm away. In your case, it sounds like you'll be happier with at least a 17" screen which will also allow you to have a decent sized battery. It will be heavy and if you aren't hauling it everywhere then battery life isn't really important. I'd try to find one that still has a "downgrade" to XP and then memory isn't as important. Get at least 2 GB with that or jump to a 64 bit system and get 4 GB with Vista (I prefer Business to the Home edition). Hard drive size really depends on what you're storing. If I add up programs and personal data I don't think I have more than 30 GB on any computer that I own. Vista will take over 10 though on a clean install.

I usually recommend Dell to family and friends so I don't have to get calls every time they have a problem. However, Acer (personal) and IBM (business) haven't caused me any problems and seem to have a solid reputation. You may also want to check NewEgg for deals.

Troy

[471_Magnum]

My seven year old desktop is on it's last legs (getting buffer overflow errors and other nasty messages). I'm also shopping for a laptop to use as my primary computer (we'll still maintain a employer provided desktop for my wife's work-at-home activities). I'm looking for very similar features as Bull.

I don't upgrade very often, so I look for a level of performance with some "staying power". I'm also on a budget (around $900).

I first looked at a Dell Studio 17, but read enough scathing reviews about quality and tech support/customer service that I've crossed it off the list.

Now I'm leaning towards an HP Pavilion dv7t with 64-bit Vista. I've seen some pretty good deals on factory refurbished units. I'll probably add an HP universal docking station. I haven't seen any offered with the free Windows 7 upgrade though.

I'm also supposed to get a new laptop to replace my desktop at work. Not sure exactly what I'm getting (probably a Dell of some sort), but I'd like to log some hours on it to figure what I really do and don't want in laptop. Granted, that laptop will serve very diffent duty than my home based unit, but it's been a while since I've used one for primary computing.

[b5blue]

My HP has been super no problems at all in 18 months of use, I've had no issues with Vista ether. 7 is so close to coming out and if your use to XP that may be better for you...I don't why it's such a bitch point about Vista, but I'm not building rocket ships or transferring 20 years of data around. Any NEW computer can handle Vista. Remember what ever you get will be outdated in 3 years anyway!

[bull]

My HP has been super no problems at all in 18 months of use, I've had no issues with Vista ether. 7 is so close to coming out and if your use to XP that may be better for you...I don't why it's such a bitch point about Vista, but I'm not building rocket ships or transferring 20 years of data around. Any NEW computer can handle Vista. Remember what ever you get will be outdated in 3 years anyway!

That's probably it, any NEW computer can handle Vista. I think it's the older ones people installed it onto that are having problems due to the memory requirements.

I usually recommend Dell to family and friends so I don't have to get calls every time they have a problem. However, Acer (personal) and IBM (business) haven't caused me any problems and seem to have a solid reputation. You may also want to check NewEgg for deals.

Troy

I hadn't heard of Acer until yesterday when I saw one at Costco. That little thing was and inch thick or less when closed, and I think it was something like 4.2 lbs. Maybe I'll take a closer look at it.

[A383Wing]

be careful with ACER's....they are not the best...cheap junk from what i have heard...and that's from the stores that sell them.

[Troy]

be careful with ACER's....they are not the best...cheap junk from what i have heard...and that's from the stores that sell them.

Laptops or desktops? And how long ago? The easiest thing to do is to pick out a few potentials and do a Google search.

Troy

[A383Wing]

be careful with ACER's....they are not the best...cheap junk from what i have heard...and that's from the stores that sell them.

Laptops or desktops? And how long ago? The easiest thing to do is to pick out a few potentials and do a Google search.

Troy

Both actually....from about a year ago when we were looking to upgrade mine....so instead I just added a 250gb hardrive and upgraded the memory on my laptop

[bull]

Update time. We finally pulled the trigger on a laptop and got a Dell Studio from Best Buy with a 4 gb memory, 500 gb hard drive, T6500 2.1 ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 7+ hour battery, 17-inch screen and the seperate numbers keypad.

Also:
Microsoft® Works 9
2Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1440x900)
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
Size: 500GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card
Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
High Definition Audio 2.0

It's got Vista until 7 comes out at which point we'll upgrade (or downgrade, however you want to look at it). This is the first time I've used Vista and I'm not at all impressed. Seems to me they just made it overly glamorous just because they could.

We also opted for a year's worth of Trend Micro security, MS Office student edition and a three-year, full-coverage Geek Squad warrantee. They said we can drop it, run over it, sit on it and/or roll it down the stairs and they'll still fix it. It didn't look that big in the store but now that it's at home the thing looks quite LARGE. But that's fine since it probably won't leave the house but maybe twice a year. It looks like this one (but we got it for $100 less before all the add-ons):

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dndosc4&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=studio_great_deals

[b5blue]

Sounds good! Good Luck! 

[chargergirl]

be careful with ACER's....they are not the best...cheap junk from what i have heard...and that's from the stores that sell them.

Laptops or desktops? And how long ago? The easiest thing to do is to pick out a few potentials and do a Google search.

Troy

Both actually....from about a year ago when we were looking to upgrade mine....so instead I just added a 250gb hardrive and upgraded the memory on my laptop

My son is the tech guru at Office Max and Acer is one of the minis he does recommend. Acer was/is the company that builds the components for most of the computers. I am speaking from his knowledge not mine however that will change since he is bringing me the mini on the 24th of this month. I have owned a Sony Vaio laptop since I started my degree and it's been five years without major headaches. Each semester you/wife should download all papers to a disk and clear the hard drive. Get the Windows for Students and Teachers and that will give you Word, Excel, and a few others that you have to have for college papers and such. All papers HAVE to be turned in on Word not Works.(Program runs a bit over $100 but you don't have to have Microsoft Professional to get all you need to achieve). A mini is great for travel and that's what we want it for. My Vaio laptop is great but heavy...big screen though and since it was my only computer for everything I needed to be able to see it...lol! The experts say to buy a docking station for the laptop, I haven't and haven't had problems. However I did get an external keyboard and mouse and close the top down completely when I leave the laptop for any amount of time. The mouse area on mine is hyper sensitive and I wore a spot smooth in the space bar within a month of getting my laptop from all the typing. External keyboard makes typing easier considering the amount of papers one has to create. As for cooling there are some very cool "holders" that assist in cooling a laptop. Congrats on going back to school and best wishes and straight A's!

[bull]

Yea, arguing over name brands in computers is kind of goofy since most of them run Intel stuff inside along with a few various other componants.