Laptop questions and suggestions

As many of you know I am currently the youngest ACTIVE member (at 17, 18 come July) on the board. With that comes the goal of most high school students: college. While I have a computer that has served me well the past year or two, I am now looking for a laptop that will outperform it. Specifically, I am looking for the following:
gigahertz or faster
20 gig MINIMUM hard drive, 30 would be better
Wireless networking included (but if the laptop is $1200 or less, can be bought later)
I NEED at least a cd burner, preferably rewriteable (DVD not necissary, and is most likely just an additional cost that wouldn't get used that much)
something with a screen size over 12 inches, 14 probably being about right.
128 megs of RAM minimum. Actually, that much is about right because it is a hundred or so cheaper than 256, and I can get 128 at bestbuy sometimes for $30 or so.

Now, I don't have a whole lot of experience with laptops (read:none) so I don't know what good brands are. I have checked out SEVERAL different makers and such, but I want your input. I am looking for something under $1500 (even that is an awful lot for a highschool/college student, but I can get that much by the end of summer) and I realize I likely won't get anything under $1000 with the specifications I am asking. I am really wanting the wireless ethernet though as my (future) college (UMR) is wired (lol, oxymoron) for it in SEVERAL of the areas I would be around including the quad, the dorms, the library, and several of the buildings. This would be nice. I can also get another network card and realize the full 100 megabit access speed when I am in the dorms.

Now, info I am requesting. What systems do you have experience with? What about battery life? Any specific suggestions regarding anything (model, speed, etc)?

Off topic for a moment: How many volts does a lithium-ion cell put out? I noticed several of the laptops had 8 cell lithium ion batteries. However, they never said the voltage. If they are the standard 1.2 or so, I was thinking I would make my own (VERY) high-capacity battery kind of like I did for my cd player. What I did was I took a 2 D-Cell holder from radio shack and hooked it up to a plug that will now let me run my CD player off of D-cells instead of wimpy AA's. What I was thinking for the laptop was to use 8 of the 9000mAH D cell NiMH batteries to make my own battery pack around 2.5X2.5X6 inch or so. That would be fairly small, and with a long (5-10 foot) cord would allow me to leave the battery pack in a backpack or under a table or wherever. It would also give me around 85 watt hours (compared to the ones listed around 55 watt hours, so I'd have around 40-50% advantage over the lithium ion packs). This would be around the same price (around $90), but would be heavier and would not offer as much flexibilty as simply a spare lithium-ion pack would. What do you all suggest? Actually, now that I think about it, AA's might be cheaper. Figure 5 of them to get the power of a D-cell (1600 ma and 8500 ma), so I'd need 5 parallel sets of 8, so 40 batteries at 1.55 each is around $60, so that would be pretty cheap. I also can fit the AA's (actually, can fit around 50 of them, so I could have 6 parallel sets of 8)in a package around 3X3X6 (whatever the size of this lantern battery flashlight is. I can fit 5X5 in the bottom and stack them 2 deep. This would give me LOTS of juice. Then again. ALL of this is assuming the Li-ion's are 1.2 volts each cell. I could still rework it so that the AA's would be cheaper. What are the cheapest per mA batteries out there? I'm thinking probably the AA's because you can get them around 1.40 or 1.50 each on ebay (mine were 1.40 each) for the well-known brands.

Sorry for the long post (I had bettery copy it in case it gets lost, it would take FOREVER to rewrite all this), but I just need some info. I won't have the money until the end of summer (unless I can convince my parents to go in on it with me for my b-day, and my grandma to go in on it with me for my graduation gift (she told me to pick something, I can't think of anything really that I want that is not expensive, and not that many things that are)) in which case I could have the money now. I have about $600, and I'm thinking I'll be able to (HOPEFULLY) make $1000 over the summer. We'll see.

Spudgunr

Spud,
I haven't the faintest idea. I wish I did.
All I can say is be real careful with laptop battery specifications, just in case ...

We've got plenty of computerate people on board, so someone else will answer you properly, I'm sure.

But certainly, good luck in college, and enjoy !!

lightlover

If you are not strong in computers ALL the advice I got was to go with a major manufacturer. Dell, Gateway, Micron etc.. I went with a Dell refubished and saved several hundred. Check them out on the web and see if they have what you want, but don't set your heart on it till you are ready to buy, they do sell them while you watch I've been pretty much happy w/ the service etc..

Well, I have a little experience in this area.

It sounds like you have a good idea of what you want. Here are a few points to keep in mind when deciding:

1. Weight - Don't underestimate what it is like to lug around a 3kg computer.

2. Battery life. With a 14" screen, 1Ghz processor, and CD drive you'll be doing well to get more than 2 hours out of it, regardless of what the manufacturers specs say (these are always based on usage at minimal performance) Be wary of deciding on something with great battery life at the expense of other features you want, if you are going to be using it mostly in places where power is available anyway.

Pretty much all the major manufacturers - Dell, Toshiba, IBM, Sony, Compaq etc have machines with quite similar specifications, around what you want (an A4 machine with 14" screen, internal CDRW etc)
In deciding between these, it really comes down to the looks and style of the machine itself, price, and the quality of customer service - I would recommend reading around for peoples experiences with customer service with the various manufacturers. www.eopinions.com is one site you can have a look at.

As for recommendations, I personally have used Dell, IBM, Toshiba, and Compaq laptops over the years. I currently own an IBM one, and am very happy with it.
The one I would recommend not to get is Compaq. I have used these at work several times over the years, and overall quality is just not that good, and failures are very common.

My personal favourite is IBM. They are a bit more expensive, but are very well put together, reliable, and great to use(very nice screens and keyboards). The T22 or T23 are very nice machines, which fit your requirements(although probably a little bit above your price range..)

My second choice would be Toshiba. They don't look quite as nice as IBMs, but they are also very well built and reliable, with good quality screen and keyboard.
While I mention this, look very closely at the screen and keyboard of any laptop you are considering - these are the two parts you will be using all the time, so it makes sense to be sure that they are good quality and easy to use.
Finally, Dell are also worth looking at. The designs aren't quite as nice as IBM or Toshiba, but they are very functional, reliable, and Dell service is also quite good.
A few points about the specifications - try and get a model with plenty of RAM expansion capability. Currently a 1Ghz CPU is more than enough for pretty much any application you can throw at it, but memory is very important. You should be able to take the system up to 1024MB, or 512MB at least.
Also, with regards to the screen. A 14" screen in cheaper laptops will probably be 1024x768 in resolution. More expensive ones will be 1400x1050 or so. You might like to compare the resolutions to see if it is worth the extra..

Wow. Didn't plan on typing so much, but hope this helps..

Graham

Where are you headed for college? The university where I work likes to have input into the selection process. They want to make sure that what the students bring is compatable with the campus network. They also offer a very competitive deal on IBM laptops that come with a standard campus software load. Not going with the standard locks you out of a lot of support services.

I'm on my third Compaq laptop (shut up David... ) ... but only because I'm a freak about having a new one every year... there are currently FIVE Compaq laptops in my household... Yes, I've had problems with them but all of the problems have been from either EXTREME use and abuse or the dog knocked over a bottle of water onto it... (don't ask!) ... overall, I've loved my Compaqs... the only catch is their customer service... it SUCKS!... so don't buy it directly from Compaq... I bought my current one from Staples and bought THEIR extended warranty...

FWIW... my daughter is currently at ASU... she was able to buy hers directly from Compaq and get financing... it costs more in the end but she is doubling up on payments as she can and plans on paying it off before it's time... just a thought...

I looked at a laptop that a kid at school has. It had a 15 inch monitor, and it was quite big. I am guessing I would be very happy with 12 or 13 inches. Then it would not only be cheaper, but smaller, lighter, and would have a longer run time. However, it is hard to find the new ones with less than 13 inches, and 13 inches is fairly hard to find. That is, unless you are going with one of the VERY lightweight laptops that are very small too, but those are over-priced and under-performance compared to their chunkier brothers. I wonder how much prices will go down in the next 4 or 5 months. Probably not enough. Well, it is bed time, I will talk to you all later.

Oh yeah, on the IBM's I found a configuration for around 1500 that had everything I needed. I am going to have to start writing all these things down so I can have a side by side comparison.

Spudgunr

Ok, here are some suggestions, and you may not like some of them, as some of them do not involve buying all state of the art PC's.

First of all, let me say that I am an IS professional. Now that could mean that I still don't no jack about pc's, but in my case, I do.

1st - If money is no object, read no further. Go out and buy a state of the art laptop that meets or excedes your specifications, get the extended warrantee and on site service and insurance. I am not being humorous here. get it all, because your education is going to be important, and you can't be without a PC while you, or a family friend takes time to look at the laptop, and you have to send it to them, and get it sent back, and it takes 3 -4 weeks before it is all over.

My personal preference is Dell. I have had many Dell's and my dept has had many dell's and I have been very happy with them. I currently have a Dell Lattitude 610, and at home, I have a "Y" splitter that attaches to a seperate keyboard and mouse and an external monitor and external speakers. Sony, Compaq and Toshiba are also good brands, as is a lot of brands that you might see at COMPUSA, Best Buy, Circut City etc. I don't have any brands that I could really put down. I would look long and hard at Dell, Sony and Compaq. I am not in the market for a laptop, and when I am, it is going to be a Dell, as that is what we buy. I have a friend who has a Sony Vaio (How do you spell it?) and that pc seems pretty nice too. My preference, would be Dell, Sony and Compaq in that order, but again, that is because of my personal experience. I am sure that there are people that feel the same way about Compaq. Sony is the newest guy on the block.

Oh, the operating system and software, go with Windows XP and MS Office XP. I NEVER jump on the newest Operating system or software, but MAN, do I like XP. I love the "under dog". I used to use WordPerfect, Lotus 123, dBase III, ProComm Plus, Netscape, etc. But it doesn't make sense to save a small amout and go with WordPerfect Office, for example, and fight compatability issues. They might be 95% compatable, but it is not worth the hassles. WordPerfect Office is a GREAT product, some people think it is better and offers more value than Office, but for your education, go with the standard.

2. This is a more "thrifty" suggestion, and it also gives you 2 pc's!

First get a desktop PC. I am a big believer in building your own PC, I mean you can pick your own components and make sure every single component is first rate, or you can buy a bargan, (like a 19 dollar internal modem), and if it works, great, chances are it will continue to work. if it doesn't work, hey, you replace it.
HOWEVER, now a days, there is not much of a price difference between building your own high quality clone pc with first rate parts, and buying a name brand system, complete with phone support and warantee, and pre-loaded software, etc.

Again, I really like Dell's. The last several times I ran the numbers to either build a complete system for someone, (no charge for labor or time,) or buying a Dell, the Dell was actually cheaper to buy!

That leaves a Laptop. What are your laptop needs? Working in the Library, taking notes in class, working on group projects somewhere, maybe accessing high speed internet at the library if you don't have it at your dorm or home or wherever.

Why get a 2,000 plus laptop, that has a much higher chance of breaking or getting stolen, or whatever. Get a used one, install XP on it, and MS Office XP, and whatever else, and you are set.

Now, where to buy a "used" laptop?

Here are two places:
http://www.retrobox.com/ http://www.compgeeks.com/

I found a Dell 266 Pentium 2 with a CD for 424 dollars.

They currently are listing 230 laptops, and the most expensive is a 1,063 dollars, and that is for an IBM 366 P2 with 256 Mb ram, and a 30 gig HD. They had P3' also, but for less.

Now you don't have to worry as much about your laptop getting stolen or breaking or you dropping it.

Get a CD Burner for your desktop, or a USB external CD Burner so that you can use it for your laptop or desktop, and you can transfer files to and from all you want. Or, get a low tech laplink parallel cable, and do link transfers.

OK, this e-mail is not complete, but it is midnight here, and I have to go to bed.

I hope you get the idea.

Good Luck.

I'd back graham with IBM as a good safe choice. I have a T22 and its a tough powerful workhorse. I can even use 2 operating systems on it - Win98 and Linux!
IBM notebooks typically have a long model history and are more evolutionary than revolutionary, with the newer notebooks within a given model line simply sticking to the same formula, just getting faster, lighter and even slightly cheaper! IBM's online support is excellent and I never fear having to completely reinstall an IBM notebook should a disaster strike.

One thing - whichever you buy, make sure you buy a spare battery! Time flies when you're computing on the go...

Wow, that was a long reply I do already have a desktop. It may not be state of the art, but it is still fairly nice. It is an HP pavilion, celeron 466 processor, 192 megs of memory (I added 128), CD, network card, 8.4 gig hard drive (only 2 gigs left, and I don't have ANY of my games installed), etc. I am going to have this with me at college, but it will likely be mainly for storage and such. It will probably be stuck under my bed and left on with PCAnywhere running, and I will probably have the monitor in my closet in case my laptop stops working.

What do you all think about gateway? I was checking last night and both Dell and Gateway have 2 (customized) models each that fit my expectations. The best deal seems to be the Gateway solo 1450 SE, celeron 1.2 gigahertz, 128 megs ram, 30 gig HDD, 14.1 inch screen, with wireless network, CDRW, all for $1,168. That is pretty good. I also JUST priced a sony. I have a question about that though. It says "Wireless LAN
802.11b LAN connect interface
" Does that mean it COMES with wireless LAN, or you can stick that in? IF it comes with that, then this sony one fits my requirements also. It is the fairly lightweight and portable model. http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio/r505/index.shtml It says 4.37 pounds. That is light. I customized the 1 gigahertz processor and basically the only thing I changed was go for a 30 gig hard drive which then gave me a price of $1559. How does that one look?

Used laptops don't really seem to offer better performance for the price. They seem to be perfectly proportional to the new ones, if not MORE expensive for the performance. As in, take my $1168 example and compare it to that 1000+ example and mine wins, AND it includes the wireless network (which I WILL have, so that used one would be more expensive). I have to head to school, so I'll talk to you all later.

Thanks for your help so far.

Spud

Not to be a buttinsky here but I have a totally off-topic suggestion... Because there might be a few people here who may find this useful... But..
I was looking for a laptop, and I found better... For $100

Really?

Yea.

A PSION 3C. They are a "Palmtop " design, and are, of course, Non PC compatible.

I bought a 3c and a 5 (best keyboard in the business) for $200 total.

I can interface with my PC, and it has all the usual stuff... Spreadsheet, and Word Processor.

There are a lot of thrid party games and whatnot.

I f you have to play Quake, well, then the Laptop is your way.

BTW: The batteries are TWO DOUBLE A's.

Amazing. You can use rechargables. I get over 6 HOURS on a set of NiCd's.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tater Rocket:
Used laptops don't really seem to offer better performance for the price.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I did not mean to imply that used laptops offer better performance for the price than new ones. Of course we all want the best, fastest, newest etc.!

What I was trying to say was that you could have a laptop that cost under 500 dollars, and be able to carry it around with you for 4 or 5 years, abuse the heck out of it, yet not worry about your "life's work" being on the laptop. As they say in Action Movies, the laptop would be "expendable". If somebody steals it, you loose it, it gets dropped and breaks, not a HUGE deal. You still have your desktop, and you just buy another laptop and you are still ahead of the game, WITH NO DOWN TIME. Even with a state of the art Laptop, if it breaks, etc, if that is your only one, you have downtime.

A 233 MHz laptop would surf the internet (even with a high speed connection), do basic word processing, and even Power Point presentations with no problem. I actually have several Dell 233 MHz latitude laptops currently in use by clinical professionals, and they have no complaints regarding speed.

There is a whole buch of 266 MHz laptops with CD and 3 gig or larger HD, (more than enough HD room for Office XP and Windows XP) for 424$.

Now I just checked Dell's site, and there is a laptop that starts at 899! Gateway has one for 999. (I like Dell better, but Gateway has a good rep too!)

I was comparing spending 500 dollars compared to spending 1800-2500 for a laptop. I was not aware that there were models that were this cheap (I mean value orientated!).

I am just trying to give you options in your purchase.

I am also looking at new desktops, and for gaming and fun, a desktop offers more punch for the dollar. Dell has a 1.7 P4 with 256 meg DDR SDRAM, 17 inch monitor, 64 MB NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX 4X AGP video card (wow!), free upgrade to a CD RW, and 2 year on site warantee for 1,069$ !

For me, choosing between a state of the art new laptop OR an OK older laptop AND a state of the art PC, I will choose the latter.

You know, in thinking about it, you could get BOTH a new laptop ($ 899) AND a new PC ($ 1069) WITH a 17 inch monitor for right at $2,000 dollars! Not a bad deal.

Oh well, I have exausted myself on this subject! Good luck!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tater Rocket:
... I also JUST priced a sony. I have a question about that though. It says "Wireless LAN
802.11b LAN connect interface
" Does that mean it COMES with wireless LAN, or you can stick that in? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Depending on which one you chose, most of them say that the wireless interface is integrated - which means it's built into the motherboard. The cheapest one said optional as an add-on card - which is only around $80 anyway.