Hey guys I was just curious if any off you have a laptop computer. Thoughts,prices,brands etc. Likes dislikes

 

Nope. I have a desktop. I'd like to get a laptop to replace it, and get rid of the giant computer desk with it!

 

I have both Laptop (my wifes from school) and my Desktop. I use both. The lap top is a compaq and my desktop is pieced together. From my experience I have had just Dell and Compaq and really have had no troubles except for the common virus', but component durability seem to be of good quality. The laptop we bought cost around $1000 with Windows Vista (which I'm not crazy about, rather would have XP). Haven't had it that long, so the longevity is out there. But I would say, around $1000 is going to get you a pretty good laptop. you can get them alot cheaper, but it's just a matter of what you want for options. How wide of screen, how big the hard drive, what kind of video card, wireless capability, amounts of RAM, brand of processor, etc. It's nice to play games on my desktop, but really nice to sit in my recliner like I'm doing right now with the laptop on my legs typing and searching away.

 

I've got a Gateway laptop that I bought 3.5 years ago when Gateway was shutting down their Country Stores. The hard drive puked about a year ago, but everything else has been good. But, not sure if you can still get a Gateway branded machine these days since they were bought out by Acer.

I'll probably go with a Dell next time around. I'd kind of like to give Apple a shot, but they are pricey. We've got an ancient Dell desktop that just won't quit. It's slow as molasses in January, but keeps going.

 

My laptop I had was an HP. 15" Widescreen, dont think I would want to look at anything smaller than that. Very durable unit that I had on the road with me when I drove truck OTR for Werner.

One tip I can give you is to use a chill mat. Almost everywhere that sells computers sells em. You put it under your laptop to pull heat from it. Works great and lengthens their lifespan.

 

I use Dell's at work. The Latitudes can be had for not much more money and have US based support.

 

I have both also. Each are Dell. For the lappy, I have a wireless keyboard and mouse. Not coordinated enough to use the lappy touch pad and my fingers are too big for the keyboard, lol

 

I have an Acer....I paid about $1200 for it (was $1800 but I know the owner of the business well and he gave me a "student" discout). I like it alot.....it was the big dog when I bought it. I have a mouse that I use with it because I hate the touch pad deal.....I also plug it into speakers whenever I can cause laptop speakers just don't cut it for me (I am ALWAYS listening to music....).

-Jake

 

Yup! I have both. My laptop goes with me camping and on the trail to navigate/map routes. My first puter was a 286. My second was a 286 suitcase. Had those both for years and didn't do the internet for a long time. My first internet puter was a 486 hand me down. That died. We bought a P1 from Best Buy and it is still down stairs and used most every day. We have a Dell P4 desk top upstairs that folks all use. They both just have CD drives. No DVD drives and the one down stairs was upgraded to burn CD's.

I bought a few referbished IBM think pads off the internet but nothing was really cutting edge or current. Just trying to get by with as little $$$'s as I can. In my truck I run Delorme software and a GPS to map trails. After the IBMs I was able to get what I thought was a good deal on a Dell. But none of those really held up well. Had the overheating problem setting the laptop on the passanger seat. I bought a JOTO desk and they seem to do much better that way. But the damage had been done to the Dell I think. The Dell can burn CD'S and play DVD's. Last year I broke down and bought one that was some what current. It is a Toshiba. The guy I run around with likes the Toshibas and said they hold up out on the trail pretty well. The Toshiba I bought was out of production but was new and had a one year factory waranty. It had 1.6 gig (each) duo processors, DVD burner, and now has 2 Gig's of memory. I really like it. It's running XP media. Seems some of my old mapping software from Delorme is not liked by the new Vista. I could have upgraded to Vista last year when I bought. I kind of like the stuff I'm used to and don't like to keep changing. Cost me just over $700 last year off the internet(evilbay).

We have the desk tops hard wired at the house to a wireless router. My Dell and Toshiba takes turns and my youngest son has a Dell laptop now also.

The Dell still works well at home and I take it as a back up in my truck. It doesn't like connecting to the net away from home for some reason. Used to get hot and crash in the drivers seat and lost some of my mapped data a time or two. But the JOTO desk really helps and lets air flow under the laptop and it's close to the dash and I can put a AC vent blowing on it. My Toshiba (Shiba) dose really well either on the seat or JOTO desk and seems to connect at motels and to places when I drive through town much more than the Dell will. And camping out in the mountians with it and single digit low temps didn't help much.

If you think you might want a Dell and are thinking of starting up a small business, Dell has a Small Business site with some good prices. Just need to get your business name decided on and sign in with them. I haven't needed a Tax number yet in dealing with them but is been a 3-4 years since I bought from them. They still send me small business sale stuff. They want me to buy a Vestro 1400 notebook this go round. They are selling it for $599. Duo Core processor, XP Home or Vista Home Basic, 2 gig memory, 160 gig harddrive, DVD burner. I think you can view stuff on line if you want to check out what they have. Try: DELL.COM/smb/February

 

I have a Gateway and a HP that I got off Ebay for my kids. Only spent about 5 to $600 and they work great!

 

Get yourself a Toshiba laptop. I won a Toshiba a few months ago and love it. Such a great laptop.

 

i got a dell insperon e1505 and i think there are better machines out there...it's crashed 3 times on me since i had it 2 years ago...my lil sister got an HP of some sort and paid about 700 bucks like i did for mine, but she got vista, a built in web cam, and a bunch of other programs and stuff...if i had it to do again, i'd go w/ an HP