I'm about to buy a new laptop.
As b3tans are world experts on everything,* I'd appreciate some suggestions as to which laptops are good and which ones are to be avoided. Rational and irrational opinions acceptable.

*100% FACT
( thealternativefact, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 11:38, 27 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I don't know much about laptops
But I can tell you to steer clear of Dell.

I'm typing this on my company-supplied laptop, a Dell Latitude D630, and to put it bluntly, it's shite. It's only a few months old, and already stuff's starting to break on it.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 11:56, Reply)

I have a Dell now.
I can't see me getting another one - I'm totally with you there, Duck.

I don't want it for games - just music, pics, movies and writing, mainly. But I don't want a Mac.
( thealternativefact, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 11:59, Reply)

For non-work
...purposes I bought a Sony VAIO and I'm quite satisfied with it.

This may, however (and I'm battening down the hatches for incoming here) be a consequence of my knowing stuff-all about laptops.
(Eds Meds Mathskillz=1,Socialskillz=0, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 12:07, Reply)

I too
have a Dell inspiron 1525. I love it.

The worst thing about it is the sound quality, but you can get plug in speakers.

The best thing about it is the row of lil blue flashing lights which twinkle in sequence when you switch it on.

I can heartily recommend Dell customer service too.
( warmfuzzies Isn't here, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 12:45, Reply)

I recommend Samsung if you're after a low-spec piece of horseshit with a crappy screen and a keyboard that breaks within 6 weeks of the warranty expiring

( Gilgamesh gazed in wonder as Frampton came alive, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 12:45, Reply)

I think I'm barred from Dell customer 'service'
after telling one of the little men on there that he was a moron.

Right, so far Dell might or might not be OK, Sony is and, er, Samsung probably isn't.
( thealternativefact, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 12:54, Reply)

I have:
A 1994 Dell Latitude CPi, it still works fine and runs XP at a usuable level even though it wasn't designed to.

A 2005 Dell Inspiron 9300 - using it to type this, only had one problem in 3 years, and that was a dead pixel on the screen about 4 months ago.

A 2003 Dell Inspiron 6000, its been treated really badly but still soldiers on as if nothing has happened.

A 2007 Dell D620, its alright, it works. Its not got anywhere near as many features as the Inspirons though.

I have a 2008 HP Pavilion next to me, its hard drive has already died, and the USB ports are on their way out. Not to mention the random DVD drive disappearances...

A 2003 Panasonic toughbook, one of the best rugged notebooks i've used, (as long as you blitz all of the standard installed crap, although this is true of all big names) although this one isn't waterproof like the latest ones, and these are *expensive*.

A 2008 Novatech something or other, its excellent for pretty much anything I've thrown at it (and thrown it at).

I'd personally steer clear of PC World specials like Compaq and HP stuff, HP make good printers, and Compaq/HP make good servers, but for the home computer market, I wouldn't bother.

Mesh are good too, although expensive in most cases.

Sony are very good, but mostly overpriced as with every other of their products.

As for everything else, I don't think I've personally used any.
(Ethelred is watching cheese grow, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 13:04, Reply)

Bite the bullet
Go buy a mac and run vista on it.

I'm no mac fan, and neither are the guys I work with, but the current macs beat the crap out of any current intel based laptop.

We all went to the dark side ... and thanked the gods we did!
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 13:30, Reply)

@ RadG
"but the current macs beat the crap out of any current intel based laptop."

You do realise a Mac laptop is nothing but an overpriced Intel laptop with a shitty OS?

*Dons asbestos suit and hides from the OSX lovers*

But seriously the thing about a laptop is that it's such a personal decision as to what you like.

For example someone above liked the Sony VAIOs, personally I hate the keyboards on those and would rather eat my own eyeballs then try to type more than 3 paragraphs on one.

If I remember correctly your London based, if so my recommendation would be to go down to Tottenham Court Road with all the computer shops and get hands on with all your options.

As for my personal preferences, the Thinkpads have the best keyboards, the expensive Dells are ok but the cheaper ones fall apart 46 seconds after purchase, the Samsungs are mostly OK, the Acers are good and relatively cheap and The Toshibas are well built but expensive.

As a final rule of thumb, when buying a laptop you have three choices:

Fast
Light
Cheap

Pick two, you can get something fast & light but it'll cost the earth, you can get something light and cheap but it'll be slow or you can get something fast and cheap but it'll break your back moving it.

Good Luck!
(bill, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 13:53, Reply)

@ clenders
buy a pink one, darling
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 14:00, Reply)

Well if it's pink you're after
go for the Dell :)

They come in a lully range of colours. Mine is shiny pristine white.

And it hasn't fallen apart or anything.
( warmfuzzies Isn't here, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 14:44, Reply)

Ha!
Bill didn't say anything about pink.

Bill knows nuffin.*



*May not be true.
( thealternativefact, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 15:01, Reply)

Linux
If you want a bit of browsing, emailing, writing the odd document.... Go for a Linux Powered one.

The Asus eeePCs are quite good - but the screens are small.

Hardware? My brother (who repairs laptops) reckons that about 25% of them can be expected to fail within a year. Don't get an extended warrantee - but make sure you're buying from a place that knows the Sale Of Goods Act (If you're in the UK)
(terryeden, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 15:20, Reply)

Hold off getting a Mac
I love my macbook and I would suggest getting one. Also I (read MrBin) would always be here for tech support.

However there will be new macbooks released on Tuesday.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sun 12 Oct 2008, 16:17, Reply)

Mine is a gaming laptop
so you probably don't want the one I've got. Even though I'm a geek, I still find my preferred method for choosing laptops is to stare at loads of them until my mind hones in on one.

Do you want a full-sized laptop or a mini-laptop? The mini ones are cheap if you just want to go on t'Internet and use Word etc. without a big screen. Also, they're cheaper if they come with Linux instead of Windows.

But at the end of the day, the choice depends a lot on what you want to do with it and how much you want to pay.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 16:26, Reply)

@spakka
that's pretty much how I used to pick men.

still is really*.


*may or may not have had wine for lunch
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 17:08, Reply)

That's a damn fine way of choosing HLT
I was told that out of Acer and Asus, Asus were the ones to go for. So of course I went for the Acer instead. No problems with it AT ALL until I dropped it and killed the screen. Replaced it with an Asus and within 3 months had fried the motherboard.
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 17:14, Reply)

why thank you lady consonants
and how are you?
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 17:17, Reply)

easy
17 inch mac book pro

pc = plastic crap
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sun 12 Oct 2008, 20:26, Reply)

@terryeden - netbooks
I did consider suggesting a "netbook" as the eeePC etc. Have come to be known, however I cannot in good conscience suggest any Linux based box as a primary machine. As a secondary machine they rock, but there are too many incompatiblities to use one as a one and only box.

However should you be looking at these I'd second the recommendation of the eeePC with a clarification of either the 901 or the 1000.

If you're going to go for the pink then your best choice would be the MSI Wind. The eee on the other hand is slightly better but only comes in black or White (get the black).

*hopefully my drunken iPhone typing is readable*

BDC
(bill, Mon 13 Oct 2008, 0:54, Reply)

+ 1 for dell laptops
I have a dell D630 for work and and D620 for home and they are both good little runners.
(The Archduke of South London I'm in your Girlfriend eating her organs, Mon 13 Oct 2008, 11:04, Reply)

Thanks all.
Some good advice gathered.
( thealternativefact, Mon 13 Oct 2008, 20:49, Reply)

Heat
If the laptop generates heat, it can become nice and cozy when you take it to bed on a cold night. Gaming laptops tend to generate more heat than other laptops because of the extra hardware needed to make games run nice.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Mon 13 Oct 2008, 22:58, Reply)