Glory_Days Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I'm currently in the hunt for a new laptop. It will be my first, so i have no clue if there are better brands than others. After a quick research and a trip to best buy and dell, i'm hesitant between the Toshiba A300 and theDell XPS M1530 So, which one is best in your mind? I've heard good things about Dell and Toshiba, but do you recommend them? Any interesting stories concerning them? Also, if you need help chosing a laptop, you can post here. Or if you just want to post which laptop you have, go ahead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lecavalierrocks Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 To be honest, I wouldnt recomment Dell, I have an Inspiron 6000 from Dell and Ive had to send it out for repair a couple of times. and my friend who works at Future Shop said he would never buy one, so does my friend who works with computers. Thats about all I can help with. But My friend has a Dell Desktop and she says she never had a problem with it, so maybe their strenghs are in Desktops. I dunno. hope I helped a bit Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glory_Days Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Thanks! I have a Dell desktop and it's fine (a little slow, but it's kind of full lol), i've had no problems with it. I was leaning towards the Toshiba, so i think i'll go that way. My girlfriend has a Toshiba and it's been lasting for over 4 years now and she just started getting minor problems with it, so they seem pretty reliable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anne-1 Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I've had a Toshiba for 3 years, and never had a problem with it, yet ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franck5890 Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Both are very good laptops by my understanding. The XPS line by Dell is one of the better laptop lines out there, and I've heard the customer service is great. Inspiron's are not great, but XPS's are top-notch. Some of it should depend upon the main purposes of the laptop -- is it generally just for school/browsing, how serious (if at all) of a gamer are you, etc. For multimedia and gaming purposes, the XPS line is very good. But ultimately, you want to go with whatever gives you the best gut feeling. The last thing you want is to be doubting a purchase like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbochan Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I'm currently in the hunt for a new laptop... 1. What's your budget? 2. What's your intended use? 3. What's your hopeful lifespan of the machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keetla Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I got the LG P300. It's an amazing laptop, very light and quiet while still being powerful. Those were my main criteria since I am using it for school. LG P300 Review You can only get this one in Europe, Hong Kong or select locations of Futureshop though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svetlana_mtl Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I'm currently in the hunt for a new laptop. It will be my first, so i have no clue if there are better brands than others. After a quick research and a trip to best buy and dell, i'm hesitant between the Toshiba A300 and theDell XPS M1530 So, which one is best in your mind? I've heard good things about Dell and Toshiba, but do you recommend them? Any interesting stories concerning them? Also, if you need help chosing a laptop, you can post here. Or if you just want to post which laptop you have, go ahead! MacBook Apple ones are really great. I have one thats a year old and the little girl hasnt let me down yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy15 Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 MacBook Apple ones are really great. I have one thats a year old and the little girl hasnt let me down yet Yea i'd recommend the macbook also, I have a much older version, the g4 powerbook, from around 2004. Macs are just simpler machines than PCs. That said, Ive needed service on mine and wouldnt recommend it for someone who has no interest in multimedia stuff whether it be art, design, music, film, etc b/c they are pricier and if all you need is itunes, microsoft word, and the memory to run dvds and burn cd's you should go with a pc. Dells are awful IMO. Go with the Toshiba. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glory_Days Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 1. What's your budget? 2. What's your intended use? 3. What's your hopeful lifespan of the machine? 1. 1500$ is the max and that price includes a router and the Microsoft bundle (word, powerpoint, etc...)...so probably max 1200$ for the laptop 2. Surf the web, photoshop, dreamweaver or maybe another program that's about the same (html and javascropt coding)...No gaming really, i keep that for the xbox lol 3. I'd like it to last at least 3 years, but i'd like it to last longer! My gut feeling tells me the Toshiba since i saw it first, but i love the design of the XPS and have had no problems myself with Dell yet... And i'm not into the Mac's...i just don't like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbochan Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 1. 1500$ is the max and that price includes a router and the Microsoft bundle (word, powerpoint, etc...)...so probably max 1200$ for the laptop 2. Surf the web, photoshop, dreamweaver or maybe another program that's about the same (html and javascropt coding)...No gaming really, i keep that for the xbox lol 3. I'd like it to last at least 3 years, but i'd like it to last longer! My gut feeling tells me the Toshiba since i saw it first, but i love the design of the XPS and have had no problems myself with Dell yet... And i'm not into the Mac's...i just don't like them. So basically a hard working business-class machine. If that's the case, and you have no problems with Dell, if it were me, I'd go with one of the Latitude or Precision series. They're both great values, well proved, and damn nice machines. Aside from that, and this would be the biggest point for me... unlike the XPS, you can get them with WinXP instead of Vista (if you order online). I'm not at all fond of Vista, nor would I recommend it. For me, the Toshiba's have been fairly vanilla - nothing particularly special, but nothing to get excited about either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glory_Days Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glory_Days Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 I finally picked up the Toshiba A300, my first choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracie12 Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 I have a compaq armada. I paid $3700 for it nine years ago. Its still going strong (had to put in a new HD after about 5 years). Of course its slow as molasses (single core, 600mhz), but the fact its still humming along makes me think it was pretty darned well made. Dont know about new Compaqs though. of course as others have mentioned - if you want trouble free, go with a mac - but you're obviously going to spend more money for the same power with one. I use a quad core power mac at work & love it - but at home my new desktop is a PC. Too much software I already own & im tech savvy enough to repair most Pc related problems, even though vista is making me reaaaaaaly mad. I really wish Windows2000 could understand a duo-core processor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindred Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 I have a compaq armada. I paid $3700 for it nine years ago. Its still going strong (had to put in a new HD after about 5 years). Of course its slow as molasses (single core, 600mhz), but the fact its still humming along makes me think it was pretty darned well made. Dont know about new Compaqs though. of course as others have mentioned - if you want trouble free, go with a mac - but you're obviously going to spend more money for the same power with one. I use a quad core power mac at work & love it - but at home my new desktop is a PC. Too much software I already own & im tech savvy enough to repair most Pc related problems, even though vista is making me reaaaaaaly mad. I really wish Windows2000 could understand a duo-core processor. Vista is the tool of the devil!! I have it on one of my home pc's and it bogs the system down so much. The only experience I have ever had with laptops with this old IBM laptop which worked quite well for a number of years for me. My only advice would be to shell out the big bucks for a top end model. tiger direct usually has some great deals on laptops and if you have any knowledge on how to build or add on you can get parts fairly cheap as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortwinkler Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 I've actually gone through two laptops in the last five years. The first was a Dell and the second a Toshiba. Both went on the fritz and the repairs were almost as much as buying a new one. Right now I'm looking into the Apple Air Book, anyone have one? I'm not huge on Apple computers, but they're the type I use for work, so I need something compatable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franck5890 Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 If you're going to go with Apple, I really wouldn't suggest the Air model. You're basically paying a lot extra for looks. And I'm not sure exactly what kind of functionality you'll need for work, but it doesn't have an ethernet port, it doesn't have a firewire port, it has only one usb port, and no freakin' CD/DVD drive! There were also some stories about overheating, but they've apparently released a system update to help that problem. So if you're really in the market for an Apple laptop, I wouldn't suggest the Air (plus, I hear it's something like $1800 ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreekHockeyCoach Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 The only laptops I've ever owned have been from HP. My first one was bought 5 years ago and it's still running and it's still fast. My second one was the top of the line at the time, I bought it about 2 years ago and it was the first of its kind with a 17 inch widescreen with a P4 2.8Mhz processor. It still runs very well and is extremely fast after I added more ram to it (2gigs). I highly recommend HP for laptops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortwinkler Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 If you're going to go with Apple, I really wouldn't suggest the Air model. You're basically paying a lot extra for looks. And I'm not sure exactly what kind of functionality you'll need for work, but it doesn't have an ethernet port, it doesn't have a firewire port, it has only one usb port, and no freakin' CD/DVD drive! There were also some stories about overheating, but they've apparently released a system update to help that problem. So if you're really in the market for an Apple laptop, I wouldn't suggest the Air (plus, I hear it's something like $1800 ). I think the cheapest one I've seen was $1,899...so yeah, they're pretty pricey. I've opt'ed against the Air model, however, now I'm looking for something else. What I"ve noticed in my search is air or no air, the Apple notebooks are highly over priced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 The problem with Dell is with their batteries. I've had a Dell laptop for about 2 years, and I use it off of AC power on average maybe once a week. All of a sudden, the system tells me my battery is no longer good and I can only run on the battery for about twenty minutes. I guess I'll just have to take the adapter with me whenever I hook the computer to my TV, because there's no way I'm paying 200 bucks for a new battery. I even got the extended warranty plan, since I had tons of problems with my previous computer (not a Dell). Apparently, batteries aren't included in that warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onerjokk Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Ive got a Dell Inspiron 6400 , its lasted me about 2 and a half years and counting.... Ive had no problems with the battery life, and the laptop hasnt noticeably slowed down performance wise. My girlfriend has a Toshiba and has had a few problems, battery replacement, and needs to be cleaned once every 8 months to keep the laptop sub par.... My opinion Dell is the way to go, but from the looks of what people are saying on here Dell sucks... Go onto, a well known Pc Website, and try emailing through the support option "if they have one" see if you can get an opinion from a computer Gizmo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmash Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 If I was getting a quality laptop, I'd look at an IBM Thinkpad. At the more budget level, Toshiba makes a nice machine. Dell's are alright, although they wouldn't be my first choice. My current desktop is custom built by me, my personal laptop (I just wanted a cheap one as a secondary computer) is a Toshiba (cost about $700) and my desktop and laptop from work are both Dells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbochan Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 If I was getting a quality laptop, I'd look at an IBM Thinkpad... I agree wholeheartedly. The T series Thinkpads are built like tanks. They aren't the hugest performers, but they're reliable workhorses. They're also friendly to repairs too. The Lenovo website even offers videos on common parts replacements - keyboard, hard drives, and such. It also doesn't hurt (in my opinion) that they're rather Linux friendly as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiLla Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 The only laptops I've ever owned have been from HP. My first one was bought 5 years ago and it's still running and it's still fast. My second one was the top of the line at the time, I bought it about 2 years ago and it was the first of its kind with a 17 inch widescreen with a P4 2.8Mhz processor. It still runs very well and is extremely fast after I added more ram to it (2gigs). I highly recommend HP for laptops. I second that! I bought a HP after frying my old DELL in 2006, which I had been using for 6 years. It's got the shiny 17" widescreen, an AMD Turion 64 1.8Mhz, a RADEON Xpress 200M, 1GB RAM and a 2nd HDD expansion port. I paid about $1000 back then and never had any issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan_go_habs Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I also have a Dell Inspiron 6400 and it hasnt failed me. Great machine. Have had it about a year and a half. Only had to replace the charger because I used it so much the cord wore out. Otherwise it is great. Fast, dependable and built like a brick. I can run this thing into the ground and it doesnt leave a mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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