[svelte]

With respect to quality issues that have been brought up in this thread, my household has had 5 laptops in the last 10 years: 3 Dell and 2 HPs (their timelines overlap). We usually use them 4-5 years before we donate them to other family members and replace them.

We’ve never needed to do a single repair to any of those laptops, which is probably why I didn’t feel the need to give weight to one brand over the other wrt quality. As far as I know, those machines are still ticking in their current homes too.

In my industry, we have worked quite a bit with HP equipment and the conclusion that many of us came to: HP makes top-notch hardware and crappy software. Those may be out-of-date generalizations now and probably do not apply to their laptop product line at all, but that was their image in my neck of the woods.

[svelte]

I just bought a laptop myself this month, using similar criteria to what you used.

Laptops are incredibly cheap right now.

Macs, as they have always been, are way overpriced as is any s/w you would want to load.

PCs can be bought for a song.

If you are going to keep it forever (you kept your last one 9 years – GULP!), here are some things to consider:

– RAM: Don’t short-change yourself on RAM. Windows Vista alone will use 1 GB, so you’ll need 2 GB or more total RAM to run any sort of s/w package…since you are going to keep it a long time, I would recommend maxing the RAM out since s/w packages will require more and more RAM over the years (4 GB is all Vista can use in 32 bit mode,which is what everybody runs in. You can go to 64 bit mode to get more RAM, but that’s probably not necessary in your case).

– Internet: Things are rapidly moving in the wireless direction. Hotels, airports, even coffee shops are now wireless hotspots. Therefore, definitely get 802.11 – it doesn’t cost much and you’ll be glad you did in the long run. Also get a 10/100 network card for using wired ethernet practically anywhere you go. 10/100 cards are dirt cheap anyway.

– Bluetooth: I wasn’t going to get this, then started thinking about how easy it would be to move pics from my cell to my computer. So I bought it. Again, doesn’t cost much.

– Hard Drive: I’m a photo hound, so I splurged a little (but not much) here. Video is getting very popular and really chews through disk space, so in my opinion get at least a 200 GB disk. As videos gain traction, you’ll be glad.

– Screen size: this is a hard one. The bigger the screen, the heavier/bulkier the laptop. I went sorta mid-range with a 15.4 in widescreen.

– DVD: BlueRay on a laptop is still way too costly, so I didn’t get it. I just went with a plain, basic DVD player. I may regret it, but my wallet thanked me.

– Make sure it has at least two avail USB ports: one for a mouse, one for a memory stick. 2 USBs is pretty common now.

I spent a lot of time at Fry’s but could not get all of the above packaged together at a price any less than HP or Dell (I never shop Gateway).

So I pitted Dell and HP against each other and ran the numbers in many ways. Dell won. Here is what I bought…it arrived this week:

Dell Inspiron 1525
3GB RAM
Intel Core Duo T5550
250 GB drive
Windows Vista SP1 Home
10/100 Network Card
CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth
Widescreen 15.4in
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery

Price: $819 plus tax (free shipping)

This thing is sharp! I’m very happy with the purchase.

If you dig a bit, you can probably do better price-wise but I was under a time crunch and got tired of shopping.

Good luck!

[svelte]

I just bought a laptop myself this month, using similar criteria to what you used.

Laptops are incredibly cheap right now.

Macs, as they have always been, are way overpriced as is any s/w you would want to load.

PCs can be bought for a song.

If you are going to keep it forever (you kept your last one 9 years – GULP!), here are some things to consider:

– RAM: Don’t short-change yourself on RAM. Windows Vista alone will use 1 GB, so you’ll need 2 GB or more total RAM to run any sort of s/w package…since you are going to keep it a long time, I would recommend maxing the RAM out since s/w packages will require more and more RAM over the years (4 GB is all Vista can use in 32 bit mode,which is what everybody runs in. You can go to 64 bit mode to get more RAM, but that’s probably not necessary in your case).

– Internet: Things are rapidly moving in the wireless direction. Hotels, airports, even coffee shops are now wireless hotspots. Therefore, definitely get 802.11 – it doesn’t cost much and you’ll be glad you did in the long run. Also get a 10/100 network card for using wired ethernet practically anywhere you go. 10/100 cards are dirt cheap anyway.

– Bluetooth: I wasn’t going to get this, then started thinking about how easy it would be to move pics from my cell to my computer. So I bought it. Again, doesn’t cost much.

– Hard Drive: I’m a photo hound, so I splurged a little (but not much) here. Video is getting very popular and really chews through disk space, so in my opinion get at least a 200 GB disk. As videos gain traction, you’ll be glad.

– Screen size: this is a hard one. The bigger the screen, the heavier/bulkier the laptop. I went sorta mid-range with a 15.4 in widescreen.

– DVD: BlueRay on a laptop is still way too costly, so I didn’t get it. I just went with a plain, basic DVD player. I may regret it, but my wallet thanked me.

– Make sure it has at least two avail USB ports: one for a mouse, one for a memory stick. 2 USBs is pretty common now.

I spent a lot of time at Fry’s but could not get all of the above packaged together at a price any less than HP or Dell (I never shop Gateway).

So I pitted Dell and HP against each other and ran the numbers in many ways. Dell won. Here is what I bought…it arrived this week:

Dell Inspiron 1525
3GB RAM
Intel Core Duo T5550
250 GB drive
Windows Vista SP1 Home
10/100 Network Card
CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth
Widescreen 15.4in
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery

Price: $819 plus tax (free shipping)

This thing is sharp! I’m very happy with the purchase.

If you dig a bit, you can probably do better price-wise but I was under a time crunch and got tired of shopping.

Good luck!

[svelte]

I just bought a laptop myself this month, using similar criteria to what you used.

Laptops are incredibly cheap right now.

Macs, as they have always been, are way overpriced as is any s/w you would want to load.

PCs can be bought for a song.

If you are going to keep it forever (you kept your last one 9 years – GULP!), here are some things to consider:

– RAM: Don’t short-change yourself on RAM. Windows Vista alone will use 1 GB, so you’ll need 2 GB or more total RAM to run any sort of s/w package…since you are going to keep it a long time, I would recommend maxing the RAM out since s/w packages will require more and more RAM over the years (4 GB is all Vista can use in 32 bit mode,which is what everybody runs in. You can go to 64 bit mode to get more RAM, but that’s probably not necessary in your case).

– Internet: Things are rapidly moving in the wireless direction. Hotels, airports, even coffee shops are now wireless hotspots. Therefore, definitely get 802.11 – it doesn’t cost much and you’ll be glad you did in the long run. Also get a 10/100 network card for using wired ethernet practically anywhere you go. 10/100 cards are dirt cheap anyway.

– Bluetooth: I wasn’t going to get this, then started thinking about how easy it would be to move pics from my cell to my computer. So I bought it. Again, doesn’t cost much.

– Hard Drive: I’m a photo hound, so I splurged a little (but not much) here. Video is getting very popular and really chews through disk space, so in my opinion get at least a 200 GB disk. As videos gain traction, you’ll be glad.

– Screen size: this is a hard one. The bigger the screen, the heavier/bulkier the laptop. I went sorta mid-range with a 15.4 in widescreen.

– DVD: BlueRay on a laptop is still way too costly, so I didn’t get it. I just went with a plain, basic DVD player. I may regret it, but my wallet thanked me.

– Make sure it has at least two avail USB ports: one for a mouse, one for a memory stick. 2 USBs is pretty common now.

I spent a lot of time at Fry’s but could not get all of the above packaged together at a price any less than HP or Dell (I never shop Gateway).

So I pitted Dell and HP against each other and ran the numbers in many ways. Dell won. Here is what I bought…it arrived this week:

Dell Inspiron 1525
3GB RAM
Intel Core Duo T5550
250 GB drive
Windows Vista SP1 Home
10/100 Network Card
CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth
Widescreen 15.4in
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery

Price: $819 plus tax (free shipping)

This thing is sharp! I’m very happy with the purchase.

If you dig a bit, you can probably do better price-wise but I was under a time crunch and got tired of shopping.

Good luck!

[svelte]

I just bought a laptop myself this month, using similar criteria to what you used.

Laptops are incredibly cheap right now.

Macs, as they have always been, are way overpriced as is any s/w you would want to load.

PCs can be bought for a song.

If you are going to keep it forever (you kept your last one 9 years – GULP!), here are some things to consider:

– RAM: Don’t short-change yourself on RAM. Windows Vista alone will use 1 GB, so you’ll need 2 GB or more total RAM to run any sort of s/w package…since you are going to keep it a long time, I would recommend maxing the RAM out since s/w packages will require more and more RAM over the years (4 GB is all Vista can use in 32 bit mode,which is what everybody runs in. You can go to 64 bit mode to get more RAM, but that’s probably not necessary in your case).

– Internet: Things are rapidly moving in the wireless direction. Hotels, airports, even coffee shops are now wireless hotspots. Therefore, definitely get 802.11 – it doesn’t cost much and you’ll be glad you did in the long run. Also get a 10/100 network card for using wired ethernet practically anywhere you go. 10/100 cards are dirt cheap anyway.

– Bluetooth: I wasn’t going to get this, then started thinking about how easy it would be to move pics from my cell to my computer. So I bought it. Again, doesn’t cost much.

– Hard Drive: I’m a photo hound, so I splurged a little (but not much) here. Video is getting very popular and really chews through disk space, so in my opinion get at least a 200 GB disk. As videos gain traction, you’ll be glad.

– Screen size: this is a hard one. The bigger the screen, the heavier/bulkier the laptop. I went sorta mid-range with a 15.4 in widescreen.

– DVD: BlueRay on a laptop is still way too costly, so I didn’t get it. I just went with a plain, basic DVD player. I may regret it, but my wallet thanked me.

– Make sure it has at least two avail USB ports: one for a mouse, one for a memory stick. 2 USBs is pretty common now.

I spent a lot of time at Fry’s but could not get all of the above packaged together at a price any less than HP or Dell (I never shop Gateway).

So I pitted Dell and HP against each other and ran the numbers in many ways. Dell won. Here is what I bought…it arrived this week:

Dell Inspiron 1525
3GB RAM
Intel Core Duo T5550
250 GB drive
Windows Vista SP1 Home
10/100 Network Card
CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth
Widescreen 15.4in
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery

Price: $819 plus tax (free shipping)

This thing is sharp! I’m very happy with the purchase.

If you dig a bit, you can probably do better price-wise but I was under a time crunch and got tired of shopping.

Good luck!

[svelte]

I just bought a laptop myself this month, using similar criteria to what you used.

Laptops are incredibly cheap right now.

Macs, as they have always been, are way overpriced as is any s/w you would want to load.

PCs can be bought for a song.

If you are going to keep it forever (you kept your last one 9 years – GULP!), here are some things to consider:

– RAM: Don’t short-change yourself on RAM. Windows Vista alone will use 1 GB, so you’ll need 2 GB or more total RAM to run any sort of s/w package…since you are going to keep it a long time, I would recommend maxing the RAM out since s/w packages will require more and more RAM over the years (4 GB is all Vista can use in 32 bit mode,which is what everybody runs in. You can go to 64 bit mode to get more RAM, but that’s probably not necessary in your case).

– Internet: Things are rapidly moving in the wireless direction. Hotels, airports, even coffee shops are now wireless hotspots. Therefore, definitely get 802.11 – it doesn’t cost much and you’ll be glad you did in the long run. Also get a 10/100 network card for using wired ethernet practically anywhere you go. 10/100 cards are dirt cheap anyway.

– Bluetooth: I wasn’t going to get this, then started thinking about how easy it would be to move pics from my cell to my computer. So I bought it. Again, doesn’t cost much.

– Hard Drive: I’m a photo hound, so I splurged a little (but not much) here. Video is getting very popular and really chews through disk space, so in my opinion get at least a 200 GB disk. As videos gain traction, you’ll be glad.

– Screen size: this is a hard one. The bigger the screen, the heavier/bulkier the laptop. I went sorta mid-range with a 15.4 in widescreen.

– DVD: BlueRay on a laptop is still way too costly, so I didn’t get it. I just went with a plain, basic DVD player. I may regret it, but my wallet thanked me.

– Make sure it has at least two avail USB ports: one for a mouse, one for a memory stick. 2 USBs is pretty common now.

I spent a lot of time at Fry’s but could not get all of the above packaged together at a price any less than HP or Dell (I never shop Gateway).

So I pitted Dell and HP against each other and ran the numbers in many ways. Dell won. Here is what I bought…it arrived this week:

Dell Inspiron 1525
3GB RAM
Intel Core Duo T5550
250 GB drive
Windows Vista SP1 Home
10/100 Network Card
CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth
Widescreen 15.4in
85Whr Lithium Ion Battery

Price: $819 plus tax (free shipping)

This thing is sharp! I’m very happy with the purchase.

If you dig a bit, you can probably do better price-wise but I was under a time crunch and got tired of shopping.

Good luck!

[svelte]

Perhaps Zillow’s Z-estimate is worthless (I’m not sure why people pay so much attention to it), but the rest of Zillow is very good.

I use it frequently to determine property lines, last sales date and price, and see bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. Used in conjunction with Google’s Street View, there is a wealth of data you can collect about a property from the warmth of your own room – something not possible 2 short years ago.

[svelte]

Perhaps Zillow’s Z-estimate is worthless (I’m not sure why people pay so much attention to it), but the rest of Zillow is very good.

I use it frequently to determine property lines, last sales date and price, and see bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. Used in conjunction with Google’s Street View, there is a wealth of data you can collect about a property from the warmth of your own room – something not possible 2 short years ago.

[svelte]

Perhaps Zillow’s Z-estimate is worthless (I’m not sure why people pay so much attention to it), but the rest of Zillow is very good.

I use it frequently to determine property lines, last sales date and price, and see bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. Used in conjunction with Google’s Street View, there is a wealth of data you can collect about a property from the warmth of your own room – something not possible 2 short years ago.

[svelte]

Perhaps Zillow’s Z-estimate is worthless (I’m not sure why people pay so much attention to it), but the rest of Zillow is very good.

I use it frequently to determine property lines, last sales date and price, and see bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. Used in conjunction with Google’s Street View, there is a wealth of data you can collect about a property from the warmth of your own room – something not possible 2 short years ago.

[svelte]

Perhaps Zillow’s Z-estimate is worthless (I’m not sure why people pay so much attention to it), but the rest of Zillow is very good.

I use it frequently to determine property lines, last sales date and price, and see bird’s eye view of the neighborhood. Used in conjunction with Google’s Street View, there is a wealth of data you can collect about a property from the warmth of your own room – something not possible 2 short years ago.

[svelte]

So…why the difference in reaction on this board? When Congress was trying to assist the homeowner, everyone was up in arms and had smoke coming out their ears.

But when the Treasury Secretary outlines steps to prop up Fannie and Freddie or the Fed steps in to take over Indymac, not a peep out of the Hogs and Hogville – only guesses as to who is next.

Quite a difference in reactions. Somebody explain that to me.

[svelte]

So…why the difference in reaction on this board? When Congress was trying to assist the homeowner, everyone was up in arms and had smoke coming out their ears.

But when the Treasury Secretary outlines steps to prop up Fannie and Freddie or the Fed steps in to take over Indymac, not a peep out of the Hogs and Hogville – only guesses as to who is next.

Quite a difference in reactions. Somebody explain that to me.

[svelte]

So…why the difference in reaction on this board? When Congress was trying to assist the homeowner, everyone was up in arms and had smoke coming out their ears.

But when the Treasury Secretary outlines steps to prop up Fannie and Freddie or the Fed steps in to take over Indymac, not a peep out of the Hogs and Hogville – only guesses as to who is next.

Quite a difference in reactions. Somebody explain that to me.

[svelte]

So…why the difference in reaction on this board? When Congress was trying to assist the homeowner, everyone was up in arms and had smoke coming out their ears.

But when the Treasury Secretary outlines steps to prop up Fannie and Freddie or the Fed steps in to take over Indymac, not a peep out of the Hogs and Hogville – only guesses as to who is next.

Quite a difference in reactions. Somebody explain that to me.

[Author]

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