Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

[POINTER94]

I have been looking at this unit and I think I am going to purchase but I want to know if there is anything I should concern myself with. This is for general home use but my wife is working on some additional schooling and I need the XP software. I also love the wifi function I have on my work unit and my home is set up for wireless. I also like the CD RW ability to download music and pictures and other such things. <br /><br />Toshiba seems to make a real sturdy unit by my estimation and I think this has everything I need.<br /><br /><br /> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...?MfrId=855&Nav=|c:1891|c:1893|&Sort=3&Recs=10 <br /><br /><br />Any feedback. I know little about computers other than how to use them. The rest I leave up to my IT folks at work.

 

[tommays]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

The 256 ram will barely run and really keep the hard drive busy<br /><br />You will want to up the RAM to a MIN of 512 more if you can swing it.<br /><br />I have played with our computers and find 512 to be the min and 768 (256+512)upgrade to really make a big difference.<br /><br />After a GIG 2 X 512 not much difference except heavy photoshop type work<br /><br />tommays

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

rommays,<br /><br />They seem to have the memory you are calling for in the accessories screen right next to it. 50 bucks, Is it hard to install for a novice like me or woudl it be difficult for someone who actually knows what they are doing?

 

[tommays]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Its just a cover with a small screw it should be in the manual ?<br /><br />Just buy the correct memory there keyed so its really hard to put in wrong BUT if you feel uneasy find a friend to show you<br /><br />i was looking at it it's a pretty nice unit still has a real serial port <br /><br />tommays

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

I got a buddy who makes a bunch of cash after work doing this kind of stuff. And fifty down the road is do-able. <br /><br />Anything else about this unit that would make you uneasy? BTW this is exactly the feedback I am looking for. Little things like what is big or little memory ellude me. I have a genetic blind spot for all things computer.

 

[tommays]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Toshiba has a good name i am sure you allready know there pretty much no limit on high you jack up the price <br /><br />Nothing like droping a 4000 dollar laptop <br /><br />tommays

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Avoid Toshiba and Tiger Direct like the plague. Tiger Direct is well known for horrible service, ripping off customers, and sharing all your personal information with advertisers. Toshiba laptops made in the last few years are known for their severe crappiness. They used to be good, but anything available now isn't even suitable as a door stop.<br /><br />See the computer geeks agree on this fact.<br /><br />I can't recommend anything but Dell. They very frequently have AMAZING deals on their laptops, and their service cannot be beat, PERIOD. The laptop I am typing on now is a few years old Dell, which I have beaten the hell out of, and has held together VERY well. When I bought it, it was loaded with features and still cheaper than the most basic laptops from other places. The couple times I had a problem, caused by me, I called Dell and they overnighted new parts without any trouble. I didn't even have to return the old ones.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

4 grand for a laptop??? <br /><br />Thats just insane. I actually exceeded my limit by about 50 bucks on this one. But my wife has a toshiba at work (she cannot and will not use it at home, have some kind of IT nazi working for the school district) and just loves it. <br /><br />So it seems I am looking at but not locked into a more expensive brand than I might have. It is primarily for her use. My company lets me do pretty much as I please with my laptop. Never do I go anywhere near a porn site or anything that might be a problem. Just not my gig anyways. I like the real thing.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Zmoz when you don't know squat about something its all about service. And I don't know squat about computers other than where to send them when they don't work.

 

[tommays]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Thats kind of funny because with the last two dells we OWNED the consumer-level service SUC?ED and trying to understand anybody at the call center in INDIA was a real JOY<br /><br />NOW i will say that there business-level-service is very good with and american call center<br /><br />BUT dont get me started on there 90 day Warranty on all ther low priced units<br /><br />tommays

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Originally posted by POINTER94:<br /> Zmoz when you don't know squat about something its all about service. And I don't know squat about computers other than where to send them when they don't work.

Toshiba has crappy service and you'll need it, because it will break. Many, many, many people agree that Dell's service is very good. It can be a little difficult trying to understand the Indian support staff, but that is a minor inconvenience. You also don't have to be a business to order a "business" laptop and get American support...the laptops and prices are the same too.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

I bought this Toshiba in October of 05 so far its been trouble free. I would recommend their products.<br /><br /> Toshiba S106

 

[treedancer]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Hey Pointer got a coin?-----Flip it. Instant Decision.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Thanks all, I will be talking it over with the wife as she is the one who is going to primarily use this and make a decision. I tend to hold onto things longer than I should so I really need this thing to last.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

It is used. Do they include the manuals, cd's, drivers, ac cord/charger, etc?

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

I have a toshiba laptop that I've been using for about a year now. It hasn't broke yet. I don't know anything about the customer service- never had to call them.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Narrowing it down. Any idea on this?<br /><br /> http://www.usanotebook.com/large_notebook_pic_page.php?id=1353 <br /><br /><br />pointer

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

My experience has been anything I can get from TigerDirect I can find somewhere else for less money. TigerDirect tends to be a little pricy compared to other online sources.<br /><br />I blew past a CD-RW and opted for a DVD/CD-RW. They also do the CD-RW functions, but allow the laptop to watch movies, and write DVDs. You can write DVD slideshows of digital pix, etc that you can share with anyone that has a DVD player. Not all DVD players will play video CDs (VCD). DVD/CD-RW drives are only a few bucks more than a CD-RW.<br /><br />My laptop does not have a serial port. When I need to access a serial port I use a USB-to-serial cable plugged into the USB port on my laptop and the serial port on whatever.<br /><br />My laptop does not have a firewire (IE 1394) port but then I also don’t own anything that uses firewire. If/when I ever do, I’ll get a PCMCIA card that has firewire output for $25 or so.<br /><br />If you use wifi you may want to consider a wi-fi a/b/g option for your laptop as opposed to the more common wifi g. Wifi is changing over to a dual-band scenario that uses both the a (5ghz) and the b/g (2.4ghz) spectrums simultaneously. It supports full T100 (100mb) bandwidth for wifi at Ethernet speed.<br /><br />Ethernet is upgrading too. T10/100 is now T10/100/1000, i.e. 1-gb bandwith. Not an issue unless you will be pushing around high bandwidth data (movies with HD video and multi-channel audio) on a LAN.<br /><br />Mrs Rabbit gets paid to destroy. Things that she destroys: power supplies, computers, various office equipment, laptops… A minimum of 16 power supplies are literally destroyed evaluating a single model of power supply, sometimes as many as 20+. Usually laptops are not destroyed and can be returned to the manfr after evaluating, unless there is a design flaw, then it is toast! ... and it never sees the market. There is a world of diff in the build quality of laptops. For build quality, IBM/Lenovo and Fujitsu laptops come to mind. Could be important of you will frequently be going mobile with your laptop. If your laptop will spend most of its life sitting on your desk then it’s not important.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

Check this out Pointer. They are brand new.<br /><br /> http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-DELL-INSPIR...857269867QQcategoryZ31542QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem <br /><br />...and with two hours to go they might sell for a better price than I just got mine for.

 

[Pony]

Re: Need help with picking out a laptop for home use.

The couple times I had a problem, caused by me, I called Dell and they overnighted new parts without any trouble. I didn't even have to return the old ones.

Ditto.<br /><br /><br />AS I said in Booms thread"<br /><br />

Currently typing this on a Dell Inspiron 600m.......Have had it now for roughly 3 or 4 years without an issue. I have taken advantage of the service plan I took out on it, as my harddrive failed. (was really prolly my fault: used it in a manner that didnt allow for proper cooling). I also replace a battery about 3 weeks ago, so I got almost 4 full years out of it.<br /><br /><br />One thing I purchased which has helped me a lot is a Laptop "chill-mat".......the one I have has USB 2.0 capabilities with four USB ports. It really keeps things nice and cool.<br /><br />I also have a nice cordless optical mouse, but thats only because I really hate touchpads........