The Laptop. Need a new one. Need help...

[longshot]

Okay. Got $2,000 - $2,500 to spend.

I need a laptop.

It should be good to play games.

If it can handle multiple languages, that's a plus... I think I need some windows upgrade for that.

It needs MS Excel.

It needs a wireless card.

So far, I've only checked out the Dell website, and the Alien website. It looks like I can get a lot more power at Alienware... but I really know nothing. It's been a really long time since I've bought a computer.

Help appreciated.

[Mistomeer]

If you can afford an IBM X series or T series those are really nice.
Personally, I like IBM laptops better than just about anyone.
For me, the big issue isn't what the laptop can do perfomance-wise as much as size is. I really like the ultra-thin laptops.

[Bobmuhthol]

When you buy Alienware, you're paying for the name. I don't know what to recommend, just that Alienware is not good.

[longshot]

Thanks Bob. That's the kind of imput I'm looking for.

But Dell stuff was WAY more expensive...

I'm looking for something fast.

Where should I go?

[Bobmuhthol]

http://www.newegg.com/notebook/?DEPA=3

Find the best thing for what you need on that page.

[Brattt8525]

Nice site Bob, I am looking to get another laptop myself whats your opinion on Sony Vaios?

[Bobmuhthol]

Nothing wrong with them.

[AnticorRifling]

Check your U2U.

[peam]

I feel for you, man. My laptop died about 6-7 months ago.

I've had to use the worst computer ever, since then, and my Dad lets me take his laptop, which is the runner-up for worst computer ever, when I go out of town.

I can't wait until I can get another.

[Gan]

sending this via my palm wireless tungston c...
the 2nd HD on my dell latt d600 just crashed.
told them not to send me another hitachi HD.
tech said she would request something diff...
Ugh!
Current hd in freezer to see if i can get data off once
the platens cool down. :(:

[Mistomeer]

lol..hd in the freezer.

I know playing games is a requirement, but the Apple Powerbook is the best laptop around, hands down.

[Sean]

I was happy with my toshiba satellite until it took about a 5' drop which disloged the lcd monitor. Toshiba fixed the lcd for free but left the mount all fucked up.

[AnticorRifling]

HDD in the freezer does work problem is you have to be fast from freezer to data recover because they warm up fast.

[Mistomeer]

Hd in freezer is a waste of time.

[Gan]

Originally posted by Mistomeer
Hd in freezer is a waste of time.

Yup.... I had all but 2 minutes from the time I heard the HD start making a sound like a cricket having a grand mal seizure before I got the dreaded blue screen of fatal error death. Then the black screen appeared saying boot error, hard drive 0 could not be found.

Nothing like losing 60 days of data, work emails, etc.

[Stealth]

I ordered a new laptop from Dell this month, a little more than you stated in your price but pretty close.

Dell XPS Gen 2:
2Ghz Centrino 533Mhz FSB with wireless a/b/g, Bluetooth
1GB of RAM
100 GB HD
17 inch screen
Dual layer DVD Burner
NVidia 256MB PCI Express video card

With tax it came out around 3 Grand, the key is getting a good coupon or discount code.

Stealth

[Edited on 4-10-2005 by Stealth]

I went with a Dell as well.

[AnticorRifling]

Originally posted by Ganalon

Originally posted by Mistomeer
Hd in freezer is a waste of time.

Yup.... I had all but 2 minutes from the time I heard the HD start making a sound like a cricket having a grand mal seizure before I got the dreaded blue screen of fatal error death. Then the black screen appeared saying boot error, hard drive 0 could not be found.

Nothing like losing 60 days of data, work emails, etc.

Don't boot from it sped.

Make it cable select and slave that bitch.

[Mistomeer]

I know a guy that has spent 2 weeks working on recovering a hd.
Freezer, all that shit. Yeah, it will work at times, but it's like spending 5 hours to clean spyware when a backup/reinstall takes two hours. Sometimes it's best to just count it as a loss and start over.

[longshot]

Originally posted by Stealth
I ordered a new laptop from Dell this month, a little more than you stated in your price but pretty close.

Dell XPS Gen 2:
2Ghz Centrino 533Mhz FSB with wireless a/b/g, Bluetooth
1GB of RAM
100 GB HD
17 inch screen
Dual layer DVD Burner
NVidia 256MB PCI Express video card

With tax it came out around 3 Grand, the key is getting a good coupon or discount code.

Stealth

[Edited on 4-10-2005 by Stealth]

I was looking at the XPS.

I probably don't need that big of a hard drive, but how much RAM should I have?

I see you have 1 gig. Is that the norm now? It's been awhile since I've done this...

[AnticorRifling]

I would stay away from anything below 512.

[Soulpieced]

I just did a custom system (on the Dell site) for the Inspiron 9300 and it came out to $2,240.

- Intel® Pentium® M Processor 750 (1.86 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
- XP Home
- 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife
- 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
- 80 gig HD
- 24x CD burner/DVD Combo drive
- 256mb NVIDA GeForce Go6800 video card
- Intel 2200 wireless card
- 2 year warranty

That should be more than powerful enough (I hope) to run any of the current games. And after looking at it again, you would be MUCH better off getting an upgraded 9300 instead of the XPS.

[AnticorRifling]

I would suggest going XP-Pro.

[Soulpieced]

I guess I'm spoiled because I have a disc I got from school. So I didn't factor that in.

[Gan]

Update on my laptop:

freezing the HD did nothing but take up space in my freezer. When I turn it on the little arm that reads/writes info onto/off of the platens can be heard striking the casing much to the same sound as when you used to get an extra ball playing pinball (the loud knock)... repeatedly... as the black screen appears telling me that no HD was found - F1 to retry, F2 for setup.

I'm overnighting the whole unit back to my office along with the replacement HD thats coming from Dell on Monday - then requesting a different model (perhaps an Inspirion like my old one instead of this overly sensitive Latitude). I kind of like the 9300 mentioned above, we'll see what I can get odered...

Reason why I'm staying with Dell is becaus of the arrangement my company has with Dell (we purchase alot of Dell servers as well as desktop/laptop units).:sniffle:

[crazymage]

i just purchased a Dell Inspiron should be here in a week or so so we'll see.

[Gan]

I had an Inspiron 5100 or something like that with my old employer, had it 18 months and travelled as well as used it as a home/work computer while at home... it was a tank, heavy but a tank none the less. I wish my Lattitude was half as good as the Inspiron was.

Oh, yay, we get to talk Inspirons, expcially the 5100.

Guess what's my main computer? That's right, my Inspiron 5100. That thing is wicked hardocre, but with only one problem.. THE DESIGN LAYOUT FUCKING BLOWS. Yes, it is prone to over heating big time. The only solution? Compressed air once a week and every few months taking it apart and cleaning it is in order. The heat sink will get CAKED in dust as will your fan.

- Arkans

[Gan]

Yea, the heat was pretty bad. I used an undercarriage laptop fan (Targus) that was USB powered... it was bulky but it kept the heat down by a third as well as off my lap.

We talked about laptop add on fans once here... see the below link. In fact, it was initiated by you.

http://forum.gsplayers.com/viewthread.php?tid=11697

[Warriorbird]

I miss laptops.

Not only that, but you need to download a program called FANGUI for your Inspiron. It allows you to control your fan speed, which is really important unless you enjoy your machine just turning off randomly due to it reaching a temp. of 70+ within minutes.

- Arkans