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Buying new laptop [BOUGHT]

Re: Buying new laptop

Postby gries818 » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:23 pm

I know you are a Windows guy, but don't rule out the Mac. I love my MacBook (it's called the 13" MacBook Pro now though). Plus you can always install Windows after you get it. ^*^
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby phileysmiley » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:32 pm

I visited Best Buy and it was a real eye-opener. Turns out that the EXACT configuration I am looking for (4GB RAM in a 15-16" screen) is available there in 5 different models from Toshiba, Dell (2), Gateway, and HP.

Online I had a hard time finding that configuration so this was a pleasant surprise.

Here is the breakdown from top down in price:

1) HP 4GB/320GB/16"/Core 2 Duo T6500/5:15 battery life @$700
2) Toshiba 4GB/320GB/16"/Core 2 Duo T6500/7:10 battery life @$$650
3) Dell 4GB/320GB/15.6"/Core 2 Duo T6500/5:30 battery life @$650
4) Dell 4GB/320GB/15.6"/Core 2 Duo T6400/3:00 battery life @$600
5) Gateway 4GB/320GB/15.6"/Athlon 64 x2/3:00 battery life @$480

As you can see, other than the Gateway AMD, they are all pretty much the same except for battery life. All have same RAM, HDD, about same screen, and about same processor. As far as I can see, there is not much difference between 1-3 except that the Toshiba is a way better battery, and that's actually a big issue with me (I just spent $200 on a new battery for my current Toshiba).

Another consideration is shipping and tax in store vs. online. The Toshiba at Newegg I pay no shipping and no tax, while I pay tax in the store. The only difference there is that the Newegg Toshiba is a T6400 vs. 6500 in store.

With Dell I do have to pay tax online as well as shipping so I think I'd be better off buying the Dell in the store vs. online. Plus it's in stock whereas if I order online from Dell it takes 2 1/2 weeks.

So...I'm leaning towards this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834114605

Again, the same exact item at Best Buy (except it's T6500 vs. T6400 online) is the same price. But I pay tax at Best Buy (about $45) whereas there's no tax or shipping from Newegg. And I don't think it's worth paying $45 in tax just to go from a T6400 to a T6500. I don't think I'd notice the difference.

I think Best Buy's extended warranty program is also more than what they have online at Newegg.
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby phileysmiley » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:34 pm

gries818 wrote:I know you are a Windows guy, but don't rule out the Mac. I love my MacBook (it's called the 13" MacBook Pro now though). Plus you can always install Windows after you get it. ^*^

Oh, trust me, I haven't.

The reason I am buying a new laptop in the first place is because my current one broke while I was away at the LA Film festival, and all they had were Macs. I had to use them every day for a week and I HATED them. Sorry, I gave them a shot. :P
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby gries818 » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:44 pm

phileysmiley wrote:
gries818 wrote:I know you are a Windows guy, but don't rule out the Mac. I love my MacBook (it's called the 13" MacBook Pro now though). Plus you can always install Windows after you get it. ^*^

Oh, trust me, I haven't.

The reason I am buying a new laptop in the first place is because my current one broke while I was away at the LA Film festival, and all they had were Macs. I had to use them every day for a week and I HATED them. Sorry, I gave them a shot. :P


Really? :lol: Well you should use whatever OS you are most productive on ^*^

From my own preference though, I wouldn't buy any Dell computer. I've seen too many Dell machines bloated with crappy software that takes hours to remove (if you aren't just going to nuke it by doing an automatic reinstall of the OS). Generally speaking though, I have been happy with the performance of the hardware I've used from Dell.
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby phileysmiley » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:19 pm

gries818 wrote:
phileysmiley wrote:
gries818 wrote:I know you are a Windows guy, but don't rule out the Mac. I love my MacBook (it's called the 13" MacBook Pro now though). Plus you can always install Windows after you get it. ^*^

Oh, trust me, I haven't.

The reason I am buying a new laptop in the first place is because my current one broke while I was away at the LA Film festival, and all they had were Macs. I had to use them every day for a week and I HATED them. Sorry, I gave them a shot. :P


Really? :lol: Well you should use whatever OS you are most productive on ^*^

It wasn't the OS. It was the way the hardware functions. It was a mess. It just didn't do anything the way that I was used to and even after a week I just wasn't becoming comfortable with it. I felt like an 8-year-old lady with her first computer. I got virtually no work done.

From my own preference though, I wouldn't buy any Dell computer. I've seen too many Dell machines bloated with crappy software that takes hours to remove (if you aren't just going to nuke it by doing an automatic reinstall of the OS). Generally speaking though, I have been happy with the performance of the hardware I've used from Dell.

I think at this point I've pretty much ruled out the Dell. I don't see any point in getting one if I can get a Toshiba with all the same specs. Plus the Dell I have to add shipping and tax so it's even more expensive.

That said, I've had a Dell desktop for 6 years and it's still rockin' away just fine (it's my test rig). Of course I've upgraded the sound, video cards, and memory but it's the same mobo.
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby gries818 » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:22 pm

phileysmiley wrote:It wasn't the OS. It was the way the hardware functions. It was a mess. It just didn't do anything the way that I was used to and even after a week I just wasn't becoming comfortable with it. I felt like an 8-year-old lady with her first computer. I got virtually no work done.


What do you mean?
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby phileysmiley » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:28 pm

gries818 wrote:
phileysmiley wrote:It wasn't the OS. It was the way the hardware functions. It was a mess. It just didn't do anything the way that I was used to and even after a week I just wasn't becoming comfortable with it. I felt like an 8-year-old lady with her first computer. I got virtually no work done.


What do you mean?

Things that I'm used to doing without looking, like how the delete key works, right and left clicking, single vs. double clicks, copy & cut & paste, etc. I also was not able to get to my Yahoo email. I have 2 emails that you toggle back and forth between. I couldn't get it to toggle into the one I need. Even the Mac technicians they had on hand couldn't figure it out. It didn't work on FF either so it wasn't the Mac OS. That was a HUGE issue.
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby mnemonicj » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:17 am

I have had great experiences with Dell. My brother bought a Dell in 1998 that I used all of the time and it is still running today. Runs Windows XP on a Pentium II 400MHz with 384MB of SDRAM and an 8MB video card. My first computer that I bought and paid for myself was a Dell Dimension 8200 in 2001 and I still use it today. Since then I have bought a Dell Inspirion 8200 laptop in 2002 (video card went bad after 5 years, but was easily replaced and the laptop is still used today), bought a Dell Dimension 9200 in 2007, bought a Dell Vostro 410 in 2008, and have used Dell laptops at work over the past 5 years.

Every one of them has been very reliable. My Dell computers have been so reliable that I recommend them to my friends and family and provide them with a free Windows OS reinstall to get rid of all the crapware. I have had 2 friends and 3 family members buy a Dell, have it shipped to my house, I reinstalled the OS, and gave the computer to them. They all still use their Dells and have had no issues (except for the Dell laptop that had Coke spilled on it and that wasn't Dell's fault). I set up one HP PC for a friend and it had the same crapware on it that every PC manufacturer has.

Apple computers don't have the crapware, but they don't give you discounts on the computer for having the crapware and reinstalling the OS is easy. I would rather pay less for the computer and reinstall the OS.
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Re: Buying new laptop

Postby phileysmiley » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:35 am

Purchase is complete. :yesnod: ^*^

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834114605

$650 + $90 for 2 yr warranty extension (3 yrs total) = $740
NO tax and NO shipping charges


The SAME laptop at Tiger was $700, plus shipping. Their warranty plan was $170 for 2 yrs extension.
$700 + $170 for 2 yr warranty extension (3 yrs total) + $2 shipping = $872

That's a $132 savings over Tiger. I checked Pricegrabber and Google Shopping and Newegg was the lowest.

http://computers.pricegrabber.com/lapto ... findit_top
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Re: Buying new laptop [BOUGHT]

Postby mnemonicj » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:56 am

Good thing you bought it this week. Microsoft is providing a free upgrade to the same version of Windows 7 for any computer purchased with Windows Vista after June 26th. The vendors and retailers are limited, but it seems that Toshiba is included.

Here are the details.
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