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Jul - Computers and Technology - The Search for a New Laptop New poll - New thread - New reply
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Elara
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Since: 08-28-12

From: Pennsylvania

Since last post: 4.6 years
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Posted on 10-25-12 03:55:52 PM Link | Quote

So my fiance's laptop has begun plummeting towards the afterlife and a replacement is in need. However, there are considerations to be made. So I have come to you, the Jul community, to ask for advice.

First off... we are broke, so keeping it at or under $1000 is a big must-have. It helps that he is only interested in 15 inch screens since the 17 inchers tend to get pricey.

Second, we already know that HP and Dell are utter shit. Dell might be better if they didn't refuse to give out specifications. He is leary of Toshiba only because we've had a few friends who have had them, and all had very bad experiences. Gateways used to be nice, but they don't offer anything worth looking at on their website.

His dad offered to buy him a Dell Insipiron 15R right off the bat... one with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Because of that, the bar has been set. Granted he has said that 6GB RAM or 750GB HD is okay... both are far better than the dying laptop. The problem is, again... they don't like giving any information. Especially on the battery life... and it is not nearly as customizable as Dells used to be (integrated everything, eww)

Most machines have the i5 or i7, though anything equivalent is good. I've always been partial to AMD myself, but I don't have anything against Intel... my current machine has an Intel Centrino 2 and I have few complaints.

Graphics card... as long as it can run most games, he doesn't care. I think the GeForce 610M and 630M are the most common we have seen. I still don't understand the M part.

15 inch screen. No more, no less.

Fuck Windows 8. Windows 7 is just fine.

BATTERY LIFE! His current laptop has the worse battery life, and there have been times that he really needs to not have to keep it plugged in, so 6 hours and up is what he wants.

The current front runner that we have found has been the Samsung Series 7 Chronos (silver) that Bestbuy has for $999... it has the i7 processor, 1TB HD, 8GB RAM and the 610M I believe and a super-long battery life (this claims 9.2)... but there is one last, rather large concern (besides it being the absolute max of our price range)

The keyboard.

The spaces in between keys are weird, but understandable (much easier to clean, keeps stuff from getting under the keys, etc)... but the arrow keys are super smushed and tiny! The touchpad is super huge when it could have been smaller and given a bit more room to have the keys be normal sized. Most people, especially my fiance, use those arrow keys all the time while gaming, reading stuff, and doing most activities... why make them so small?! At least the design uses the width of the machine and the keys go to the edge on both sides... but still. Really?

Also the lid is really thin and some reviews say it makes it a vulnerablity. Our cats have knocked his old laptop over several times... I don't know if a lid that thin could handle one fall, let alone more.

I know you guys are far more tech savvy than I am, so if anyone could give suggestions and details, I would be forever grateful.

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yde

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Since: 02-12-09

From: california

Since last post: 8.3 years
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Posted on 10-31-12 10:59:16 PM Link | Quote
Can he wait a month before buying the replacement? This is the absolute worst time to be purchasing a laptop, as companies are waiting for the cyber monday weekend in order to tout their fat discounts. If it is at all possible, wait a month!

Don't bother going in a store on black friday. On that weekend you'll find great deals online, especially with the aid of slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com.

camelcamelcamel is a great site that tracks price changes of items on amazon, bestbuy, and newegg. It has a chrome extension too. This way you can see how big the discounts really are.

Is it necessary that he gets a laptop? He'd get a much bigger bang for his buck if he were to build a desktop, especially if he's looking for a gaming rig. Hell, he might be able to build a computer and get a meager laptop for around that price, which is what I did. Just something to consider.

As far as specific recommendations, I've been impressed with Lenovo these days, and if I had that kind of budget, I would invest in one of their Thinkpads. I've had good experience with their customer service, and their laptops look sleek without being some kind of Apple copycat. Check it out, see how it compares to the Samsung one and his needs.
Elara
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Since: 08-28-12

From: Pennsylvania

Since last post: 4.6 years
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Posted on 11-01-12 02:25:14 AM Link | Quote

He is trying to hold out until either black friday or cyber monday... probably the later since it is a 45 minute drive to the nearest Best Buy.

We don't have the space for a desktop, so laptop it must be... also why 15 inch for portability.

We saw a few Lenovos in the store but were not familiar with them so didn't look to close, so I will be sure to tell him to check them out. Thanks for the help, yde!

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Elara
Member
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Posts: 72/83
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Since: 08-28-12

From: Pennsylvania

Since last post: 4.6 years
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Posted on 11-26-12 05:48:30 PM Link | Quote

So, after much complaining and my quick google search, we ended up going with a custom NP9130 from Sager. It ended up costing $1254, but for what he got it was totally worth the extra money (16GB of RAM instead of 8GB for free, 1TB HD instead of 500GB for free, Bigfoot Killer wireless card for free, and a blu ray player/dvd burner for $55). Now I just have to share my laptop for one more week and then it's mine again, all mine!!

Was it just me, or were all the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals utter crap this year?

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Jul - Computers and Technology - The Search for a New Laptop New poll - New thread - New reply


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