Tips needed: Shopping for a Laptop Computer

[DaveP]

I've built my own desktops from the case up since the 80s. I usually find the best price/performance point on CPU/motherboard, video card, and memory as well as the other components and end up with a good performer for video, gaming, and general use.

I bought a laptop earlier this year and after comparing features, I ended up choosing an HP with an intel T4400 2.2ghz cpu and 3 gigs of ram (added a gig on my own to make 4gigs) with a 14" display. The only thing I wish for now is a 17" display. I can't imagine using a netbook at home after spending an afternoon with a friend's netbook cleaning a rootkit boot sector virus (and many other infections). The display is too small for my preferences, but I have old eyes

HP offers nice performance for the money. I run Playon to stream through my wireless router to the Wii and the widescreen TV and all settings default to max with the HP laptop.

I agree with Mac and the others about HP.

 

[devilock76]

I've built my own desktops from the case up since the 80s. I usually find the best price/performance point on CPU/motherboard, video card, and memory as well as the other components and end up with a good performer for video, gaming, and general use.

I bought a laptop earlier this year and after comparing features, I ended up choosing an HP with an intel T4400 2.2ghz cpu and 3 gigs of ram (added a gig on my own to make 4gigs) with a 14" display. The only thing I wish for now is a 17" display. I can't imagine using a netbook at home after spending an afternoon with a friend's netbook cleaning a rootkit boot sector virus (and many other infections). The display is too small for my preferences, but I have old eyes

HP offers nice performance for the money. I run Playon to stream through my wireless router to the Wii and the widescreen TV and all settings default to max with the HP laptop.

I agree with Mac and the others about HP.

The netbook is a huge trade off. What you lose in keyboard and screen real estate you make up with in portability and battery life (well usually on battery life). If you run linux on your netbook the performance easily rivals mid level laptops running winblows.

I have been majorly debating a switch to OS X and either a mac mini or I mac for work at home lately.

Ken