Laptops

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 08:30 AM

I plan on purchasing a laptop. The cheaper the better. What do you think about the compaq for 600$?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....sortfilter.jsp

**Rocco32** · 05-15-2006, 08:35 AM

What do you want to do with it?

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by Rocco32

What do you want to do with it?

Really basic. Surfing, e-mail, watch DVD's, Downloading. No graphic stuff or programming.

**DOMS** · 05-15-2006, 09:20 AM

You'll want to get a decent video card to watch your DVDs.

Don't accept less than 512 megs of memory (this is the minimum for Win XP). Get a gig if you can swing it. It's not much more expensive.

Also, check out a Dell laptop before you go with Compaq. In my experience, Dell has better tech support. The only thing that HP/Compaq has going for it is that Carly left.

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

You'll want to get a decent video card to watch your DVDs.

Don't accept less than 512 megs of memory (this is the minimum for Win XP). Get a gig if you can swing it. It's not much more expensive.

Also, check out a Dell laptop before you go with Compaq. In my experience, Dell has better tech support. The only thing that HP/Compaq has going for it is that Carly left.

With these cheaper laptops the video memory is shared. I think that is what makes it so cheap. I have a dell desktop and love it. As for the tech support. F them. They used to be good. Now I can't get any answers. I just get transfered all over the eastern continents. Toshiba has some pretty good deals. They've been in the laptop business since the beginning. I will see how much a gig of RAM is. Probably 80-100$.

**DOMS** · 05-15-2006, 09:55 AM

Toshiba is the Apple of the PC world. They have great quality, but you pay for it . Perhaps, even over pay for it.

I deal with Dell on behalf of businesses, where I'm treated great. I guess that they're not so great for residential sales.

**BigDyl** · 05-15-2006, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

You'll want to get a decent video card to watch your DVDs.

Don't accept less than 512 megs of memory (this is the minimum for Win XP). Get a gig if you can swing it. It's not much more expensive.

Also, check out a Dell laptop before you go with Compaq. In my experience, Dell has better tech support. The only thing that HP/Compaq has going for it is that Carly left.

The minimum for XP is actually 128, and is capable of running with 64, albeit not very stable.

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 10:11 AM

They have some pretty cheap Toshiba's in that link that posted.

**nsimmons** · 05-15-2006, 10:12 AM

On these 2 ghz systems you dont need a high end dedicated video card, and you dont need 512 mb of ram, xp runs fine and rarley used over 212-220 for moderate usage a few windows open at a time. My 933 has zero problems playing dvds with shared intel video.

It just sickens me how people 'need' a 2ghz 1gb ram machine to surf the net and check email. Im on a p2 300 laptop now that i use most of the time and it has zero problems with these and most tasks i ask of it.

**BigDyl** · 05-15-2006, 10:13 AM

Also, I disagree. As of late, Dell products have been less reliable. Many more hardware problems in the last year or so. Check out the toshiba satelite. Buy the laptop, blow the OS away, format, and resintall the OS.

**DOMS** · 05-15-2006, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by BigDyl

The minimum for XP is actually 128, and is capable of running with 64, albeit not very stable.

I supposed I should have clarified. The minimum technical spec is 128, but the real world spec is 512. Anything less and you start to get lag if you do anything more intense than mspaint.

**DOMS** · 05-15-2006, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by BigDyl

Also, I disagree. As of late, Dell products have been less reliable. Many more hardware problems in the last year or so. Check out the toshiba satelite. Buy the laptop, blow the OS away, format, and resintall the OS.

I second this.

**nsimmons** · 05-15-2006, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

Anything less and you start to get lag if you do anything more intense than mspaint.

this is just flat out wrong, check the ram usae some time and you'll see its now where near 500 megs unless you have 15 ie windows open and doing some heavy rendering. I have kazaa winamp msn and 3 ie windows open now and im at 168 megs

**fUnc17** · 05-15-2006, 10:23 AM

Check out newegg.com for laptops. Great deals

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by BigDyl

Buy the laptop, blow the OS away, format, and resintall the OS.

Why do this?

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by fUnc17

Check out newegg.com for laptops. Great deals

I use www.bensbargains.net

**tucker01** · 05-15-2006, 10:28 AM

I like my Toshiba Satellite. Good buy.

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

I like my Toshiba Satellite. Good buy.

How much RAM do you have?

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 10:37 AM

What do you think about that Compaq? 600$ seems like a good deal. It has a good processor, nice size, good amount of everything.

**DOMS** · 05-15-2006, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by nsimmons

this is just flat out wrong, check the ram usae some time and you'll see its now where near 500 megs unless you have 15 ie windows open and doing some heavy rendering. I have kazaa winamp msn and 3 ie windows open now and im at 168 megs

No, it's not wrong. He's going to have integrated video. Combine that with a 256 megs of RAM, and you going to have a machine that's going to lag a bit.

**KelJu** · 05-15-2006, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by nsimmons

this is just flat out wrong, check the ram usae some time and you'll see its now where near 500 megs unless you have 15 ie windows open and doing some heavy rendering. I have kazaa winamp msn and 3 ie windows open now and im at 168 megs

You system processes is not a correct way to gauge your memory usage. You will have spikes and misreported usages. Anyway, I have owned a gateway(POS) laptop with 512 ram with a 2.6 P4 running ZP Pro, and it still ran like dog shit on a fresh install with only Limewire, VB Studio, and IE running. I boosted the ram to 1 gig, and the laptop ran like a new machine.

I am an IT student in my senior year. I live computers like mechanics live cars. Trust me on this bro, XP needs 512Mb Ram or it just isn't going to run as stable as you like. You also have to take into consideration that many people's surfing habits are horrible, and will have about 30 Spyware/Mallware Trojans running in the background sucking resources.

Doublebase, most of the parts for Dell, Compaq, Gateway, and HP are all made by the same people now. The only thing that matters is tech support.
Gateway and Dell use to be good with Tech Support, but have fallen off recently. I have heard nothing but horror stories about compact and HP.
If you want a machine that is built well and has good support, get an IBM ThinkPad or a Toshiba.

Good luck with your purchase, you are going to need it. Laptops are harder to buy than cars.

**BigDyl** · 05-15-2006, 11:56 AM

Good Advice. Alot of people are computer enthusiasts, that lack real world experience. You will probably end up becomming a dba, and your field will quickly become specialized, while sysadmin's will end up doing the work, and giving the advice you are giving now.

**tucker01** · 05-15-2006, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Doublebase

How much RAM do you have?

1 gb

**maniclion** · 05-15-2006, 02:25 PM

My ACER Aspire 3003WLCi has been the best I have ever owned and I've owned Toshiba's, Dell's and IBM's. I was only $700 and has an AMD Mobile Sempron 1.8 processor, 512 memory, 60GB harddrive, 15.4" screen plays DVD's beautifully with crystal clear quality, burns DVD's and CD's only thing I had to do was buy a larger battery for $100 dollars more for 2.5 hours of running, which is cool cause then I have a spare battery I can swap out if I want to keep going for another hour to 45 minutes.

**Doublebase** · 05-15-2006, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by maniclion

My ACER Aspire 3003WLCi has been the best I have ever owned and I've owned Toshiba's, Dell's and IBM's. I was only $700 and has an AMD Mobile Sempron 1.8 processor, 512 memory, 60GB harddrive, 15.4" screen plays DVD's beautifully with crystal clear quality, burns DVD's and CD's only thing I had to do was buy a larger battery for $100 dollars more for 2.5 hours of running, which is cool cause then I have a spare battery I can swap out if I want to keep going for another hour to 45 minutes.

I've seen a lot of them on newegg.com. Some pretty good deals.

**nsimmons** · 05-16-2006, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by KelJu

I am an IT student in my senior year. .

Good for you, I have my BSc in computer science and spent 6 years in industry before that. Guess what, if your hd drive isnt ticking a long constanly it doesnt need more ram. Ive been using xp since rc2 was released when a 'system' was a p3 500 and they didnt need 512 to run. Plus the comment about shared video, its not going to be 128mg of video buffer and most likely adjustable.

Funny my system doesnt page all the time with 256 in it.

Needing extra ram to keep spyware and resident apps happy is a bullshit excuse.

Alot of people are computer enthusiasts, that lack real world experience.

Try again, ive been living off my 'lack of real world experience' since the early 90's

**BigDyl** · 05-16-2006, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by nsimmons

Good for you, I have my BSc in computer science and spent 6 years in industry before that. Guess what, if your hd drive isnt ticking a long constanly it doesnt need more ram. Ive been using xp since rc2 was released when a 'system' was a p3 500 and they didnt need 512 to run. Plus the comment about shared video, its not going to be 128mg of video buffer and most likely adjustable.

Funny my system doesnt page all the time with 256 in it.

Needing extra ram to keep spyware and resident apps happy is a bullshit excuse.

While I must say 0wn3d X 1000, the amount of RAM is totally dependant apon the software applications you want to run.

**nsimmons** · 05-16-2006, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by BigDyl

the amount of RAM is totally dependant apon the software applications you want to run.

agree 100%, most ram ive ever used was rendering in 3ds max and compiling my gl engine at the same time and it was sitting around 5-550. I have build video systems for clients that use close to 700 at once.

**BigDyl** · 05-16-2006, 07:20 PM

Some DBA's where I work that compile massive DB's require a few gigs.

**DOMS** · 05-16-2006, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by nsimmons

Guess what, if your hd drive isnt ticking a long constanly it doesnt need more ram. Ive been using xp since rc2 was released when a 'system' was a p3 500 and they didnt need 512 to run. Plus the comment about shared video, its not going to be 128mg of video buffer and most likely adjustable.

And your hard drive thashed like a field worker. And shared video will always suck, to a very large degree, compared to a stand-alone card. So much so, it's like a processor upgrade when you install one.

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