Looking to buy a new laptop.(BIGGS Edition)

[caradoc]

http://forum.notebookreview.com/what-notebook-should-i-buy/

You really should check that site out Boid, it's pretty solid.

as for the SSD, I absolutely say GO FOR IT.  I have one on my PC, it's only 100G, so I have a separate data drive, but it isn't "faster" it's ridiculously, insanely, unbelieveably faster.  Windows boots up in under 30 seconds.  Loading times are pretty much non-existent for any local programs. 

[Boid Fink]

Yeah, I talked to a good friend who works on Helicopter simulators at the nearest military base.  He works with PC stuff all day, to the point he burns out from it...decided to give him a call and he was vigorous in his stance.

Told me to buy the SSD drive, and get the absolute MOST memory I could, with the bext I7 I could get.  The other things can be replaced.

I will retool.  And I am aiming hard for an alienware, even though I am not a hardcore gamer.  He advised me that if I want quality, Alienware was the best way to go, fo ALL applications, IF IF IF, I wanted to spend the moolah.  Which I do, because I change my opnion all the time.  I might want to game soon...I might want to video edit soon...who knows.  As long as I have a workbench capable of doing it all, I am set.  At least for the next five years or so...

Tech fatigue should be abstained until then.

[Boid Fink]

Got that Alienware Chace.  It was pretty decked out...it won't get here til September though.

You convinced me, and so did the rest of you guys (about what I should look out for, espescially concerning the SSD, but I only went hybrid...the 256 SSD's are fast, but they are astronomicall espensive, and have little capacity for storage).  Although that Envy17 is still a nice rig, I actually fiddled with one, and it was beyond the bad rap that HP has.  It was a marvelous Laptop.

3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3720QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M
32GB mSATA caching SSD w/750GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s (should be pretty fast, IMO)
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software

[chace1986]

How's the Alienware working out?

Just upgraded to windows 8 today. Loving it.

[Biggs3535]

I'm gonna piggyback your thread Boid:

The wife wants a laptop with 1 TB of Hard Drive capacity and around 8GB of memory.  Any suggestions?

[Chief Joseph]

Trade her in for a younger model that has her own computer.

[chace1986]

I'm gonna piggyback your thread Boid:

The wife wants a laptop with 1 TB of Hard Drive capacity and around 8GB of memory.  Any suggestions?

If you have ruled out "trading her in"...what's the most you wanna spend?

[Biggs3535]

I'm gonna piggyback your thread Boid:

The wife wants a laptop with 1 TB of Hard Drive capacity and around 8GB of memory.  Any suggestions?

If you have ruled out "trading her in"...what's the most you wanna spend?

I'm not opposed to trading her in, but let's try for the cheapest thing I can get.  She will only be using this for storing and editing pictures.

[chace1986]

I'm gonna piggyback your thread Boid:

The wife wants a laptop with 1 TB of Hard Drive capacity and around 8GB of memory.  Any suggestions?

If you have ruled out "trading her in"...what's the most you wanna spend?

I'm not opposed to trading her in, but let's try for the cheapest thing I can get.  She will only be using this for storing and editing pictures.

She must have a SH!T LOAD of pics if she wants a TB. Here are a few options you could go with.

Here are some "budget" options.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/6769421.p?id=1218806578389&skuId=6769421
ASUS is a good machine. Best Buy carries a good variety. This one has a 750GB hard drive, but it is a sharp machine overall. Good price too, Should be out the door at around $700 total.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+14%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive+-+Silver/4707137.p?id=1218512739912&skuId=4707137
I haven't had much experience with Samsung. Heard some good, some bad, some "meh". This won't win a sexy computer contest or anything...but it has all the specs to get the job done and you would be out the door with tax and all for under $800.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Acer+-+Ultrabook+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+500GB+Hard+Drive+%2B+20GB+SSD/6815281.p?id=1218807854337&skuId=6815281
I hear a lot of good things on Acer. Here is one of their models. Best buy(and others) have several options. With this one, you will pay less the $700. The only problem I see here is the 500GB storage. If you want an Acer with a TB, or any mostly other brand for that matter, you are looking at spending around a grand.


Here are some of the more "pricey" options.

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MD223LL/A?=
The 11" MacBook Air. I'm a PC guy...but even I have to admit that the editing software and tools on the mac are fun and pretty easy to work with. These are ultra portable. The negative to that is that you will need an external TB hard drive and external disk drive that can be added on at the final configuration before purchase. With the add ons, you would be looking at a little below $1,500(tax and all). $1,100 without the add

http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-12-l221x/pd.aspx
In the same price range as the above is the Dell XPS Convertible. Doubles as a computer/tablet. I just put windows 8 on my laptop and I could see it working great with this XPS. They don't allow you to customize an internal TB drive..but it does have a great 128 SSD. You also have to buy some sort of photo editing software, if she is wanting to do some advance photo-shopping. Your total on this one is around $1,200

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwfx1&model_id=alienware-m14x-r2&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19
This thing is a little badass. They no longer make the model I have, which is the Alienware M15x. The M14x can be customized with a TB drive and SEVERAL other upgrades for performance. The video card, memory and processor are fantastic. Your total with the hard drive upgrade would be around $1,300.

[Biggs3535]

Thanks, brother.  I'll check those out.

What's your opinion of this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dell-Inspiron-15R-N5520-Intel-Core-i5-3210M-2-9GHz-8GB-1-0TB-HD-DVD-RW-BT-/400324874747?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item5d3538d1fb

[Durango 95]

I'm gonna piggyback your thread Boid:

The wife wants a laptop with 1 TB of Hard Drive capacity and around 8GB of memory.  Any suggestions?

If you have ruled out "trading her in"...what's the most you wanna spend?

I'm not opposed to trading her in, but let's try for the cheapest thing I can get.  She will only be using this for storing and editing pictures.

Once you go Mac. You'll never go back.

Photo, video, intuitive operation, etc. you can't beat a Mac. Seriously, they last forever. No viruses, no problems, they just work all the time.

Yes it's a few extra dollars but it's money well spent.

[chace1986]

Thanks, brother.  I'll check those out.

What's your opinion of this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dell-Inspiron-15R-N5520-Intel-Core-i5-3210M-2-9GHz-8GB-1-0TB-HD-DVD-RW-BT-/400324874747?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item5d3538d1fb

Specs are good...but I've had an inspiron previously and I was unimpressed. That was 6 years ago, so they may have improved since. Mine "blue screened" a few times and then crashed after a year. At around the same price as that Inspiron, I would go with the Asus or Acer.

The only Dell that I would recommend are the XPS models...but with those you would spend around a grand.

[3rd String Kicker]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Dell-Inspiron-15R-N5520-Intel-Core-i5-3210M-2-9GHz-8GB-1-0TB-HD-DVD-RW-BT-/400324874747?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item5d3538d1fb

It's been a year or so since I last worked on Dells as a technician. They had certain models that had the hard drive plugged into the bay without a casing, they would just flop around. Subsequently, the hard drives failed frequently. I feel that was one of the biggest internal design flaws I've ever seen in a laptop. The Dells were usually a pain to break open as it was, but that flaw took the cake. I couldn't tell you if this is one of those models honestly, but I did see it had Windows 7, while 8 just came out.

Not a fan of Intel HD graphics, but if you're not a gamer or do anything graphics intensive, this will definitely get you by. I always like to look for the ones with the nVidia or if you are on a budget, some of the ATI graphics cards. (I'm always on a budget, don't have a problem personally with AMD/ATI)

It's a good processor and 8gb ram is great. Don't be fooled by some of the other junk, all new laptops come with that 1 year manufacturer's warranty which really doesn't cover much beyond defective parts and Office Starter is free with most new computers, it's not the full version, so if you are taking any courses or need it fully functioning, you'd still have to buy it or have it accidentally installed on your computer by fugitive pirates from Sweden.

[Chief Joseph]

I think I know those guys. They "did some work" on my PC.

[Boid Fink]

I love my laptop, should keep me interested for about 4 years or so...sick of tech fatigue.