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My laptop just took a dive! What are my options? I am thinking $500.00 range?

J-HALEY wrote:My laptop just took a dive! What are my options? I am thinking $500.00 range?

J-HALEY wrote:My laptop just took a dive! What are my options? I am thinking $500.00 range?

Depends what you use it for...

Go To Tiger direct and build one to order...(much Cheaper than going to retail outlet and right now they got some deals...)


- If its just for emails and BM, and such.... You don't need a fancy one
- If you need one for sound production (And graphic/Vid) then definietel;y need to go with high performance unit that can handle all the space and speed (Ram and Drive). But, that's gonna cost more

http://www.tigerdirect.com/

PaperDog wrote:

J-HALEY wrote:My laptop just took a dive! What are my options? I am thinking $500.00 range?

J-HALEY wrote:My laptop just took a dive! What are my options? I am thinking $500.00 range?

Depends what you use it for...

Go To Tiger direct and build one to order...(much Cheaper than going to retail outlet and right now they got some deals...)


- If its just for emails and BM, and such.... You don't need a fancy one
- If you need one for sound production (And graphic/Vid) then definietel;y need to go with high performance unit that can handle all the space and speed (Ram and Drive). But, that's gonna cost more

http://www.tigerdirect.com/

I will use it for emails BM but mostly to store songlists and songs for learning. I won't be doing any graphic or recording with it!

Grant thanks for the info. I'll check it out!

Also check into places like Best Buy. Mine is a Toshiba, one of the best, look for them on sale and under $500 is no problem at all. For what you plan to use it for, you won't need the latest and greatest with all the bells and whistles. Mine is not the top of the line model either and I use it for getting online, photo editing, and until very recently photo storage. I got a 1.5 terrabyte external hard drive not long ago for around half the price of a new 1 terrabyte, on sale at Target. So I use that for photo storage now.

Anyway, it's the lower end of the laptop line up, and I still can use it for photo editing and even recording with Audacity. Both work quite well.

Check prices online, but also check sale papers and local outlets too. My sister got this one for me, on sale and much lower than standard retail price. I don't know just how much, she didn't tell me, but I think it was under $250. Definitely under $300.

This is my second Toshiba, hers is also Toshiba, (higher end model than mine which is cool with me, I don't need a high end machine) and all have been excellent. My previous one is a P-266 with Windows ME and it runs great. Originally had win98 on it, I used it for everything but recording (too slow) and never had a minutes trouble with it. Same for this one, I've had it over a year and haven't done anything but use it so far. I was expecting Windows to bog down by now and force me to reinstall, but it still runs great after more than a year. Windows 7 is definitely not my favorite OS, but it has done pretty well so far.

Check around, no telling what might be out there, but I'll recommend Toshiba every time. This one and my last one were both better than the 3 Dells I used by far. Dell makes a good laptop but I don't think they can touch Toshiba.

And by the way, as a computer tech for the past 15 years, Toshiba has always been the one I see the least. I've worked on more Compukes than you would ever believe, loads of HP and Dell, Emachines, Gateway (don't even think about Gateway, when I called as a shop technician looking for a price on parts, Gateway refused to even talk to me. "You're not the original owner, we can't give you any information" was all they would tell me. The customer bought another computer and promised me she would not even think about Gateway. She was mad...) I've been a walking bad advertisement ever since. Toshiba has always been the one with almost no hardware problems, almost every time I see one in the shop, it's a software problem, usually virus or trojan.

No I don't work for Toshiba...or anyone else, for that matter...

Pete, thanks for the info. The one that just crapped out is a Dell.

Haley,
For what you are doing maybe all you need is a netbook:
http://www.housekool.com/go/?url=qXsY8u ... =shopzilla

I use one of those at work and it does 95% of what my $1400 Macbook pro does. Worth a look and when it dies just chuck it like a frisbee.

Shop the Best Buy and Staples sales, you shoudl have no problem getting one for well under $500.
I found that Dell desktops had a life expectancy of less than 5 years, not sure if their laptops are better or worse.

GuitarMikeB wrote:Shop the Best Buy and Staples sales, you shoudl have no problem getting one for well under $500.
I found that Dell desktops had a life expectancy of less than 5 years, not sure if their laptops are better or worse.

Mike this Dell laptop WAS 3 years old! I do want to use it as a frisbee!

My daughter just bought a real nice Sony Laptop with an i5 CPU. Lotsa mem and stuff. She looked at prices on line and then went to Sam's Club. Their Sonny was almost the same price. When she told him she could get it with free shipping and 0 taxes, he came down and even beat their price, including taxes.

Mr. H

I've got a n old hp that has lasted me about 7 years but started dying the death of inches about a year ago. Plus a new HP that his been worked much harder but only a year old. I paid 800 for the latest one but got extra big speakers, an exeternal sound card (M-Audio) and MS Office.

A slightly used one might buy you more bang for the buck. My first was used - got it from a company that was going under. (and me with it!)

Talbot

I didn't think about Sony, I refuse to look at those too. Sony is the outfit that put a root kit on their music CD's a few years ago. What are they putting on their computers??? I don't know about you, but I don't want to find out...I don't trust Sony at all.

And how did this post wind up 3 screens wide???

Paleopete wrote:And how did this post wind up 3 screens wide???

Check your browser settings, or reload - it's normal look for me.

This might sound snobby to those still living in PC hell, but I got a MacBook Pro in 2008 and I haven't needed or wanted another computer since!!!!

They cost more, yes, but they also last longer and work better. I used to go through laptop PCs about one a year...they are just cheap pieces of plastic once you've gone over to the dark side.

I shudder to think of a PC anymore....get a MAC and thank me later.

Thanks Yod, BUT,,,, been there done that,,,, Totally AGREE
The day I get rid of my MacBook is the day they killed me.

Now don't get upset if you see my arm reaching out of the grave to,,,, take my Mac with me.

The only program of importance is Logic Pro. It doesn't have some of the bells and whistles that Cubase and Pro Tools have,,,,but it still comes down to good basic recording.

We just put together a PC based computer with the new windows 7,,???.
the only advantage is the broader spectrum of programs being written for PC.
Mc book 4 years ago around $1100, logic pro $500.

My first PC $2200, all the wasted money on bad programs and unsupported hardware,,,, another $3000.

I would still have to say that was inexpensive,, A top of the line Otarie Board and 24 track was easily 80 grand. (1988)

yod wrote:This might sound snobby to those still living in PC hell, but I got a MacBook Pro in 2008 and I haven't needed or wanted another computer since!!!!

They cost more, yes, but they also last longer and work better. I used to go through laptop PCs about one a year...they are just cheap pieces of plastic once you've gone over to the dark side.

I shudder to think of a PC anymore....get a MAC and thank me later.

Sorry YOD...Even though you are right about the Macs, I refuse to purchase one on mere principal...cause I hate being both: wrong...and cowering by buying one (an admission I was wrong)