Best Law School Laptop for the Money Forum

[motiontodismiss]

SSD prices are still too darn high. It'll be a while before we see them come stock with your usual run-of-the-mill notebook at BestBuy.

Fair enough. I'll give it 18 months before they become price competitive with higher end HDDs.

The tech world moves fast you know.

[09042014]

SSD prices are still too darn high. It'll be a while before we see them come stock with your usual run-of-the-mill notebook at BestBuy.

Fair enough. I'll give it 18 months before they become price competitive with higher end HDDs.

The tech world moves fast you know.

I've been thinking that with SSD for a while now. Though the netbook market might push it finally.

[texasgirl22]

i need a new laptop as well. i've had a mac for three and a half years and i've had various problems with it, so i think i'm ready to try something new.

i know barely ANYTHING about computers, so bear with me. what do yall think of the dell 15.6" inspiron with intel T4300 processor? i like it in pink

--LinkRemoved--

[kalvano]

Don't buy a Dell.

[texasgirl22]

really? what kind should i buy? i'm very uninformed.

[kalvano]

Go to Newegg.com, choose category "laptops", pick your price range and sort by highest reviews.

[texasgirl22]

thanks!

[zeth006]

SSD prices are still too darn high. It'll be a while before we see them come stock with your usual run-of-the-mill notebook at BestBuy.

Fair enough. I'll give it 18 months before they become price competitive with higher end HDDs.

The tech world moves fast you know.

True, but I'm afraid it may be longer than that! Problem is it's nothing out of the ordinary these days to see a 2TB drive for just over $200. As long as the average consumer continues to snap up TB+ drives, it'll take longer for SSD manufacturers to reach more favorable scale of economics.

But that isn't to say that'll stop me from buying a decent SSD when it comes laptop buying time.

[zeth006]

Don't buy a Dell.

Dude, all laptops are bound to fail at one point or another. The only difference is customer service quality. From my personal experiences, the only company that comes out top in terms of having a real B&M store with employees who speak perfect English and actually talk to you in person is Apple.

[zeth006]

really? what kind should i buy? i'm very uninformed.

Go here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Copy and paste the "What Should I Buy Form" from here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=29271

Use your questions/answers to create a thread. People there are informed about laptops. You should get prompt help.

[hellokitty]

Don't buy a Dell.

This.

But honestly, if you buy their extended warranty it covers EVERYTHING, even if it was your own fault. I've had mine for 3 years. Granted everything on it has been replaced at least twice (Keyboard, Mouse, LCD SCREEN, Plastic, motherboard, even the cover) but it was all covered by the warranty which I think was like 200 or 300 dollars for two years. Dell even sends someone to your house to fix it within 2 days and the dell chat option with the techs can help trouble shoot.

That being said, Dells are kinda shitty, BUT if you're willing to spring for the extended warranty, they're really not all that bad.

[zeth006]

Don't buy a Dell.

This.

But honestly, if you buy their extended warranty it covers EVERYTHING, even if it was your own fault. I've had mine for 3 years. Granted everything on it has been replaced at least twice (Keyboard, Mouse, LCD SCREEN, Plastic, motherboard, even the cover) but it was all covered by the warranty which I think was like 200 or 300 dollars for two years. Dell even sends someone to your house to fix it within 2 days and the dell chat option with the techs can help trouble shoot.

That being said, Dells are kinda shitty, BUT if you're willing to spring for the extended warranty, they're really not all that bad.

Then you should check out the newer Dells. The old saying "You get what you pay for" certainly seems more applicable than before. That Dell Onyx of theirs is a real killer. Even the clunky-looking Inspiron and Vostro lines have been completely redesigned. Saying that Dells are naturally crappier than other brands out there is a bit of a stretch. They all use the same parts from the same companies. The only points of differentiation these days is build construction and aesthetics. Even with build construction, it's a matter of how you treat your laptop and how much flex there is with the keyboard and screen.

[motiontodismiss]

SSD prices are still too darn high. It'll be a while before we see them come stock with your usual run-of-the-mill notebook at BestBuy.

Fair enough. I'll give it 18 months before they become price competitive with higher end HDDs.

The tech world moves fast you know.

True, but I'm afraid it may be longer than that! Problem is it's nothing out of the ordinary these days to see a 2TB drive for just over $200. As long as the average consumer continues to snap up TB+ drives, it'll take longer for SSD manufacturers to reach more favorable scale of economics.

But that isn't to say that'll stop me from buying a decent SSD when it comes laptop buying time.

Fair enough. I'll definitely take a 500GB SSD over a 2TB HDD. I can buy a 2TB external HDD that I can use for storage. HDDs, just like french fries, don't travel well. SSD=no moving parts and less chance of failure AND faster=no heat=longer battery life=a happy motiontodismiss. I think 500GB SSDs will definitely be price competitive with the smaller HDDs in two years. Less storage but cooler technology.

[dp73816]

I have a huge 17" Dell Laptop that I just paid $1100 for last year that I am typing on as we speak. Honestly, though it is the best computer I have ever had (out of an HP laptop and an MCP) it is just too huge to carry around (who knew 9 lbs could be so taxing?) and its battery life is too short.

Therefore, I am looking for a computer that meets the following qualifications:
- At least 8 hrs. battery life
- under 5 lbs.
- Between 13-15" screen
- Able to operate Windows 7 Premium
- At least three GB memory

I have narrowed it down to an Asus and a Toshiba; they have the lightest weight, and the best built product I have seen for the price.

Asus:
http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5-Light-13 ... pd_cp_pc_0

Toshiba:
--LinkRemoved--

Anyone have any thoughts/advice??

[AsylumPB]

like other have said, check out newegg.com or tigerdirect.com. both have new and refurb laptops and some good deals.

[dp73816]

like other have said, check out newegg.com or tigerdirect.com. both have new and refurb laptops and some good deals.

That Toshiba, with its tech specs, is still the best deal I have seen - anyone ever had any experience with it/Toshiba products?

[moandersen]

I have a huge 17" Dell Laptop that I just paid $1100 for last year that I am typing on as we speak. Honestly, though it is the best computer I have ever had (out of an HP laptop and an MCP) it is just too huge to carry around (who knew 9 lbs could be so taxing?) and its battery life is too short.

Therefore, I am looking for a computer that meets the following qualifications:
- At least 8 hrs. battery life
- under 5 lbs.
- Between 13-15" screen
- Able to operate Windows 7 Premium
- At least three GB memory

I have narrowed it down to an Asus and a Toshiba; they have the lightest weight, and the best built product I have seen for the price.

Asus:
http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5-Light-13 ... pd_cp_pc_0

Toshiba:
--LinkRemoved--

Anyone have any thoughts/advice??

Im in the same position. I have a 17" Dell as well, and am looking for a 14" to bring to class. After consulting with my IT friends at other companies (I work in IT as well), Im probably going to go for the Dell 1464 with the i5 processor. Due to my work discount, I can get one for a little over 800 after taxes and shipping.

I initially wanted an asus because of their more aesthetically pleasing design, but the more I researched, the more I found that the build quality (chassis) is generally poor. As for toshiba, they are ok, but not on par with Dell. I had a toshiba laptop before I got my 17". If I had more of a budget (over 1k) I would probably go for a lenovo though. They are ugly as sin, but are workhorses.

I second the guy who posted the link to the notebook review site. Ive spent countless hours researching on there the past week in trying to reach a decision. Its a great place to figure out whats best for you.

[dp73816]

I have a huge 17" Dell Laptop that I just paid $1100 for last year that I am typing on as we speak. Honestly, though it is the best computer I have ever had (out of an HP laptop and an MCP) it is just too huge to carry around (who knew 9 lbs could be so taxing?) and its battery life is too short.

Therefore, I am looking for a computer that meets the following qualifications:
- At least 8 hrs. battery life
- under 5 lbs.
- Between 13-15" screen
- Able to operate Windows 7 Premium
- At least three GB memory

I have narrowed it down to an Asus and a Toshiba; they have the lightest weight, and the best built product I have seen for the price.

Asus:
http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5-Light-13 ... pd_cp_pc_0

Toshiba:
--LinkRemoved--

Anyone have any thoughts/advice??

Im in the same position. I have a 17" Dell as well, and am looking for a 14" to bring to class. After consulting with my IT friends at other companies (I work in IT as well), Im probably going to go for the Dell 1464 with the i5 processor. Due to my work discount, I can get one for a little over 800 after taxes and shipping.

I initially wanted an asus because of their more aesthetically pleasing design, but the more I researched, the more I found that the build quality (chassis) is generally poor. As for toshiba, they are ok, but not on par with Dell. I had a toshiba laptop before I got my 17". If I had more of a budget (over 1k) I would probably go for a lenovo though. They are ugly as sin, but are workhorses.

I second the guy who posted the link to the notebook review site. Ive spent countless hours researching on there the past week in trying to reach a decision. Its a great place to figure out whats best for you.

That's funny - I've pretty much done the same thing with the guy next door (works in IT department for university/uber tech geek), and he had nothing but good things to say about the new Asus models. Though they definitely do not have the pure power of that dell, the 12 hour battery is tremendous, and it has more than enough brains to handle what I ask of it.

The Toshiba is pretty much if I'm feeling cheap, or need the extra $150 for something else when I finally pull the trigger later this summer. Hopefully the prices will come down in the coming months, but with prime buying season for students coming up, I sincerely doubt it.

[moandersen]

That's funny - I've pretty much done the same thing with the guy next door (works in IT department for university/uber tech geek), and he had nothing but good things to say about the new Asus models. Though they definitely do not have the pure power of that dell, the 12 hour battery is tremendous, and it has more than enough brains to handle what I ask of it.

The Toshiba is pretty much if I'm feeling cheap, or need the extra $150 for something else when I finally pull the trigger later this summer. Hopefully the prices will come down in the coming months, but with prime buying season for students coming up, I sincerely doubt it.

Ya, I looked into the asus models with the crazy battery life for obvious reasons and was actually intent on getting one. Then I realized that at the schools im considering, they all have power available everywhere, so the 8+ battery life is not as necessary. However, if I was getting a gaming laptop, I would get an asus. But this is just for school use.

[kalvano]

They all use the same parts from the same companies.

No, actually they don't. Dell heavily uses proprietary parts, which are much cheaper.

[AsylumPB]

i think i am just going to wait for the back to school deals to come out before i get a new one

[zeth006]

They all use the same parts from the same companies.

No, actually they don't. Dell heavily uses proprietary parts, which are much cheaper.

I've opened and torn apart a couple of Dells in the past. It's true they've been known to take motherboards made by the likes of Foxxconn and add their own crappy unique specifications. Hence the infamous audio hissing bug with the Vostro 1500. Otherwise it's all the same motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, and the peripherals on the side.


Dell isn't an ODM. All Dell does is design the exterior, benchmark which parts should get packaged with the laptop and decide which parts go where.

Even Apple fanboys recognize this.

EDIT: A quick checkup shows you were probably right with the older gaming notebooks. They once used to use proprietary motherboards and PSUs for the older XPS lines. Guess they kicked that habit long ago. Strange how I never saw that with the older Inspirons and Vostros.

[beach_terror]

Definitely going with a Lenovo... just not sure which one yet.

[texasgirl22]

oh and i have another question for anyone who is tech-savvy...

do macs still do a much better job at protecting against spyware and pop-ups than PC's? i only use my computer for Word and internet so that's really my main concern. thanks yall!

[zeth006]

oh and i have another question for anyone who is tech-savvy...

do macs still do a much better job at protecting against spyware and pop-ups than PC's? i only use my computer for Word and internet so that's really my main concern. thanks yall!

From what I'm told, they're still virtually untouched by viruses/malware and most of the holes that have popped up in related software like in Safari have been patched.

So to the best of my knowledge, the answer to your question is "Yes."

But if that's all you do with your computer, you should be fine with a PC too. Just make sure to keep automatic updates enabled and install a good antivirus.