I'm going to college in about a year....?

Question

and I'm going to be getting a laptop, but I don't really know much about what's out there. I want one that's fast and will be able to handle multimedia, but my mom doesn't want to spend too much money. What are the best brands out there in terms of durability, function and price?

Answer 1

to be honest, all of them are good except Mac (yes really)  

Answer 2

If you see my profile I have asked the same question more than 15 times and after lots of research I have come up with HP.  mean Mac is number one and after mac it is Hp and than the other ones. HP is the best.

Answer 3

To be honest, the person who said they are all good except Macs, is a liar. Not only is he lying, he offers absolutely NO reason WHY not buy a Mac.

They are fast, light, and fun, but updates are coming and with them, the prices may drop some, to become more accessible to more people (the prices start at $1099, but you could always go used or refurbished)

If you buy a laptop with Vista, like my friend did, good luck.

I plugged my iPod into it and it blue screened... >_>

If you want a sleek notebook that just works, go Mac.  

Answer 4

i am here to help and guide you to a laptop my site is below browse through.  I can try and guide you to a nice system for college.

as i have done for my sis.

let me know email me after you have browsed the site.

Answer 5

To be honest, if you don't want to spend much money, you whould wait until next year.  Prices will drop and you can get a better computer for your money for college.  A computer's "useful life" is arround 2-3 years before it becomes too slow that you just "need" to upgrade.

But if you want to get it now, here's some info...

For Vista, get at least 2 GB RAM / 256MB Video RAM.  If you can afford, get 3GB RAM / 384MB VRAM …then Vista should rock your socks.  You want it to last so get 64-bit Vista Home Premium or Ultimate.  It’s mega-fast with 64-bit apps as well as lets you upgrade > 4GB TOTAL RAM (system RAM + graphics card + other devices).  64-bit is more secure from viruses.  64-bit also requires “MS approved” (a.k.a. digitally signed) drivers so this “might” help with hardware compatibility, etc.  This is MS’s way of trying to get everyone to “move on” if they are able to.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/06/04...

But if you have really old programs, they might not work (esp. with 64-bit version).  Google “Vista compatibility list”.  Knowing a bit about computers helps getting the old problematic ones to work (Internet has a lot of solutions that smart people share).

Ultimate is the best but if you don’t think you need anything that fancy, Home Premium is good too. Get a good video card if you want Aero graphics (at least 256MB 128-bit in the newer cards)… better if you can afford.  Vista technology distributes more graphics processing to the video card and relieves the CPU for other things.  This is KEY to Vista performance…a good video card will make Vista work well.

Vista uses extra RAM to store commonly used files in a new activity known as “disk caching” (SuperFetch). The computer uses artificial intelligence to determine which files will be used most and copies it to RAM (where it is much faster than accessing your hard disk).  This includes components of the programs you use on a regular basis.  When you need more RAM for programs you launch, etc. the computer purges the “least likely used” files from RAM to make room for the new program.  So in theory, the more RAM (for disk cache) you have, the faster your computer will operate.  This can also be augmented (to a lesser effect) with a flash drive/card with a technology called ReadyBoost.  Just stick it in and select “Speed up my system” and leave it there. Google “AnandTech ReadyBoost Performance” for basic test examples.

Understanding how SuperFetch uses RAM to enhance system performance…

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window...

High RAM will be especially helpful for those people who like to leave all their windows open and use Vista’s “S3 sleep mode” (2 watts) so they can resume where they left off almost immediately after they turn their computers on.  Your apps are pre-opened where you left them and your RAM cache is loaded too, just as if you just walked away and came back.

Vista Home Premium and Ultimate has Windows Media Center, where with a TV card/USB adapter (if not integrated) of the type that fits your TV/Cable, acts similar to TiVo.  You can play your videos, schedule recordings, etc.  You can get a wireless keyboard / mouse or gyro-mouse and it will be sort of like remote control.  If you do this, get a big Hard Disk.

If you go PC, the money you save will be more than enough to buy Office Student which is a lot cheaper.

MS Office productivity software works best on Windows.  The Mac version is really nerfed and doesn’t have new features like Office Ribbon interface, Mini Toolbars, and Live Preview, among a large list.  There are also less individual titles in the Mac version.

Vista supports touch-screens and voice recognition if you’re into note-taking and dictation.  A good program to use with this is OneNote, which is included in some Office editions.  These are considered the future way of interacting with computers and only Vista can do it.

Deals of America and Tech Bargains catch good deals on HP and Dell’s and sometimes you can get like $500 off!  XPBargains has deals and coupons on Tablet PC’s!

 

Unless you are an artist, most Universities (and programs) as well as the rest of the world use Windows. WinMacs are popular but for the price, Macs don’t run Windows as well as other brands, but sometimes it doesn't really matter that much to most users.  In addition some just want it for fashion and like them to match their iPods.  Note that an “equivalent” Mac will cost 2-3x the price of a PC.

Here are some statistics to put it into perspective.

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/

Note that these “internet traffic statistics” actually miss a lot of Windows PC usage because many are used for work and do not surf the internet much (if at all).  Thus the Windows PC’s out there may be even MORE than the representation on the charts!

Macs are durable because many have an accelerometer in there that can "increase the chance" of saving your hard drive when you drop it. Like those used in airbags. The power cord is also magnetically attached so it reduces the chance that you yank it off the table.

OSXMacs can exclusively install Final Cut Pro (which is good for media work).  Adobe Creative Suite is also good and available for Windows but works better on OSX.  The Windows version actually looks like an OSX port.  Though the nextgen CS4 64-bit will only be available for Windows.  Macs will only get CS4 32-bit. :(  Hence, many OSX users are artists historically. Emotion workers are generally not as good with computers as logic workers so OSX is good for them.  Because OSX is less complicated and harder to mess up, a lot of computer newbies also use Macs and that’s why you see a lot of “Get a Mac!  They are so awesome!” without any technical explanation to back up that opinion. ;)

Mac Pros:

OSX stability

OSX is easy to use

Dual-bootable to Windows

More durable than many brands

Trendy

Mac Cons:

Not as much peripheral support

Not as much software support

Windows doesn’t run as well

Expensive

Minority

Windows PC Pros:

More customizable

More choices

More styles

Cheap hardware

Vista has best gaming capability (Direct3D 10)

Windows PC Cons:

Less stable (unless you are an IT pro)

Many are relatively not as fashionable

Not as user-friendly

Some extra features in Windows requires advanced knowledge to use

The extra features require better hardware despite your use of them or not

Details of features can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vis...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X

Some brand statistics:  In terms of recent sales, the top 3 manufacturers are HP, Dell, and Acer (Gateway).  Apple is #4 in USA.

http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/...