New Laptop.... Quality company & Intel core i5 vs i7

So do you think my august there will be new better laptops out there? something more affordable with much more power and great features?

At what I'm guessing your price point I have to write no. Today's offerings with i3, i5 and i7 is very nice. What should gain more traction are the technologies like WIDI. But that's not much use to most and there is no sign that gaming laptops will suddenly drop the heat and the cost and extend the expected shorter life spans.

Sorry but I can see that doesn't help much. But it's the awful truth we are not looking at devices built to last in consumer land.
Bob

so theirs no recommendations on anything?! any brands to look for? any brands that stick out? And what about specs? what specs are always good to look for while buying a laptop!?

i think i might go for intel i5

Take a run at newegg.com and put in their laptop picker with the i5 cpu. You get a short list of machines. Post a few here and see what people comment about them.

Nods to more than 1 year factory warranty from names.
Bob

thanks everyone! one more thing! does anyone think the the ipad or anything like that is appropriate for school? and does anyone have any good seductions for school laptops...? for anyone who goes to college does anyone know what i will be needing? what i definitely need and what i can use without? thanks again everyone!

There are hundreds of choices. All are under 1K too. The problem is the expectation these will make it the full 4 years.

HOWEVER there are some schools with a school plan where you pay a little more and in the deal you get a 4 year warranty with at school repairs and loaners. Quite the deal if you want a 4 year deal.
Bob

Ipad? Nah.

yea i read about that but idk its really crazy and complicated to many contracts and stuff. But what were you telling me about that netbook? hows that? any good?

But not for "work." They would be too small and painful for extended use.

Read about a keeper at http://forums.cnet.com/5208-19680_102-0.html?threadID=380791&tag=forums06;forum-threads

What contract is that? The local school 4 year laptop is simple. You pay about 1500 and you get a 4 year laptop. Some quibble about that with laptops going for less. But add a 4 year service plan like that and you kill for that plan.
Bob

ok so which brand is at the top of the chain when it comes to laptops? performance, name, technology, battery life, price, warranty, style, price. statistically there has to be a brand that overlaps the others! one that is doing better then the others! one that has more success than other. i just cant find it!

Apple. It has 1000 cycle batteries, a power connector that saves you from destroying the machine and the list goes on and on. In the Windows camp we have the Panasonic Toughbook which most of them you can drop from the tailgate and they keep working.

Once you move into consumer laptops, there are few that stand out. One that does is Sony's carbon fiber skinned laptop line.

In spite of all this the consumer laptops are just your Ford and Chevy pickings.
Bob

Adobe gets Flash working for it.

Hey DJMikeyG,

There are a lot of good suggestions here. I work for Intel and would like to offer you a perspective that may help in identifying the best bang for your buck. Intel works closely with CNET and with another PC review site to conduct a full PC line-up review. This includes both Intel and competitor cpu based PC?s. The CNET reviews for the spring sales cycle (the sales cycle we are currently in) will be available in a few weeks.

If you can wait for a couple of more weeks to purchase you stand a better chance of being very informed. However, if you are more like me and want to purchase sooner-rather-than later I would suggest the following buying tips.

1. Start with the processor. The majority of the system performance will be derived by the processor. Yes, adding memory and upgrading graphics will have a positive impact ? but not nearly as much as the processor Purchasing the right processor .
2. Then decide what is really important to you. Gaming, high end graphics based software like AutoCAD or do you prefer something thinner and lighter that you can carry wherever you go? That will help you better understand what screen size & battery life you should select.
3. I would steer you toward the new Intel 2010 Family of CPUs ? Why? Because you stand to gain benefit from unique performance enhancing technologies.

a. Turbo Boost
b. Hyper-Threading
c. Core I5 Overview

As for making specific recommendations ? I rely on the reviews I mentioned earlier as the source for calling out any one or two particular SKUs. One thing I would recommend in lieu of calling out a specific system is look at the editors and consumers rating of systems you are considering. For instance CNET editors Editor?s Choice and on many of the PC manufacturing web sites you can see how consumers rank their purchases.

Stay tuned once the CNET reviews are out I will post a follow-up to this forum.


Michael Taylor works for Intel. He firmly believes CPUs have the most impact on overall system performance ? enjoy your new PC and ask for one with the new Intel Core CPU.

thanks that really helped me out! will Intel i5 be pared with Samsung SSD hard drives? is that key to the absolute longest battery life? ive been reading that the matching of Intel core i5 + Samsung SSD hard drive with windows 7 is by far the newest and fastest in technology! true or false?
does Intel really work better with ssd?

Battery life can be your average 300 cycles. Battery time depends on many factor YOU are in control of.

The problem that many have a hard time grasping is given today's battery tech most of us should use the battery only we there is no other choice.

If you use the battery daily, budget a new battery every 1 to 2 years.
Bob

DJ Mikey; Everything said here is good and thanks for the Intel guy...but more important you are buying this for school and NOT games....so forget performance and forget Solid state drives......they will cost 50% of the laptop......so if you can not afford a Panasonic toughbook...which is guranteed to take a hit or Alienware for gaming and Apple because of the MAC OS, stay with the big 3 name companies..Toshiba, Sony, and Dell. Still too much $$... then you can look at Acer and HP and Asus. John is correct...consumer laptops are almost all the same. If you buy a Dell Business PC..you get a 3 year warranty including guarntee replacement if you spend more money.


The key wait until the very last second because all dealers lower prices and 1st week of school drwa near. I know I brought my son's laptop in June for his gard present and by the last week in July everyone retailer lowered prices.

Did you try this suggestion? What model did you like?

that say i want the most powerfull laptop i can get for say 600. Basically you pay for what you get and all 600 laptops are going to be pretty much the same component wise. Like Bob says it's like comparing chevy's against Ford's.You look in one magazine it has lenova as the best then another magazine has Dell. You talk to John Doe's that has had 3 Hp's and loves them and Jane Doe had 1 HP that was a lemon and switched brands the next laptop. For every brand their are success and failure cases. My advice find one that does what you need and you like the design and buy it and spend time comparing brands it will confuse you more.

thanks man! yea so Toshiba and asus sounds good! i really appreciate the help! so what specs should i look for 1gb/160gb? intel core i5? anything that makes the education experience that much better and easy that i should know about?


any programs i should get that will help me out with school?

thanks everybody! mrblackhp.... those sound like really good brands! is there anything i should look out for as far as specs? anything that will make the education process with my new laptops easier and helpful?

what about programs? anything i should get that could help me in school?

and lastly i know we talked about this before but should i go for the intel core i7 or save my money and go for the i7?

thanks again everyone!

i found this.... http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=463919


do you think that's worth it? i mean i still have plenty of time to buy before school.... does anyone think i should wait.... just in case there are any major and or minor updates? you never now right? 3-4 months better stuff can be out....

does anyone have any news about future upcoming laptops or any new features coming to laptops?


AM i on the right track with this choice?

Your run of the mill good laptop. It's not for the gamer but someone that needs value and good performance.

Be sure to try the track pad BEFORE you buy. Some are put off by the texture they put on that.
Bob

just make a quick run to bestbuy and try out a few laptops. make sure u talk to someone who knows what they are talking about if you ask questions. I went to best buy once looking for a Home theater and asked a sales rep a question. He told me to buy pionneer because thats the speakers he had in his car and "they rock".I knew to take his suggestions with a grain of salt.

If your like me and went to school for architecture or some engineering or graphical editing study you going to want a laptop with a better processor and graphic card. On the other hand if your major is still undecided or English your not going to have to worry about those things too much. Do you know what your major will be yet? You can also ask a current student, who has the same major as you, what programs they use and what specs they have on their computers. I think in general you going to want MS Office which has word, powerpoint, excel (programs that every student will eventually use in college). Most new computers have the power and space to handle any general task or even multi-task, its when you have specific needs that you can tailor your computer to them. hope this helps.

Some words of advice from someone who is into technology, but extremely practical about what he spends his money on:

First figure out your required form factor!
** Budget Ultra portable**: $400 - $700 systems running Intel CULV processors that weigh 3 - 3.5 lbs, have 11-13" screens, and run about 8 hours on a charge. This is the laptop that you can take to class and has just enough muscle to handle all everyday tasks with ease, but not enough for gaming or other intensive tasks.
** Desktop replacement **: High performance for a low price. However it will be a heavier model that will mostly stay in your dorm room. It will also likely have 2-3 hrs battery life.
** Compromise system **: Something with a 13 - 15" screen and decent battery life. So it will be reasonably portable but also faster than a CULV model or an ultraportable.
** Netbook combined with Desktop PC: Use the netbook for taking notes in class, use a powerful desktop with a big screen for entertainment, games, and doing real work. That's the best choice for a gamer.

Next BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR SCHOOL'S DEALS. Usually they don't have the "best price" for hardware, but they often offer great 3-4 year warranties that will guarantee your system will make it through college. We're talking about "I dropped my laptop out my 3rd floor window and they replaced it for free" type of warranties. If your folks are only going to pony up the cash ONCE then you'd be wise to think about this option to make sure it lasts.

Good luck! I personally like to be portable. I'd check out the Intel CULV laptops for something really portable and fairly inexpensive for taking to class. Asus and Acer have a bunch of these. A 13" Macbook would also fit the bill. It will have good battery life and performance, but it will be a little heavier than the CULV models. It will also be more expensive than equivalent PC options. You can install Windows on it if you don't like the Mac OS. If you need raw power and don't intend to take your laptop to class, look at desktop replacement models for value + performance. Good luck!

By the way, laptops from all brands have pretty high failure rates over a 4 year period, hence the value of the school warranty. Apple and Lenovo are know to have better than average customer support, but their products are pricier. Dell, Sony, HP, and Toshiba about average for support. Acer, Gateway, Asus and others have mediocre to poor support but they often have unbeatable system prices and features.

whats the newest bluetooth for computers... whats the newest running bluetooth running on laptops?! also... 512 gb ssd.... intel i5, and windows 7? does that really make up the perfect laptop? i just saw it on the news? or is that bulls%#@? does it cost a lot for 512 gb ssd and intel i5 and windows 7? is that the perfect match? or is that just pricey stuff?

I tried to use A2DP on Windows 7 on a new laptop that came equipped with bluetooth. Research that to find something that was forgotten.

Makes you go huh.
bOb