Laptop Questions: What Should I Get???

[uagirliegirl]

What kind of laptop should I get for law school? Who has the best deals? What is the best brand and model? Has anyone heard of a Tablet PC?  My school is recommending one. Thanks!

[HastingsGal07]

Honestly, just go with a basic machine that suits your needs - e.g. word processing, has a network card built in, etc.  No need to go with an expensive, very powerful multimedia machine if you're not going to fully utilize that power.

I bought a compaq for $650 two months ago at Best Buy - basically has all the basics, and a decent video card for whenever I want to play a video game   (If I have time to, that is.) 

[rainmkr07]

I also got a Compaq laptop from Best Buy, it was $699.00

Has a CD/RW drive
plays dvds
has wireless internet
nice video card
512mb ram
2.8ghz pentium
15" screen

I have had no problems with it.  I recommend Best Buy and Compaq 


Ryan

[Dragonfly]

I totally don't recommend Compaq.  Sorry to those of you who have just bought them.  I bought mine just before my first year and had to immediately send it back because the screen was malfunctioning.  So I was without a computer for the first two weeks of class.  After that, it had to go back three more times that year alone for different problems.  Had to send it back one again during my second year and should have sent it back again, but I haven't been able to find a time that I can manage to be without it.  As it is now, I have to be careful not to hit the Caps Lock button or the keyboard will freeze.

If this were an isolated incident, I wouldn't discourage you.  Everyone I've spoken to, though, has had basically the same experience with their Compaq laptop.

The Dell people I speak with seem pretty happy, though.  The Sony people are in love.  And the Mac people are converted for life.  I'd say go with a Mac if your school doesn't use exam software that's incompatible with Mac (they also have some good student deals going on right now).  Otherwise, Sony or Dell are a good way to go.

[thepope]

I hate to agree (goes against my newly acquired 1st year training) - but I had the exact same problem with my Compaq. After about 9 months, the screen died on me. I sent it in, it came back, and it died again after 3 days. I've had it back for about a week and everything seems to be fine, but I would caution anyone against a Compaq given this apparently commonplace problem.

JH

[eee]

mac, sony and toshiba (in descending order) are all known for their quality and reliability, though there is a fair gap in quality between sony and toshiba. with mac and sony, though, you are going to pay a premium for that reliability (though if you have the money, id argue that its probably worth it). dells are great because of 1) the relatively cheap cost for a lot of machine and 2) the great warranty. though the quality is somewhat lacking (though not horribly).

if you have the option, id definitely steer clear of compaqs and hps. they are VERY cheap (just about disposable) and that can be a big plus. however, id argue that the low price isnt worth the stress of having to replace a computer mid-semester (or even worse, just before finals!). in 3 years you wont feel the extra $600 you will spend on a better quality computer. but if you dont spend that extra money, your grades (or your hair line) might reflect it.

[edit] oh yeah, i forgot about ibms... those are known for their quality (as well as their cost) also. they will probably cost somewhere between a sony and a toshiba.

[kwc_diesel]

Hey there,
 
    The best overall brands in descending order MACS, SONYS, TOSHIBA or FUJITSU.  (at least in my opinion).  There's this brand Averatec which is really popular, Cheap 12 inch tiny laptop, but really poor screen quality.  You should spend to get a better screen contrast, lighter weight, and decent battery life.  (Processors, any pentium 4 mobiles eat batteries insanely.  Recommend Intel Centrino (Pentium M))

     There is this recent technology Sony calls it XBrite, Toshiba TruBrite, Fujitsu Crystal View.  These laptop screens are glossy and high contrast LCD's- capable of viewing outdoors supposedly.  My budget was 1500$ or less.  So it came down to Toshiba M30 15.4, Sony v505, and Fujitsu S series.  I chose a Fujitsu S series with Crystal View LCD which cost 1380$ no tax with Fedex 2nd Air Shipping.   Sony was too expensive with their new S series 13.3 inch laptops.   

Hope that Helps,
K.

[cookieguggleman]

Don't get a Compaq. They are a waste of money. I got one a few years ago (1300 dollars), and it was out of service in about a year. I find that Dells are the best. I'm going to get a new computer, too, though, so I also would appreciate the advice!

[MateoGWJ]

I also got a Compaq laptop from Best Buy, it was $699.00

Has a CD/RW drive
plays dvds
has wireless internet
nice video card
512mb ram
2.8ghz pentium
15" screen

I have had no problems with it.  I recommend Best Buy and Compaq 


Ryan

This is a good system. Does a little of everything well, no hiccups. There's one that reatils at BestBuy for $899, and adds a DVD player into the mix.

Not the latest and greatest, but gets the job done. Give it four stars out of five.

[Duner]

I ordered a dell 9100...but watch out for the arrival time. apparently the earliest mine is going to ship is aug 19th...looks like i'm going old school pen and paper for a couple weeks. maybe i'll bring a feather fountain pen and a jar of ink to class to be humorous.