Alexandra-Sky 12606 Report post Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) Hi folks, I'm looking to purchase a new latop in the next month. I am looking for a couple of things: - a lap top with a good battery life and one that doesn't decrease in life-span over time (is that even possible with any laptop?) - I'll mostly be using it for CERB and also for school assignments (don't know if that's a relevant piece of information) -If possible I would like a laptop with lots of disk space -Lasts me in good condition for about 5 or so years? -oh and also of great importance is that i don't want it to be too heavy as I will have to carry it to and from school almost daily. Thanks in advance, xo Sky Edited July 27, 2011 by Alexandra-Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Fantasy 144625 Report post Posted July 26, 2011 not that I do have a lot of experience with computers...but from personal experience, I would say stay away from HP. They do make good produce, but the battery life isn'T more then 2 hrs at the lowest level. I did use my previous laptop (from HP) for school and it was ok, but not more then that. I was using a special program and it was really slow. I have use Dell in the past, and did purchase a computer from them 3 weeks ago and it is really good up to now...as far as laptop I would recommand 3G of RAM and 320G of hard drive. that now is easy to found and since school is starting you will find lower price. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest S*rca****sid Report post Posted July 27, 2011 Check out the Apple Macbooks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister T 45020 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 The Macbook 13 inches are the most affordable of the line, are have enough memory (has 4 Gig of ram and a hard drive of 320 gig). I have been using mine for the past 5 years or so and i cant complain - it still runs very well. It may boil to the budget you gave yourself and how much the Windows based laptops now retail for. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HarveySpecter 1908 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 A laptop to last 5 years or so??? highly unlikely depending on whats its beeing used for. My experience with laptops and i have come across a fair share of them is all about your lifestyle with them. if you have a rugged, bumpy and always on the move lifestyle then laptops by HP, sony and Acer wont last long. Atleast a year before you start looking into sending them in for repairs. All laptops these day, for certain price ranges have the same specs(4 gigs of ram, 320 or 500 gigs of hard drive at 5400 rpm speed), wireless extras and the same battery of 65 watts pretty much. Unless you can request for a battery upgrade on a particluar model, depending on usage, you will see mostly 60 to 90 minutes on most of them. basically they are the same in specs on different in aesthetics and thats why it depends on your lifestyle which is likley to change within that 5 yr period. I know upgrades for laptops should be done atleast every 3 yrs. they dont offer those product service plans for nothing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wellie 652 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I skimmed the title of this thread quickly and thought what do they recommend for lap dancing. The "geeky" nature of the posts brought me back to earth quickly. LOL. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toine 30556 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 Hello Alexandra-Sky, have you used a guide such as this one from CNET to narrow down what specs would meet your needs? Power and speed may not be important if no heavy computations are required, graphic cards can be basic if no video-editing is required. Here's another guide from PCmag for laptops and then for netbooks. Me, were I ever to go back to school (which I can't imagine, been there, done that during many-many years, lol), I would be netbook all the way! Now, let us hope it does not become a PC versus Mac discussion :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cleo Catra 178382 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 Me, were I ever to go back to school (which I can't imagine, been there, done that during many-many years, lol), I would be netbook all the way! Same. I <3 my netbook. I'm sure techy people won't agree with me, but my netbook is one of the most helpful and convenient things I've ever purchased. It has 160gb hard drive and 'only' 1 of ram (my first PC had 126mb of ram hahaha). It weighs like 2lbs and can fit in my teeny purse or can be carried in my hand easily. I tote this thing around with me literally everywhere. If these existed when I was in school I would have gotten one, hands down. And they're only around 200 bux. Additional Comments: oh and the battery life on my netbook is way better than the life on both of my roommates big laptops Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old Dog 179138 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I had Annessa on my laptop last Friday at the Playmate. There's a laptop recommendation that can't fail. Ohhhhhh... you mean computers. Had an HP, it got hot and connections loosened (there was a lot of jiggling to keep cables and cords connected!) after a few months. Had a Gateway, it is best used as a paperweight or as a psychological tool to test your patience and perseverance. I haven't found a good one for me yet... but these are two that I would not strongly endorse. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qwertyaccount 15793 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 (edited) - a lap top with a good battery life and one that doesn't decrease in life-span over time (is that even possible with any laptop?) All batteries will decrease their storage capacity over time - the laws of physics at work. The main factor affecting usage time on battery is the screen size and brightness - Bigger screen = less working time. Brighter screen = less working time. - I'll mostly be using it for CERB and also for school assignments (don't know if that's a relevant piece of information) Anything you can buy will be more than capable of doing anything you need. -If possible I would like a laptop with lots of disk space External storage is an option if you need tons of storage, or you can upgrade the hard drive in most machines for not a lot of money. Walmart has a Segate 1.5 TB external drive on sale for $88. -Lasts me in good condition for about 5 or so years? Just don't drop it - that is the main cause of failure. -oh and also of great importance is that i don't want it to be too heavy as I will have to carry it to and from school almost daily. For weight and battery time, the "NetBook" class of machines fit the bill (I use one for those exact reasons), the screen size is only 10.1", but on the run it meets my needs. The (extended capacity) battery lasts 8 to 10 hours. You can get an extra battery if you really need one. You can connect most any laptop to a full size desktop monitor and keyboard when you are at home. The HP mini has a keyboard that is large enough to still be able to touch type on. In a nutshell, but the cheapest name brand machine you can find that has the screen size you would like - it will be more than you need. Walmart has several on sale. I hope this helps! Edited July 28, 2011 by qwertyaccount Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I have a Macbook Pro 17" and it last 7+ hours on battery. After 2 years its still good for 5+ hours and this without me doing the recommended discharge/charge cycles. A 17" isn't light nor is it back breaking heavy compared to HP or Toshiba. For lighter go with the 13" and with back to school sales you are looking at 100$ rebate. Only other advice, get the Apple Protection Plan from Apple. Their plan automatically covers any other Apple devices you might have (except the Apple Monitors). Plus Apple's warranty are top notch. With the Apple Store locally there is no reason to rely on FutureShop or BestBuy for support. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Fantasy 144625 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I have a Macbook Pro 17" and it last 7+ hours on battery. After 2 years its still good for 5+ hours and this without me doing the recommended discharge/charge cycles. A 17" isn't light nor is it back breaking heavy compared to HP or Toshiba. For lighter go with the 13" and with back to school sales you are looking at 100$ rebate. Only other advice, get the Apple Protection Plan from Apple. Their plan automatically covers any other Apple devices you might have (except the Apple Monitors). Plus Apple's warranty are top notch. With the Apple Store locally there is no reason to rely on FutureShop or BestBuy for support. I swear etas...you need to stop swearing only by Apple! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I swear etas...you need to stop swearing only by Apple! Well i will swear by Bananas (shake) too ;) Oh, forgot to add, some folks buy Apple and install Win 7/Linux, why I don't know...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dorinda Bloom 44036 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I have a MacBook and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Wish I had switched earlier! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgb123 110 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I have not had good experiences with Dell laptops. I've had several as work computers and none have lasted even a year without needing repair. I would at least look at a macBook Air. I find macs tend to have a longer useful life than most pc laptops (in my experience), the battery life is great on them, and they are very light. The only issue might be any pc only software you might need for school? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgb123 110 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 If you do buy a mac make sure you take advantage of the education pricing, and any other back to school deals they might have. If you are buying online go to the education store (usually a link half way down on the left hand side). If you are lucky enough to have an apple store nearby just tell them you are a student. The last time I was at future shop they were giving the education price too, just tell them you are a student. It's usually $50-$100 off the regular price, plus back to school promotion is $100 app store credit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toine 30556 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 there is an Apple store in Rideau Centre, so yes downtown Ottawa folks are lucky... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathalie L 112512 Report post Posted July 27, 2011 I've had my MacBook for over 4 years now, and my battery still lasts up to 4 hours and I haven't had any problems with it what-so-ever! I love it, and it's still super fast and adheres to all of the requirements you've laid out. The layout takes getting used to, but once you learn the shortcuts it's fantastic! Good luck sexy ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icebreaker 3938 Report post Posted July 28, 2011 Posted via Mobile Device Additional Comments: I have to agree with Cleo and Toine that you should look at netbooks also. I'm a recent convert to the netbook after being steered away from them by some of my techie buddies. In my job I'm in and out of a lot of meetings which is almost like being back in school. I find the battery life much better than a laptop, most days a fully charged netbook lasts me the whole day depending on what I'm doing (was using an HP laptop and although i was happy with the machine the battery left a lot to be desired as it's down to 2 hours at best). The size and portability along with the battery life is what sold me. I find I can do pretty much anything with a netbook as i can with a laptop. I can use any office docs/PDF etc that are needed. If memory an issue then you can store notes or docs on a cloud server so they're accessible but not taking up memory. Posted via Mobile Device Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phaedrus 209521 Report post Posted July 28, 2011 - a lap top with a good battery life and one that doesn't decrease in life-span over time (is that even possible with any laptop?) All batteries will decrease their storage capacity over time - the laws of physics at work. The main factor affecting usage time on battery is the screen size and brightness - Bigger screen = less working time. Brighter screen = less working time. True. Also, spinning hard drives takes power - AFAIK SSHDs are rather more efficient. If you care about extending your battery lifetime, it's good to try to run it most of the way down before recharging, rather than running on battery a little and then topping up. Unfortunately the latter is how many folks use laptops if they don't think to do otherwise. Cellphone manufacturers have it easier, as most people only recharge their cell when it needs it - which turns out to be exactly the right thing to do. - I'll mostly be using it for CERB and also for school assignments (don't know if that's a relevant piece of information) Anything you can but will be more than capable of doing anything you need. True again. Also, don't let anyone sell you anything based on processing power - you simply don't need it for school/email/web browsing. And more horsepower = less battery life :) -If possible I would like a laptop with lots of disk space External storage is an option if you need tons of storage, or you can upgrade the hard drive in most machines for not a lot of money. Walmart has a Segate 1.5 TB external drive on sale for $88. Anything you buy should have more than enough space for school/email/web use. Pics, video and music are what really take up space, but an external drive is a good option for those unless you really want to carry them with you... -Lasts me in good condition for about 5 or so years? Just don't drop it - that is the main cause of failure. Also, don't pick it up or hold it by the screen. Also also, no matter how much it pisses you off, don't put your fist through the screen. Apart from anything else, it hurts. I speak from experience :) -oh and also of great importance is that i don't want it to be too heavy as I will have to carry it to and from school almost daily. As others have suggested, netbooks are cheap, tiny and will be able to do what you want. The only drawback to them is a lack of screen real-estate, if you care about that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sexnonstop724 1727 Report post Posted July 29, 2011 My 2 cents worth. We can talk offline if you wish. ;-) SNS724 I am looking for a couple of things: - a lap top with a good battery life and one that doesn't decrease in life-span over time (is that even possible with any laptop?) ** Not, but getting a replacement battery down the road is an option or upfront get the extra high capacity battery. - I'll mostly be using it for CERB and also for school assignments (don't know if that's a relevant piece of information) **Get the most powerful CPU/system you can afford if you want to keep it for a long time. 5 years in computer life is forever. Screen, CPU and graphics card are pretty much the only things you can't upgrade later, generally speaking. -If possible I would like a laptop with lots of disk space **Go for an external Hard drive for extra disk space. If $$ allows, upgrade to Solid state drive. Lower power consumption and will extend your usage while on battery. Much faster too. But it is quite $$$. -Lasts me in good condition for about 5 or so years? **Possible, but with pricing for laptop going lower everyday. Why waste time waiting for apps to load and programs to run? I am sure you have more fun things to do. -oh and also of great importance is that i don't want it to be too heavy as I will have to carry it to and from school almost daily. **What is the range? Between 3-5lbs?? or even lighter? Thanks in advance, xo Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest f***2f*** Report post Posted July 29, 2011 Stay away from the HP!! Absolute crap!! Motherboard fried three time on me. Finally went to a Macbook and have 2.5 years of uncomplicated and wonderful computing. It's light so it's easy to transport...loads of memory..and compatable with my iPhone. You can get a program too to make it compatible with PC programs. Very intuitive and easy to use. Highly recommend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qwertyaccount 15793 Report post Posted July 29, 2011 Stay away from the HP!! Absolute crap!! Motherboard fried three time on me. Finally went to a Macbook and have 2.5 years of uncomplicated and wonderful computing. It's light so it's easy to transport...loads of memory..and compatable with my iPhone. You can get a program too to make it compatible with PC programs. Very intuitive and easy to use. Highly recommend I'm sorry to hear about the fried boards. Even Mercedes and BMW sells a lemon every so often. I've had great success with a number of HPs, Sonys and Toshibas among others. Apples have had their share of horror stories too - for example the many Macbooks that overheated and caught on fire: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Exec 202 Report post Posted July 29, 2011 We are a family of 5 and presently own 5 laptops and two note books from different manufactures. We also have 2 desktops. Between the kids school my businesses and home. We are not tech savvy. So proplems are not easily rectified. Notebooks are easy to Transport but the screen size can be an inconvenience. But have there place. One of the laptops is: My daughters Mac book pro 13 in. Easy of operation, 2 1/2 yr proplem free no viruses, never crashes. Eventhought they are more expensive I will be buying Mac from now on Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted July 29, 2011 It should be pointed out that there is a difference in Dell/Toshiba/HP/Lenovo if you purchase it as a consumer vs a business. As a consumer I would trust Toshiba before the rest, including Acer and Asus. However, my plug will be for Apple over Toshiba at this current time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
