• CreativeWoman said on May 20, 2007....

  Mimi,
  I have a HP Pavilion zv6000 laptop.  I have had it a little over a year.  I can't say there isn't anything I don't like about it.  I had to get used to the keyboard being a little different than what I had with the PC and I do miss having the 10 key number pad to the right.  Other than that, I have adapted well.
  
  CW
  

• cakebottom said on May 21, 2007....

  I own a gateway, thanks to a deal I got at work.  Many people I know are happy with theirs, but I can't say I'm a huge fan of the beast.  Though in its defense, it hasn't given me too many problems, and my main gripe is with is start up/shut down time. 
  My personal dream lappy is a Sony VAIO, but they aren't exactly cheap.
  
  I'd say the most important things to look for in your research are processor speeds and memory.  Lord knows nothing annoys me more than a slow computer.
  
  Good luck!
  

• Zayda said on May 21, 2007....

  We have a Dell XPS M1210. I can't really say there is anything we don't like it.

• sweet_cookie01 said on May 21, 2007....

  my sister's laptop is a compaq presario... i find it big and heavy... my mom's laptop is an acer55o... i like that better because its smaller and lighter... my mom says its all almost the same in the features... whats important is that you get a laptop with a big memory in order to store more programs and files...  well thats what they say... i use my desktop computer.

• kelly said on May 21, 2007....

  I love my Apple MacBook.  I used to think I wouldn't want to always work on a laptop, but I do.  They just came out with the slightly faster model.

• silverwhisper said on May 21, 2007....

  mimi, the two names that i would recommend are dell and sony's vaio. both are well-regarded. for a time, dell laptops had problems with their power supply but i believe they've addressed those issues. last time i checked, dell was a better value, but i think the vaios have on average better monitors.
  
  ed

• secretlife said on May 21, 2007....

  i have an IBM Thinkpad.  It's my 3rd. 

• lioneljay said on May 21, 2007....

  I have used my Gateway laptop for hours on end every day for the last three and a half years, with little or no trouble that you wouldn't expect from any computer running Windows. We're presently about to order a Dell laptop for the wifely one, mostly because of the reliability of their on-site warranty service. Those who have recommended buying as much processor speed and memory as possible are right on the money. Those factors will affect your enjoyment of the machine far more than almost any other feature, with the quality of the monitor following very closely.

• Expendable said on May 21, 2007....

  Keep in mind, laptops are easy to steal. Someone will try. Get a security cable for when you're in public so if you ever have to step or even turn away, the laptop will still be there when you come back.

• sweetsoul said on May 21, 2007....

  I've got an HP no idea what the model is. Let me look. HP T60M283. I love it - got a good sale price. Had a Toshiba before but it only last a couple of years.

  I've got a son who has a computer science degree and services my computers so I don't need to worry about service otherwise I hear Dell is good for that. Agree that processor speed and memory are key.

• mom said on May 21, 2007....

  I have a Compaq Presario v2000.  I like mine, have had no problems with it. I have had mine for about 1 year.

• bloc said on May 21, 2007....

  i love apple computers. If you don't need it to be interoperable with systems for your day job then I highly recommend a look at an apple.
  
  Here are some apple laptops.
  
  Do you have a friend or family member that will take care of computer problems for you? If so, you may not want an apple if they are experts on windows. However, I think apples are easier to maintain if you plan on doing it yourself and aren't an expert on either. You don't have virus or pop up problems with apples like you will on windows. You can always ask me or kelly for some apple help :)
  

• uniquely-ironic said on May 21, 2007....

  My BF is in IT and he is a huge fan of Dell.  I think he said right now that you can get the wide screen pretty inexpensively.  They are reliable and the customer service is pretty good.  If you are prone to dropping your computer there is a company that makes a really rugged laptop, but I can't bring up the name at this moment.

• MissMimi said on May 21, 2007....

  Thanks for all the comments. I guess it is a little more complicated than I thought. Our PC is a Dell, as is my current laptop. The laptop is pretty old though, runs on an antiquated operating system, and can't support a wireless connection. It can barely run with two browser windows open at the same time.

• evil_twin said on May 21, 2007....

  I've got a Dell laptop and I haven't had any issues with it. My battery didn't catch on fire, so I think I escaped that little problem they had awhile back. But they have several packages to choose from at Dell. If you want it for music and videos or games, you need to make sure you get one that supports all that stuff. But if you're just looking for a basic computer to write on or something, don't get roped into buying the deluxe multimedia center. It's not that much different and you probably don't need it.
  
  -evil_twin LA
  

• Bronx said on May 21, 2007....

  I have used an HP compaq nx6110 loaded with windows XP Professional for over a year now - HP has the best online diagnostic website, award winning too!
  
  My only problems have been an out-of -warranty battery, which I understand is standard for heavily used laptops.
  
  Anyway, it  has a provision for a second battery pack in order to prolong off power line use.
  
  
  I am going to go for a widescreen Hp very soon.
  

• skald said on May 21, 2007....

  I don't hava a laptop MissMimi but good hunting. I hope you get a good one.  I really like to have one but then again this computer is enough for me. I sometimes get irritated when my son stays for hours on the computer

• MissMimi said on May 21, 2007....

  I have to smile, skald, because it's been the same with this PC. My husband and I both want to use it and we squabble like little kids sometimes over whose turn it is.

• WindRider said on May 21, 2007....

  You will want a fast processor, at least a Pentium 4. Forget Athlon, Celeron... find a Pentium processor.
  
  Most laptops/pc's come with at least 256 mg RAM. I would go for 512, if possible. But if you are short on money, this might be one area it would be okay to stay basic.
  
  Are you going to use the laptop to access the Internet? With it's portability, wouldn't it be nice to hook up your laptop anywhere? Getting on the Internet at Starbuck's is possible with an internal Ethernet card.
  
  A lot of graphics/pics? You will want a kickass graphics card.
  
  Going to download pics/music/documents? You'll need a CD burner.
  
  Want to watch movies? You need a DVD drive (its like the CD drive, but for DVD's).
  
  Your best bets in name brands are Dell, Gateway and yes, even Compaq. I'm no fan of Toshiba.
  
  You see, it very much depends on your needs. Let us know a little more about what you'll be using the laptop for, and we can make more suggestions!
  
  Have a good one!
  
  
  

• bloc said on May 21, 2007....

  I would up windrider's suggestion. I wouldn't get anything but a dual-core processor. Just ask them if it's dual-core, and if not tell them you want dual-core. It may say Core Duo; they mean the same thing. Here is a dell with a dual core chip. Click on 'tech specs' and you'll see that it says 'intel Core Duo'. That's what you want to see :) The price difference isn't much and it makes a world of difference. The apple's I linked to in my previous comment are dual core.
  
  Also, i would get 1 gigabyte of ram minimum. 512megs (what windrider suggested) is half of 1 gig. I have 1.5 gigs in mine and I really wish I had more! Ram and memory are the same thing. Notice on the dell i linked it has a 'Memory' heading on the 'tech specs' section. In that section it says 512MB. You want 1GB not 512MB. FYI 1GB = 1024MB
  
  Please ask if you have any questions. I'm a software engineer so I know a thing or two about computers :)
  

• MissMimi said on May 23, 2007....

  Well, we've narrowed it down to two different Dell laptops. I feel pretty certain we're going to go with a Dell E1705. The tech specs are fairly incomprehensible to me but I do know it has 2 GB of memory, and a dual core processor.
  
  
  My big questions now are about wi-fi cards. We have a router installed already, but what else do I need to make sure I can connect to the Internet? Also, our PC is running on WindowsXP, and the new laptop will come with WindowsVista. I'm wondering if we can use the Microsoft Office software that's on the PC. My head is starting to buzz here... This is so not my area of expertise.

• mom said on May 24, 2007....

  Mimi, the new computer should have wifi in it so you wouldn't need a card.  Is your router wireless?  If it is then you will be ok, if not then you will need to hook up through an ethernet cord.

  I believe that Microsoft Office will work with Vista,  I think that Vista is backwards compatable.  My husband has it on his laptop and he has run on some older programs and not has had any problems.  You should get those kind of programs already installed, but they may only be demos.

• MissMimi said on May 24, 2007....

  That's what I thought, mom about the wi-fi, but I can't tell you how pissed off I'll be if I get this pretty new computer and it won't let me use the Internet. It's the main reason I'm getting a new laptop.

• kelly said on May 24, 2007....

  "I'm wondering if we can use the Microsoft Office software that's on the PC."
  
  
  Legally, no.  Technically, probably.  Some software will send out messages on the network to find out if other computers are running copies of the same program.  Photoshop does this, for instance.  I'm not sure about all the Microsoft products since I don't use them much so I can't say for sure about Office.
  
  
  Your new computer will most definitely let you "use the internet," but what you really want to check for is wireless capability built in, without having to purchase a card for that.

• mom said on May 24, 2007....

  You can always get a wireless router.  I have all our lap tops wireless, and i did it myself :)  You can too.

   what is your router for?  Or are you talking about a modem?

• Bronx said on May 25, 2007....

  You might want to check out this first.
  
  Who knows, you may change your mind after seeing some new data - or at least be reassured about your final choice?
  

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