Laptops

[OUPilot]

Apple 12 Inch Ibook. No popups, spyware, or crap. Just a great laptop that works when you want it to. Virtual PC will run windows stuff...slowly though. You need to already own a windows install disc to install after virtual pc.

 

[puddlejumper]

Check out NotebookForums.com for a good discussion on gaming and general use laptops. I personally really like my Built on ASUS Z71V. It's considered a whitebook, assembled by a company in Charlotte, NC, Integrated Systems Technologies. The latest by ASUS is the Z70VA. 6.5 lbs, 15.4" widescreen, 128 MB dedicated video with bluetooth. They're not cheap, but for around $1700, you can play any of the new games like BF2 and FEAR. The Dell XPS is supposedly pretty good too, but I think they are 17" That would be a bit much to carry around all the time. My 15.4" isn't too bad. I looked at some Sony VAIOs, but the whitebooks get you more bang for the buck and obviously, they are very customizable. The big thing for playing games is to have a dedicated GPU (video card) and 1Gig of RAM. My co-worker plays BF1942 on his 32M integrated video Gateway that he got for $750, but BF2 won't even load up on his machine. We tie the 2 laptops together and fly around in helicopters in BF1942 while we're on the road. It's a blast, and an excellent way to kill time!

 

[puddlejumper]

Here's a link for the reseller I mentioned above: http://www.istnc.com/ Rick, the owner, is a great guy and has lots of positive feedback on reseller rating sites and on e-bay. They're running some holiday specials now. He used to work with USAir in Charlotte, mention that you're a referral from a pilot website and you may get even better, more personalized service.

-PJ

 

[puddlejumper]

thanks for the advice. What type of tech support comes with one of those laptops?

I'm need sure about all resellers, but with IST, I can personally attest to the availability of excellent technical support. One could e-mail the company or better yet, instant message Rick. I had a few issues when I first got the laptop and he spent quite a bit of time with me on AOL IM to resolve my issue. He was pretty sure my issue was software related, but he was very quick to honor my warranty, if I shipped the computer back to him. They would have covered shipping if it was due to faulty hardware or improper setup on assembly.

With whitebooks, the reseller is responsible for the warranty, transferring any manufacturer (ASUSTek) related claims to them. There's really no reason for an end-user to have to deal with the manufacturer. Now that I've said that, there was a problem with the Z71V batteries. After about 3 months, they would fail to charge to 100%. Some resellers took care of this issue themselves, others, like IST, referred the end-user to the manufacturer so that they could track the problem more closely. Rick reimbursed all expenses to me for having to ship the battery to ASUS, which was nice. Some resellers would absorb all expense and cross-ship replacement batteries as soon as the end-user claimed the battery was bad.

The Z70VA doesn't seem to have the battery issues of the Z71V, but there are some funky screens out there that exhibit some ghosting problems. This issue has been addressed and most resellers check for all of that before shipping.

I researched for a while when I had to replace my laptop which was stolen at a Hilton Garden Inn breakfast area near TEB 7 months ago. Homeowners insurance covered my loss, and I wound up getting what I thought was the best bang for the buck at the time. I was visiting the notebookforums and notebookreviews.com websites quite frequently, totally geeking out on my purchase. It's a lot of money, but I think it was worth it.

There isn't any outsourcing of tech support with a relatively small reseller like IST. Up to 3 year extended warranties are available, but they don't include accidental damage or replacement of a consumable, like the battery.

-PJ

 

[CDogg]

www.sagernotebook.com

 

[pilot370]

Looking to play games on a laptop, try Alienware. I have an Alienware laptop with a 3.2 ghz cpu along with 1gig of ram. 128 nvidia GO video card. Can be a little pricey when you soop the thing up but well worth it in my opinion.
Tech support has been great the onetime I needed it.

 

[yzf6]

i just picked up a toshiba at compusa - 1.5ghz 15.4" 60gig wireless etc.
$150 plus 1yr subscription to aol. so about $350 (including the aol) for a decent system.

 

[GVFlyer]

Apple PowerBook G4 15".

 

[dojetdriver]

A couple questions for the MAC users. I have a chance to pick up an ibook with a G3 processor for dirt cheap at a local MAC store that sells used/refurbed MAC's.

What are the shortcomings of the G3 vs.the G4? I only intend to use the computer for internet/email, playing music and video, and occsionally downloading various "training materials", ect.

I've heard that the MAC processor is more efficient than a PC type, is 256k enough on a MAC or is 512 necessary?

Also, it the unit didn't come with wireless capability installed, can you put in a network card in to an external slot like a windows machines to get wireless?

Thanks for any answers.

 

[sweptback]

A couple questions for the MAC users. I have a chance to pick up an ibook with a G3 processor for dirt cheap at a local MAC store that sells used/refurbed MAC's.

What are the shortcomings of the G3 vs.the G4? I only intend to use the computer for internet/email, playing music and video, and occsionally downloading various "training materials", ect.

I've heard that the MAC processor is more efficient than a PC type, is 256k enough on a MAC or is 512 necessary?

Also, it the unit didn't come with wireless capability installed, can you put in a network card in to an external slot like a windows machines to get wireless?

Thanks for any answers.

You could probably get by with it, but a G3 is a pretty old chip and the rest of the computer would probably be pretty limited. We're talking probably 10-20gb disk, 256mb RAM, etc. The no wireless would be a pain... you could buy a card off ebay but that's just more money you'd have to put into it. I'd recommend against it.

If you're dead-set on buying a used Apple, wait for the Intel systems to come out. The prices on the PPC machines will probably plummet, and while it'll be an older machine, it will still run all the software for at least 2 years during the transition. Would be a pretty safe bet IMO.

 

[BenderGonzales]

Just bought one of these. Refurb IBM Thinkpad, $498. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4328420

 

[CA1900]

A couple questions for the MAC users. I have a chance to pick up an ibook with a G3 processor for dirt cheap at a local MAC store that sells used/refurbed MAC's.

What are the shortcomings of the G3 vs.the G4?

Just that the G3s are a little slower compared to what you can buy today. Actually, the processor families are virtually identical -- an 800MHz G3 and 800MHz G4 are actually pretty close in speed. The G4 adds basically a "sub-processor" called AltiVec that some programs can take advantage of, and it makes some functions much faster. PhotoShop, for example, uses it extensively.

I only intend to use the computer for internet/email, playing music and video, and occsionally downloading various "training materials", ect.

"Internet" is something that's gotten much more processor-intensive lately. Web pages are more complex, and plus-ins (like Flash) will need more power to run smoothly, especially if they're playing video.

I've heard that the MAC processor is more efficient than a PC type, is 256k enough on a MAC or is 512 necessary?

Yes, the Mac's processor, called a PowerPC, is more efficient -- it does more in a given clock cycle. (So a 333MHz PowerPC, for example, is roughly equivalent to a 750MHz Pentium III.) But it still needs memory. If you're planning on using OS X, 256 MB will be inadequate; 512 MB should be considrered the minimum. 640 MB and up is comfortable. Much less than 512, and it has to start swapping things to disk, and that slows it down greatly.

Also, it the unit didn't come with wireless capability installed, can you put in a network card in to an external slot like a windows machines to get wireless?

The old iBooks don't have a PC Card slot, so you can't just get an off-the-shelf card for it. They do have an proprietary internal card slot for an 802.11b card they call "Airport," which was neat because the antenna's all concealed around the inside of the screen -- no antenna sticking out. But that old card is no longer being manufactured. (It was replaced with a faster 802.11g "Airport Extreme" card several years ago, and that card can't go into the old slot.) You'll find the cards on eBay, but no for less than $100 because they're still in demand. And you're really going to want the wireless, so consider that.

I hate to talk you out of getting an Apple, but if this is your first one, I think you're going to be really disappointed in the experience if you get something that old and slow. What model is this, specifically? The G3 iBooks range from 300MHz to 800MHz, and went through a major architectural change along the way.

If it's one of the old "clamshell" iBooks (with the rounded corners), I'd pass on it. It's just too slow to run the modern stuff. If it's a 700MHz or 800MHz white iBook, it's worth considering, but it would have to be a super-cheap price. I wouldn't pay more than a few hundred for a 700 with 256MB of RAM.

One more thing: Rumors are strong that Apple will be releasing the first of their Intel-based computers next week, with the big Expo in San Francisco from the 9th to the 13th. The iBook is one of the likely candidates to be updated at that time. When they release a new model, it tends to drive down the prices of the older models in the used market. So it might be worth waiting another couple of weeks to see what happens. (You might be able to get a used G4 iBook for what you were about to pay for a G3 version!) I'd wait, myself.

Hope that helps.

 

[patq1]

A couple questions for the MAC users. I have a chance to pick up an ibook with a G3 processor for dirt cheap at a local MAC store that sells used/refurbed MAC's.

What are the shortcomings of the G3 vs.the G4? I only intend to use the computer for internet/email, playing music and video, and occsionally downloading various "training materials", ect.

I've heard that the MAC processor is more efficient than a PC type, is 256k enough on a MAC or is 512 necessary?

Also, it the unit didn't come with wireless capability installed, can you put in a network card in to an external slot like a windows machines to get wireless?

Thanks for any answers.

I have a 12" white ibook 600 MHZ which is great for what I use it for and what you said you will use it for. I have the WiFi card under the keyboard. I only have 384 M of memory. I've thought about increasing it to 512 but it works fine now so I probably won't. I've had it for 4 years now and it works great. If you think you are going to use the video chat 600 is the lowest speed that it will work with. By the way, video chat(ichat) is crystal clear between 2 macs with the isight cameras. My wife just bought a new 12" ibook for under $1000. With the Mac you never have to worry about configuring anything, it just works and I have yet to have a problem with a virus. If you buy a new one, definitely spring for the Apple Care extended warranty program. It also covers the computer if you hurt it by dropping it or otherwise beating it up on the road. I don't buy extended warranties but for something that is subject to this amount of abuse it's worth it.

Pat

 

[AA717driver]

Someone said that laptops are a throwaway after about 2 years. Yeah, that's because he's using a PC.

My daughter inherited my G3 Powerbook and I got a wireless card (external, fortunately) and it's still chugging along after over 4 years. I brought it up to 512mb and it's still not perfect but it works for her.

There are some cheap-a$$ institutions out there (mostly banks...) that require Windows for filling out apps. I don't have virtual PC so that may be the solution.

Good luck.TC

 

[contactapp]

To all these idiots that say PCs suck and Mac cpus are better. Ask yourself this; Why is apple moving to intel in 06? The new macs will be in fact PCs.