New Laptop

[corwink]

Soooo i'm gonig to be buying a new laptop in a few months and was wanting some opinions on a couple different models. Heres the first one, i can get it for $1952 thanks to a discount I get through work. I'll post up another model I'm interested in soon.

HP HDX18t
Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz)
Display 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
Memory 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Graphics card 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
Hard drive FREE Upgrade to 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Personalization Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
Keyboard HP Color Matching Keyboard
Networking Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
Primary DVD/CD drive Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
Primary battery 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
OS and recovery media System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)
Carrying cases HP 20" Roller Case for Notebook PCs

[BishopsMate]

Ok need a few answers bro.

Tell us what is important to you?

I hate to down talk any machines or company's because all fills dif niches.

You know like Fords and Chevy's.

Better to get a view of whats important to you.

Features you def want and such as what do you want to use it for.

Something like a list?

Are you limited to buying it through work? Frankly 2k is to high for that notebook vs features/quality.

Also Jan/Feb prices are going to be much more attractive for all manufactures.

Best Regards, James

[Samhaim]

I'm with him on this one. Let us know exactly what you want the laptop for, heck even a list of programs you plan to use will be helpful. And yes, 2k for that laptop sounds VERY steep.

[corwink]

My main concern is running multiple programs at one time. I also want the best graphics I can get. The big attraction for this one is the 18" screen. Though I would settle for a 17" if it was way better.

Another big concern is I don't want to have to worry about it being outdated and unable to run new things in 3 to 4 years.

I've been looking at the Alienware stuff too, but I cna't look at work, their site crashes by browser.

I'm willing to spend up to $2000.

Thanks for the help guys

[Tremayne7]

Granted I run on a Mac, but....

I bought my computer in 2004 and it still runs wonderfully even after memory upgrades and a new graphics card.

Only thing is... it is not an Intel Mac, so no new programs for me. But I have fun with it and it does what I need it to do and the only reason it is "obsolete" is because of the chipset.

Ah, well.... So if you do buy something Corwin, I think you have the right idea in mind. Something that will still serve your needs 3 or 4 years later.

[daemona]

You know what I bought Corwink and the 64bit Vista works pretty well. Your graphics card is about the same as well. Only problem I found with Vista so far is in NWN1 with switching through open screens and trying to have it focus on NWN after going to a browser.

I had the same thing with my company for a 10% discount over the price to build one at their site. I found going to Best Buy was a lot less expensive than purchasing from our manufacturer.

[corwink]

Yeah Best Buy is where we got Jen's laptop earlier this year and it's great.

[silverdragonams]

Nothing beats Best Buy for purchasing a computer if you have kids because accidents happen, especially to laptops, and the warranty Best Buy offers is a godsend.

On the other hand I had a miserable experience getting ripped off by Alienware. I purchased a laptop from them which arrived defective out of the box and sent it back to them for repairs. Three weeks later they return it to me....completely untouched and still not working. I sent it back again and after not hearing anything from them for two weeks, I called them and got the worlds rudest customer service representative. After getting the run around from her, and her manager, I demanded a refund. But they refused to give me a full refund because it was more than 30 days past the date of purchase (despite the fact I only actually had the computer for 2 of those 30 days) and they charged a $300 restocking fee. They may be better now, but I would never ever ever recommend that company to anyone.

[corwink]

Thanks for the heads up Silver! i'll definately rethink them.

On another note, found this on the best buy site for $1700

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 8029372252

Warranty Terms - Parts1 yearWarranty Terms - Labor1 year limitedProduct
Height1.3"
Product Width17.2"
Product Weight8.8 lbs.
Product Depth11.3"
Processor BrandIntel®Processor PlatformIntel® Centrino®ProcessorIntel® Core™2 Duo MobileProcessor Speed2.26GHz
Display TypeHigh-definition HP Ultra Brightview Infinity widescreen (1920 x 1080)
Screen Size18.4"
System Bus1066MHz
Cache Memory3MB on die Level 2
System Memory (RAM)4GB
System Memory (RAM) Expandable To8GB
Type of Memory (RAM)DDR2
Hard Drive TypeSerial ATA (5400 rpm)
Hard Drive Size500GB
Optical DriveDouble-layer DVD±RW/Blu-ray Disc/CD-RW
Optical Drive SpeedsDrive speeds not specified
Direct-Disc LabelingNo
Digital Media Reader or SlotsYes, digital media card reader
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 9600M GTVideo Memory512MB (dedicated); up to 2302MB total available graphics memory
Personal Video Recorder (PVR)No
TV TunerNo
MPEGYes
Built-in WebcamYes
ModemNone
NetworkingBuilt-in 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
Wireless NetworkingWireless-A+B+G+N
Bluetooth-EnabledYes
Security TechnologyFingerprint reader
S-Video OutputsNone
Additional Audio/Video Connectors1 HDMI
AudioAltec Lansing with Dolby Home Theater
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo and subwoofer
PCMCIA SlotsNone
USB 2.0 Ports4
IEEE 1394 FireWire Ports1
Parallel PortsNone
Serial PortsNone
Game PortsNone
Laptop WeightStandard (more than 5.5 lbs.)
Battery TypeLithium-ionPointing DeviceTouchpadOperating SystemWindows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with SP1

[silverdragonams]

That one is very similar to my laptop (probably just the more recent model), and I am very happy with it. My only complaint with it is that it has difficulty with NWN, though I think that's more a Vista issue.

It does multitask well and it runs all my graphics software like a charm.