Looking for a new budget laptop

Hi there, our laptop broke recently and we need to replace it. We have several tablets and will purchase a more expensive laptop for work purposes later on, so right now we just need something for the following purposes: Internet surfing with a number of browser windows open at the same time, Word and Excel, movie streaming, Skype and that's it. Nothing fancy or expensive - which I thought would make the choice easy, but it seems there's a ton of different models in the "budget laptop range. Many are really similar and I just can't get myself to pick at random. I'm getting tired of looking and comparing, so somebody please make the choice for me! This are the specs I've been using for my searches, but I'm open to suggestions if you think they should be different, based on what we'll be using the laptop for: - i5 processor - 4gb RAM - Windows 8 64-bit - screen size between 14 and 16 inches - webcam - bluetooth - HDMI output (husband likes to watch shows on big tv sometimes, but it's not really necessary) It seems there's a lot of different models with these specs. Maybe somebody knows more about screen resolution or graphics to narrow it down to the best choice. I was thinking to spend between $500 and $700 - we could spend more, but that seems overkill considering this will just be the everyday-throw-around-let-the-kids-play-with kind of laptop!? Thanks for your input!

In my opinion, pretty much all the machines in that price range(that have the specs you're looking for) are going to be pretty much the same when it comes to quality/durability.
I prefer the brand ASUS(and most of the other's on here will chime in to that effect). I'm very partial to them, and would toss this out as a recommendation : http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+K-Series+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+4GB+Memory+-+500GB+Hard+Drive+-...
Thought it has Windows 7 on it, I can't say I consider that a bad thing.
If you like my post, or solution to your issue/question, go ahead and click on the little star by my name and/or accept the post as the Solution. It makes me happy.
I'm NOT an employee of Best Buy, or Geek Squad, though I did work as an Agent for a year 5 years ago. None of my posts are to be taken as the official stance that Best Buy will take on your situation. My advice is just that, advice.
Unfortunately, that's the bad luck of any electronic, there's going to be bad Apples... wait that's a horrible pun.

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I'm looking for a new macbook laptop?

I'm looking for a macbook pro. Here is what I'm looking for:
At least 16GB of memory storage
Accessability features for vision, hearing, dislexic, & motion disabilities
A front facing built-in web camera
Can you please help me find the right macbook laptop at a reasonable price? Thank you!

lmk1988 wrote:
Accessability features for vision, hearing, dislexic, & motion disabilities
A MacBook Pro is not for you, sorry.
1: Vision: OS X does not scale the UI to be more friendlier to hard of seeing users, this has been a long standing complaint. Sure you can drop the resoluton and that makes things bigger, but it also makes them blurry.
To remedy this you really need a larger screen (17" or larger) and Windows 7 (better) which has a ability to scale the UI elements larger, OS X lacks this most important feature.
In fact on Windows it's possible to hack it to make the icons and other elements even LARGER than 150%.
2: Hearing is well covered on OS X, dislexia is covered by spell checkers, however motion disabilities there is a wider range of third party compatible hardware/software for Windows than on OS X. (for just about everything)
3: Most Mac's have glossy screens, although there might be a 15" antiglare still available, it's still a 15" thus too small for hard of seeing users who need more screen real estate to scale the UI and text larger to see them.
PC's have 17" anti-glare screens, you have to look for them but they still exist, importance with a anti-glare screen is it's gentler on the eyes than glossy screens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_system_manufacturers
If you need it to be really big, then a perhaps a antiglare screen monitor and a Windows 7 PC tower desktop would be a better arrangement, but it's not portable. I've seen some people resort to using a projector on a wall as well.
I currently use one of last remaining 17" MacBook Pro's with anti-glare screen, Apple has discontinued the model (and other models in the past few years) as they are moving towards only small tablets and devices chiefly.
With OS X requiring a upgrade annually or be denied security updates in a few years, since you require a custom configuration, it's best that it last as long as possible without expensive and problematic software changes (until 2020 with Windows 7).
So a Windows 7 machine is what you require, not a Mac.

Looking for a new budget mono Laser printer

Hi,
I was originally looking at the HP LASERJET P1005 but have read that there are a few problems with drivers for Leopard. Had a quick scout around and found a Samsung ML-2240 which is 10.3 - 10.5 compatible.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Cheers

In my opinion, pretty much all the machines in that price range(that have the specs you're looking for) are going to be pretty much the same when it comes to quality/durability.
I prefer the brand ASUS(and most of the other's on here will chime in to that effect). I'm very partial to them, and would toss this out as a recommendation : http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+K-Series+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+4GB+Memory+-+500GB+Hard+Drive+-...
Thought it has Windows 7 on it, I can't say I consider that a bad thing.
If you like my post, or solution to your issue/question, go ahead and click on the little star by my name and/or accept the post as the Solution. It makes me happy.
I'm NOT an employee of Best Buy, or Geek Squad, though I did work as an Agent for a year 5 years ago. None of my posts are to be taken as the official stance that Best Buy will take on your situation. My advice is just that, advice.
Unfortunately, that's the bad luck of any electronic, there's going to be bad Apples... wait that's a horrible pun.

Looking for a new laptop

Hi.
Because of an unexpected hardware problem I'am looking for a new laptop.
The last weeks I've informed me a bit of some laptops but I'am not really sure:
My favorite is Samsung R560-Aura P8400 Madril but my last notebook had an ATI graphic card and the last months I was really enthusiastic about the getting better official drivers.
And whats with the the FN-keys, webcam, bluethooth, wlan card and support? Some experiences?
Thanks, Andreas
Last edited by echasslau (2008-12-11 22:49:30)

Or get a Bamboo?

Looking for a new 13' or smaller laptop. Do you recommend U330 and U110?

Hi all,
My 4-year old T42 just died. I'm looking for a new laptop. I want the following:
13' or smaller
Lightweight
Good performance for home and work use, may run PS or some authoring tools
May play small games, mainly Internet, movies
DVD recordable?
Bugget is up to $1500
I am interested in U330 or U110 (so pretty). Any recommendations?
Thanks,
CoCo

CoCo,
I have found that there sadly isn't much information on this forum about the U110, but I'll offer some comments that perhaps you may find useful. I also have a Thinkpad T40p that I have had for a few years and like it very much. It has the SXGA+ screen (1140x1050) which I like a lot. While it has been a great laptop and pretty portable (less than 5 pounds), my wife and I take a lot of road trips in our Corvette and the T40 is a bit hard to manage in the car (we use it for our map program a lot). So when I saw the little notebooks (or netbooks) at Costco I was intrigued.
I didn't really like any of the cheaper netbooks that much, except for the nice price of $500 and under, so I started looking to see what else was available. I found the U110, which seemed to be a comparitively powerful and well built computer (especially when compared to the cheap netbooks), but the price tag of $1500 and up was too much. I found a slightly used one on ebay still under warrantee for $800, so I bought it.
I started reading up on it on various forums and online reviews and a common complaint about the U110 was that is was slow using Windows Vista. But a number of opinions recommended Windows XP, and since my other computers (T40 and two desktops) run XP, I thought this would be for me as well on the U110.
When I got the U110, I too was somewhat disappointed in the performance of Vista, although I will admit I'm not familiar with Vista while being very familiar with XP. So I decided to delete Vista and install XP, which turned out to be somewhat of an ordeal because I could find very little information on this forum or elsewhere regarding the details of the U110 partitioning and other related issues. It is actually very easy, but it is very helpful if you talk to someone who has done it and can offer suggestions and procedures.
Since I installed XP I am very happy with the performance and it's a great little, and VERY portable, computer. It will be a great travel computer because of its portability.
With all of that said, I'm not sure I would recommend it for a direct replacement of your T42. First of all, you said your T42 "died". Before giving up on it, I'd suggest you go to the Thinkpad forum - Google search for "thinkpad forum" and you'll find it - and go to the T4x Hardware forum. There is a ton of information there and a lot of people contribute to it. There are many problems solved, and it is likely your T42 may be salvagable. It's a great computer.
While I like the U110 a lot, the larger Thinkpad displays are easier to read if you'll be staring at them for long times. The U110 is fine for quick internet surfing and getting information, but it can't compare to the bigger displays. What the U110 is great for is being really portable. If that is your primary consideration, the U110 is your answer. But if portability is not your primary concern, I'd stick with the Thinkpad. And pricewise, the Thinkpad will be considerably less expensive than a late model Thinkpad like a T60 or similar. You can pick up a good T60 for under $600, while I got a good price on my U110 for $800. Performance wise, the Thinkpad is a real bargain.
The U110 will do what you want it to - DVD recording, small games, internet, movies, etc. But you mentioned "home and work use", and I'm thinking you might mean this to be your only computer. While I really like the U110, I wouldn't want it for my only computer - it's just too small. The display is too small and the keyboard, while just fine for travel, will not compare to larger Thinkpad's.
I haven't seen the U330, but it's my impression that the Ideapads are sort of a lower end product when compared to the Thinkpads. I won't give up my T40p until I can't fix it, and even then I will buy another one to replace it. But my U110 is still a great little travel companion.
These are my opinions and impressions. If you get a U110, please post your own impressions so others can benefit.
Good luck,
Ray Kawal
Sequim, WA

Looking for a new laptop, I work in finance. Air book or the macro with retina?

Looking for a new notebook. I work in finance and travel. Is the Mac Pro with Retina worth the extra weight or should I go with a Air book?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
The MacBook Pro with Retina display is worth, but it's limited. Note that you can't upgrade anything after buying it without voiding the warranty. The same happens with the MacBook Air.
Simply, if you have to run heavy applications, buy the MacBook Pro with Retina display. If not, buy the MacBook Air

I am in the market for a new HP Laptop.

I am in the market for a new HP Laptop seeing as how my current one is starting to die out on me. I am looking for one that would last me at least 3 or more years like my current has and i kinda have one i like in mind at this link:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/envy-17-3-laptop-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive/9769246.p?id=1219041359741&sk...
So my my main question is going to be this: Does Best buy match prices or beat them out if i find the same model cheaper and with a mail in rebate on another retailer's website such as office depot?
I am doing price comparisons right now, because i don't know how long my current HP Pavillion Entertainment PC will hold out. I have had it for 3 years and now my on board graphics chipset or the LCD Monitor one are starting to mess up on me and i had to replace the fan and battery almost 2 or 3 months ago and now this issue is popping up. It boots up with a green screen when i turn it on at the moment, but then after it has warmed up the screen clears back up like normal. So that is why i figured that it is about time for a newer model laptop and where my researching and price comparing will come in down the line.
If you have any other laptop suggestions for me to at least look at please tell me. I want at least 750 GB or 1 TB HDD and an Intel Core i5 or I7 Processor in these suggestions too, because i do heavy duty Video Editing and Processing for my website and for Video Game Video Walkthroughs and need not only the best Processor it can handle, but for website backups and for the space doing Webcam video recordings can handle too.
Thanks for any suggestions you may have and if the current one i have linked is worth my time in saving for please be so kind as if to let me know that as well. I don't care if it has a Touch Screen or not. But any suggestion for research is always welcome.

The RAM of my HP Pavillion Dv4-2164us model is currently 4, but it is starting to boot up with a green screen when I first start it. So I am thinking about going with the J020 Envy which is a 17 Screen display or I might go for this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/envy-touchsmart-17-3-touch-screen-laptop-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive/18203... if I go 4th gen Intel Core i7 Processor and Touch Screen
The next thing after I save up after getting whatever next Laptop I buy will be a Cooling Pad and an External HDD that I can put into one of the USB Ports or where ever you hook them up so that I can backup it up for a rainy day as they say.
The only reason why I am not opting for the becoming popular SSD is the Price tag to get the amount of space I would need is still out of my price range if I got one included. I have to be realistic and on budget as much as I don't want to be.
If I went 4th gen I5 I might get something like this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/envy-17-3-laptop-8gb-memory-750gb-hard-drive/2354033.p?id=1219072210771&...
I would have shown a 15 screen laptop, but the CD/DVD Combo drive is not included in any of them. I would need one to back up my new laptop's OS and files the first week I use it to save from having to reformat or reinstall stuff if things even got messed up.
I have been thinking a lot about all of this not like it was a just now knowing this type of thing either. I have known for some time about that. Thanks for trying to help too.

I'm looking for a new computer.

I'm looking for a new computer. one that can handle games well. I'm not sure if I should get a destop or a laptop. I like the facial reconzation and at least 4 usb ports, and the numbers on the right side. I like this one alot:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17005&type=page&_requestid=48256
and for destops:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Elite+Desktop+/+AMD+Phenom%26%23153%3B+II+Processor+/+8GB+...
If you have a destop or laptop to sugest it must meet these standards for me:
more than 5 usb ports
hdmi
500 or more giggz
windows 7

@sweetpea79;
There is a few problems with your post.
Your claim that the asus laptops will "play any game out there that is compatible" is not very helpful. Many games will *NOT* be compatible with either of those laptops. Stating they will "play any game out there that is compatible" is meaningless. That exact statement applies to every computer sold, latop, desktop, or netbook.
Your claim that "desktops are boat anchors" that are "not very protable" are humorous at best. When it comes to gaming and game compatibility, a desktop will always be a better choice than a laptop.
Your anti-virus recommendation is not very useful. There are other anti-virus products on the market that are tested to be better than Trend Micro. No solution will give perfedct protection. To claim that all other anti-virus solutions will leave the user unprotected is completely false.
You claim you were "hacked" because your "cursor moved" without you moving it, when this phenomenon is a know issue with the Microsoft audio control bar; it is enabled by default and can cause the issue you describe with certain sound cards.
Your claim that Norton allowed you to be infected is also misleading. Chances are whatever infection you had would not have been caught by Trend Micro, either. FWIW, Norton has won far more editor choice awards and top ratings from reviewers than Trend Micro. I am not arguing which is better...just stating a fact.
In short, although you are a fan of Asus laptops and Trend Micro, it does not mean either is the best choice for the OP.
If you find my post useful or informative, please click the icon below with the plus sign and star to give kudos. Thank you!

Looking for a new system working with the adobe creative suite

Hello everybody,
i was 6 years happy with my asus notebook series x55s for what I paid around 1000 €.
I worked until CS5 with it but now it is getting a little slow and I am looking for a new system.
I am considering buying an Imac such as
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC814LL/A/refurbished-imac-27-inch-31ghz-quad-core-intel -core-i5
but I never bought an apple computer, I am just used to edit on one from work and school
or
buying an Asus Laptop again (f.g. the Asus N56VM)
http://www.cnet.com/laptops/asus-n56vm-ab71-15/4505-3121_7-35544410.html which I found for around 900€
and a screen with 27 inch such as the Samsung Sync Master P2770 (around 250€)
I am mostly editing Full HD material from the Ex1 and DSLR on premiere CS5 and 6.
Since I am not that technically expert I would like to have some opinions/ suggestions of you regarding
my thoughts.
I would like to spent up to 1600 €.
Thank you so much!
Nadja

Laptop Video Editing PC
-http://forums.adobe.com/message/4717373
-http://forums.adobe.com/message/4578948
Also read http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1281294

Looking for a new soundcard that allows use of mic and headphone connections on front of c

Hello,
I'm looking for a new soundcard to replace my on-board sound. My case, Antec P80, has two jacks on the front that allows me to connect a mic and a set of headphones...
Are there any soundblaster products that will allow me to use these two jacks?
Regards,
-Jeff

k0balt wrote:
Hello,
I'm looking for a new soundcard to replace my on-board sound. My case, Antec P80, has two jacks on the front that allows me to connect a mic and a set of headphones...
Are there any soundblaster products that will allow me to use these two jacks?
Regards,
-Jeff
If you're asking Creative card ... all cards with 0-pin properiatry connector onboard can do this partly (i.e. not 00% functioning) if you make DIY connection like showen on article --> http://audigy2zshowto.blogspot.com/
Perhaps some mb-integrated (onboard) SB systems from certain vendors has this connection utilized the way, as it's done with your onboard sound.
jutapaMessage Edited by jutapa on 03-2-200609:3 PM

Can I use an older aple desk top, about 5 or 6 years old as a monitor for a new apple laptop

Am I able to us a 5 or 6 year old desktop apple as a monitor for a new apple laptop?

No.

Looking for a new PDA/Phone

I'm looking for a new PDA/Phone that is iSync 2.4 compatible for my new AT&T account. I will switch to iPhone early in the new year but need a PDA/Phone now. Appantly AT&T is out of Nokia PDAs' at the moment.

But I can not find a list of compatible devices under 10.6 . Only a 10.5 device list is online.
The 10.6 iSync Compatible devices list is still up-to-date except for the references to Palm devices. Apple has not added any new devices to iSync since Leopard was released in October 2007.
Mobile me and other work arounds are also not an option for me , as I travel allot and the international data roaming charges would easily exceed the price of the iPhone within one month.
MobileMe works over WiFi too, so you could just turn off 3G/GPRS data whilst roaming and sync when connected via WiFi.
So, I am looking for a good / small / stable pda/phone with a good keyboard that can sync Ical / and address book over bluetooth.
Do you mean a you want a physical QWERTY keyboard? That's going to limit your choices considerably, and any Windows Mobile or Blackberry devices will need third-party software to sync with a Mac. Palm's WebOS is not yet syncable with a Mac except for going via Google over-the-air, and the same is true with Android devices.
There are hundreds of Nokia & Sony Ericsson phones that sync via Bluetooth and have POP3/IMAP email clients, but almost all don't have a QWERTY keyboard.
Also, unless you buy the phone unlocked, you'll be even more limited by what your network provider offers.

Are you happy with your Galaxy S5? I'm looking for a new phone.

Are you happy with you Galaxy S5? I'm looking for a new phone.

Very happy after getting it to stop keeping the display lit after charging completes. Battery life blows my Galaxy Nexus out of the water. The GNex was like an electric car with a 30 mile range. Always looking for a charge. The S5's screen is gorgeous. OLED is a must-have for me. Signal strength is better than the GNex and the S5 is XLTE-ready so you can get faster speeds in those markets. I got 69.08/18.95 in Kansas City back in May. Other XLTE areas have had download speeds of high 20s to low 30s. Performance is good. The interface feels smooth and responsive. I even like the look. It's like something out of a 50s diner.
My only real gripe is the storage. 16 gigs is pretty sad these days and only 10 gigs are available. I know you can add a 128 gig card (I have) but few apps load completely to the card. Heck, lots of apps won't put anything on the card. A flagship phone should have 32 and 64 gig options.
I also wish I could just load the bare OS and skip all the bells and whistles that Samsung's added.

Satellite M30X-134 - I'm looking for a new motherboard

Hello,
im looking for a new motherboard for my Satelite M30X-134! I was offered one with the Toshiba number K000019680 with the advice that this one is for all M30X notebooks. Im a little irritated, because my thoshiba trader told me, that I need one with the number K000019210. Could someone tell me, if the K000019680 goes also fine with my notebook?
Best regards
Armin

Hi
It looks like you can use both of them but maybe is better to use K000019210. on this way you will be on safe side.

Looking for a new desktop

As most of us know, World of Warcraft is getting better graphics in the upcoming expansion. I'm worried that my desktop now (which can barely play the newest expansion) won't be able to play the upcoming expansion, thus I am looking for a new desktop. Not an amazing one, but just a good one with nice RAM, and a good processor. I'm looking around EVERYWHERE to find the best prices on desktops, and I was hoping some of you could make some reccomendations to me on to what desktop I should buy?
I want a low-medium priced desktop (200-1000$)
I want that desktop to be able to play World of Warcraft (and the upcoming expansion) well
I want at least 4G of RAM
I want at least a speed of 2GHz speed of the processor
These are the specs of the current expansion :
PC System Requirements
OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 3), Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor:
Minimum: Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+
Recommended: Dual-core processor, such as the Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2
Memory:
Minimum: 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista users)
Recommended: 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista users)
Video:
Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 32 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon 7200 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card or better
Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT class card or better
Sound: DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability
These will increase however, so I hope I've given enough information for people who might be able to help me!

RealGeorgeW wrote:
Best Buy sells all parts necessary to build a computer, though, and this is my own personal view, I will only buy a part from BBY if I've done my research and prices are lower(they usually aren't on individual parts). There's a site that is an Egg and is New, that I use for most of my parts.
BUT. If you don't know what you're doing/aren't tech/hardware savvy. I don't recommend doing it.
I agree. If you don't already know where to find parts at good prices (BB sometimes has good deals but rarely on individual parts. In some cases their RAM prices are more than 3-4 times the price of other reputable sources of RAM.), you probably don't want to assemble a machine. (Note: You might have a friend who is comfortable with such things that can help you.)
I get my individual parts from the same place RealGeorgeW does.
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.

Looking for a new budget laptop

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