Need to buy many things, suggestions please

Confused820 · 05-03-2006, 11:59 PM

I need to buy a whole bunch of new things in the near future. I am going to law school in the fall and I think I would like to get a new laptop, desktop, printer/copier, and mp3 player. I know that is a lot at once, but all of my old ones seem like they are nearly ready to give up the ghost. I also posted this on another forum because I would like to get as many suggestions as possible.

What I have now:
laptop = IBM Thinkpad R51 - two years old, given to me as part of my undergrad tuition. Still works, but constantly gives me low diskspace warnings, despite the fact I moved all of my documents and photos to my desktop and deleted everything I don't use regularly. Also the CD/DVD drive is very finicky and the edge is kind of broken. It still closes, but it doesn't look pretty. The battery is also really pitiful - I get about 1.5 hours max. Runs Windows XP. I tend to kill laptops my moving around with them everyday and keeping them on almost all the time.
desktop = 4 year old Micron Millenia running Windows XP
mp3 player = 2nd gen, 10g Ipod. It is at least 3 years old. Again is still works, but it is scratched, has terrible battery life at this point, and my desktop often fails to recognize it. My laptop doesn't have a firewire port.

What I want:
Price Range: keep it as reasonable as possible considering my needs, if more money would make a big difference then up to $7000 total as a maximum for all items. However, cheaper is better within reason. For example, if I pick a really nice desktop, I would want to go with a more basic laptop, because I would rather spend significantly less than $7000 if I can get what I want for less.

- I want a desktop for my apartment. My old micron will stay at my parents house where I will be during the summers and holidays. I want to be able to play some games - although I am not would you would call a gamer. I make very basic websites using frontpage and I would like a lot of storage for this, for photos, and for a LOT of documents, and to backup my class stuff. Mostly I want a lot of storage. The only problem I had with my micron is that it couldn't handle one of my favorite games - an old game called Creatures 3 with docking station. Once my norn population got to a certain, admittedly overpopulated, level, the game would no longer load. I don't play it regularly anymore, but it would be kind of fun to have a desktop on which I could play it on rare occasions. Games I am looking at getting: Spellforce 2, Guild Wars, Freelancer. I also still love to play a REALLY old game called gazillionaire deluxe - I have the trial version which came with a '98 game I think.
Here are some I am looking at, but please feel free to suggest others:
Alienware Aurora 7500
Apple Power Mac G5
Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX
Dell XPS 600
Are these choices all overkill?

- In a laptop, I really need a machine I can carry to class and take notes on, as well as access the internet to do research for papers. I have been told that OneNote is a good program for note-taking in law school.
But, I currently use my old laptop to connect to the internet practically 24/7. I am kind of addicted to reading and writing, and the internet enables my addiction. I am not sure if I should keep my old laptop and use it to browse the internet and instant message and make some very basic websites. I want to make sure the computer I use for exams/notes won't be messed up by any of the "fun" things I would otherwise use a laptop for. My current laptop has crashed a few times in the past and its diskspace issues aren't very encouraging. Alternatively, I could use system restore to restart this laptop and use this one solely for class and get a new one for fun stuff.

Dell Inspiron E1705
Dell XPS M140
Thinkpad X60s
HP Pavilion dv800z or dv1000

Or would something cheaper suffice, for what I am looking for?

-MP3 player. I could keep my old one. Or I could upgrade to a 60GB Photo Ipod or switch to Creative Zen Vision M 30GB. I know it is inconvenient to change over my itunes library, but apparently it can be done? I have heard of several programs which can do it, but I haven't tried them yet. The other consideration is that I have already spent the money on the accessories for Ipod. But I am not really happy about how itunes/my ipod works with my current computer even with anapod explorer which I like better than itunes. Of course, you could also suggest a different mp3 player all together.

That said, I have always been curious about macs. Would it be insane to consider getting a Apple Mac Mini Core Duo (1.67GHz)? Not as my main desktop, but just to have............yeah I guess maybe it would be dumb.

Thankfully, I am happy with my Nintendo DS pink edition and feel no need to replace that yet smile.gif

I would love suggestions. I like using computers, but I really don't know anything about them - so please save me from buying the wrong things.

Also the school I will be attending offers discounts on apple, IBM Lenovo, and govconnection.
And my school is an authorized repair center for:
IBM, Apple (but not ipods), HP, HP Compaq, Dell Products (but it requires a transfer of ownership?).

And here is the information my school recommends when buying a new computer:

"Minimum Required Configuration if Purchasing a New Computer
Operating System: Windows XP Pro Mac OS X
Computer Processor Pentium 4/1.9 GHz G4/ 933 MHz
Memory (RAM): 512 MB 512 MB
CD-RW Drive: Yes Yes
Hard Drive: 40 GB 40 GB
We recommend that you purchase an Ethernet card made by one of the following manufacturers: 3Com, Apple, Asante, Farallon, or Xircom.
Recommended wireless ethernet cards: We recommend the Lucent ORiNOCO Silver Card, which is compatible with Windows Operating Systems and Mac OS 9.2 or below. For Mac OS X, Apple’s AirPort card is recommended.
For 56K modem connections, the Law School's modem pool supports V.92 and K56flex technology, but not x2 technology. The modem pool does not require the use of a 56K modem for connection: older modems using V.32bis (14.4K) or V.34 (28.8K, 33.6K) standards should also work, but are not recommended. Our recommended minimum modem speed is 56K."

AMD gs player · 05-04-2006, 02:16 AM

k for ur laptoo feel free to order online it is sometimes cheaper and u dont want it for anything really demandign anyway im shure a ibook could handle most of ur laptop stuff but for ur desctop get it from a local retailer if dont waan build it urself they use beter parts and are cheaper they will usually cost u 400 less than what alien ware or dell would offer as for ur mp3 im shure a nano will sufice like 4 gigs of music is alot of songs

PC eye · 05-04-2006, 03:37 AM

How about an HP with an AMD cpu, 1gb of ram, an 80gb hd, XP Pro preinstalled, and a Telecom fax modem? http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=3940669

Confused820 · 05-04-2006, 01:33 PM

The HP laptop sounds good. It seems like it meets all my school's requirements and it isn't too expensive.

Confused820 · 05-04-2006, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMD gs player

k for ur laptoo feel free to order online it is sometimes cheaper and u dont want it for anything really demandign anyway im shure a ibook could handle most of ur laptop stuff but for ur desctop get it from a local retailer if dont waan build it urself they use beter parts and are cheaper they will usually cost u 400 less than what alien ware or dell would offer as for ur mp3 im shure a nano will sufice like 4 gigs of music is alot of songs

What would I need to buy to build one myself? Is it a lot cheaper to do it this way? Thanks for the suggestion.

SpeedDevil817 · 05-04-2006, 02:45 PM

it is definitely cheaper to build your own PC rather than buy it prebuilt...and you get to make your own decisions about what you want to put inside the machine and customize it EXACTLY to your needs.

EDIT: sorry i thought you were talkin bout buildin a desktop...not a laptop

PC eye · 05-04-2006, 09:12 PM

If you are looking to custom build a laptop, usually not customizable to any degree, the same vendor offers their mwave custom builds or Asus models. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/deptNB-CUSTOM.hmx?

Confused820 · 05-04-2006, 11:13 PM

I actually need to get a new desktop and a laptop. Thanks. I will look at that link and also try and find a local shop that might be able to customize a desktop because I don't think I am up to building one on my own.

PC eye · 05-04-2006, 11:18 PM

The link there was only for a custom laptop. If you are going to have someone else put it together for you at least have a good list of hardwares sorted out first. Why pay for someone else's work and then find out "I should have gone with the other one.".

Confused820 · 05-04-2006, 11:39 PM

Thanks for your help PC eye,
What hardware would you recommend for what I want in a desktop:
- I want lots of storage for photos and music and to back up my documents
- I want to be able to use applications like frontpage and photoshop
- I want to be able to play games (but I am a very casual player so I would only want to pay for a system adequate to play most games - it wouldn't be worth it for me to pay a lot more for really top of the line game stuff)
I was told I would need Windows XP Professional for school and I would probably want office as well.

I would guess I would want the maximum amount of hardrive.
What else should I look for? Could you or someone make some recommendations of what they would put together? What is the advantage of more memory? Thanks

As for the laptop - it doesn't really seem worth it to customize that because it seems like almost anything already out there would work for what I need it to do. Is it worth it to get the core duo processors now available, if I mostly want a laptop to take notes in class, surf the internet, and take exams?

Thanks for your help already!

05-03-2006, 11:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
Confused820 New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	Need to buy many things, suggestions please I need to buy a whole bunch of new things in the near future. I am going to law school in the fall and I think I would like to get a new laptop, desktop, printer/copier, and mp3 player. I know that is a lot at once, but all of my old ones seem like they are nearly ready to give up the ghost. I also posted this on another forum because I would like to get as many suggestions as possible. What I have now: laptop = IBM Thinkpad R51 - two years old, given to me as part of my undergrad tuition. Still works, but constantly gives me low diskspace warnings, despite the fact I moved all of my documents and photos to my desktop and deleted everything I don't use regularly. Also the CD/DVD drive is very finicky and the edge is kind of broken. It still closes, but it doesn't look pretty. The battery is also really pitiful - I get about 1.5 hours max. Runs Windows XP. I tend to kill laptops my moving around with them everyday and keeping them on almost all the time. desktop = 4 year old Micron Millenia running Windows XP mp3 player = 2nd gen, 10g Ipod. It is at least 3 years old. Again is still works, but it is scratched, has terrible battery life at this point, and my desktop often fails to recognize it. My laptop doesn't have a firewire port. What I want: Price Range: keep it as reasonable as possible considering my needs, if more money would make a big difference then up to $7000 total as a maximum for all items. However, cheaper is better within reason. For example, if I pick a really nice desktop, I would want to go with a more basic laptop, because I would rather spend significantly less than $7000 if I can get what I want for less. - I want a desktop for my apartment. My old micron will stay at my parents house where I will be during the summers and holidays. I want to be able to play some games - although I am not would you would call a gamer. I make very basic websites using frontpage and I would like a lot of storage for this, for photos, and for a LOT of documents, and to backup my class stuff. Mostly I want a lot of storage. The only problem I had with my micron is that it couldn't handle one of my favorite games - an old game called Creatures 3 with docking station. Once my norn population got to a certain, admittedly overpopulated, level, the game would no longer load. I don't play it regularly anymore, but it would be kind of fun to have a desktop on which I could play it on rare occasions. Games I am looking at getting: Spellforce 2, Guild Wars, Freelancer. I also still love to play a REALLY old game called gazillionaire deluxe - I have the trial version which came with a '98 game I think. Here are some I am looking at, but please feel free to suggest others: Alienware Aurora 7500 Apple Power Mac G5 Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX Dell XPS 600 Are these choices all overkill? - In a laptop, I really need a machine I can carry to class and take notes on, as well as access the internet to do research for papers. I have been told that OneNote is a good program for note-taking in law school. But, I currently use my old laptop to connect to the internet practically 24/7. I am kind of addicted to reading and writing, and the internet enables my addiction. I am not sure if I should keep my old laptop and use it to browse the internet and instant message and make some very basic websites. I want to make sure the computer I use for exams/notes won't be messed up by any of the "fun" things I would otherwise use a laptop for. My current laptop has crashed a few times in the past and its diskspace issues aren't very encouraging. Alternatively, I could use system restore to restart this laptop and use this one solely for class and get a new one for fun stuff. Dell Inspiron E1705 Dell XPS M140 Thinkpad X60s HP Pavilion dv800z or dv1000 Or would something cheaper suffice, for what I am looking for? -MP3 player. I could keep my old one. Or I could upgrade to a 60GB Photo Ipod or switch to Creative Zen Vision M 30GB. I know it is inconvenient to change over my itunes library, but apparently it can be done? I have heard of several programs which can do it, but I haven't tried them yet. The other consideration is that I have already spent the money on the accessories for Ipod. But I am not really happy about how itunes/my ipod works with my current computer even with anapod explorer which I like better than itunes. Of course, you could also suggest a different mp3 player all together. That said, I have always been curious about macs. Would it be insane to consider getting a Apple Mac Mini Core Duo (1.67GHz)? Not as my main desktop, but just to have............yeah I guess maybe it would be dumb. Thankfully, I am happy with my Nintendo DS pink edition and feel no need to replace that yet smile.gif I would love suggestions. I like using computers, but I really don't know anything about them - so please save me from buying the wrong things. Also the school I will be attending offers discounts on apple, IBM Lenovo, and govconnection. And my school is an authorized repair center for: IBM, Apple (but not ipods), HP, HP Compaq, Dell Products (but it requires a transfer of ownership?). And here is the information my school recommends when buying a new computer: "Minimum Required Configuration if Purchasing a New Computer Operating System: Windows XP Pro Mac OS X Computer Processor Pentium 4/1.9 GHz G4/ 933 MHz Memory (RAM): 512 MB 512 MB CD-RW Drive: Yes Yes Hard Drive: 40 GB 40 GB We recommend that you purchase an Ethernet card made by one of the following manufacturers: 3Com, Apple, Asante, Farallon, or Xircom. Recommended wireless ethernet cards: We recommend the Lucent ORiNOCO Silver Card, which is compatible with Windows Operating Systems and Mac OS 9.2 or below. For Mac OS X, Apple’s AirPort card is recommended. For 56K modem connections, the Law School's modem pool supports V.92 and K56flex technology, but not x2 technology. The modem pool does not require the use of a 56K modem for connection: older modems using V.32bis (14.4K) or V.34 (28.8K, 33.6K) standards should also work, but are not recommended. Our recommended minimum modem speed is 56K."

05-04-2006, 02:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
SpeedDevil817 Silver Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Georgia Posts: 216	it is definitely cheaper to build your own PC rather than buy it prebuilt...and you get to make your own decisions about what you want to put inside the machine and customize it EXACTLY to your needs. EDIT: sorry i thought you were talkin bout buildin a desktop...not a laptop Last edited by SpeedDevil817; 05-04-2006 at 10:01 PM.

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05-04-2006, 02:16 AM	#2 (permalink)
AMD gs player banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: embrun ontario Age: 18 Posts: 475	k for ur laptoo feel free to order online it is sometimes cheaper and u dont want it for anything really demandign anyway im shure a ibook could handle most of ur laptop stuff but for ur desctop get it from a local retailer if dont waan build it urself they use beter parts and are cheaper they will usually cost u 400 less than what alien ware or dell would offer as for ur mp3 im shure a nano will sufice like 4 gigs of music is alot of songs

05-04-2006, 03:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,998	How about an HP with an AMD cpu, 1gb of ram, an 80gb hd, XP Pro preinstalled, and a Telecom fax modem? http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=3940669

05-04-2006, 01:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
Confused820 New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	The HP laptop sounds good. It seems like it meets all my school's requirements and it isn't too expensive.

05-04-2006, 09:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,998	If you are looking to custom build a laptop, usually not customizable to any degree, the same vendor offers their mwave custom builds or Asus models. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/deptNB-CUSTOM.hmx?

05-04-2006, 11:13 PM	#8 (permalink)
Confused820 New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	I actually need to get a new desktop and a laptop. Thanks. I will look at that link and also try and find a local shop that might be able to customize a desktop because I don't think I am up to building one on my own.

05-04-2006, 11:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,998	The link there was only for a custom laptop. If you are going to have someone else put it together for you at least have a good list of hardwares sorted out first. Why pay for someone else's work and then find out "I should have gone with the other one.".

05-04-2006, 11:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
Confused820 New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	Thanks for your help PC eye, What hardware would you recommend for what I want in a desktop: - I want lots of storage for photos and music and to back up my documents - I want to be able to use applications like frontpage and photoshop - I want to be able to play games (but I am a very casual player so I would only want to pay for a system adequate to play most games - it wouldn't be worth it for me to pay a lot more for really top of the line game stuff) I was told I would need Windows XP Professional for school and I would probably want office as well. I would guess I would want the maximum amount of hardrive. What else should I look for? Could you or someone make some recommendations of what they would put together? What is the advantage of more memory? Thanks As for the laptop - it doesn't really seem worth it to customize that because it seems like almost anything already out there would work for what I need it to do. Is it worth it to get the core duo processors now available, if I mostly want a laptop to take notes in class, surf the internet, and take exams? Thanks for your help already!