nelsonba
New Member
Hello everbody. My name is Nelson and Im new here at the forum. I have always found reading forums helpful before I buy electronics, so I would like to address you all with this concern. I am a college bound student. I will most likely enter college in the Fall semester of the following year. I want to buy a notebook so I can take it with me when I leave home. I have been researching for a while because I want to buy a notebook that I like and thats good. Ive seen lots of netbooks with 10.1 or 11.6 inch screens, like the HP Mini 311, but I dont really want to buy one because my hands are a little big and I find typing very uncomfortable in a netbook. Like I said, I have researched for a little, and Im stuck between these four models: HP Pavilion dm3-1040US, HP Pavilion dm3-1030US, Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T-4925 and Toshiba Satellitle T135-S1310. Here are their specs:
HP Pavilion dm3-1040US:
Intel Pentium SU4100 1.30GHz Processor
2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB
4096MB DDR3 RAM (8192MB max.)
320GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
13.3″ Diagonal High-Definition LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
Built-in Webcam and Digital Microphone
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (shared) with up to 1695MB total available graphics memory
Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN
10/100 Base-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45)
Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
5-in-1 Digital Media Reader: MMC, SD, MS, MS Pro, xD
Ports: 4 x USB 2.0, Headphone out, Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45 (LAN)
Approximate Unit Weight: 4.21 Pounds
Up to 10hr battery life.
Price: $540 on Amazon
HP Pavilion dm3-1030US:
1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor
4 GB DDR2 RAM (2 Dimm)
320GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
13.3-inch Diagonal High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics with 128MB Display Cache Memory AMD M780G with 64MB GDDR2 (sideport memory) with up to 1.9 GB total graphics memory
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Up to 6hr battery life.
$580 on Amazon
Acer Aspire Timeline:
13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and 200-nit high brightness
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium.
Energy efficient, single core 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 processor with ultra-low voltage for extended battery life (Learn more)
320 GB hard drive
3 GB of installed RAM with 1066 MHz speed (expandable to 8 GB)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with up to 1700 MB of shared video memory and support for DirectX 10 games (Learn more)
Multi-gesture touchpad
Thermal-efficient cooling innovation ensures the notebook achieves comfortable skin temperature during use.
Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technologybackground noise levels low and minimizes echoes.
Backup Manager software and easy launch backup key for scheduled and as-needed backups of your most important digital files. (Learn more)
Draft-N Wi-Fi wireless networking (802.11a/b/g/n) with SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
5-in-1 memory card reader
HDMI (with HDCP) and VGA video output
Stereo speakers with Dolby Sound Room audio enhancement transforms the experience of movies, music, and games.
Up to 8 hours of battery life with Acer PowerSmart Manager enabled and depending on configuration
Weight: 3.5 pounds
Price: $594 on Amazon
Toshiba T135-S1310:
13.3-inch high-definition, LED-backlit TruBrite display for amazing color depth and clarity
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Energy efficient, dual-core 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU4100
320 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) with impact sensor
4 GB of RAM (DDR3; upgradeable to 8 GB)
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M with up to 1750 MB of dynamically shared memory allocated by the system
1.3 megapixel camera
Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for greater speed and range
Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP profile.
Three USB ports with one Sleep and Charge port
HDMI-CEC audio/video output.
Full-sized 85-key keyboard with 10-key pad
Proactive PC health
Up to 9 hours of battery life
Weight: 3.9 pounds
Price: $603 on Amazon
They all have free shipping.
I want to buy the laptop from Amazon because its the most trustworthy website I have used, the easiest one to use here in Dominican Republic, and because I only know people with accounts on Amazon.
I wanted to buy the HP Pavilion dm3-1040US, but I have read some reviews that say that after sleep mode, it freezes and you have to restart the system. This is kinda a deal breaker for me because sleep mode is one of the most essential tools for a laptop. I read that the 1030US heats up pretty quickly and, obviously, consumes more battery because the fan has to kick in, so the battery lasts less. I have read that some of the Toshiba have had wireless isssues. I have also read that the Acer doesnt really last the 8hrs unless you have that special mode activated, and that mode requires you to have the screen very dim, so it would be uncomfortable for me to work on the computer if the screen is too low. I have also read that the speakers on all these latptops are low, but that isnt that bad because I need the laptop more for info than for music, and I can always get headphones, right? Jaja.
I also wanted to ask you guys, because you are more experience in buying with credit cards and such, and many of you are American, is it true that you have to pay some kind of tax if you make a purchase over $400, or something like that? If you do, can you please tell me what it is or how to find out. Id really appreciate this. I would also like to know if you have to pay any tax besides the buying price? I dont know much about buying online, or in the US really, as you might have noticed, but I would like to know. Thanks.
Finally, if you guys have any other suggestions, please tell me. I can only get like $650, so please tell me a laptop thats good for my budget. Its gonna take me lots of hard work to get all this money, its a lot for someone who doesnt have a stable income, you might imagine because Im a student. Im sorry this is so long, I just want to be sure on what to get and I will definitely appreciate your help. Thanks once again. I appreciate your help. BYE.
HP Pavilion dm3-1040US:
Intel Pentium SU4100 1.30GHz Processor
2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB
4096MB DDR3 RAM (8192MB max.)
320GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
13.3″ Diagonal High-Definition LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
Built-in Webcam and Digital Microphone
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (shared) with up to 1695MB total available graphics memory
Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN
10/100 Base-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45)
Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
5-in-1 Digital Media Reader: MMC, SD, MS, MS Pro, xD
Ports: 4 x USB 2.0, Headphone out, Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45 (LAN)
Approximate Unit Weight: 4.21 Pounds
Up to 10hr battery life.
Price: $540 on Amazon
HP Pavilion dm3-1030US:
1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor
4 GB DDR2 RAM (2 Dimm)
320GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
13.3-inch Diagonal High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics with 128MB Display Cache Memory AMD M780G with 64MB GDDR2 (sideport memory) with up to 1.9 GB total graphics memory
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Up to 6hr battery life.
$580 on Amazon
Acer Aspire Timeline:
13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and 200-nit high brightness
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium.
Energy efficient, single core 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 processor with ultra-low voltage for extended battery life (Learn more)
320 GB hard drive
3 GB of installed RAM with 1066 MHz speed (expandable to 8 GB)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with up to 1700 MB of shared video memory and support for DirectX 10 games (Learn more)
Multi-gesture touchpad
Thermal-efficient cooling innovation ensures the notebook achieves comfortable skin temperature during use.
Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technologybackground noise levels low and minimizes echoes.
Backup Manager software and easy launch backup key for scheduled and as-needed backups of your most important digital files. (Learn more)
Draft-N Wi-Fi wireless networking (802.11a/b/g/n) with SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
5-in-1 memory card reader
HDMI (with HDCP) and VGA video output
Stereo speakers with Dolby Sound Room audio enhancement transforms the experience of movies, music, and games.
Up to 8 hours of battery life with Acer PowerSmart Manager enabled and depending on configuration
Weight: 3.5 pounds
Price: $594 on Amazon
Toshiba T135-S1310:
13.3-inch high-definition, LED-backlit TruBrite display for amazing color depth and clarity
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Energy efficient, dual-core 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU4100
320 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) with impact sensor
4 GB of RAM (DDR3; upgradeable to 8 GB)
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M with up to 1750 MB of dynamically shared memory allocated by the system
1.3 megapixel camera
Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for greater speed and range
Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP profile.
Three USB ports with one Sleep and Charge port
HDMI-CEC audio/video output.
Full-sized 85-key keyboard with 10-key pad
Proactive PC health
Up to 9 hours of battery life
Weight: 3.9 pounds
Price: $603 on Amazon
They all have free shipping.
I want to buy the laptop from Amazon because its the most trustworthy website I have used, the easiest one to use here in Dominican Republic, and because I only know people with accounts on Amazon.
I wanted to buy the HP Pavilion dm3-1040US, but I have read some reviews that say that after sleep mode, it freezes and you have to restart the system. This is kinda a deal breaker for me because sleep mode is one of the most essential tools for a laptop. I read that the 1030US heats up pretty quickly and, obviously, consumes more battery because the fan has to kick in, so the battery lasts less. I have read that some of the Toshiba have had wireless isssues. I have also read that the Acer doesnt really last the 8hrs unless you have that special mode activated, and that mode requires you to have the screen very dim, so it would be uncomfortable for me to work on the computer if the screen is too low. I have also read that the speakers on all these latptops are low, but that isnt that bad because I need the laptop more for info than for music, and I can always get headphones, right? Jaja.
I also wanted to ask you guys, because you are more experience in buying with credit cards and such, and many of you are American, is it true that you have to pay some kind of tax if you make a purchase over $400, or something like that? If you do, can you please tell me what it is or how to find out. Id really appreciate this. I would also like to know if you have to pay any tax besides the buying price? I dont know much about buying online, or in the US really, as you might have noticed, but I would like to know. Thanks.
Finally, if you guys have any other suggestions, please tell me. I can only get like $650, so please tell me a laptop thats good for my budget. Its gonna take me lots of hard work to get all this money, its a lot for someone who doesnt have a stable income, you might imagine because Im a student. Im sorry this is so long, I just want to be sure on what to get and I will definitely appreciate your help. Thanks once again. I appreciate your help. BYE.
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