Looking for a laptop. First Time. Specs included

B

Benjam1324

New Member
1) What is your budget? Between $400 and $750. I could push higher, but I would like to stay in that range.

2) What size notebook would you prefer? C.

a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? Not particularly

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? College papers, video-clipping, picture editing, watching movies(preferably HD). Also, I could use a firewire port.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? Mostly on the desk. To and from class.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Not unless I find something I love. I'm a console player.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need? 6-10 hours? I go on 10hour roadtrips twice a month. Not sure how much.

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? No.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc. Doesn't matter.

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? D

d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? Matte-No glossy.

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Don't care.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? Buying when I decide what I want. I want it to last about 3-5 years--through college.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB? 100-300GB

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? Yes, CDRW/DVD-ROM and DVD burner(I don't know if they come as the same drive.) Would I need a blu-ray drive to watch HD videos? Or can I just use the DVD drive?

Thanks in advance.
 
Absolute highest: $1000.

Can I not play blu-ray or HD dvds with HD resolution without a blu-ray drive? Because the laptop's screen is already HD definition. What's the difference?
 
Sorry, but the most you can get these days for laptops in terms of battery life would be 5-6 hours max, most laptops average around 2-4 hours per charge, it depends on the size battery, size screen, and if you have a dedicated GPU or not.

Can I not play blu-ray or HD dvds with HD resolution without a blu-ray drive? Because the laptop's screen is already HD definition. What's the difference?
Click to expand...
Even though the display is HD, you would need a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player in order to play Blu-Ray and HD-DVD movies. You can download HD content online and watch it in HD however.
 
[-0MEGA-];1024094 said:
Sorry, but the most you can get these days for laptops in terms of battery life would be 5-6 hours max, most laptops average around 2-4 hours per charge, it depends on the size battery, size screen, and if you have a dedicated GPU or not.


Even though the display is HD, you would need a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player in order to play Blu-Ray and HD-DVD movies. You can download HD content online and watch it in HD however.
Click to expand...

If I were to get a laptop with a 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics card for $100 extra, would it be worth having without the blu-ray drive($200 extra)?

If I don't get the 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics card the laptop will have the ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3200 Graphics card, which is integrated.
 
Benjam1324 said:
If I were to get a laptop with a 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics card for $100 extra, would it be worth having without the blu-ray drive($200 extra)?

If I don't get the 256MB ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3450 Graphics card the laptop will have the ATI Radeon(TM) HD 3200 Graphics card, which is integrated.
Click to expand...
I would go for it if you think you may occasionally play a game or two, since the 3450 would be able to handle older games, the 3200 would not.
 
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