Looking for a laptop to use in college...

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  • mattlanta
    MVP
    • Aug 2008
    • 2384

    #1

    Looking for a laptop to use in college...

    Was thinking about a Mac before, but now I'm not. I don't mind paying money for a laptop, but the type of money you pay for a Mac doesn't make sense in my situation when all I want is a laptop that I can use for college next year. One that's medium sized, I can use for school, and one that I can occasionally watch movies in would be the ideal type of laptop for me. I'm not looking to spend more than $1,000... any ideas? HP? Toshiba? Dell? Not convinced on Macs (but can be convinced... although I doubt it). Any advice would be appreciated!
  • TheGamingChef
    MVP
    • Jun 2006
    • 3384

    #2
    Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

    I was looking for a laptop for similar purposes and decided on Apple, but not after a similar process of yours. My finalist other than Apple were Asus. They aren't as well known, but offer very great prices and consistently have some of the highest reliability ratings. Warning: If you try to navigate the Asus website looking for laptops, you'll have a difficult time comparing models. Try a site like Best Buy or something - you're sure to find deals.

    This is the Best Buy page of Asus laptops. Great deals, check 'em out.

    Comment

    • GAMEC0CK2002
      Stayin Alive
      • Aug 2002
      • 10384

      #3
      Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

      Dell's are pretty good and they have excellent customer service. They replaced my 3 year old laptop that was overheating with a new one....1 month before my extended warranty was up.

      Comment

      • Gotmadskillzson
        Live your life
        • Apr 2008
        • 23433

        #4
        Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

        Yeah at Best Buy you can find a lot of good laptops under $1,000. Every once in a while Staples have good deals on laptops too. What ever you choose, don't buy it until a week or 2 before you leave for school. That way you will have the latest and greatest for that price.

        Laptops and PC tech specs change every other week. And prices drop every month. So hold off until you about to go to school. Most stores have a hell of a sale on laptops and desktops in august right before school starts.

        Comment

        • TheGamingChef
          MVP
          • Jun 2006
          • 3384

          #5
          Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

          Originally posted by Gotmadskillzson
          Yeah at Best Buy you can find a lot of good laptops under $1,000. Every once in a while Staples have good deals on laptops too. What ever you choose, don't buy it until a week or 2 before you leave for school. That way you will have the latest and greatest for that price.
          Good advice - UNLESS you choose to buy online. Sometimes you can find great deals online and more customization, but be warned - my sister bought her Dell laptop from the Dell website last summer in late June, and didn't receive it until the day before she left to go to college in late August.

          If you're buying from a store, I'd buy the week before like Gotmadskillzson recommends.

          Comment

          • clivo1050
            Pro
            • Aug 2006
            • 715

            #6
            Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

            Originally posted by GAMEC0CK2002
            Dell's are pretty good and they have excellent customer service. They replaced my 3 year old laptop that was overheating with a new one....1 month before my extended warranty was up.
            Yeah, i've had 2 dell's and had great experiences with both of them. I've only had very minor issues that they resolved quickly.

            If money is the main factor in your decision, check out techdealdigger.com and gizmodo.com for their deals of the day to find some great deals on laptops.

            Comment

            • mattlanta
              MVP
              • Aug 2008
              • 2384

              #7
              Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

              Yeah I don't know. I talked to a lot of people and most of the Mac users are just very convincing. I know it's not going to be worth the price if all I'm going to do is web surf, listen to music, etc. (some photo editing though, but not serious) but I plan on having this become my main computer to use, I might not have my desktop back when I go home because I might give it to my dad. So I want a laptop that I know can do anything without any problems. This is basically what I'm weighing on now.

              Comment

              • Sublime12089
                The Legendary Roots Crew
                • Jun 2003
                • 1495

                #8
                Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                I would say Mac, but a lot of that is out of personal preference to be honest.

                Comment

                • fishepa
                  I'm Ron F'n Swanson!
                  • Feb 2003
                  • 18989

                  #9
                  Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                  Dell...and get a good warranty.

                  Comment

                  • Husker_OS
                    Champs
                    • Jun 2003
                    • 21459

                    #10
                    Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                    Get a Dell. I've got an Insprion 15 and it's great. Relatively light, 64-bit Windows 7, great audio and graphics, and the laptop itself looks good.



                    You can get one now at Best Buy for around $700.
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                    • mattlanta
                      MVP
                      • Aug 2008
                      • 2384

                      #11
                      Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                      I... think... I... decided... on... a... Mac...

                      Comment

                      • TheGamingChef
                        MVP
                        • Jun 2006
                        • 3384

                        #12
                        Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                        Originally posted by mattlanta
                        I... think... I... decided... on... a... Mac...

                        Great choice, same one I made. You have a variety of options, but to suit your needs, I think one stands out above the rest. You should get the entry-level 15'' Macbook Pro. It retails at $1799, but with the education discount, you'll pay $1699. Apple also gives you up to a $100 rebate on a printer, and up to a $199 rebate on any iPod of your choosing, as long as their purchased on the same invoice as the printer.

                        I got the entry level 15'' MBP, the Canon PIXMA all-in-one printer ($99.95 and free after rebate), the 32GB iPod Touch ($100 after rebate), the AppleCare Protection Plan, and a Magic Mouse (one of the coolest things I've ever seen) for $2550 before my $300 in rebates. Not a bad deal at all

                        Comment

                        • RoyalBoyle78
                          Aka."Footballforever"
                          • May 2003
                          • 23918

                          #13
                          Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                          IBM/Leveno Thinkpad
                          N.Y Mets
                          N.Y Giants
                          N.Y Knicks
                          N.Y Islanders
                          Miami Hurricanes


                          Twitter - @RoyalBoyle78
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                          • mattlanta
                            MVP
                            • Aug 2008
                            • 2384

                            #14
                            Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                            What do you guys think of regular Macbooks? Not Pros?

                            Comment

                            • GAMEC0CK2002
                              Stayin Alive
                              • Aug 2002
                              • 10384

                              #15
                              Re: Looking for a laptop to use in college...

                              Dang, that's a pretty steep price on a Mac. I'd get me one of those shiny new 46" LED HDTVs for that kind of coin.

                              Comment

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