Ok so I'm finally going to breakdown and allow my wife to buy me a new laptop. This is my only computer and I truly only use it for internet and pictures. Occassionally I do a word/excel document of sorts but I mainly hangout and surf the web typically doing nothing worthwhile.

I want to know what to get? I've always had Dell's. My latest a very small 13" screen maybe laptop I take on trips etc.

I am a non Apple/Mac guy so if you suggest some kind of MacBook or such please give me reasons and good ones to stray away from my trusted midisoft windows type unit.

What size is great. Mostly on my lap in a chair or on our bed.
How much memory etc... and please speak to me like the nob I am about computers.

I'd love to know what and why you guys have what you have.

 

I swear by Dell...i have a Dell XPS M1530...love love love

 

I have an HP and I love it.

 

I recommend Thinkpad T series or if you need really nice graphics, the W series.

A decent spec'ed T or W is mid 2000. If you load it up to the gills it can get up to more than 4.

It is a much better designed and built unit than the Dell's, which are whitebox.

 

I've had a ton of Dell's and like them. Mine currently is a Dell XPS M1330. My wife's is Dell XPS but a much bigger one.

I'm just fishing to see if anything else is great and I'm missing out

 

What do you mean by WhiteBox? Do you mean basically generic?

That's not bad pricing. What seperates the two? Why this over a Dell?

 

XPS ftw...but i understand what your sayin...good luck with the hunt

 

Dell is generic. I personally have overseen a lot of corporate migration away from Dell laptops to the T series Thinkpads, and users have been very happy with the change. There is quite a price premium over Dell, but I have'nt had clients complain once they realize how much better these things are.

Just pick up a Thinkpad T series or W series laptop, and you will know right away WHY it's better over Dell and other generic. And other than hard drives, which all go on laptops, they are simply better built. We have a lot of Thinkpad T40's, yes, from almost 10 years ago, that just won't die at a lot of clients.

Stuff like hinges, casing, keyboard all add up. For example, those 10 year old T40's screen do not flop like a two year old Dell. The casing doesn't flex, and the Thinkpad keyboard is legend.

Anyway, the problem is that they don't sell the T or W retail, so outside of corporate world, people have very little exposures to them.

 

Lenovo makes some great laptops, love my Lenovo. Haven't had good luck with Dell's or Sonys. I would also look at Asus they make some quality laptops.

Something like this Newegg.com - ASUS U30 Series U30JC-B1 NoteBook Intel Core i3 370M(2.40GHz) 13.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 310M+Intel GMA HD

 

Pretty sure current T series has a cap on the motherboard that has a nice hum when it's powered on. Just something to be aware of if you look at them, may annoy you, may not.

I personally just ordered a Dell Latitude E6410 but I haven't received it yet so no comments on how it is yet.