The Elders' House of Pain
Public Forum => Pc Help/Tweak Page => Topic started by: Giant Flying Head on September 18, 2008, 04:14:08 AM
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My mother is looking to buy a laptop for traveling purposes. Since I'm really terrible with laptops I no idea where to send her looking for a well priced one. So if any of you guys have any suggestions, please post. Thanks.
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just get a Dell.
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word. I would caution against a UMPC (those little sexy slim ones that all the noobs flock to). they are a pain in the ass for moms and such (all accessories are dongles, 900 bits and pieces, etc.).
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Those little PCs are stupid. They cost a few $100, and are just terrible computers.
15" isn't too big to carry around, and I agree, go buy a Dell. That's what I did.
If you can find a good refurbished one, go for it. That's what I did.
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15 inchers are great for travelling and usually have enough USB slots for at least a mouse and a drive if she needs to do pictures/transfers etc.
DELL makes the LATITUDE which is a business class machine at 15" which is what I make all my engineers use.
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Just don't buy a 17". Those things are beasts. Imagine carrying around a abnormally thick 17" LCD monitor.
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the vostro's are the dell consumer line - 8lbs or so - about 12lbs for her to lug around total with a laptop bag. Not horrible, but she might like the slightly lighter corporate deals (lattitudes).
whatver she gets, the most important question to ask her is : What do you want to be able to do with this thing? - then get one that does that. if she burns cd's, umpc's are out, as a "for example".
I have set up friends with Vostro's and without exception they are all happy with the price/ROI.
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I am a big fan of IBM ThinkPad / Lenovo. Have been using the X60 for a while and it is awesome performance wise, battery (extended I think) lasts 4 hrs plus and it's super-light. I think they have a newer version out now.
completely agree with hakksaww's point on getting exactly what you need because has a big impact on price/performance and weight with laptops.
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SHe just want's it for getting on the internet when she's on trips. She does a lot of traveling every summer on her Harley and she just wants an easier way to check e-mail and post vids to you tube. She already has a home computer. Though I think if she get s good lappy she'll just use it at home instead of the PC. She's made it clear hse doesn't have a problem spending the money on a new laptop, she just wants to make sure it's not gonna fall apart on her. Seeing as she'll be packing it the saddle bag of Harely and travling some 10-20,000 km a season.
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Definately the business class from Dell then. The Latitude line takes a beating and keeps on ticking. Also have her get the extended warranty on it so if something does happen Dell will repair it for her.
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and ask her if she prefers nipples or pads.
you dirty boys! some laptops don't COME with the nipples. I like nipples.
:headbang1: :downtown:
(http://www.cnet.co.uk/i/c/rv/e/laptops/lenovo/thinkpad_t61/story_1.jpg)
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Thanks for all the seggestions everyone. :-D
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My advise would be to get a Dell normally BUT, since she is leterally taking it "On the Road" in a Saddle bag on a Harley.
GET A PANASONIC TOUGH BOOK.
We use them at work for all the trucks and they leterally take a beating and keep going. Bouncing around all the time getting stuff spilled on them etc.
If you haul a laptop around on a bike all the time it will need to be tougher than if you are carrying a standard one around in a laptop bag to you car taking a nice short gentle ride to work or whatever and walking to and from the car etc.
It may be more expensive but will pay for itself in reliability and durability.
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I'm with bandit on that... especially if we're talking cross country adventure trips where you don't ride the smooth highways the whole time...
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I think you have to take into consideration the large amount of vibration the laptop will be subjected to in the saddlebag of a Harley.
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Fairly little the way my mom packs for a trip. WHat you've also gotta remember is that she'll spend weeks travling on her bike sometimes. So everything from blankets and sleeping bags are packed in those saddle bags. Of which she'd be packing her lappy in as well.
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then I would lean toughbook then latitude... one of my engineers dropped his laptop on the marble floor of the Hilton in Guam and he only lost the monitor for about an hour... it came back after some playing with the lid... I'd still go toughbook first tho.
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My advise would be to get a Dell normally BUT, since she is leterally taking it "On the Road" in a Saddle bag on a Harley.
GET A PANASONIC TOUGH BOOK.
We use them at work for all the trucks and they leterally take a beating and keep going. Bouncing around all the time getting stuff spilled on them etc.
If you haul a laptop around on a bike all the time it will need to be tougher than if you are carrying a standard one around in a laptop bag to you car taking a nice short gentle ride to work or whatever and walking to and from the car etc.
It may be more expensive but will pay for itself in reliability and durability.
I would agree. Those things are great, and they are not going to break. Thats her best bet. When your on something like a bike, there is all sorts of shit that can happen, not to mention normal wear and tear from being away for weeks on end. After a while you just don't pay attention. Tough book is the way to go.
~Wonder.
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yup tough book
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spendy and heavy.
very heavy.
that level of shock protection comes at a steep price of weight and overall "kluge-i-ness". I had one for a few months. Keyboard action was awesome, but it was a real lugger. Close to 15 lbs overall.
That being said, and given that she won't be doing massive coding or anything - TABLETS ARE AWESOME. And there are rugged tablets (but they are ~$3000.
For a straight tablet (no keyboard - pen driven) I love my Fujitsu Stylistic. Battery lasts FOREVER, charges via a 12 volt cigarette lighter, tough as shit, and i slap on a hockey-puck style GPS and use it for navigation as well. My wife uses it ALL the time. Loves it.
http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=ST5112&ptype=TB
The thing is tits. Virtual keyboard for typing, light as shit, and slicker than beaver turd. And you can get out for ~1500 for a slick machine. That is, if she is comfortable without the keyboard. My wife loves it for browsing, email, etc.
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The thing is tits. Virtual keyboard for typing, light as shit, and slicker than beaver turd. And you can get out for ~1500 for a slick machine. That is, if she is comfortable without the keyboard. My wife loves it for browsing, email, etc.
Ummmmm this is for your Mom right? I believe she already has "tits"
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yes, but do those tits get email and web browsing and 4 hour charges at a time?
If so, I wish to propose immediately.
The tablets even have nipples!