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How do you review laptops before purchasing them?

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23 replies

by jdclyde

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Pretend for a minute that you are the person that is going to be recommending/assisting picking out laptops for your company president. No pressure, right? B-) [i](It will be his personal system, bought with his personal money, but he will also be working remotely from it, so yes, I will be supporting it.)[/i]

After you know about what you are looking for, do you have resources that you use (other than google) to look for reviews on the reliability of the systems?

The user has long been a Dell customer, so we started there. Problem, they are not supporting XP, and going on a trip SOON, he does not have the time nor desire to learn Vista before going on the road. We are now moving over to HP to see what they have to offer.

Will probably go with one of the wide screen models.

Any words to the almost wise?

23 replies

by andrea

Well, I'm thrilled you're staying away from Vista!

I did a quick search over at www.tigerdirect.com for laptop and Windows XP and it turned up quite a long list - including a few Dells off lease.

I recommend the ThinkPads as this brand has the red button in the center of the keyboard for easier mousing. ThinkPads also have a long track record of being sturdy and reliable. I do not recommend a Celeron processor - AMD is good option if you don't like Intel.

Items to consider include keyboard size (everyone forget this one!); mousing options, battery life; screen size; available RAM (for speed)and weight. You'll also want to try to get as much OEM software installed as you can when you make the initial purchase. Since it never hurts to ask, see if you can get an older version of Microsoft Office or Corel's WordPerfect thrown in at no charge.

Initial purchase should also include a sturdy laptop bag and lap desk. The bag needs enough room to carry all the cords and extras (files, folders, digital recorder, pens). The lap desk because laptops get hot and are not meant for prolonged use on your actual lap! ;)

by jdclyde

but this is still going in the right direction.

I setup a few laptops in my office so he could actually see the screen sizes and weight differences, to help him decide.

After you find a laptop for sale, do you do a background check on it before getting it?

by jdclyde

It is more important to get something reliable that will hold up a few years than to get a good deal now. Saving now could cost me a lot later on if he has problems.

by thumbsup2

The ThinkPads are wonderful machines. We've tried several brands and always seem to come back to the IBM's. They just plain work.

But, another brand that is beginning to insert itself into the market, at least locally, is one we use for our desktops. Their laptops are also rock solid and don't come with a bunch of pre-loaded trialware crap and their support is unmatched, in my opinion. And, they backload XP for you without question.

http://www.ctlcorp.com

...

by jdclyde

Being this is the president/owner of the company, I would not feel comfortable using him as a pilot to test out a new vendor, ya know? If things work out, it is as if nothing happened and we all go on with our lives. If there is ANY problem, user related or not, it would reflect on my recommendation.

I think I will punt on this and play it safe for now. Will read up more on what they have to offer for future purchases though. Thanks.

jd

by jdclyde

and have been to toms site before.

Thanks luv.

:x

by ---tk---

Sorry, but I am not a fan of HP... Their Laptops suck compared to the Dells, and if you ever have to replace the Motherboard... Dells are SO much easer to replace... I would recommend searching for a "new" laptop.

For work I use a Dell D630, sweet little machine, had vista on it, so I blew it away and threw XP on it... Dell also had all of the drivers for XP on their site... I think NewEgg still has OEM copies of XP for sale...

by kewlharsh

and cover pretty much everything. However there is one ofhand thing to check, i have learnt from hard experience. Once you have decided on which laptop to choose, just do one google search on "manufacturer model no problems" where the manufacturer name is hp or dell or whatever you choose and the model no being the actual model no of the laptop. this just gives you a general idea of some of the problems the laptop can have in long term. Because it is important to know how the machine will work say after a yr or 2. This is something that is not covered in reviews.

by oh smeg

Look at the MSI Mega Book's I use a lot of them currently and have yet to have a problem with any of them.

The Wide Screen 17 Inch units work a treat and have it all from Video Capture to high end gaming so there isn't anything that your President will want to do with one of these that isn't easily possible.

Only possible disadvantage is that they are heaver than the smaller NB's.

Col

by jdclyde

He is an elderly man who does not like change, and just wants it to work.

As he is planning on using this on a trip, the weight would also play in.

Definitely something I want to read more up on though, both for myself and possibly to move the company to.

Thanks.

by oh smeg

12" up to 17" Models.

With the 17 Inch models I have seen excellent write ups for the desktop Replacement Game Player Market as that particular model has it all well several of them at least.

They have an entire range of NB that will suit your every need. Ranging from the Bare bones Systems here

http://tinyurl.com/3bm6yv

Up to their Complete Systems here

http://tinyurl.com/58mqm3

Because of the customers that I service I mostly use the Bare Bones Systems but I have sold a few of the complete systems and never had an issue with any of them.

I also love the Clevo Range but since the Wholesalers here dried up I haven't been able to source any for a few years now.

http://tinyurl.com/6feu5g

My personal Clevo has proved almost indestructible and after 5 years I suppose I should be considering replacing it but I'll wait a while yet as it does everything I require of it and was Maxed out when I built it so it was way over the top of what was necessary even back then.

Out of about 5 K of the Clevo's that I've sold other than being squashed by an excavator I've only had to supply replacement Batteries with any regularity and even then only when the NB's where used on Mains Power all the time. Kind of made me wonder why I was replacing the Batteries but it was always stated as [b]Just In Case[/b] I want to use it as a NB. :D

The MSI's that I've been using since seem as robust and other than 1 Surgeon who is constantly complaining about not being able to use Windows even though I had to tell him today to replace the Ink Cartridges which he has been using since new 4 years ago has only required a Battery for the actually computer.

Now if only Windows was so reliable. :D

My Clevo is still running with the original Battery without a problem but I do use it off mains and never leave it flat so maybe I'm not an ideal role model as I treat it properly. I didn't expect the battery to last this long though.

Sorry I read a computer Mag in a Quacks Surgery while waiting one day so I'm not sure which of the AU Computer Mags it was in but they where singing it's praises in a shot out of all the Sub 2K models. Words like there is nothing more that you can add to this where used. I have to admit that they are seriously good Hardware though and very reliable.

OH I do mean the Intel Models here I haven't actually used any of the AMD units that they have available. No reason other than th customer s want Intel Units there though.

Col

by andrea

After determining which model to go with (and I still prefer Lenovo ThinkPads because of that red dot/mouse control in the center of the keyboard) do a google of the model and "issues", "problems" and "support". Read the first few pages to get an idea if anything tends to happen over time; or if there are issues with that particular brand/model.

Then go to pricegrabber.com, newegg.com, tigerdirect.com and microcenter.com to search for the best price.

by Former member

This will give you the ins and outs of the computers in question.

Please post back if you have any more problems or questions.

by jdclyde

help me choose a system in the first place?

And how will that assist me in knowing if a system has been problem prone or not?

For the record, I do mostly servers and networking, but I am not a hardware guy. Just what I pick up along the way.

by Former member

Put it this way, if you want a motherboard, where would you look?.
And while you are looking other things come to mind such as connections, sata, usb, firewire, sas, scsi, you name it, it can be found.
Well for a laptop the same applies, except the motherboard is already fitted, but you still go along with the connections. so you start to narrow down the search to a certain type. then you look it up but all you see is Pictures, nice, but not what you want at this time, you want to know what is inside. So by getting/having the service manual you can see the inside and find out what it contains, then you go and look at it physically. That is my way of dealing with this type of issue. I know before i buy what i am after, the problems come later and these can be fixed. and since you are in the computer business, you should already know this. But if not you have a lot to learn.

Please post back if you have any more problems or questions.

by older mycroft

I rely mainly on the site run by the two biggest selling UK computer magazines ([i]Computer Shopper[/i] & [i]PC Pro[/i]).

Their 'lab tests' contain all current and archived material within easy access of a few simple keystrokes / mouseclicks.

The beauty of the lab tests is that frequently these magazines issue tenders to the laptop manufacturers, detailing exactly what should be included in the laptop, and what price ceiling the product must NOT exceed.

Given the lead-times of all magazines currently published, this tends to keep the reader more up to date than looking at current computer adverts, that will have been placed for inclusion almost 4 months before.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/labs/

Another thing to consider - try to find a laptop that has the air intake on the TOP with the exhaust on the SIDE. This creates an altogether more comfortable laptop if you will be using it on your lap. [i]My Acer has this configuration and never becomes too hot to handle.[/i]

Despite the benefits of detailed advertising, product spec sheets, and even lab tests - nothing will ever replace a hands-on test to confirm whether the keyboard is comfortable or indeed a nightmare. Therefore a bit of retail browsing is wise if possible.

by dumphrey

through downgrades from vista Business or Ultimate until 2010. Only on Latitude and Vostro for laptops I think (and maybe not all models there.)

Vostro 1700. 17 inch wide screen with XP Pro downgrade. (this si what i bougt my fiancee, its a very nice "little" machine. More a desktop replacement then a portable at almost 8 pounds. I would bet many others have XP available as well.

You said he is traveling, what size laptop is he going to be comfortable traveling with?

Read the post where you said weight was an issue... I like the Dell latitude lines. Same basic "guts" as their inspiron lines and Vostro, but more solid build. Mine is going strong after almost 2 years of daily use and commute between home/work. The D830 is small enough to travel relatively comfortably while still having a 15.4 screen for easy viewing.
Others have mentioned the IBM/Lenovo think pads, a very strong suggestion, they are built to last and I am sure they also offer XP downgrade rights as well.

[edit]
latitude d830 also supports xp downgrade from vista.

It will come with xp installed but the install media will be vista disk AND xp disk (if you make sure to tell them to send you install media).

by thumbsup2

We've never experienced even so much as one problem with the CTL's. They arrive, you give them first boot and configure for the user, install and configure any software you need installed and hand them off to the user.

With the major brands (DELL, HP, Lenovo, etc...), you get all that trialware crap pre-installed. Most of it can be removed if you've got hours to spend. However, there's always the "support" stuff pre-installed that you can't remove without violating the warranty and even worse, the software that "helps" the user to connect wirelessly which creates confusion because now there's two ways to do something and it's not easily removed!

Naaaaa.... just give me a plain system without the "helper" crapolla! ;)

...

by older mycroft

The [b]perfect system[/b] that you picked by looking at the Service Manuals then?

Are you gonna lug a usb keyboard around the world with you just so as you can plug it into a technically excellent notebook chassis?

Not me. ;)

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