fhjmom Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Since I am starting grad school online in a couple of weeks, DH and I decided to go ahead and purchase a laptop for me. (He bought one for himself not long ago b/c he also is taking online classes.) It hadn't really been on my radar so I haven't been looking. I am pretty computer literate as a user but not is deciphering all the hardware mumbo-jumbo specs. Any recommendations on what brands to look at or which ones to stay away from? Where should I look? Stores? Online? Any discounts for college students/teachers/homeschoolers? What should I look for spec wise? I am thinking of spending maybe in the $600 range? My only "must haves" decent built-in webcam (as I get more fluent in ASL, web-cam communication is a must) and a separate number key pad (I never use the numbers across the top). Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I don't know what a good brand is, but I do know that http://www.woot.com is a great place to get all computer stuff cheaply. I've bought a laptop, a desktop, two itouches, a very nice camera, and a gps all on woot. Computer stuff comes up quite frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 (edited) I vote Mac. I will never ever buy another laptop that isn't a Macbook. Find a way to splurge and you won't regret it. You will not get the reliability factor out of any other brand. That said, if you absolutely must get something that is not Mac, I'd get an Asus. As far as my understanding goes (and I'm no expert so someone here may have better info), Asus makes their own components so everything works well together, unlike other laptops like Toshiba that are piece-mealed together with cheap parts. :glare: We've been pleased with dh's Asus laptop although I still MUCH prefer my Mac :001_wub: Edited May 21, 2011 by plain jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 DON'T BUY A TOSHIBA!!! Ever, ever ever!!! They're junk!! I'm on my second one. The Geek Squad guy talked DH into this one, b/c it was on sale. :glare: I wasn't happy. I despise them. They go out SO quickly. We bought this about a year ago, and I'm already looking for a new one. I'm dreaming about a Mac... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 (edited) My computer geek Dh swears by newegg.com. Their prices can't be beat and they are reputable. I love my new Lenovo, also like IBM thinkpad. My lenovo has a webcam and number pad. I'm a bookkeeper so the number pad was essential. We paid just under $500 for mine. The only capatability issue I have is that I have the "hard to play nice with" version of Windows 7. You'll need to do a little research. I just looked, it's Win7 64 bit. Edited May 21, 2011 by Cheryl in NM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 (edited) Do any laptops come with a separate key pad? I know our Macbook Pro doesn't & I don't *think* my dh Dell does. Not that I ever actually looked at it. I just assumed it was a laptop space thing. Could be totally wrong~just a thought~ ETA: Oh look! pp edited while I was typing & hers DOES have a num pad. Cool! There ya go! In that case, MBP is out for ya. Although it is an AWESOME machine! I'm secretly drooling over the new MBA. It is what I would have RIGHT NOW if all the stars were lined up :). Oh, & we shop Best Buy & Apple. Don't know if it's the best, but it's the most convenient for us. Edited May 21, 2011 by us4jones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 I am very pleased with the laptop I recently purchased from Costco. I bought this Acer when it was on sale for $400, although it's still a good price at $470 plus $20 shipping. They also have this Acer, which appears to be a slight upgrade on sale for $500. I love that Costco extends the warranty to two years and has a 90 day return policy. The laptop I replaced wouldn't consistently stay powered on anymore and was less than two years old (a Gateway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 My kids' Acer outlasted my Toshiba. If price is an issue, I'd definitely get an Acer. It'll last much longer. If price isn't an issue... did I mention I'm dreaming of a Mac?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 DH and I both have a Dell that we ordered custom made from the Dell website. I've had mine for about a year and a half and DH has had his for about 6 months. No problems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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