Laptops - What is new, what is out, what is the best etc

[kerplunk]

So I have a job now which means I can get myself a laptop for college. However Im only looking to spend 800 at the max. I used to be really into computers but haven't been following recently.

Basically Im looking for a computer that will last. Any ideas on what brands are good now?

My requirements are:
LONG battery life
Low Temp
Good size Memory
Lightweight, Smaller Size

[CTpump]

Get a dell...these are pretty decent laptops for academic use.

[kerplunk]

Im not really a fan of dell's service.

[Methadrol]

too bad 800 is your price cutoff.


apple FTW

[Greek_Elite]

i got my dell studio on black friday from their website.. 17" screen, 250 gb hdd, 4gb ram, hdmi output for 900 i think, then got an extended battery for 50 more (lasts like 4.5 hrs on power saver n low brightness), runs perfect, nice n quiet, very low heat, no complaints so far

other brands to look at maybe acer, or toshibas have gotten pretty nice too

[kerplunk]

too bad 800 is your price cutoff.


apple FTW

i really cant afford a mac, and the school im going to i mostly windows based.

[_J-BONE_]

i really cant afford a mac, and the school im going to i mostly windows based.

If you don't like dell and $800 is your limit, HP is about your only choice. Dell's are a good bang for the buck laptop though.

[aoba]

800 is low for a laptop budget. I'd recommend looking to buy through your university for a discount. Alternatively, if you have a family member working for a company that has a deal with dell, you could use a 15% corporate discount code on a refurbished machine and get something decent.

[kerplunk]

i got my dell studio on black friday from their website.. 17" screen, 250 gb hdd, 4gb ram, hdmi output for 900 i think, then got an extended battery for 50 more (lasts like 4.5 hrs on power saver n low brightness), runs perfect, nice n quiet, very low heat, no complaints so far

other brands to look at maybe acer, or toshibas have gotten pretty nice too

the 15" doesnt look bad.

[40-Yard Dash_2]

i really cant afford a mac, and the school im going to i mostly windows based.

I bought my Gateway laptop nearly two years ago while still in school. For 650 I got 160 gb hdd, 2 gig ram, windows vista, etc (keep in mind, I bought it 2 years ago). The battery has worn significantly in these 2 years, but that is primarily my fault, because almost everyday/night I would leave it on plugged in downloading ****, working on papers, etc. Unless it dies all of sudden tomorrow, it has easily been worth the 650 I paid. Before that, I owned a dell desktop that I had for over 4 years and NEVER had a single problem with it.

[TinyMan]

I'm using a couple Dell Inspiron's at work, I think they were $600 or $700 each. Other than that they came with Vista (upgrade it to Windows XP...) they are pretty nice computers. Pretty basic computers, they won't run all the high-end gaming etc, but they are fine for any university-level computer work (they would struggle with some of the high-demand packages used maybe).

[riseboi]

If you have a staples nearby that has one of these left, it's a pretty good deal for the specs.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1280767

[kerplunk]

If you have a staples nearby that has one of these left, it's a pretty good deal for the specs.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1280767

I may have to go check that out.

[Push Press Potts]

get something AMD based, 160g+ HDD and 3g+ ram.

newegg.com is where i buy everything electronic, shipping is the tits plus you get a ****load of packing peanuts

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147933

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834147926