Notebook computers

[RTSDaddy2]

Anybody know anything about Acer notebooks?  I'm a school teacher and thinking about "treating" myself to one for business stuff so I don't have to store anything on our home office PC. 

Sadly, I don't recall all the exact specs.  It's an AMD processor (about 1.8 Ghz, I think), 256 MB DDR Ram, 40 GB HD, CD RW...all for $499 after rebates.

Sam's Club has an HP notebook for a little over $1000 that I've also looked at.  I don't WANT to spend that much necessarily, but I also don't think I'd have much trouble returning it if it did go bad.  Again, the exact specs escape me but it is a little more to the high end than the Acer, plus comes with printer and carry bag.

Any suggestions (other than Fat Wallet, which I already know about) as to which I should go with, if either one?

[hyiu]

499  is a good price,

but my exp about AMD is it runs a lot hotter than Intel.

You want your laptop to be cooler.

but suggest you buy an Intel...

I go to
http://bensbargains.net

fatwallet has too much stuffs to scan thru...

I see Dells laptop which is about $800 or so...

also, if you have network at home, prefer you to have XP Pro
(well, you can install that yourself if you're sort of techy...)
but you'll need more than 256 Ram...

My father-in-law got one, and I got one from my company
(so that support can call me in the middle of the night, no free lunch)

both laptop seems good so far...

good luck.

[RTSDaddy2]

Ok...makes sense.  If I go Intel, will I be giving up any processing power with the Intel over the AMD?  I know that was a big issue a while back.

[hyiu]

for Intel,

do NOT buy Celeron processor (I know for sure...)

so far, Centrino, and the Pentium M processors seems good enough for normal users.  (but I'm not a big hardware guy, so research a little more on this...) on someone feel free to correct me....


for around $800, you can get one with 1.6+GHz processor.. 512 - 1G ram, 40-60G HD,...
that should be good enough for normal use...

just visit bens and wait for those coupon codes.  they have it a lot.

[RTSDaddy2]

Will check out ben's again...

How are Toshiba notebooks in comparison to Acer? Better? Worse? Same?  What about an HP verses those brands?

I'm going to continue to do my own research, but those of you big into computers I value your opinions as well.  Sorry for all the questions.

[pointdablame]

Stay away from HP/Compaq and Gateway laptops.  I've had to try to fix every single one I've ever seen or owned.  Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

Dells are really nice for laptops, and they have amazing deals often.  Sony and Toshiba make nice laptops too, but as a rule they are usually more expensive than other brands.  I've heard good things about Acers but have never used or seen one myself.  Emachines are hit and miss... their older Athlon64 laptops were VERY highly rated, but their lower end models are so-so.

AMD does seem to run a bit hotter.  I've heard their new Turion is a bit better, but I'd say Intel probably still runs a bit cooler.

And one more important thing.. don't fall into the Centrino marketing hype.  I've seen far too many people being talked into buying a "Centrino processor" at BestBuy or the like.  Centrino is NOT a chip... its not even a piece of hardware.  It's just a set of acceptable components that Intel uses for Intel based laptops.  Centrino laptops will usually get you better battery life, but even that is not a rule written in stone.  Centrino is good, and I'd actually recommend you get a Centrino laptop... just don't let the salesguy up-sell you to a machine that is $500 more because it "has a faster Centrino"  I've seen that happen and actually told the person they were being scammed.  And no... the processor wasn't faster... this mystery "Centrino chip" was faster... the chip that doesnt even exist

Good luck.

[hyiu]

Ooopps....

I'm sorry if I mislead you in the word "Centrino" then...

I'm sure centrino is a technology used in laptop world...
something about the CPU operating not 100% (which will be slightly slower) and using less power when not plugged to AC.... (something like that...) that way, the battery lasts longer...

but I never knew its not a chip....

learning something new everyday....

[pointdablame]

I'm sure centrino is a technology used in laptop world...
something about the CPU operating not 100% (which will be slightly slower) and using less power when not plugged to AC.... (something like that...) that way, the battery lasts longer...

but I never knew its not a chip....

well, prepare to learn something new again

You're actually in the same boat as most people I've talked to, or seen while in stores.  Centino is NOT a technology either... its not a chip, a card, or anything physical at all.  It is PURE MARKETING by Intel.

What you are thinking about is CPU throttling which has been in the laptop world for years.  Older P3 laptops with SpeedStep did the same thing, among many many other laptops.  All modern laptops will run at varying CPU speeds depending on processes to save battery life.  It is not because of Centrino.  My girlfriend's Dell 700m (non-Centrino) throttles from around 230mhz to 1.7ghz just like my Centrino HP laptop does.

The Centrino standard is based on 3 items: a Pentium M processor, a wireless card, and a motherboard chipset.  Intel has a set standard of Centrino certified wireless cards and chipsets... if your laptop doesn't use a Pentium M AND certified chipsets and wireless cards, your laptop cannot be Centrino.  Go buy a Dell laptop and you'll see that you have a choice of wireless cards.  The second you choose a Dell wireless card instead of an Intel 2100 wireless card, your laptop is no longer Centrino.

Does that mean your battery life instantly gets cut in half? No.. it means you don't get that little Centrino sticker on your laptop.  That's all.

And the best part of this whole thing is that the Centrino used to (and might even still, I'm not sure) not officially support 802.11g... only 802.11b, which is the slower standard.  So there was a time when buying a Centrino laptop actually got you a SLOWER wireless chipset... it might even be the same case, but I believe Intel now has a Centrion G wireless card.

That's all Centrino is: a Pentium M and a chipset/wireless card that Intel believes will give you the best experience as far as wireless connectivity and battery life go.

And again, please let me make it clear that I LIKE CENTRINO.  I recommend it and think a Centrino laptop is a better buy when compared to more desktop replacement style laptops.  Just don't buy a laptop just because its Centrino... it's like buying a laptop because someone told you it was sprinkled with fairy dust... its meant to make you THINK its better even if it isn't always the case.

[HaRuMaN]

I have a Toshiba Satellite and I love it.  I have had it for two years now and have never had any issues.

[RTSDaddy2]

HarumaN, thanks for the input on Toshiba...

Would 950 be a reasonable deal for a Toshiba Satellite notebook, or too high?  I missed a great deal at Best Buy (like dadgum idiot...waited too late, now all gone.  Yes, type funny when half asleep and trying to finish to go to bed).

Specs are 80 GB HD, 512 MB DDR ram, think maybe about a 1.8 processor (Intel M, I think).  It's a Sattelite 360 notebook, but I cannot recall model number.

Any thoughts?

[RTSDaddy2]

Well, for what it's worth, I went with the Toshiba Satellite...so far I'm pleased, but was a 40 GB hard drive, not 80, on this model.  Was a bit more than I thought I'd pay, but decided to go with a more well-known, and reccommended, brand. Even so, 40 should hold me, no bigger than my lesson plan files are (about 27 - 50 KB per lesson).   They also have those new porta-drives that are 40 to 80 GB per drive, so I figure space is NOT an issue.

So far I like the Toshiba.  I am a little concerned about it right now in that it seemed to hang up a little bit.  Mercifully I have 13 days to make a decision - may take it back and put an extra $50 with it to get the higher end model, if possible...1.4 Ghz seems slow, but then I'm used to working on a 2 + machine with AMD. 

This is my first time with a notebook PC...when it's running on the battery, does it tend to run slower than even the 1.4  Ghz it's listed at? Sorry, really don't know.

Also, I'll agree with those who have told me about the cooler running Celeron processors - that much is true; the AMDs I looked at were ALWAYS very hot around the mouse pads in comparison.

Thanks to those who offered help / advice.  I appreciate it!

[pointdablame]

Well, for what it's worth, I went with the Toshiba Satellite...so far I'm pleased, but was a 40 GB hard drive, not 80, on this model.  Was a bit more than I thought I'd pay, but decided to go with a more well-known, and reccommended, brand. Even so, 40 should hold me, no bigger than my lesson plan files are (about 27 - 50 KB per lesson).   They also have those new porta-drives that are 40 to 80 GB per drive, so I figure space is NOT an issue.

So far I like the Toshiba.  I am a little concerned about it right now in that it seemed to hang up a little bit.  Mercifully I have 13 days to make a decision - may take it back and put an extra $50 with it to get the higher end model, if possible...1.4 Ghz seems slow, but then I'm used to working on a 2 + machine with AMD. 

This is my first time with a notebook PC...when it's running on the battery, does it tend to run slower than even the 1.4  Ghz it's listed at? Sorry, really don't know.

Also, I'll agree with those who have told me about the cooler running Celeron processors - that much is true; the AMDs I looked at were ALWAYS very hot around the mouse pads in comparison.

Thanks to those who offered help / advice.  I appreciate it!

as far as heat goes Pentium Ms are coolest, then Celeron, then AMD.  I've heard the Turion AMD chips are cooler than former AMD chips, but I dont know where that falls exactly in comparison.

40gig is probably enough for a regular computer.  Unless you plan on putting a lot of video/games/roms on it, 40gig will suffice.  40 is big enough to hold your lesson plans and some of that stuff as well... you just won't get a million hours of videos and what not.

Laptops DO run slower than their stated speed on battery.  i'm typing this up right now on my laptop.  It has a 1.6ghz processor in it, and it is currently running at 200mhz.  It does that to conserve battery.  You can go to Control Panel > Power Options to change that.  If you set it to the "Always On" setting, you will get your fastest CPU speed, but your battery will take a hit.

If you have a Celeron and not a Pentium M, that is probaby where the speed difference comes from.  it's my experience that Celerons feel MUCH slower in a laptop than any Pentium M or AMD chip.  If that extra $50 would get you a P-M, I'd run to the store right now if I was you.

Good luck with it, if you have any more questions, let us know.  I wouldn't consider myself an "expert" but i've used/fixed quite a few laptops, so feel free to pick my brain if you'd like.

[RTSDaddy2]

Thanks man...and I will ask a question or two more.

1.) Neither model is pentium....but the one that is $50 more is a 1.6 Ghz (the one I bought was 1.4), has an 80 GB HD and a DVD writer that supports MPEG4 (I suppose) - will write up to 4 hours on a DVD.  Is it worth the trade up if they'll let me?  If I'm looking at ONLY processor speed, I'm thinking probably not...wouldn't notice much difference between 1.4 and 1.6 would I?

2.) Are the CD / DVD drive doors always that "floppy" feeling on these things? The one on my feels like a piece of tissue paper...one good tug and I'm history. 

3.) Should the CD / DVD drive eject all the way? Mine only comes out part way and I have to "gently" pull it out far enough to get the disc in.

[Havok]

Thanks man...and I will ask a question or two more.

1.) Neither model is pentium....but the one that is $50 more is a 1.6 Ghz (the one I bought was 1.4), has an 80 GB HD and a DVD writer that supports MPEG4 (I suppose) - will write up to 4 hours on a DVD.  Is it worth the trade up if they'll let me?  If I'm looking at ONLY processor speed, I'm thinking probably not...wouldn't notice much difference between 1.4 and 1.6 would I?

2.) Are the CD / DVD drive doors always that "floppy" feeling on these things? The one on my feels like a piece of tissue paper...one good tug and I'm history. 

3.) Should the CD / DVD drive eject all the way? Mine only comes out part way and I have to "gently" pull it out far enough to get the disc in.

I'm a little late to this thread, but I'll give you my 2 cents. I fix\work on pcs for a living, so I've seen quite a bit. Here's my take on your questions:

1.) If they let you spend the extra $50 to trade up, do it. The speed alone is not worth it, but the hard drive and DVD writer are MORE than worth it. To upgrade those components later would cost upwards of $150, and you still wouldn't get the little extra bump in speed.

2.) Yes. Be gentle!

3.) No. It only just ejects a bit, and you will have to manually open the rest of the way. That is standard.

And don't believe these guys about AMD producing a lot more heat than comparable Intel versions. That's true with DESKTOP cpu's, but not laptop models. I only run AMD CPUS on my machines, and have been for 7 years - love em, and I don't pay for nifty little Intel commercials with a higher price. They are very reliable chips, I have never had one fail.

[pointdablame]

And don't believe these guys about AMD producing a lot more heat than comparable Intel versions. That's true with DESKTOP cpu's, but not laptop models. I only run AMD CPUS on my machines, and have been for 7 years - love em, and I don't pay for nifty little Intel commercials with a higher price. They are very reliable chips, I have never had one fail.

I really have to disagree here.  I have used only AMD chips in my desktop for about 4 or 5 years now and love them as well.  You couldn't pay me to get rid of my A64 for a P4.  However... put a Pentium laptop and an AMD one next to each other, and you'll see that the AMD is hotter 9 times out of 10.  3 people in my family have an AMD laptop.. and they are nice systems, but they are much hotter than my P-M laptop.

[RTSDaddy2]

Guys thanks, I really appreciate it.  I bought the thing from Best Buy, so we'll see if they'll let me upgrade. Since it's only been a couple of days, I hope so.

As for the drive door, I will be careful.   

[RTSDaddy2]

UPDATE & FINALE (for me, at least):

First off, thanks again to Point, Havok, all you guys who posted giving me what I consider to be very reliable, non-biased aid in making a selection.  As has been stated numerous times, laptops I know NOTHING about, so it was nice to be able to come here and get the help and questions answered that I needed answered.

Ok...I called Best Buy immediately after reading the posts above, and posting my own.  Kudos to the staff, because:

1) they only had one of the nicer machines left; they held it for me as I don't live that far from the store (I'm maybe 15 minutes away)

2) they let me do an even exchange for the nicer machine that was $50 more; there was a question about restocking but...

3) they waived the restocking fee, so I only paid the difference between the two machines! 

I was VERY happy with the arrangement as it was MY misread on the specs of the two machines that caused me to walk out with the lower end model.  They certainly didn't have to do that for me, but it was very nice.

Thanks again!

[pointdablame]

wow, that's not my luck with Best Buy, but I'm glad you got to swap them so easily.

Enjoy the laptop.  And be sure to keep up to date with spyware and antivirus programs.... you can really feel a laptop drag if its full of that crap, especially if the CPU is throttling on battery

[SOAPboy]

for Intel,

do NOT buy Celeron processor (I know for sure...)

so far, Centrino, and the Pentium M processors seems good enough for normal users.

[Crazy Cooter]

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0214368

FWIW:
Using it now.  It's on sale in their flyer for $499 after rebates.  I like it, but the battery life is bad ~ 1 hour.

Mobile AMD

[HaRuMaN]

Acer is poo.  RTSdaddy2 made a good choice with Toshiba. 

[RTSDaddy2]

Yep, I'm going to be using the machine mainly for office stuff. This is my "school" computer...using it for lesson plan writing and storage, volleyball plans, scores, and coaching ideas...stuff like that.  I may occasionally try a game or two, but it's primary purchase was not for gaming.

I will keep it up to date with anti-virus and firewall stuff Point, but thank you for the info there also.

Based on what Cooter said, it sounds like - as ignorant as I am regarding things like that (I read your post but it didn't make much sense to me) - that I did the right thing by leaving that Acer deal alone.  That was the first laptop I looked at until some of the guys on here mentioned the Toshiba notebook.

Part of me would have liked to have had a better processor for potential gaming in the future, BUT we just can't afford 12 - 1500 for one right now.  This was right at $1000, but like I said, it's perfect to me for what I need it for (work).

[SOAPboy]

Yep, I'm going to be using the machine mainly for office stuff. This is my "school" computer...using it for lesson plan writing and storage, volleyball plans, scores, and coaching ideas...stuff like that.