Helping my mom pick out a laptop...

J

jfuze

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
182
My mom has really wanted a laptop and has about $800-$900 to spend.

The main thing im confused about is the processor. Are the AMD notebook cpu's ok? What should I be looking for in this price range?
 
AMD i've used forever. But recently since the Centrinos came out a few years back i've used Pentiums. Centrinos are equivalent t higher power CPUs at lower clocks, and are heat/energy efficient. I'm not sure about AMD right now for laptops. But here budget is perfect for a very fast laptop if you go to the right places and look..
 
It depends what kind of laptop she's looking for. It's probably unlikely that she plays games, so what you should think about is whether to get something small and light with a smallish(13-14") screen, a 15" notebook with decent power, or a 17" unit if she wants something that has a full-size keyboard or if she has trouble seeing with small screens.
 
The one thing I learned when doing research on what to look for in a notebook....when it comes to the processor...Core 2 duo!
 
no, 45nm core 2 duo, it blows away the 65nm's (more than 30% faster, clock for clock, less heat, longer batt life)
 
AMD will change things in coming months, but right now their mobile processors just aren't where they need to be.

At that price range, you'll probably be looking at basic Core 2 Duo processors (1.66GHz to 1.83GHz or so), which will be fast enough if your mom isn't looking for raw performance.

You should definitely ensure that any system your mom gets has at least 2GB of RAM and reasonable battery life: one warning is that while HP's notebooks are often good enough quality, the stock 6-cell battery is usually sub-par. If you order it online, you can get a higher-capacity 6-cell that does much better. They and most anyone else will also let you get 9-cell or larger battery packs that will add to the bulk of the system but will last for an extra hour or two.
 
30%?? Show me a benchmark.

Dell refurbished has some AMAZING deals on Vostros (the tougher, better business version of the Inspiron), if you're willing to deal with satan.
 
In addition to Dell often having great deals, with the recent Mac refresh you can get the last generation macbooks for a steep discount that will put them in your price range.

And as for the shift from 65-45nm resulting in such dramatic performance increases, I call shens.
 
At 800-900, you could get a Dell Vostro 1400 or 1500 with almost everything, including discrete graphics.

You could also get a Lenovo ThinkPad R61 for a reasonable price; graphics will probably be Intel's X3100, but that won't affect an everyday user (it will actually boost battery life) and you'll get the best laptop keyboard in the world.

Before buying online, make sure you search for deals and online coupons. With Dell and Lenovo, they can make a big difference in price.

Finally, a Certified Refurbished Apple Macbook (same warranty, appearance, and function as a new machine) from the online Apple Store is going for about $799 right now, since there has been a product refresh, and this is one generation old. Differences between the previous generation model and the current one aren't major unless you're a die-hard techhead.
 
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