Dell or HP?

I am sure that macgeek will chime in here, but I would recommend a mac laptop. while they are more expensive, you don't have to buy antivirus each year for one thing. Originally Posted by kccountryboy

Definitely, a second recommendation. I know more people than I have fingers and toes that have purchased a Mac laptop and have sworn that now that they have made the switch that they will never go back to a PC. Then again, maybe they are just trying to make me smile. ;-)

I am sure that macgeek will chime in here, but I would recommend a mac laptop. while they are more expensive, you don't have to buy antivirus each year for one thing. Originally Posted by kccountryboy

There are plenty of free anti-virus software programs including avast, which I use. They can be downloaded at download.com very easily. I cannot justify getting an Apple because of the expense. I can get two very good PC's for the price of a very good Apple. You just get more bang for your buck when it comes to a PC. If I was more into graphic, photo or video editing software, I would get an Apple.

...go to the Mac store and spend an hour with a mac laptop. You won't be sorry.

I have tried dell's HP's spartans and toshiba in my business. So far nothing works as good as a toshiba, also I like the 17" with full keyboard. I wil only use toshiba because they have been very very dependable, I think the visual quality is better and after working on them for 13 hours days my eyes hurt more with the others especially the spartan. If you havent already I would get the toshiba.

Over the years I've found IBM laptop's to be the most durable, however I've also owned several laptops, one being the Dell I'm using right now. I enjoy this Dell XPS 1330 and would recommend it again to anyone. When it comes to laptops, I always recommend and buy a onsite warranty, because if anything goes wrong someone will come out and replace parts onsite.

IBM's are durable physically. But when they break, they are a pain in the butt to work on. Hardware and software. Proprietary everything. Expensive parts. Specialized knowledge required.

Throw it away and get a new one.

And I used to work for IBM.

I have used dell laptops for the last 10 years and had pretty good luck. I have gone through a couple of hard drives. I have heard great things about toshiba. One of my collegues ahs used toshiba as long as I have dell and hasn't had any problems at all.

I've been using the same Dell for 5 years. I've had plenty of problems with it in the past, but I've always been able to have it fixed pretty quickly, and it's probably all due to my heavy use of the computer. I spend at least a few hours a day on it, but it's held up pretty well for me. I also personally think Dell's customer service is fantastic, I got the extended warranty and every time they had to come out to my place to fix something I was always happy with the results. I can't really speak on the other laptop brands, as I've never had anything but my Dell, but I've been really happy with it. Maybe someday I'll save up and force myself to buy a new one, but for now I've just added an external hard drive to the mix and I'm good.

As stated before, get a cooling pad for your laptop. I've been using a Compaq for 2 years now with no problems. I also like the HP's and Dell's easier to get replacement parts. As far as extended warranty most will only cover hardware, if you loose the O/S because of a virus or non hardware related problems more than likely you will be charged for service.

I've had both Dells and HPs and if I were to go out and buy one today I'd get an HP simply because of preference. I think HPs are aesthetically more pleasing and I prefer their screens. Other than that, you can get them custom built to your liking. As far as processors go, I've had both Intel and AMD and I've had great luck with both so I wouldn't hesitate to get either.

Many people have made good suggestions above. Especially important are issues of cooling (such as not blocking the air vents) and taking reasonable physical care when moving the machine. My wife, before passing away last year, was an extremely heavy user of our laptop ... it was in almost constant use all day. The Dell we have is on it's 6th keyboard. The weak link on many machines of all brands is the keyboard if the machine is used heavily. Take a look at the laptop display in a Wal-Mart store and note how many of the machines on display are missing keytops. It is very hard to replace a keytop that has popped off.

Consider a Dell or Lenovo (the name of the Chinese company that IBM sold the laptop business to). Both of these will sell you the extended warranty and also, what amounts to insurance, that will fix or replace the machine no matter what happens to it. We replaced this Dell when I spilled a glass of juice on the keyboard and it cost nothing extra because we bought the extra coverage.

Also, not all of the laptops made by a given company have the same keyboards; some models are just better than others. Also, look carefully at the keyboard layouts ... some are much more convenient than others. Go to the store and try typing on a lot of them before you decide.

Finally, Apple users are very happy with their machines. However, it's also true that the Apple software is much more trouble-free than most Windows software and Apple has the best customer support in the industry. This makes Apple users happy in general but it's not all due to the quality of the machines.

Wow what a well thought out and insightful response, thanks. Originally Posted by dirty dog

dd don't pick on my hero......my Toshiba is over 6 years old. Still running XP. Wait, almost 8 years old, counting my fingers, sorry. But the point is that laptops are not as stable as desktops- heat, abuse, batteries are factors. I back up on an external drive now because I'm sure it won't last much longer.

And a plug for the MacBook on base programing and features...costs more, yes. Check Consumer Reports too!
http://web.consumerreports.org/lapto...mputer_ratings

Intel
http://www.intel.com/learn/buying-gu...ptop|im148D7|s

cnet
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/

and PCWorld
http://www.pcworld.com/products/computers/laptops.html

for brands and models.....all good sources

Why is that people who don't use Macs always gripe about the price? I don't mind paying extra for a machine that gives me hours upon hours of blissful happiness. Since purchasing my first Apple machine I have owned 5 desktop computers and two laptops. Out of all of those machines I have never experienced a hard drive crash, never received one virus, and have never had to fix a major hardware problem. At most I have had to reinstall some software that went screwy.

I drive a Honda Accord. Why? Because it's a solidly-built car and I can afford it. I would love to drive a BMW....black, and fast! I don't drive one because I can't afford one. But if I could I would in a heartbeat! Who wouldn't?

I deeply feel that you get what you pay for. Or, in my case, what I can afford.

Finally, Apple users are very happy with their machines. However, it's also true that the Apple software is much more trouble-free than most Windows software and Apple has the best customer support in the industry. This makes Apple users happy in general but it's not all due to the quality of the machines.

The reason Apple's software works as well as it does (iTunes, iChat, iPhoto, Safari, etc.) is because the same company that makes the hardware also designs the software. They were made to run together. The fact that so many different third-party companies design software to run on Windows is the reason there are so many problems. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.