# lab tops

Category: Geeks r Us

## Post 1 by rongirl17 (Zone BBS Addict) on Tuesday, 15-Aug-2006 18:21:06

Hello there. Can you tell me what is a good lab top for college. Please I want to bye one but I don't know what is a good one. thanks.

## Post 2 by BB (move over school!) on Tuesday, 15-Aug-2006 22:49:46

I know I am going to catch some crap for this one. But I personally use a Dell. The state got it for me three years ago for college. I designed what went into it. I didn't trust the state to do it, LOL.

## Post 3 by Not What You're Looking For (Account disabled) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 5:40:56

I did some researching on this for myself about a year ago. I also recommend a dell. I ended up getting a Dell Inspiron 700 M. A very good model. The only thing one may not like about it is that it has a rather small keyboard. It is hard to get used to, but it really is fine after a while. IBM Thinkpads are also nice computers. A couple of friends of mine use those and like 'em. Gateways and Sonis are often good too. My personal fave is Dell though. HTH, and good luck!

## Post 4 by rat (star trek rules!) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 8:52:44

no dells! personaly, i would ask cool brandon about this. he has a large folder of info about laptops

## Post 5 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 9:39:14

Are we talking a laptop or are we talking about some weird new breed of computers for labradors?
Assuming it's a laptop &LT;grin> I would not go with Think Pads for the simple reason that they are just too expensive for what you get. I'd also go with smaller ones (smaller than 15.4 inch) for the simple reason they are lighter and why in the world would we need the big screen, the battery life is also slightly improved. I'd say Acer are great computer (but generally too large), Dell are good. Gateway at least used to be cr*p but I've heard they've improved a lot. Personally, after some research, I got the Compaq v3000 model. It's $800 but has the dual-core 64-bit AMD processor, which is very efficient, does not overheat and just rocks, and it also has 1gb of ram, it's 5 pounds and has all the bells and whistles you may want, and I saw very good reviews on it. So, my preferences are definitely Acer and aforesaid Compaq computer (got it from Circuit City).
cheers
-B

## Post 6 by bozmagic (The rottie's your best friend if you want him/her to be, lol.) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 17:35:21

This would also help me as I'm looking for a wireless laptop. Which is the best make and model to go for there? I got a new mobile a couple of weeks back and switched networks from Virgin to Orange at the same time. The contract I'm on, also meant we got free wireless broadband as well and our live box came yesterday.
Trouble is, we're not sure who's getting the laptop yet. I think I should get one for me because I'll need it when I eventually start work and can't use their PCs unless they load JAWS on to all the PCs I may need to use if I'm not always in the same office, room or area in the building wherever I end up, so I'd like to get a laptop for that reason. Also, I'd like to be able to use it round friends, houses if they have wireless routers and live boxes, so if anyone's got any suggestions as to the models me and anyone else who's looking in to getting a laptop should go for, wireless or otherwise, those suggestions would be much appreciated.
Jen.

## Post 7 by Austin (the magic fan!) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 18:03:36

well. dell rules but compaq also made a steller laptop.And it's laptops not lab tops, lol it's all good. anyway dell, conpaq or gateway. and vaios suck cause you pay too much and your just paying for the sony name and ya get riped off. buy a dell or something like that. don't make th evaio mistake, please! my friend did! vaios are good quality but not a good price, but if ya have the money then do it. but it ya don't cell or conpaq is the way to go.

## Post 8 by bermuda-triangulese (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 18:58:14

recommend strongly against dell. Very strongly, I've had a dell inspiron 1450 and have had no end of problems with the bastard. Cords failing, harddrive replacements...ETC ETC. I've also heard of others who go against dell

## Post 9 by frequency (the music man) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 19:21:11

I'm getting a custom laptop with the new core 2 Merom processor. I'd stay away from Dell as well.

## Post 10 by bermuda-triangulese (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 22:48:18

custom? how is that? I didn't know you could get laptops custom built. Lol pardon my computer ignerence, are they quite stable then? I've heard custom-built desktops are quite good, so what about laptops?

## Post 11 by WillieTheWoof (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Thursday, 17-Aug-2006 0:49:47

Hmmm, am I hearing death to dell? My office is a dell shop however my biggest problem with Dell is they install so much demo software on the machine that it slows the thinkg down. then when you start uninstalling thinkgs well, sometimes strange behaiviors take place. I'm liking hp which I gather is compaq. someone help me here didn't hp buy compaq? Does the compaq name still exist? Also, AMD is a rather nice processor: fast, stable and just plane good.

## Post 12 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Thursday, 17-Aug-2006 9:20:59

Yes, HP bought Compaq about 3 or 4 years ago. They still brand the Compaq as their less expensive computers (at lesat notebooks). The reviews for the Compaq v3000 claim they even made a mistake pricing that computer too low since it'll compete directly with the more expensive and supposedly better HP model, although really its only "advantage" is a bigger display which, to us blind people, is a disadvantage if anything.
I believe both HP and Compaq lines will continue but, yes, they're owned by the same company. And, yes, death to demo software. It's super annoying.

## Post 13 by V.I. p (Zone BBS Addict) on Thursday, 17-Aug-2006 16:02:53

I have a custom made computer and it really rocks especially since the state bought it lol. Anyway, this company evas (forgot what it stands for) makes or I should say, makes them accessible custom made stuff. It may be expensive depending on how much you're willing to spend but the desktops and laptops come with everything already installed. Jaws, zoomText, etc, etc. Check it out at www.evas.com

## Post 14 by Polka dots and Moonbeams (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Saturday, 19-Aug-2006 0:39:18

I bought a hp notebook about 6 months ago. I'm really enjoying it so far. Fits all my needs. I don't remember exactly, but I think it is the dv1000 series. The screen is 14.1, which is pretty perfect. The ones smaller seemed to result in a cramp keyboard. Anyway, love it!

## Post 15 by b3n (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Saturday, 19-Aug-2006 17:49:31

I can't speak for the laptops that dell make, but are main family type desktop thingy is a dell, and we've had it for 3 years now, with the only problem with it beeing software.
I did make the mistake of going to pc world and picking up a no name laptop which i have had to take back lodes coz've motherboard problems and stuff like that, so i don't reckamend that one.
O and sony vaios are great if you can afford them. It seems that people here are considering only the price of the computer, meaning that if you can get a p4 2.4 ghz w 256 mb of ram and a 40 gig drive for like $300, your gonna get that one over one that costs $700 aren't you...? Even though the one for $300 is most lightly going to fail more often.
I mean thats not going to be right in every case, but it is in most of them. What i'm trying to say is that vaios seem expencive for the spec of some of them, but in like 75% of there computers they put good stuff in them.
75% of people on this site can get a mid range computer disregarding the make for a bit and upgrade the ram to 512 mb of ram and you'll be happy.
So to answer the 1st posters question: some aspects of a laptop are very personal to the person that is using them, for example the keyboard.
Sure, you can take everyones advice about how crap dell are, but if dell keyboards are the only keyboards that you feel happy using, then get a dell; after all, it will have a garanty
so if it brakes, you can just take it back. The only 2 things that i would say for you is to make sure it has 512 mb of ram and that it has a wireless card.
hth, BEN.

## Post 16 by Austin (the magic fan!) on Friday, 15-Sep-2006 8:17:28

actually, i just messed with the new vaio, oh man. talk about the perfect laptop. 12 inch screen, 2 pounds and a lot of good features. dell is great. People have had bad experiences with dell, but i've only had good ones, thank god, and yes, I will agree with the demo software statement! hp is great and so is gateway. and tosheba!

## Post 17 by frequency (the music man) on Friday, 15-Sep-2006 11:57:43

yeah, the only bad thing about buying from places like sony, hp and gateway, is bloteware, bloteware, bloteware! Which is why I format and install my own copy of xp on it. lol

## Post 18 by WillieTheWoof (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Friday, 15-Sep-2006 22:33:43

now there's a term I have never heard but a perfect description. All of that rediculous stuff makes the machine so bloted it can't do much untill it is releaved of all of that horible softwaer.

## Post 19 by jamesk (This site is so "educational") on Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 0:17:00

I love Dells. I am on my second one an love it. They have the bst tech support I've ever had, which I count as a great benefit.

## Post 20 by Texas Shawn (The cute, cuddley, little furr ball) on Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 0:37:40

yeah, my vote is for dell. just got my second one. Nice com pooter
grin

## Post 21 by b3n (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 16:56:54

What the fuck? The dell tech support is shit!
Well granted if the first thing you say is that you want the problem to be esculated then maybe its not that bad, but usually its crap.
BEN.