some opinions on laptops

[SW20Racer]

well, the time has come to put the vaio in the repair shop (the infamous busted power port issue) and I've come to the conclusion i want to make the vaio my desktop and have something easier to lug around. I'm loking for something sub $700 (mostly so 12 people dont yell out "macbook air!") I fucking HATE macs.

i know about the offerings out there, and im checking out the asus eee 8gig pretty hard (keep in mind its just to take with me whenever i need something convenient, which is ALWAYS) if i went with the asus i would be using an external hard drive for storage of ANYTHING and it would be the 8 gig since i can run windows on it (i like being able to use my ipod, something linux cant do)

anyway, what im after is opinions from anyone who owns/has used a sub $700 laptop. what you thought/would you buy one/would you buy ANOTHER
et c...

[BustedS13]

look for a low end Thinkpad. best laptops on the market, end of fucking story. macbooks can eat my dick.

for more bang for your buck, Acer is a solid brand.

shop on www.newegg.com

[eastcoastS14]

Macs are badass but expensive...if i didnt have my laptop id buy one tho...I have a toshiba satellite...big ass display, good for movies and games, fast, and has some interesting extra features

didnt see the $700 thing till after...oh well

[SochBAT]

I'd say, if you're just wanting portability, and function, go with teh eeePC.

Lightweight, user friendly, its got what you need, not shit you don't. 300 price tag, so legit.

You can mod it if you'd like.

4gig HD (yea, minimal)
expandable SD slot, and external HD support via USB. Do it.

[BustedS13]

I'd say, if you're just wanting portability, and function, go with teh eeePC.

Lightweight, user friendly, its got what you need, not shit you don't. 300 price tag, so legit.

You can mod it if you'd like.

4gig HD (yea, minimal)
expandable SD slot, and external HD support via USB. Do it.

those things are a hot topic right now. but they have no power and a screen smaller than one of my rope-like pubes.

[azndoc]

check out these two websites I looked at when buying my labtop.

www.newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com)

www.gotapex.com (http://www.gotapex.com)

I'm no computer guru, just the sites is what I found my deal on.

[SochBAT]

PS. Linux can do iPods.

GTKPod FTW.

I run linux on my computer and shitty 6 year old laptop.

1.3ghz Celeron, 512mb ram, 200gb running Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon flawlessly.

1.00ghz 128mb, 16gig Gateway Solo 9550 running Xubuntu flawlessly.

Linux is effing amazing.

[SW20Racer]

they are a hot topic and thats what confuses me, they seem to be a decent little machine for what it is but why not a 9ish+ inch screen and delete the webcam? i dont need a webcam. i use the laptop for four things only:
1.Zilvia
2.Email
3.Myspace
4.Googling random stuff/Babelfish

I've checked the Acer and Thinkpad side out and its not bad but its still a fairly decent chunk of weight/space taken up(read: i cant velcro it to my dashboard so i can be alerted if i have danger to my manifold:D )

I would like to see an 8 gig asus in person though, supposedly it runs xp without having to trim anything down and i figure if i keep all my stored information (mp3's mp4's) on an external HD it shouldnt have any real problem running anything.

and ill probably end up with a zune/zune clone pretty soon since they are more universal and dont require any actual program to run they just register as an external HD as well

i guess what it comes down to is, ill have to see an asus in person. ill decide within 10 seconds if i can/can't stand the ittybitty screen.

edit: i didnt know linux could do ipods. wierd. even still, ill use windows. good old familiar windows! such a warm embrace!

[SochBAT]

I've played with teh eeepc myself. I love it. If i could spend that little for it, i would, but i personally don't need a laptop. I'm actually giving my other laptop to my buddy in college. Every kid in college needs a laptop!

I ditched windows a long while ago, and haven't looked back since. I hated all those trojans and viruses and crap, and having to bootleg shit. I don't have to worry about that crap in Ubuntu.

And you can dual-boot in linux, running that and XP. Its pretty legit. Youtube is your friend.

Myself, i only use my compy for Zilvia, email, myspace, tech/game/movie/music blogs, all that jazz.

And we all know the real reason people get laptops. Mobile porn.

Porn + Linux = JUGGERNAUT BITCH!!!

[muddafakka]

I was recommended the Acer Aspire 4720. What do you guys think? It's gonna my first laptop. Just need something basic, nothing too fancy. I need it for school and to relieve boredom on trips, etc.

[sillyvia13]

alienware aurora 17 ich screen...
I love mine...

Git yee self a backpack for it too...complete nerd box...w/ wireless...lol..

[240love]

alienware is expensive isnt it?

[SochBAT]

Alienware is an arm and a leg, seriously.

Too bad you can't make your own laptops.

Or maybe i just don't know about it yet, but it'd be cool.

[SoCal-s130]

Hey buy this ish!

http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=173564&highlight=asus

[cc4usmc]

I HATE my Alienware.

[SW20Racer]

I HATE my Alienware.

can you elaborate?

[mrs.drift33]

The Macbook Air... so tight

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B723661&node=home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air

[SW20Racer]

The Macbook Air... so tight

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B723661&node=home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air

you're just being funny right?

SW20Racer: well, the time has come to put the vaio in the repair shop (the infamous busted power port issue) and I've come to the conclusion i want to make the vaio my desktop and have something easier to lug around. I'm looking for something sub $700 (mostly so 12 people dont yell out "macbook air!") I fucking HATE macs.

i got to see an asus eee in person today and the screen didnt bother me at all ill be picking one up very soon. hopefully the one thats for sale on here...

[LongGrain]

i know you dont want one, but i guess i'll chime in anyway.

i have a black macbook, and i love it. i was never convinced about apple until i started using my laptop.

[SW20Racer]

i know you dont want one, but i guess i'll chime in anyway.

i have a black macbook, and i love it. i was never convinced about apple until i started using my laptop.

its all good yo! everyone has their own preference. its just that i used a mac for so long in the past, that i acquired a hate for them. then i get this janky vaio, which hasnt been that bad to me, just the power port is infamous for failure (and guess what mine did!)

i MIGHT leave linux on the asus it just depends on how lazy i am/how hard it is to put xp on the asus

i honestly dont even like my ipod. it was a nice gift, and ill use it till it explodes. i just dont like apple. that and im looking for something under $700...

[g6civcx]

My background: I work as a traveling consultant. I went through probably 30+ laptops in my career. Generally I use business apps. Nothing computationally intensive, but enough to load graphics and do presentations.

I bought 3 Acers. They were on sale for $350 new at my local retailer. For something on the go, you can't beat the value because you know it's getting abused.

So far they've held up pretty well. I use pretty much standard Windows apps for work (Office/browser/Project/Visio/etc.). I was impressed by the value, user friendliness, and it feels more durable than my Dell.

Dell seems to be standard issue, but I've gone through so many of them. The design is good and drivers work well, but they're so flimsy. I bought about 10 for my personal use, but I got rid of all of them for various reasons. Plus anything under $700 isn't going to be what I want to use.

I've gone through a couple of IBM Thinkpads as well. I think they're the best, but they're sooo expensive.

HP/Compaq/etc. I have stayed away from the past because my companies didn't offer them and I didn't like them enough to buy them on my own.

The laptop I'm posting right now is a standard issue Latitude that's well over $3k. If not for my work, I prefer to use my $350 Acer to tell you the truth.

[SW20Racer]

i know this is a mild case of "thread from the dead" but i think my question is valid. (that and i didnt think it warranted a whole thread)

im in the process of googling right now, but it never hurts to ask, does anyone here have any experience with an "aircard"? (you know, internet anywhere, im not sure if im calling it by the right name though...) is the connection always there? does weather effect it's signal like satellite tv? im trying to find one i can plug into a usb port as well. any suggestions?

[blackrms13]

maybe you can try looking for 2nd hand/used laptops on ebay
sometimes they have pretty good deals on there

[SW20Racer]

maybe you can try looking for 2nd hand/used laptops on ebay
sometimes they have pretty good deals on there

got the laptop. went with the asus eee and have xp installed, upgraded memory et c. it does have wireless capabilities, but i want to be able to connect no matter where im at. and it doesnt have the slot for the aircard thats why im looking for something i can plug into a usb port (if it exists)

[SW20Racer]

hm, nevermind guys, i just came across this about 4 pages into a google search http://laptoping.com/att-sierra-wireless-aircard-875u-usb-modem.html the best part is, i can add it to my cellphone bill since im already with at&t. so i guess let this sink to the bottom again.

[SochBAT]

Or, if you've got a PDA and unlimtied data, use PDANet. It works legit. Find a cellphone that can tether and get a good plan.