# Laptop opinion **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [April 2, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543 "2009-04-02T12:17:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Janus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@Janus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Janus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/1 "2009-04-02T12:17:48Z")
So i’m leaving for school in about three months now and its time to purchase a laptop. I have two in mind. HP dv3510nr (bestbuy blue label design) [http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9027714&type=product&id=1218010176167](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9027714&type=product&id=1218010176167) [SIZE=2]HP TX2500z Convertible Tablet AMD Turion™ X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-86 (2.4 GHz)[/SIZE] 4g SSD2 ram 250g HD (5400) HP tx2500 > **[HP Pavilion tx2500 First Look Review](http://www.tabletpcreview.com/feature/hp-pavilion-tx2500-first-look-review/)** > > HP unveiled a number of new products at this summer's "Connecting Your World" media summit in Berlin. One of the products on hand was the all-new HP Pavilion tx2500 convertible Tablet PC. This update to the tx2000 tablet features the latest AMD... Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology with interrelated Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor P7350 4g SSD2 ram 320g HD (5400) Both are going to MORE than fill my need in school (decent processor for baic computing, large HD for numerous .pdf/word/powerpoint docs, decent screen). my thought is this… I found the tx2500 used (6 months) from a guy at RIT. I called HP and you can purchase a new extended warrentee at any point withint the first year (the tx2500 came out less than 8 months ago). I can purchase it for \>900, and its already loaded with MS office student/home, Norton antivirus, adobe ps, onenote. the warrentee will cost 319.00 for three years total care coverage with accident protection (theft, water, electric, ect), door to door service (shipping covered). is buying a used computer a no no? even with a stellar warrentee? should i purchase the best buy one jsut because i can have it covered thru them? reason i ask is that these are the expected costs: HP dv3510nr: 999.99 + tax + ms office + add year to warrentee = ~1400 HP tx2500: 900.00 + 319.00 (warrentee) = ~1220 i save on the tax, software, get longer more comprehensive coverage, and a computer that is infiniately more versitile… thoughts all you nerdy kids? Thanks!! ---
**Author:** ![llink78](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/llink78/32/8037_2.png) [@llink78](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/llink78)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/2 "2009-04-02T12:20:51Z")
you can always get ms office from a torrent. unless you like paying for that kinda stuff ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/3 "2009-04-02T12:21:15Z")
I wouldn’t waste your money on the tablet. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/4 "2009-04-02T12:30:05Z")
I jumped on a tablet in college. It was cool for a few days but trying to use it for anything normal blew. ---
**Author:** ![RobHimself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e480ec/32.png) [@RobHimself](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RobHimself)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/5 "2009-04-02T12:30:36Z")
I was just going to say the same thing. Tables while neat arent going to be very functional at all for daily use. You will most likely be getting a much better bang for your buck out of a normal laptop. ---
**Author:** ![fiend540](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bcef8e/32.png) [@fiend540](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fiend540)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/6 "2009-04-02T12:31:25Z")
Neither of those are good deals. I bought an hp dv6-1050us for $850 a few weeks ago from newegg, try shopping around and see what else you can get in your price range. ---
**Author:** ![Janus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@Janus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Janus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/7 "2009-04-02T12:54:16Z")
yeah. i see what your saying, but this is going to be my primary computer for everything for 4 years. i need longevity, not only of components, but also of technology. the tablet has some nice features (capacitive touch, like the i phone or i touch), along with typical laptop and tablet features… im kinda tossed. newegg isnt so bad, but after i tack on a huge warrentee thru the maufacturer, im looking at comparible costs with lesser specs then the two i listed. or am i wrong, and newegg built ones come with extended coverage? ---
**Author:** ![fiend540](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bcef8e/32.png) [@fiend540](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fiend540)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/8 "2009-04-02T12:59:24Z")
Newegg sells factory built laptops, that you can buy an extended warranty on. I think it came to like ~1100 bucks with a 2 year ADR warranty. ---
**Author:** ![Treads4Heads](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/treads4heads/32/7416_2.png) [@Treads4Heads](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Treads4Heads)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/9 "2009-04-02T13:01:47Z")
I HIGHLY reccomend getting used with a warrenty over used. I did that with my dell and is still stellar. also check out [www.techbargains.com](http://www.techbargains.com) They normally don’t have such beefy laptops for sale but for half the price you can still get an awesome computer. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/10 "2009-04-02T13:04:18Z")
I have used the HP touch smart PC too. You would be suprised how little you touch a screen doing general computer work. IT gets annoying. Just get a real laptop if you want it to last. ---
**Author:** ![Joe](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joe/32/7219_2.png) [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/11 "2009-04-02T13:05:41Z")
1.) HP sucks balls. They will void your warranty for anything and leave you high and dry. They make shit up to avoid fixing your PC under warranty. 2.) Tablets = impractical and waste of money 3.) Get a Dell with an at-home service warranty for half of that with just as good of components. Particularly if you go Dell Outlet with the 15% coupon they have floating around on slickdeals. ---
**Author:** ![Janus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@Janus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Janus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/12 "2009-04-02T13:09:08Z")
i was also in the market for the m1330 (very much so, i LOVE dell) but i heard alot of negative with regards to the GPU overheating. ---
**Author:** ![chino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bcef8e/32.png) [@chino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/chino)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/13 "2009-04-02T13:10:16Z")
tablet screens also suck to look at… yea, don’t get a tablet, you will think it’s cool for about 5 minutes and then be completely uninterested. i just picked up a dell studio 15 laptop with the following specs: 15.4 WUXGA (1900x1200) Screen 2.4ghz core 2 duo 1066 FSB 4gb ram radeon 3650HD 250gb 7200 rpm hd dvd-rw bluetooth integrated webcam wireless n card for $775 with a one year warranty, 0% financing (it saved me an extra 3%) you can save $100 or so getting a WSXGA (1600x1050) screen, i am a resolution junky so i paid extra for the primo screen… WSXGA is more than adequate though. the graphics card is meh, but it is great for non-gaming purposes. google dell coupons you can almost always get 20-25% off whatever laptop you want if you wait a month or so. ---
**Author:** ![BillysRevenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@BillysRevenge](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BillysRevenge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/14 "2009-04-02T13:52:44Z")
Dell or HP… ---
**Author:** ![Janus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@Janus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Janus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/15 "2009-04-02T14:22:49Z")
lol well both the computers in the origional post are HPs. I was thinking how nice a tablet might be for viewing radiology reports ect, but then again i wont really be making use of something like that untill after my first two years… this laptop needs to be more dedicated to learning/facilitation of learning. the usefulness i see out of it is writing on pdf files directly, voice recording the lectures and syncing it to the notes, HIGH portability (12.1" ~4.5 lbs) ect. i think i can get by with whatever to be honest, im just a classic over thinker. Dell is having a sale the first week of august and mon 4/6 is the xps m1330 sale day… i just wish they would post the configuration before the day of the sale… ---
**Author:** ![BillysRevenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@BillysRevenge](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BillysRevenge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/16 "2009-04-02T14:31:23Z")
Go on HP and play around with some configurations. - What’s your budget? - I take it this has to be easy to carry (i.e. not a 19" 20lb notebook) - Don’t worry about software, that’s what torrents are for. Unless this is for business. - How Important is warranty to you? Are you a person who is going to spill 9/10 drinks on the keyboard and wonder why it doesn’t work? - What type of programs will you be using the most or what will this laptop be used for. ---
**Author:** ![Janus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@Janus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Janus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/17 "2009-04-02T14:50:56Z")
budget: sub 1300 (all told, tax ect considered) software: not going to lie, im a noob with this stuff, never used a torrent. warranty: very important, though not because im a klutz, more because im going to go 4 years with a VERY minimal income to cover living expenses programs: Primary (word, powerpoint, adobe acrobat), Secondary (programs allowing manipulation of radiology reports, pt. management software, pharm. programs, anatomy) im in all honesty leaning toward a traditional 13.3 or 14.1 lightweight powerful notebook and put off the prospect of a tablet for another 4 years and THEN consider it (technology will have increased, cost will drop) tablet displays are pretty grainy and i think i would prefer a nicer display. ---
**Author:** ![SPDboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@SPDboy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SPDboy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/18 "2009-04-02T15:11:40Z")
I paid 600ish for my Dell studio 17 w/4gb ram 320gb HD intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 Ghz w/backlit keyboard (love that) Wireless N and webcam etc. I have the ATI Radeon HD 3650 video chipset and HDMI w/remote. I purchased mine through [delloutlet.com](http://delloutlet.com) ---
**Author:** ![ZOMGVTEK](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/zomgvtek/32/5063_2.png) [@ZOMGVTEK](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZOMGVTEK)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/19 "2009-04-02T15:55:53Z")
I would never consider buying a HP laptop, theyre one of the worst you can get. Most Dell’s are ok assuming you get a 3+ year warranty on it. I really dont know what to recommend you as almost all laptops have issues. The only laptop I would ever buy would be a Asus, Apple, Dell, or MSI. But the only Apple in your price range is the MacBook, and theres better out there in that price range. The MBP however, is very nice. The only thing I care about is the display, user interface and warranty. And Apple unfortunately has a epic warranty system. You bring it to a store near you and they fix it in a few days. As long as it wasnt dropped in a pool or ran over, they fix it. Dell has almost as good of a warranty. The screen on most laptops is fucking garbage unless you start spending over 1k, even then its iffy. The MBP has a good screen for a laptop, and every other 1000-1500 laptop I used is junk compared to it. And some of these laptops are impossibly dificult to use with a tiny trackpad that feels like garbage and the buttons are hard to click or poorly placed, the keyboard isnt backlight and is akward to use… etc. If you are a average user, these things probably wont bother you as I see people using garbage laptops all day. But you really need to feel the laptop before you buy it. The processor does not really matter, youre not going to notice the difference. Id prefer a Core2Duo, but its not a big concern. RAM is huge, if you run out and the computer is forced into use the HD for virtual ram, youre fucked. Laptop hard drives are terribly slow unless you get a 7200rpm one. And even those are just almost as fast as a standard desktop hard drive. So if you have a 7200 rpm option for not much more, go for it. As long as its not running intel integrated video, youre fine there. Whatever you do, get a warranty. Its more important than you think. ---
**Author:** ![Vile](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vile/32/7595_2.png) [@Vile](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vile)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543/20 "2009-04-02T15:58:43Z")
amd has been complete crap as of late… core2duo or centrino2 only. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/laptop-opinion/65543.md?page=2)