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| Super secret message for MusicaSacra; and computer geeks - Laptop recommend? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 20 2007, 03:03 PM (539 Views) | |
| Kincaid | Dec 20 2007, 03:03 PM Post #1 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Can anyone give me recommendations on what brand, model and specs for a laptop? My daughter is going to be going to college for six to eight years to get a degree in Pharmacy. |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| Rick | Dec 20 2007, 03:21 PM Post #2 |
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Senior Carp
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cannot speak from experience but here is a link to get you started. http://www.consumersearch.com/www/computer...errer=yahoo_ssp |
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| Axtremus | Dec 20 2007, 03:53 PM Post #3 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Kincaid, First check if her Pharmacy department has any explicit requirement on computing equipment (e.g., certain software that Pharmacy students must be able to use). Personally, I like Apple laptops. I've been a satisfied customer of their PowerBook G4 "Titanium" running OS X for many years. They build solid, durable laptops that come with awesome software. They can run Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint "native" in Mac OS X, and the new MacBook and MacBook Pro models can run Microsoft Windows itself. But if the Pharmacy school has certain Windows-only software that every Pharmacy student must use on daily basis, or the budget is really, really tight, then I'd tend to go with a non Apple machine. You'd have more lower cost options to choose from. On the non-Apple side of the fence, I like Dell's Latitude series. I've used the Dell Latitude D620 for a couple of years and thought it a solid performer. I'm now using a D630 which I am also quite happy with. Recent dealings with their customer support people have also been quite satisfactory. Good luck to you and your daughter.
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| musicasacra | Dec 20 2007, 03:55 PM Post #4 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I see tons of Dells on campus. They have some of the better prices out there among main brands, and I've had zero issues with mine. Make sure you get her the features a student will want -- a fast processor, 9 cell battery (some of the older classroom buildings may not have plug ins at each seat), DVD/CD burner, web cam, bluetooth, and get the MS Office software and a printer. A Mac, a bit more expensive, is also a great choice. I don't know how long their batteries last. They will run Windows if she needs any Windows-only software. |
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| Kincaid | Dec 20 2007, 03:56 PM Post #5 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Thanks Ax! I suggested maybe we think about a Mac and I was surprised at the reaction - she didn't like them, probably because she is so used to Windows. Wonder how she'd like Vista? |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| Kincaid | Dec 20 2007, 03:57 PM Post #6 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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What's she gonna need that for?
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| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| musicasacra | Dec 20 2007, 04:01 PM Post #7 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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For sending messages back home or chatting with the family of course! I use mine for recording lectures. |
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| Axtremus | Dec 20 2007, 08:38 PM Post #8 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Help pay for tuition and room & board, may be?
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| Kincaid | Dec 20 2007, 09:12 PM Post #9 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I was afraid of that!
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| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| Klaus | Dec 21 2007, 01:37 AM Post #10 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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The most basic question you need to answer before buying a laptop is whether she preferes a small-and-light one with little computing power (12" something) or a big "desktop replacement" thing (15+") or something in between (14"). I for one like small notebooks, because the big computing power is not needed for almost everything except games. The second big choice is between a consumer-style laptop (focus on multimedia stuff) and a business-style laptop (focus on security, reliability, battery duration, weight). Incidentially I bought a new one two weeks ago, a 11" Sony Vaio TZ. It is a bit pricey, but in my opinion it is by far the best business-style subnotebook available on the market. If you want a robust and reliable workhorse, I'd take a look at the Lenovo Thinkpad series. I like the X and the T series. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| Frank_W | Dec 21 2007, 04:18 AM Post #11 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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Oh man... I wasn't even gonna' go there... LOL
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| The 89th Key | Dec 21 2007, 06:27 AM Post #12 |
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Good advice in this thread. There are some solid deals out right now, and the price seems to drop more and more each day. Either way, for long-term use, certainly get a dual processor, at least 2-4 gigs of RAM, and a large 120+ gb hard drive. The longer battery life is also key in a laptop, if she plans on carrying it around alot. I'd also check out sites like www.cnet.com and www.pcworld.com for various reviews. Good luck! |
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| Jamie | Dec 21 2007, 06:47 AM Post #13 |
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Junior Carp
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If you are doing any number crunching, Toshiba makes impressive and affordable wide screen versions which feature a seperate number keypad, similar to a desktop - extremely convenient. (We just purchased This One for our son for his budding music recording and DJ'ing career for $699 at Staples). I hate trying to use number functions on standard laptops without this feature. Our experience with this manufacturer in terms of reliability and stability has been good. The other pain with laptops is the mouse. I gave up on the various iterations of built in ones a long time ago, and any time I use our work laptops on the road, I always pack a standard mouse. Another feature to compare is battery life. Some brands expire almost as soon as you unplug them, so look for a long battery life on constant use. Laptop hard drives tend to be less stable than desktops, according to our IT people, so it may be worthwhile investing in a high capacity USB storage device for backup of anything important. If you plan on hanging on to it for any length of time, investing in extended care programs beyond the manufacturer's warrenty would be wise. Finally, with the advance in plug and play peripheral devices, look for the number of USB ports built into it. To my mind, you can never have too many... My $0.02 Jamie |
| Rudy - September 1, 1998 - April 8, 2009... One awesome dog | |
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| musicasacra | Dec 21 2007, 08:17 AM Post #14 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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For my MBA studies, I have a lightweight 12" Dell XPS 1210. It's perfect for carrying to campus, recording lectures, taking notes, working in Excel during class, etc. plus writing papers, drafting presentations, doing homework. I have a 9 cell battery for it which lasts through the 3 hour classes I have. Since it is small and lightweight (and I knew I would be carrying it to campus), I purchased an additional accident protection policy which covers drops, spills, etc. When I graduate, however, I'm replacing this Dell with a 15.4" MacBook Pro -- I will be doing book editing, maybe AUTOCAD, and using music composition software. So I will really need the bigger screen for those tasks. |
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| Jolly | Dec 21 2007, 08:25 AM Post #15 |
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Geaux Tigers!
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About pharmacy as a major....highly competitive, demanding curriculum. If you choose the right school, a PharmD can be done in 6 years. Starting pay down here is $51/hr, but I know of one special young man that got $225,000/yr out the gate. Laptops? IMO, focus on durability, battery life, and ease of use. And make sure she has a spare battery pack. |
| The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros | |
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| musicasacra | Dec 21 2007, 08:27 AM Post #16 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Definitely on the spare battery. I keep one in my school bag. Spring for the 9 cell -- she'll need it. |
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| Axtremus | Dec 21 2007, 08:45 AM Post #17 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Battery life -- this is where the PC options beat the Apple stuff, and where the Dell Latitude series beat the Dell XPS series. ![]() Just get one of those laptops with how-swappable media bay (a slot where you can put in a CD/DVD drive, or alternatively, put in a second battery). Apple products give no such option. For my Dell Latitude, I've got both the 9-cell main battery and a second 6-cell battery that I plug into the media bay. It does add weight, but I find the trade-off worthwhile for me.
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| Kincaid | Dec 21 2007, 08:51 AM Post #18 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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This is great stuff - thanks everyone! I am kind of leaning toward the Lenovo. I like their reviews. My cheap side wants to buy something lightly used off of craigslist and save a thousand, but reality tells me I'd probably regret that. My daughter is worth it! |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| Frank_W | Dec 21 2007, 09:01 AM Post #19 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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You could get the Jay Lenovo, but you can't change the wallpaper on it:
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| musicasacra | Dec 21 2007, 09:20 AM Post #20 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Since she'll be needing it for school, to write papers and do homework, I would definitely spring for a very good computer. It's an investment in her education. |
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| Klaus | Dec 21 2007, 10:05 AM Post #21 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I bought a used Lenovo/IBM X31 for my partner some time ago. You can get excellent used ones for $500, and they are still absolutly sufficient to do all typical office tasks. There are many companies that buy these laptops in large numbers from companies who used them as business laptops in large quantities, clean and check them, and then sell them on ebay. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Dec 21 2007, 10:06 AM Post #22 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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:lol: :lol: Frank, that was just |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| Frank_W | Dec 21 2007, 10:09 AM Post #23 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| Kincaid | Mar 17 2008, 10:34 AM Post #24 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Update: In case anyone thinks my new thread was deja vu. Here's the original. Mostly wanted specific recommendations on the Lenovo specs from their website, though I'll still incorporate all this advice as well. |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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| QuirtEvans | Mar 17 2008, 10:52 AM Post #25 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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Depending on how long you want it to last, Lenovo just came out with one with a solid state hard drive ... no moving parts, so it will last a lot longer. Mucho expensivo, but if she'll have to live with it for six to eight years, it might be worth it. |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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Oh man... I wasn't even gonna' go there... LOL

10:39 PM Jul 12