I've got a laptop and a desktop, both of which are showing their age. I'd like to get a replacement for both.

It should have:

A decent lifespan for battery.
Be able to play the occasional game.
weigh less than 5 lbs all in.
have a dvd writing capability
And I don't want to pay more than 2500 US.
I'd like integrated camera and mike.
A good size hard drive and at 2 mb of ram.
Reliability with a good warranty.

I'm not a heavy graphics user...more of an excel person. A docking station would be great if available, but not necessary.

I've looked at the vaios and the HPs online. The sz (and I read the long thread on this one) looks pricey. The Hps look interesting for their price point.

I live in Honduras so need to buy one online to be picked up on my next trip to the US.

Does anyone have a suggestion?

thanks,

Lorna

I was going to suggest the HP's myself, but I've had bad experiences with their quality lately, more plastic and less quality control.

When you say "desktop replacement", are you really looking for a true desktop replacement grade machine, or just a notebook with a 17" display?

You'll have a hard time finding a true desktop replacement at 5lbs, the Dell M2010 for example is a whopping 18lbs...

A Dell M1710 may be an option for you and fits the budget too.

One more tip: don't always fall for the built in webcam option, the one in the HP's is just plain nasty and while it claims to be 1.3 megapixels, it's actually only 300k pixels and doesn't work well in light, you'd be better off with a good high quality external webcam.

No. Not a true desktop replacement.

I just probably won't buy a desktop. That's it.

Thanks for the warning on the HPs. Dell is an option...I've had better luck with their desktops than their laptops however.

Lorna

Dell has a bad name with their notebooks, but I really can't figure out why. I switched to them years ago and haven't had a single issue. As always, it does make sense to invest in an extended warranty.

Dell does have a presence in Honduras, so perhaps its worth checking to see if any of the US warranties can be used there in case something goes wrong.

If you can drop the integrated camera,

a) have a look at these - highly underrated
http://www.zepto.com/Shop/Notebook.aspx?notebookid=133

b) Panasonic Y5 is right up your alley.
I bought one of these for about $2,150 (total with shipping) to the US:
http://www.conics.net/catalog/produc...products_id=99
If you want it with 3 y warranty I think it will run you just a tad over $2,500:
http://www.conics.net/catalog/produc...roducts_id=100

If you pay via paypal, they ship to confirmed addresses only....but if you pay by bank transfer they are happy to ship the laptop anywhere you want.

Yu could also buy the US version of this laptop from USAT (online retailer), Portableone (online retailer) Panasonic USA, Panasonic Canada, geekstuff.com (US front for Conics) and newegg.com might have them too. Prices vary a quite abit, but Conics.net is the cheapest source in my opinion. Very reliable and they communicate very rapidly.

If you REALLY need the camera, have a look at:
- Acer, both their regular and "Ferrari" lines
- Asus as well
- The Sony SZ line at portableone.com

Thank you scott and osamede.

Osamede, with the Y5 are you able to play games well? I am not a big game user but would like to play a few while on the road.

My understanding is the Y5 does not have a dedicated video card, which hampers the performance in this regard.

The camera is not a deal breaker.

Also, does zepto ship to the US?

Lorna

I dont play games, but on one of my previous laptops with same integrated type of video card, my younger siblings did use it to play games. So I suspect that stuff about "must-have" integrated graphcis and games is overblown - especially if you are doing it on the laptop itself and not on an external LCD. There are probably maybe some 3D games that might maybe.

Best you contact Zepto for details, but their .com website seems to suggest they do ship to the US.

I've successfully replaced my desktop with a Sony Vaio TX Series. At less than 3 pounds and typically 4 to 5 hours battery life, the main thing you'll need to determine is if the slightly smaller keyboard suits you. I find it easier and quicker to use than a full size model now. Lacks integrated video camera and mic - but offers dual layer DVD writer and up to 100GB HDD, 2GB RAM, lots of other options depending on model and price. Good luck!

My last two laptops were Dells, but I just switched to a Lenovo T60 ThinkPad.

Superior durability and ergonomics, and within the OP's price point. The tech support call center is in ATL.