Laptop death imminent, need help selecting new
 

I had a catastrophe with a Diet Coke this weekend (don't get me started, I KNOW it was a bad idea). Now, the laptop (Toshiba Satellite M35X) itself works great- no data loss, no problems. But it's not charging. The AC adapter isn't getting warm and I suspect it's shorted out completely. The Targus universal AC adapter (which is just okay) is working but not charging. I suspect the power thingie (technical term there) on the motherboard is dead and I suspect it is time to replace this ol' thing anyway. My ex used to handle this sort of thing for me, so while I'm pretty tech savvy, my knowledge tends to lean toward software, rather than hardware.

So....anybody want to help me shop for a new machine? I have around $600 to spend before having a heart attack, and I know that isn't much. Things that are important to me:

• I've enjoyed the Toshiba and enjoyed the Compaq I had before that. I like the screen size and it fits in the laptop compartment of my backpack.
• I'd like to get it through Circuit City because I can get 5 AA miles per dollar if I play my cards right (2 for Circuit City gift cards from GiftCertificates.com, 2 for actual purchase from Circuit City, 1 for using Citibank Card- yay!).
• I really, really don't want Vista and I'd like to have Windows XP pro, but can buy a copy if necessary
• I do most of my business using OpenOffice/Microsoft Office, Dreamweaver, Photoshop. I do play games and watch movies, occasionally. :p
• I'm not very patient and I won't wait 5 minutes for the computer to start up, even at $600 (see Vista comment above), so I'm pretty sure I need more than 1GB RAM, I think. Maybe.
• Hard drive size isn't totally important- I don't keep much on the internal hard drive, but use external drives
• Generally, what's most important to me is performance and longevity
• Weight isn't of serious importance- I have an Asus EEEpc for travel. I'd like to stick around 6 lbs or less.

So....any suggestions? Help? :confused:

TIA,
GG

If you have the Asus, think about how much you really need another lappy.
Maybe it's a good idea to stick with a desktop instead, where spilled Coke only equals a new keyboard!
Otherwise, my stock advice is to look around at what the high-end Asian brands (e.g. Toshiba, Fujitsu/Fujitsu-Siemens, Samsung, NEC, but preferably not Sony) have available at your price point and make a decision on that, avoiding the likes of HP/Dell/Acer/Lenovo, who are a bit stingy with the components they use (they aren't necessarily bad, but OTOH they are nowhere near as rugged as the others).

Funny, I came to Travel Tech. to ask about a new laptop and this is the first thread :)

I'm also looking for a new laptop so I guess I'll semi-hijack your thread (mods please create new thread if you thinkappropriate)

My laptop is on its way out - old, clunky and now underpowered. It's a Dell Inspiron 9100 and when I bought it it served well as a desktop replacement and was pretty reasonably powered. Made a few upgrades over time (more ram, 7200rpm hdd) to keep it going. Besides it now being quite slow, a major pitfall of the machine is its bulk - I don't take it when I travel overseas as a result.

I'm looking for something that will last a few years. Speed, power and portability are important (I sometimes have to run Quark, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat when receiving files from our graphics ppl.) Looking to spend around $1,600, will not consider a mac and am leaning toward a del xps 1330.

The Asus isn't really suitable for full-time business, IMHO. Great for travel, but awful for doing what I do- the keyboard and the screen are far too small for this machine to be a useful full-time machine.

I need to be portable, so I really require a laptop, not a desktop. My error yesterday was in setting the glass of Diet Coke on a book on the sofa next to where the laptop was located. I thought it would be safe for a second but my cat had other ideas and just her little hop onto the sofa created a massive catastrophe. LOL

GG

Hey! Didn't you know it's all about ME? :D:D:D

GG

Watch out for additional costs
 

I have a couple of Toshiba laptops. My experience has been that they've needed service, several times, before becoming stable.

Also, they don't necessarily come with the latest drivers, so plan on spending some update time.

Additional Costs
You will need at least 2 gig of memory, so plan on adding (but memory is very cheap these days).

The bottom feeder laptops usually come with a low capacity battery. Plan on another C note for a higher capacity one.

If you use Microsoft Office you probably will need to add another $120 or so for another copy. Possibly ditto for other software.

Just under a year ago I was in the same boat, my almost-5-year old Sony Vaio having given up the ghost. I ended up with the Fujitsu Lifebook S7110, and have been very pleased with it. It weighs only 4.1 pounds, draws only 75 watts (meaning it's good to go with airline-power supplies like Empower) and has performed flawlessly. It's not the cheapest, but I like its combination of portability and performance (it looks like the 7110 has been superseded by the 7210 series):

http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Eco...o?series=S7210

My partner was looking for a new laptop a few weeks ago.... and I got great advice from a frequent contributor here.... he suggested www.dell.com/outlet. We were able to get this computer:

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineS...X63&POPUP=true

for 15% below the $809 cost because the outlet store had a 15% special going on.

Lots of Laptop for the money!

Dell SB has Vostro 1500 laptop with dedicated video card for $499 wich free shipping. Thanks g0dM@n
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo T5270 (1.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Works 9. Does NOT Include MS Word
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA LCD Anti-Glare Display
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM
8X CD/DVD+RW Read and Burn CD and DVD
128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
80GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
Dell Exclusive MediaDirect Instant Play Software Application
Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Wi-Fi Internal Card
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
1 Year Basic Limited Warranty plus 1 Year Mail-in Service
High Definition Audio 2.0
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...421&lid=197378

Are these Dells suggestions for me? If so, are they obtainable through TigerDirect or CircuitCity? I need something that I can get either of those places so I can still get miles for the purchase. :)

GG

Whatever you get, six months from now it will be out of date. You can get a better machine for that price by looking for one that's six months out of date now but was high-end when it was new. Try eBay, Craig's List, etc.

On eBay, I only consider things that are local and where the seller will let me drive over and check them out before paying. I've turned down some too-good-to-be-true deals where the seller wouldn't do that. Never been burned, have saved a lot.

(Once the seller wasn't local. He was in Denver. I was about to take an award flight from BOS to the west coast on United miles. It was easy to schedule a DEN connection just under four hours. He met me at the airport and we did the deal there. This is FT, isn't it?)

Non-NonRev: I checked out the Lifebook and they seem to be pretty well respected machines with a good build. My concern is the video card, which isn't specified (so I guess it's likely an integrated card.) That aside I was able to price one out with all the features I wanted just a bit over my price range, so it is a viable option.

wharvey: How was your experience buying from Dell Outlet? I checked that out but am a little wary about buying a refurb - though the savings look like they can be pretty good. Guess I'll keep my eye on it since they don't have what I would want available right now (xps m1330 2.5ghz, 4gb ram, 120-200gb 7200rpm hdd)

Yes, it was for you.

No you can't buy it through those places for that price. I'm sure you can find a comparable one for a few hundred dollars more if miles mean so much to you.

Sometimes you just have to weigh how important "points" are when deciding on price.

3 miles per dollar through office depot:
Downside is Vista.
http://dealnews.com/Toshiba-Satellit...ng/223300.html
From TigerDirect (only 1g memory but xp pro):
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...298&CatId=3449

If you could tell me how to go about buying a legal new copy of XP Pro, I would really appreciate it as I am sure others would as well.

Thanks!