Guitar Gear Forum

I need to get a new laptop and was wondering if anyone here could give me some recommendations as I haven't done any laptop shopping since 2008.

Needs/Preferences:
- Used for work and school.
- Occasionally, I might use it for a video game or recording a clip, but that won't be the primary purpose.
- Minimum 15" screen size.
- Back lit keyboard would be convenient, but not required.
- Budget of $1,000 at the most, but I would prefer to come in lower than that.

Some questions I have right now:
1) Which brand(s) would you recommend? So far, I like Toshiba's satellite series, but I haven't done a ton of research.
2) Which processor should I go with? I see that a lot of laptops have the current gen Intel Core i3 processors. Are these any good, or should I look for something with an i5 or i7?
3) Would you recommend Windows 7 Professional, Windows 8 or Windows 8 Professional?
4) How much RAM would you suggest having? I won't be putting the computer through too much, but I have no problems buying a little more than I really need right now so that the computer won't be completely obsolete next year or the year after.
5) Which HD size would you go with? 320, 500 or 750 gig?
6) Anything else I should know/research?

I have an HP touchscreen laptop with an i7 that kicks all kinds of ass. I go through a new notebook every 3 years (I do a lot of teaching on line) and, for about $700, it would be really hard to beat.

Want something that won't crap out in a year or two? Lenovo. (As suggested by my friend who works in computer support).

nakedzen wrote:Want something that won't crap out in a year or two? Lenovo. (As suggested by my friend who works in computer support).

This or Toshiba.

If you can't or won't pony up for a mac then really, Toshiba is my default. I've owned several and they're boringly reliable. You find youself saying "Feck... I wish this thing would grenade so I could buy a new one!!!!!!"

The Lenovo stuff is basically IBM and they've been a favorite of business for years. Lots of fleet type sales to big companies so obviously they hold up well and go the distance. Can't go wrong with either.

I moved my company exclusively to Lenovo a few years back and couldn't be happier

About 3 months ago, I bought an old floor model HP 17" i7, with windows 7 pro for about $800. So far its worked great and I've had no issues.

nakedzen wrote:Want something that won't crap out in a year or two? Lenovo. (As suggested by my friend who works in computer support).

This, although one of the tradeoffs you have with a Lenovo is that they stint a bit on the sound/video card front vs. something like an HP or Sony. OTOH, my son has gone had at least two HPs break on him in the time that I've had the Lenovo I am typing on.

On the tech specs end of things, I'd vote getting either an i5 or i7 processor (the latter not really necessary) and windows 7. With microsoft operating systems a good rule of thumb is never get one of the even-numbered ones. This has been true at least back to DOS 6, and is certainly true for Vista for all intents and purposes Windows 8.

PurpleTrails wrote:

nakedzen wrote:Want something that won't crap out in a year or two? Lenovo. (As suggested by my friend who works in computer support).

This, although one of the tradeoffs you have with a Lenovo is that they stint a bit on the sound/video card front vs. something like an HP or Sony. OTOH, my son has gone had at least two HPs break on him in the time that I've had the Lenovo I am typing on.

On the tech specs end of things, I'd vote getting either an i5 or i7 processor (the latter not really necessary) and windows 7. With microsoft operating systems a good rule of thumb is never get one of the even-numbered ones. This has been true at least back to DOS 6, and is certainly true for Vista for all intents and purposes Windows 8.

That's why I mentioned Toshiba. They're a bit more consumer oriented but uber reliable and built well. I agree about Win-7. It's pure epic win compared to virtually every other offering by Microsoft.

Thanks for all the recommendations, guys. I pulled the trigger on a Toshiba satellite with an i5. I also got some of the upgrades like the tilted back lit keyboard and such which I am really looking forward to as typing in the dark on my current laptop is a pain in the ass.

I wanted to get Windows 7, but the model I bought doesn't come with it stock. I can get Windows 7 for 75% off through school, though, so I figure I'll try out Windows 8 and if it doesn't work, I'll pull the trigger on Windows 7.

Now to play the waiting game.

Rampage wrote:Thanks for all the recommendations, guys. I pulled the trigger on a Toshiba satellite with an i5. I also got some of the upgrades like the tilted back lit keyboard and such which I am really looking forward to as typing in the dark on my current laptop is a pain in the ass.

I wanted to get Windows 7, but the model I bought doesn't come with it stock. I can get Windows 7 for 75% off through school, though, so I figure I'll try out Windows 8 and if it doesn't work, I'll pull the trigger on Windows 7.

Now to play the waiting game.

The Satellites are nice little machines for the money. Mine's a Satellite that's about 6 years old now. Win-7 and all that. Slow and clunky by today's standards but it's reliable as hell. True story... The delete key no longer works very well because my kid used to jump up and down on the keyboard. I used it as a DVD player for the longest time. He was about 18mo old and I caught him jumping up and down on it on my desk lol. What a little turd. Only thing that doesn't work right is that one key. Everything else, touchpad, speakers, everything, works fine.

madryan wrote:

Rampage wrote:Thanks for all the recommendations, guys. I pulled the trigger on a Toshiba satellite with an i5. I also got some of the upgrades like the tilted back lit keyboard and such which I am really looking forward to as typing in the dark on my current laptop is a pain in the ass.

I wanted to get Windows 7, but the model I bought doesn't come with it stock. I can get Windows 7 for 75% off through school, though, so I figure I'll try out Windows 8 and if it doesn't work, I'll pull the trigger on Windows 7.

Now to play the waiting game.

The Satellites are nice little machines for the money. Mine's a Satellite that's about 6 years old now. Win-7 and all that. Slow and clunky by today's standards but it's reliable as hell. True story... The delete key no longer works very well because my kid used to jump up and down on the keyboard. I used it as a DVD player for the longest time. He was about 18mo old and I caught him jumping up and down on it on my desk lol. What a little turd. Only thing that doesn't work right is that one key. Everything else, touchpad, speakers, everything, works fine.

That's a very expensive trampoline.

That's the kind of durability that made me want to get one. I don't beat on my stuff so I like to invest in things that will last when treated well and it seems like Toshiba fits the bill. I decided to invest a little more than I needed to (I went with upgraded graphics, RAM and HD), but I figured that it was only around $100 more than a lower tier model and that additional investment may give it a longer functional life. Very curious to see what Windows 8 is like, though.

Make sure you update to the 8.1 version before you make a judgment. That fixed a lot of the complaints people had with the original version.

I've got a 5 year old Satellite, myself. I think it's on it's way out, but I may just do a drive format and reboot to try to see if any bugs work themselves out.