Looking to get my first lap top

ctstar

14 years ago

I am asking for a lap top for Christmas. This isn't for work just home use.

I was wondering can anyone lead me in the right direction on which is a good one that doesn't cost $1000.00?

Also cvan some tell me the difference between a notebook and a lap top. Also what is a mac?

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Comments (7)

iris_gal
14 years ago
Notebook used to refer to a laptop under 10 lbs.

The term netbook is used for the small screen less powerful ones gaining popularity because of lighter portability.

Mac is short for MacIntosh computers - both desktop and laptop.

A year ago I bought my 1st laptop. I read the big box store ads every Sunday and googled the ones in my price range for specs, reviews and anything else I could learn.

I decided I wanted a 15" screen, 2 GHz speed & Core 2 Duo processor, 3 Gb RAM (can upgrade to 4 Mb), B thru N WiFi (N wasn't available in my price range), ordinary graphics (don't game so didn't want to pay for a dedicated card), DVD read/write. Didn't care about a webcam but they all had them. Would have liked a SATA drive (over my price range).

Today I could buy my laptop for 1/3 less.

You have to start the comparison shopping task after you decide what is important for your needs. Spend some time at the stores and take notes. Unfortunately even salespeople can pass along faulty info. I had decided on a Toshiba and ended up with an Acer Aspire and it has good sound quality which I had neglected to consider. Got lucky. A friend got an Asus with a SATA drive and loves it. A little over $1000.

Lucky you ~ you'll get Windows 7 instead of Vista unless you buy a Mac.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
14 years ago
the things that you need to let us know is exactly what you want to do with it and what type of hobbies you do that you will be using it for, like photography, video, gaming, etc.

I just bought my husband an Acer Aspire Laptop for his Christmas gift, I got it at bestbuy on sale for $329. It is all he will need for sitting in his recliner and reading and surfing and using some woodworking design software, It has an AMD Athlon processor it is a single core not double or quad he does not do anything heavy that would require that kind of processing. It has 3gig of Ram and 160 gig Hard drive plenty for him and it came with Windows 7 home premium. Now I am having to learn Windows 7 to get it all set up for him. It is a full laptop not a net book so it is larger and heavier.

So it just really depends on what you want to do with it and how much money you want to put into it. Right now there are great prices so really no need to spend a ton of bucks.
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Any new laptop you buy will be able to connect to the Internet if you already have an Internet service at your house. If you want to switch from BellSouth to AOL or to any other provider of Internet services, it doesn't matter: the laptop will still be able to connect to the Internet through whatever provider you choose. Most providers do not need to have any special software installed; you just need to have a browser installed, like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc., and all of these are free. At least one (probably Internet Explorer) will already be installed on your laptop when you buy it. If your MIL does not have Internet service, you generally can't connect when you are at her house. Think of Internet service like regular, wired phone service. If you are at someone's house and they don't have a phone line, you can't make a phone call. Now I am going to tell yo something a little more complicated. When you have Internet service at your house, the company will typically provide you with a little electronic box called a router. This device hooks up to a cable in the wall that carries the signal the company provides, and then a wire goes from that little box to your computer. You can get access to the Internet from the wire that comes from that router, or you can connect without the wire because the laptop has a card in it that can receive the Internet signal wirelessly (sort of like a cell phone) from the router. That way, you can move around the house easily with the laptop, or maybe even sit outside with it. The disadvantage of a wireless connection is that it has limited range. The computer may not be able to receive a signal in some parts of your house. On the other hand, if the signal was strong, you might even be able to get it wirelessly and connect to the Internet at your MIL's, even though she doesn't have her own service. Given that you know little about computers, probably any laptop will be just fine for you. You should choose one primarily on the basis of the screen size and how much you want to pay. Don't get talked into spending a lot because all the features and speed you need will be present in even the lowest cost computers. If you go shopping and are confused, ask more questions here before buying. Lastly, there are many good books out there that will explain what you need to know in very simple language. Get yourself a book like Computers for Dummies or something similar like the one below. (In trying to answer your questions, I have assumed that whatever Internet service you have that it is not the old-fashioned, painfully slow dial-up that uses a modem. If you do use dial-up to get Internet service, then there is other stuff to tell you. Here is a link that might be useful: Absolute Beginner's Guide
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urlee
14 years ago
Now I am having to learn Windows 7 to get it all set up for him. It is a full laptop not a net book so it is larger and heavier.

Naughty naughty! Are you playing with it now?
Shame on you.
Don't wear it out before Christmas.
I hope he doesn't see it before the big day!
bbbluz ~ DonnaB
14 years ago
ctstar,
Here's a link that I found informative.

Here is a link that might be useful: Best inexpensive laptops reviewed
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
14 years ago
Oh he already knows unfortunately, I had to get it all set up and cleared of the crud programs, put AVAST on it and Malwarebytes and all his favorite card games etc, and his favorite software. But it will be put back in the box and under the tree so he has something to open since we are doing Christmas at my families down south.

I even loaded the kindle and all the books on it for him.
Of course I will be the one maintaining it so yes I am playing with it so I can try to learn windows 7. I have made good headway thanks to some great online tutorials.
janetokla
14 years ago
These are probably stupid questions, but here goes:
1. Could I use a laptop/notebook with my regular HP printer?
2. Would I have to do anything special to use it any place in my house or out?
3. My niece uses an attachable hard drive for pictures - why not just use a memory stick?
Thanks so much!
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
14 years ago
1. should be no problem you can either set up the printer on that laptop or you can network your computers and share the printer, if the printer has an ethernet port you can just plug it right into your router, there are various ways to go about it.
2. to use it wireless you will need to have a wireless router set up so you can send a wireless signal for the laptop to access, any new laptop or netbook will have the capability of using wireless built in.
3. either will work, external hard drives come in larger sizes and are also often used for backing up the computer too.

Looking to get my first lap top

Comments (7)

iris_gal

ravencajun Zone 8b TX

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