Help deciding on a Laptop for college - Please read?

Question

I have been looking around at new laptops lately trying to decide what I want to purchase later this summer before I go to college. Here is what I am required to have on this:

- Laptop that can run Adobe CS5 Design Premium and CAD software.
- 1,280 x 800 or more with qualified hardware-accelerated graphics card, 16-bit color, and 256 MB of dedicated VRAM.
- Direct X 9-capable graphics card
- DVD/CD Read/Write Drive

I have been considering the Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 15z, I am iffy about choosing the 15z because it seems to have some shortcomings.

I looked at the Sony Vaio line but reviews are reporting numerous problems and a friend of mine had one and it broke not too long after purchase, so I am hesitant to try one of these.

I looked at the HP Envy line but I don't like the design and I heard the Beats audio isn't good.

I looked at the Samsung Series 9 laptop but it seems to have sacrificed function for form. It's a gorgeous laptop, but from what I gather it also does not have a disk drive?

Overall, I am looking for something I can use for work and play while in college. I want to enjoy listening to music and watching movies in my spare time. I also want this laptop to last me, have good battery life, and be fairly portable. (13 - 15 inch) If you have ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, please link me to where I can find more information and explain why you recommend the laptop. Price is not an issue.

Also, before anyone recommends a Mac, I will not switch to Apple. I am way too comfortable with Windows.

Answer 1

samsung series 9 is decent, having an i5 dual core. u dont really need i7 quad, as it drains battery alot.



http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/samsung-series-9-900x-laptop-review/



dell 15z is good. the original 15xps had problems, i think, but the 15z might only have battery draining issues. 3-5 hours?



http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/dell-xps-15z-review/



look at the new sony S series here



http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644768016



they're pretty good, but not as many problems as usual dell/hp computers.



cd/dvd write isnt a bit problem. if you usually carry a case around, but an external drive in it. not big either

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135251

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151231

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151223

all good.



according to engadget's benchmarks, the xps 15z had better scores than samsung 9. look on the 15z review for that. but consider battery life as an issue. the regular xps 15 is chunky, and although it has core i7, it drains battery. quad core drains more battery than dual, and current gen dual cores are very good already.

Answer 2

Get a dell inspirion 8gb ram 750 hd 1080p video card

Answer 3

Dell XPS 15 Laptop (T541105IN8):



CPU: Intel Core i5-460M (2.53GHz, 2Core/4Threads, turbo up to 2.8GHz, 3M cache)

Memory: 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (1 x 4G) (operates at 1066MHZ for Core i5 processors)

Display: 15.6" HD (1366x768) WLED display with TrueLife

HDD: 500GB 7200RPM SATA

ODD: Tray Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive with DVD+R double layer write capability

Graphics: 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M graphics with Bluetooth (with WIDI)

OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit (English)

Warranty: 1-year XPS Premier Service with 1-year CompleteCover

Price: Rs.49,900/-

Answer 4

I have heard OK reports on Lenovo an Toshiba but nodirect experience.

Answer 5

Apple,notebook.