What should I look for when wanting to buy a laptop?

Question

i'm very new to the laptop field/area and i'd like some advice
i want to be able to edit photos
i want to listen to music CDs, watch DVD's etc
i'd like a webcam built in
something with windows XP
um ..USB ports of course
a good processor
i can always get an external harddrive
the highest i can go is $700

Answer 1

Here is how to do more precise research to find the best one for YOU: The first step is to get information on the laptops that you are interested in and, as a second step, to search online at web stores (like Amazon or similar) or at retail shops (BestBuy, staples or similar) for the best deals on the ones you would really like to have based on your search.



This way, you get the best working laptops at the best prices.





As laptop specs change often, it is good to get non-vendor/non-partisan/non-groupie information so you should do some checking on these review/guide sites to help fine tune your search.



At each site, start by checking models and then compare them with others (or against each other) by choosing different options using boxes and drop down menus to customize the search and get what you want in your laptop ( there is even a way on some of those sites to look by inputting the price you are willing to pay to minimize the impact on your wallet ).



Your time will not be wasted (after all, you get all this from the comfort of your home) and you should find something to your liking and budget.





Stop 01 here: http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/?tag=hdr;snav

Stop 02 here: http://www.pcworld.com/products/computers/laptops.html

Stop 03 here: http://review.zdnet.com/filter/laptops?categoryId=3121

Stop 04 here: http://www.notebookreview.com/





Good luck on your research.

Answer 2

Toshiba is a reliable brand when it comes to laptops (other than Dell).



i just checked through the net and found this Toshiba laptop that can fulfill all your desired requirements except Windows XP. be aware that new laptops are no more delivered with Windows XP officially since begin of July 2008.



http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9036027&type=product&id=1218011395791

i've looked for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card as you want to be able editing photos and watching DVD's.

keep in mind that this offer ($650) will not last for a long time.

Answer 3

You might want to try Dell outlet/refurbished, shopping online.

For me it was the easiest way to get a laptop with XP on it (I really recommend XP Pro) already installed.

You'll have to modify what comes on the computer but Dell.com makes that easy. If you are unsure just get what comes automatically, except choose XP Pro for operating system.

IF you find a couple that seem okay, see if you can find them on the review sites that another answer gave you.

Answer 4

for that kind of money i would suggest buying a used one on line also if you are going to use it for just music and dvd's and webcam nember one thing to look for is battery life!!!! make sure the battery last more than 3 hours you need to buy a pentium m centrino type laptop less voltage and power consumption also look at portability "i recommend" 12.1 inch wide screen type of laptop!!! you can find one on ebay pretty reasonably priced try looking at a dell 710m or sony vaios

Answer 5

get the hp touch