Want a high-quality, not too expensive laptop?

Question

Hi. I really want a laptop for high school. The problem is my dad got fired and we don't have a lot of money. Originally I was going to get a dell now and an Apple Mac when I go to college, but now one laptop is going to have to last me high school and college (That's going to be at least 10 years.) So, my first question is do you think its worth it to pay $999.99 for a Mac now, since there good laptops and will last a long time, or just get a $440ish dell and upgrade it? If you think I should get the dell, what brand (Inspiron...etc.) is the best? Thanks so much.

Answer 1

Dont get a MAc because if you buy once where are you going to buy the parts and the parts will own you.. lol talking about an arm and a leg.



Depends on if you take care of your things. You can get a default laptop and upgrade it and the most you could pay is 500 for the whole package... go to bestbuy.com and look.

Answer 2

Most laptops last 3-4 years at most before the hardware shows signs of becoming dated. My dad has a 12 year old desktop with extensive upgrades, such as more RAM, additional usb ports, a dvd drive, and a new operating system (originally Windows 98). It's still painfully slow. That thing can't even play dvd's properly, it shows one frame every few seconds. I suppose that's to be expected with a then-fast 333 MHz Pentium II. Laptops are also more difficult to upgrade than desktops, because they use a lot of integrated parts to save space.



There are a few good and bad things if you want to get a mac. Though they are expensive, they also tend to be worth more secondhand than other used computers. However, you could buy a pc with better hardware for less than the mac. For example, compare the specs of this laptop http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220739 ($949.99) to some of the 15" macbook pro's ($1799), and you can see that higher-end macs are sometimes twice as expensive. The main difference between a mac and a pc is the operating system, not the hardware. Macs are essentially fancy pcs that run on OS X instead of Windows. If your classes don't require you to use OS X specific software, or you don't need a good graphics card for games/video editing/3d rendering, I'd say go with a cheap pc for now and hope for a better one in college. By then, you may have more money saved up from a part time job for instance. Some college programs also have software that only runs on one operating system. For example, CAD software is usually Windows-only. If you never run OS X on a macbook it is a waste of money.



List of Bestbuy laptops $330 - $600: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&initialize=false&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuid&nrp=15&iht=n&list=y&sc=abComputerSP&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031~~cabcat0500000%23%230%23%2311a~~cabcat0502000%23%230%23%23o~~nf518||4c657373207468616e2024363030&usc=abcat0500000&ks=960&st=processingtime%3A%3E1900-01-01&prids=&cp=1&_requestid=314269



Whatever laptop you buy, I'd recommend getting a good warranty. With budget computers, there's nothing worse than facing a repair bill worth more than your purchase.

Answer 3

Let me make a case for Mac, then provide you a Windows based alternative in case you're not convinced. Honestly, I'm weary of these Mac vs. PC opinion wars. Let me just say this: I won't argue that Macs *can* get viruses. They can. But for whatever reason, they *don't*. Just look right here on the Yahoo Answers "Computers and Internet" category. Virtually every page has a question by a person who has a virus (trojan/worm/spyware/whatever). Sometimes they don't even know it, and they're asking how to uninstall Antivirus Product X that is a virus disguised as an antivirus. Other times they say, "Why are my Google search results being re-directed?" which is the result of a virus.



But I have never ever seen anyone on Yahoo Answers ask about how to remove a virus from their Mac. Those questions just aren't there. Mac haters: Why do you ignore this fact? Why? You may argue the "market share" theory all you want. The bottom line is that I don't care why my Mac doesn't get viruses. The bottom line is that it doesn't.



Still not convinced? Go for the Pro-Star KHLB2. I like to refer to it as a "Baby Alienware", and it's only $581: http://pro-star.com/index.cfm?mainpage=productdetail&model=KHLB2

Answer 4

Sorry to say this but MAC or PC, technologically you can't get 10 years out of it, maybe 5 at the most if you get something High-end right now.



I would advise you to buy a custom desktop PC. In the long run you will be able to upgrade it as technology changes and as your needs change. Laptops have very limited upgradability (hard drive, RAM, possibly processor).



I currently Have an ASUS N61JQ-X1

http://www.amazon.com/N61JQ-X1-16-Inch-Versatile-Entertainment-Laptop/dp/B00352LQZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1277750683&sr=8-1



I guesstimate I can get about 5 years life out of this with Ram and Processor upgrades in the future.



But if cost and length of time before you can buy another one are an issue, a desktop would be a better choice

Answer 5

Hi Sara,



PCs are a great value. You should check out the Dell Studio 15. It has a fast processor, 4 GB RAM, and 500 GB of storage space. It is a great size (15.6" screen and 5.5 lbs) so it is portable. Keep in mind that no matter which brand of laptop you choose, it will probably not last ten years.



I hope this helps!



Isabella

MSFT Windows Outreach Team

Answer 6

well you get what you pay for... dell hp any other 400-600 dollar laptop is made from plastic, probably has generic parts... but if you do get something in that range i suggest an hp but i think you should get you an apple because they are made from aluminum and have a battery that lasts 4 times as long as a normal laptop battery and they are not as susceptible to viruses as pc's but i understand that money is tight so go to hp.com and check out the pavilions they are of good quality and have good specs at a low price.

Answer 7

I only bought my macbook in april and this is astounding!! i'd say bypass for the macbook. this is amazingly intense priced, so i'd chosen only the prevalent macbook. Macbook professional isn't necessary. Macbook comes with a dictionary/glossary contained in the computing gadget, a converter, calculator, and much extra so this is going to paintings astonishing for school, its been operating for me up to now and that i'm 15. Macbook also comes with a loose printer. properly, no longer precisely loose.. before everything this is one hundred$ yet then you really get a rebate so this is largely loose. i wish this helped :) Oh and satisfied Birthday!

Answer 8

Actually, my HP is pretty badass n it was only around $500-600.

Answer 9

im sorry im not gonna give you a full answer, theres only one thing i have to say! DO NOT GET A NET-BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE JUST A PIECE OF JUNK! no matter what people say do not and i repeat don not get a net-book!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway+-+Laptop+with+AMD+Athlon%26%23153;+II+Dual-Core+Processor+-+Coffee+Brown/9732686.p?id=1218162981351&skuId=9732686

It's what i have and I'm in middle school.Working great!