Laptop suggestions...
 

I'm in charge of choosing a laptop for an attorney -- wants a larger sized keyboard, good size screen, durable, and MUST be able to be locked down with some sort of biometric device (will be used in the court house).

I'm looking at a Sony Vaio BX series. Anyone have better ideas?

Price is (supposedly) no object, but I have a feeling that if I come up with a $3,000 solution, I'll be shot down.

I have that Dell xps, not that huge monster one, but the one right below it. It has a beautiful screen, a large keyboard but no num pad which is my only dislike. It is really well designed and keeps cool even with many programs running.

Yeah, I'd probably go with a 600m for him (which is what I use for school) except that the keyboards on Dells are notoriously crappy. Mine already has a key loose.

I haven't played with the XPS yet. Maybe I'll 'swing by' the mall (which actually means spend 45 minutes trying to park and 45 minutes trying to leave) so I can check it out.

Q provided me with a spectacular model the other day. Unfortunately I cannot disclose more details. Classified information and all that lark.

I have several friends who are either "geeks" and/or IT Managers and all say the same:
for general, all around use get the "IBM"-now Lenovo:
http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/en/
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...FABC3CE1BC569A
of which they all lean on the Think Pads:
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...8E19B36EC665A7
Can get them with finger print ID

For something very specal, check out:
http://www.alienware.com/
Laptops:
http://www.alienware.com/Product_Pag...me_office.aspx
Can order APC's finger print system as an add on.

Toshiba. there are plenty with bigger screens and keyboards and the biometric finger scanner.

I bought one over the summer and have had no major problems with it and it has withstood a lot in the 6 months I've had it. I'm not sure if this is the case with the Sony Viaos anymore, but my screen gave out within a year and a half and basically had to buy a new computer, but that was probably 5 years ago.

I am no laptop expert, but I have been assigned several in various consulting engagements and full time work and I really like the Vaios. For whatever reason, they have been very trouble free for me- no freezing up or anything like that.

Not a very technical reply I fear, but after 8 years of pond jumping and over 20 laptops to use, the 3 Vaios I had were the best. I never had a problem with any of them.

Kev;
Some sites to check out:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7602_7-1016082-1.html

http://wsj.consumersearch.com/comput...ops/index.html

http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...oks/index.html

http://www.notebookreview.com/

http://www.laptopreviewsonline.com/

http://www.pcworld.com/ic/laptops/#

http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1874,9,00.asp

http://review.zdnet.com/

http://www.cnet.com/

http://reviews.cnet.com/Notebooks/20...html?tag=glnav

http://www.notebookforums.com/index.php?homepage?

Stick with Dell. You cant go wrong with a Dell.

My bf works with and fixes computers as a part time job. He's advising me to get an IBM (my crappy dell just broke). He says that dells and toshibas use really shitty, cheap parts to get the costs down.

^^^Yeah. That maybe true. But when you have a problem (and you WILL have a problem) Dell has the best support compared to its competitors.

While that may be the case for desk tops, from what I have seen and been told, it may not be the case for lap tops.

And yes, I have a Dell desk top.
Next one, however, maybe Alienware.

Hijacking this thread...

Is it safe to leave a laptop on all night? My battery pack gets so hot, but then cools down, then gets hot again. My friend leaves her on all the time but has this laptop cooler thing that she bought. It plugs into the USB and you just set the computer on top. Anyone else have that?

Ditto, however the keys can't pop off and be put back in, if they pop off, that's it. That's very annoying, esp. when I spilled something on mine and couldn't clean the keys properly.

I don't have that, but I leave mine on for days at a time and it never overheats. It just puts itself on standby and 'sleeps' until I'm ready to use it again.

I had one of those cooler pads, and i loved it. It worked well and you didn't need any extra cords or anything. I don't have it anymore b/c my dog decided to chew through the wire.... lol. but i highly recommend them (i think i had a coolpad or something- got it through like bestbuy.com or something)

I have a Dell XPS and i love it. I got the memory upgrade and it stores a lot of stuff- i have like 5000 songs on there plus all my school sh*t. I had a gateway laptop before that... it was a piece of crap.