Need advice...

[ΣΣΣMagan]

Hey all! I am going to go this weekend (Tax free weekend in GA/SC) to buy a new laptop. Only problem is... I know nothing about laptops. Whenever I go into computer stores to try and get help, most of the employees do not try to help at all. So, do any of you know something about laptops? Like, which brand is better, or what specs would be best. Thanks!

[AlethiaSi]

do you use/ like Mac's or PC's? would you use it more for email/ webbrowsing or for like design stuff? would you keep a lot of pictures/ movies/ music on it? ETC.

i would pin down more what you plan to use it for and then we can help you

Also, take a look here, this thread has advice and recommendations

[LeslieAGD]

It really depends on what you are going to use the computer for.
I currently have an Acer; before that I had an HP. I love both brands.

[ΣΣΣMagan]

Originally Posted by AlethiaSi

do you use/ like Mac's or PC's? would you use it more for email/ webbrowsing or for like design stuff? would you keep a lot of pictures/ movies/ music on it? ETC.

i would pin down more what you plan to use it for and then we can help you

Also, take a look here, this thread has advice and recommendations

Probably a PC (because I don't know how to use a Mac). Probably for email/webrowsing. And for pictures, mainly. As well as school assignments and sorority stuff.

[Drolefille]

Honestly, pretty much any laptop off the shelf will work for you. You probably don't need Windows Vista, so I'd suggest sticking with XP. That may limit the places you can buy one because I'm not sure which companies were choosing to continue selling computers with XP on them.

But if you're not using it for gaming, design, etc dont' worry too much about the specs. The three big things are your processor, your RAM and your hard drive. If you store a lot of pics on the computer itself, spend some more on the hard drive. Look at the lowest amount of RAM the stores are offering on their stock PCs and go up at least one level, and I'm not as familiar with processors but Pentium is quality.

Do also think about what kind of drives you want on your laptop. CD/DVD? Burner? Do you still use floppies? Most will have plenty of USB ports, but check those too.

[AlexMack]

Try for a gig of RAM and at least an 80 gig hard drive. If it's for school, get an even bigger one.

FYI-Apple has a deal right now where if you buy a laptop you get a free ipod. And I can assure you, you will catch on to using one very quickly. They're extremely user-friendly now, almost never crash and can't get viruses. Can you tell I'm a fan?

Make a list of the things you'll use it for or want to use it for. Shop around, even look online. Don't let any big chain electronics store con you into their warranty plan. If you go to Best Buy avoid Geek Squad like the plague, they're a huge ripoff.

Because macbooks have dropped in price and you get a free ipod, I would suggest getting macbook, upgrade the RAM to 1 gig, hard drive to 80-120gigs and DO get the protection plan. Apple's very good. Also macs can now run windows. If there's an apple store near you, go play around on one of the laptops and talk to someone there.

Also if you go with a PC, IBM thinkpads really aren't great and do NOT get Vista. Make sure it has Windows XP. Vista is a nightmare!

[minDyG]

MACs aren't that hard to learn to navigate! And, in the long run, they're a better investment.

Off-topic question: Does anyone know if you can actually walk into a store like Best Buy or Circuit City and buy a Mac? I know there are Mac stores in the Atlanta area and other places but other than a general electronics store I don't think there would be anywhere to buy one in my area...just curious.

Another OT question: Does anyone know if the tax-free weekend discount applies to ALL clothing...i.e. lingerie? I know it's not too sophisticated of me to talk about my underwear on the internet but I need to do some shopping at Victoria's Secret and I'd love to score some tax-free booty.