Laptop options

[Elrohir]

Hey guys. I'm looking to buy a new laptop, primarily as a gift from my parents to me ) ) as a sort of joint birthday and graduation gift. But the max that it can be is $1000. I know that is kind of low for a laptop, and I could get a lot more for my money with a desktop, but that's all we can afford, and I want a laptop so I can carry it to school with me. I'll be primarily using the laptop for writing and stuff, but I'd like to be able to play at least a few games (Nothing newer or more strenuous than Civ4, if not just Starcraft of Alpha Centauri) on it if at all possible. And I'd like it to be reliable and at least relatively fast. (I mention this because my brother has a Gateway laptop that has broken down before and is really slow) Am I dreaming, or is this possible?

I've looked around myself and sought advice from a friend, and I've found two laptops that look like they could be good - the Dell XPS M1210, and the Lenovo 3000 C200.

So my question for all of you is this: Are these good, reliable machines which would do what I want? Are there better machines on the market that could fill my needs? And who makes good, reliable laptops that are also relatively inexpensive?

If anyone has anything to say on the matter, I would appreciate it very much.

 

[Mulholland]

Based on the graphics cards in either machine the dell will perform better for games, seeing as it has a geforce 7300 go and not an integrated card like the lenovo.
If you want to compare many notebooks here is a good place to do it,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2030260032+4022&name=%24750+-+%241000

If I had a grand kicking about for a lappy I'd probably get this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834280004

 

[Quintillus]

Looking at the two you linked to, the first thing I noticed was one was a 15-inch standard display laptop and the other a 12-inch widescreen. The Lenovo screen is 12 inches wide and 9 inches high; the Dell is 10.25 inches wide and 6.41 inches high. That's a considerable difference. You might want to head to a store and see which size and weight you like. Generally 14 and 15 inch models provide the best value (but not always).

Memory is the highest priority if you want to play Civ4. Ideally you'll have 600 MB free (unless you prefer small maps...then it's not as big of a deal). So try to have about 700 MB left over after what the OS uses. Windows XP and Vista Basic use about 250 MB, so 1 GB of memory would be adequate. Vista Home Premium and above use about 750 GB, so you'd need 1.5 GB to run large Civ4 maps at a good speed. I doubt you need the features of Vista Home Premium - you can watch DVDs and listen to music just fine without Media Center.

ThinkPads are always excellent choices if you want reliability. The ThinkPad R61 might be a good choice. If you customize the $9xx model to Windows XP Pro and 1 GB memory, it comes to $990. The Lenovo 3000's are probably also very good quality, but without the legendary ThinkPad reputation.

As to the Dells, unless you really prefer the smaller size, it doesn't seem to make sense to go with the XPS M1210 which starts at $999 when your budget is $1000. The Inspiron e1501 starts much cheaper, which in turn gives you more room to customize. It's not as high-quality as the ThinkPad, but if you treat it well it should last, and you'll be able to get better specs for the same price.

There are too many other options to discuss here. Look at the major websites - HP, Dell, Sony (though they tend to be more expensive), IBM/Lenovo. Also check out the small business sections of the sites and compare the selections there. Generally, business options are slightly more expensive for the specs, but more sturdily built. Visit a store. Also check out notebookreview.com - they can help you with recommendations quite well, especially after you fill out their FAQ.

You can get what you want for that price, and with good quality. Just take the time to look at all the options, and you'll find something that works great.

 

[Elrohir]

Thanks guys!