[y2kerr]

I have a friend who'll be starting his MBA in the fall, and he wants to buy a laptop. Obviously, everyone in here will recommend getting a Powerbook or an iBook, but he's looking to spend between CDN$1,000-1,500. This is an upper limit of about US$1068, so all of Apple's notebooks are out of the question (I don't want to point him to a 128MB RAM 12" iBook. It's just not worth it, IMHO).

He's not a techy. He'll use it for word processing, spreadsheets internet and, maybe, MP3s, so it's not like he needs a lot of power. Thus I ask, what's the best x86 notebook for him? What do you guys recommend? It's a weird question, but I've been hanging around this forum for a while now and, with the exception of the more, shall we say, "zealous" Mac fans, I think there's some insight to be found among the forums.

So, are Dell's the hassle some claim them to be? Does Compaq make a decent one? I'm going to recommend at least a 14" screen, but other than that, I'm not sure what to recommend. I've done a bunch of research on Macs, but little on the PC side.

And by the way, this isn't one of those "I have a friend" things where I'm really talking about myself. I'm still getting a Powerbook real soon!

TIA,
Mike

[OpenStep]

I would have him check out Toshiba notebooks. Coming from using Macs I recommend Toshiba notebooks to people. The problem with Dell is all their stuff is sold online and you can't go to a store to pick it up and see what the system is actually like. Check out the local Circuit City/Best Buy/etc. Last time I was there they had sub $1000 Toshiba notebooks... sure, it's a Celeron but it's still a great notebook and it spanks the iBook in comparison features (256 mb ram standard, cd-rw standard, etc...).

[AssassyN]

Well I've had my fair share of "Dell" experiences, and after owning a desktop of theirs in 1998, I'd never buy another. However I wouldn't hesitate recommending a Gateway or IBM ThinkPad as I've used both and definitely liked them. Unless buying new is an absolute must, I'd head over to the forums at www.anandtech.com and scope out what's for sale there. Many people are selling barely used notebooks for way under $1,000 and you can find some great bargains. Good luck!

BTW, a "Centrino" or "Penium 4-M" processor will have the best battery life, and 512MB of RAM is all WindowsXP needs to do anything basic you toss at it.

[BrunoBruin]

Just to defend the faith, I point out that Apple and other resellers have the combo-drive 900MHz iBook for about $1,100...

If you must go to the dark side, I agree, stay away from Dells. Our campus computer store has a constant stream of them coming in for repair.

[OpenStep]

Originally posted by BrunoBruin:
Just to defend the faith, I point out that Apple and other resellers have the combo-drive 900MHz iBook for about $1,100...

If you must go to the dark side, I agree, stay away from Dells. Our campus computer store has a constant stream of them coming in for repair.

Heh, I just got a stack of older Latitudes from work the other day to try and fix up... what a night mare it's becoming 2 year old batteries don't work, systems freeze trying to install Win2k, broken CD-ROM modules.. not fun.

[The Placid Casual]

A good friend of mine has a relatively new Dell... even that it hassle! It spends more time being repaired than used.

While risking being a zealot, I would recommend a nearly new iBook... Say a 700 or something. Great little machines and going cheap these days...

[mosch]

That budget makes it hard to buy anything quality, like one of the nicer IBM ThinkPads (which are of excellent quality), or a model from the Dell or Compaq business-class laptops.

His best option may be to buy a refurb thinkpad, or to roll the dice and hope that he gets one of the 70% or so of consumer-level laptops that don't have problems.

[juanpacolopez]

Originally posted by y2kerr:
I have a friend who'll be starting his MBA in the fall, and he wants to buy a laptop. Obviously, everyone in here will recommend getting a Powerbook or an iBook, but he's looking to spend between CDN$1,000-1,500. This is an upper limit of about US$1068, so all of Apple's notebooks are out of the question (I don't want to point him to a 128MB RAM 12" iBook. It's just not worth it, IMHO).

He's not a techy. He'll use it for word processing, spreadsheets internet and, maybe, MP3s, so it's not like he needs a lot of power. Thus I ask, what's the best x86 notebook for him? What do you guys recommend? It's a weird question, but I've been hanging around this forum for a while now and, with the exception of the more, shall we say, "zealous" Mac fans, I think there's some insight to be found among the forums.

So, are Dell's the hassle some claim them to be? Does Compaq make a decent one? I'm going to recommend at least a 14" screen, but other than that, I'm not sure what to recommend. I've done a bunch of research on Macs, but little on the PC side.

And by the way, this isn't one of those "I have a friend" things where I'm really talking about myself. I'm still getting a Powerbook real soon!

TIA,
Mike

I'd say get a refurb iBook... you could definitely find a reasonable one for around $1k.

But, if windows it is... I second the vote for Toshiba. Their low end stuff tends to be of reasonable quality, and like people said you can check them out in an actual retail store.

I would say IBM, but it'd be pretty hard to get a reasonably featured thinkpad for that price point.

Stay away from the low-end Dell machines. In fact, RUN AWAY as fast as you can. IMO they're complete crap.

[Raining Down in Texas]

Originally posted by y2kerr:

So, are Dell's the hassle some claim them to be? Does Compaq make a decent one? I'm going to recommend at least a 14" screen, but other than that, I'm not sure what to recommend. I've done a bunch of research on Macs, but little on the PC side.

A friend of mine had a Compaq laptop that had to be returned 14 times before they properly fixed it. Even when it was working, the install of Windows that was on it (98 at the time) could not recognize several of the devices that were built into the laptop; Compaq would not support the usage of those devices. He bought it from the Compaq outlet store here in Houston to work on his Masters thesis, and the thing spent most of its first year in the shop. Compaq refused to admit it was a lemon and would not replace it with a different machine. I would never buy anything from them after seeing what my friend went through.

Check out
Smalldog for deals on older iBooks. Their current special is a 700 MHz iBook with 384 Mbytes of RAM for $799. They have many other machines of varying configurations that are in your friend's price range.

[Flash2000]

check out the refresh page on the apple store:

Refurbished iBooks
iBook 900MHz/128MB/40GB/Combo/E/56K/12"TFT - Refurbished $1,149.00

[The Placid Casual]

Originally posted by Raining Down in Texas:

Just wanted to say that I really like your the 'Raining down in Texas' name! If I may ask what inspired it?

Reminds me of an blues track I used to listen to a lot...

Peace,

Marc

[Eug]

Personally I don't like ANY new laptops in the CAD$1500 or less range, but you can get some lower-end bulky ones for that price. CAD$2000 is a much better starting point, but of course, budgets are budgets. Thus, refurbs or used are a definite option at this price point.

If you go iBook, I wouldn't go for anything less than an 800 MHz with Radeon 7500 and combo drive. Everything else will likely be too slow for his tastes. 12" is fine, esp. if he plans to carry it around a lot and has good eyes. And remember to check out the campus store for deals on both iBooks and x86 laptops. Also, don't forget that for both Windows and Mac OS, 384 MB RAM or more is recommended. (You can get away with 256 on Windows though.)

[rjt1000]

Hi all,

Well, IMHO, if one of my friends recommended I buy a windoze laptop, I'd be looking for a new friend...

Be a REAL pal and point your friend to this link:

A Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To Low-End Macintosh Laptops 2003 Edition:
http://www.macopinion.com/columns/ro.../03/index.html

Given your friends modest requirements, there are plenty of capable "previously owned" MAC laptops in the sub $1000 USD price range.

Best wishes,

Rich (Pismo G3 500)

[rjt1000]

Just thought I'd post the companion article to the prior link:

A Compleat Buyer's And User's Guide To High-End Macintosh Laptops 2003 Edition:
http://www.macopinion.com/columns/ro.../10/index.html

FWIW: I'm using a Pismo G3 500 (available on Ebay well in his price range) and it would be a terrific choice for him. Also easily upgradeable as his needs increase.

Best wishes,

Rich (Pismo G3 500)

[Uisce]

If you can't afford a new Mac, buy a used Mac. It works for preowned Honda buyers too.

[MaxPower2k3]

Originally posted by Uisce:
If you can't afford a new Mac, buy a used Mac. It works for preowned Honda buyers too.

damn straight. my brother loves his '91 Civic