Laptop advice

[ostrich]

I thought I'd pile on to the Mac vs. Windows debate.
(TEC, did you ever get a Mac?)

DH just "graduated" to the world of counseling. As a result I've been thinking about getting him a laptop for work. Pros:

- It'd be his laptop, not mine. He can load whatever he needs on it.
- He'll be able to work no matter where he's at (office, client's home, our home, etc).
- He'll be able to lock me (and everybody else) out, which will help with HIPAA regulations.
- We'll be able to basically get rid of one computer at the house. The new setup would be two laptops (workhorses) and a desktop (server). Removing one computer would save on space and electricity.

Requirements:

- Runs Windows. I know, I know. But he'll have to install additional security software, which I'm pretty sure is Windows-only.
- Lightweight. Easy to travel with.
- Cheap. If it gets broken/stolen I don't want to lament that I spent thousands on the thing.
- Isn't bleeding-edge tech. It's basically going to be used for email, Office, and possibly internet stuff.

I've been looking at the new line of Eee laptops. Specifically this guy. But I'm not sure if anybody's had any experience with them. Thoughts? Suggestions?
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

Time falls away, but these small hours
These little wonders still remain

[jeant]

That's a really nice looking laptop! My only concern would be that a small keyboard might be uncomfortable if I was using it 8-12 hours a day as my primary computer.

I have no experience with the Eee laptops. For what it's worth, I've always had good luck with Toshiba laptops. Also, if you end up with Vista I've heard it's a memory hog so if you end up with a computer running Vista, you'll want lots of memory and a strong processor.

[aklap]

I think I would have a problem with the 8" screen. But, if you want light and portable...it's certainly that!

We've been pretty happy with the Acers. I'm at home for lunch [yeah, it's late], so I don't have the model number. It's around 800.00, XP Pro, 2GB ram. It may have a bio scanner - I know the more expensive one does.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[Torrey]

It looks pretty cool, but I don't know much about the Eee laptops, either. At one of the places I worked, I had a Toshiba laptop and it seemed to work out pretty well.
My personal laptop is a teeny PowerBook G4 with a 12-inch screen and I absolutely love it.
_________________
~Torrey

August 24, 1975
GF BD July 12, 2004

[The Edifying Conscience]

Hi Os,
I opted to not get a Mac. I decided that I didn't want to shell out over $1,000 to upgrade from the gift. I'm actually pretty happy with it thus far. I think because I was never a PC user before I don't understand the Vista quirks...ignorance is bliss.

It doesn't have the traditional laptop keyboard like my dad's so I haven't had any problems typing on it and I do my fair share of writing.

For the 6-700 bucks I think it's a good little computer....and a lot less than an equivalent Mac!

[ostrich]

Thanks so much for the advice all! It seems like everybody has their preferred brand of computer. We've had pretty good luck with my Dell laptop, but they start off kinda pricey. I'll check out all those brands you guys named. I'm thinking this will be more of a Christmas gift, so maybe some of those brands will be on sale by then.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

Time falls away, but these small hours
These little wonders still remain

[aklap]

I still didn't get to check the exact model. But it is an Acer Extensa. It has a 14.1 screen. You can probably find them for around 600.00
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[ostrich]

You mentioned it has a bio scanner? Something like a fingerprint reader? Our current laptop has one, but I can't get the silly thing to work. However, the additional security layer would be nice for DH.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

Time falls away, but these small hours
These little wonders still remain

[aklap]

Yeah, I think they're called a biometric scanner aka fingerprint reader. I tell my customers never to use them - if I need to work on them - I can get into it. I guess we could chop off one of their fingers so it can stay at the shop.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[rpf1007]

My laptop is a PowerBook G4 (12 inch) and i love it too! They don't make those anymore, but the Macbook 13 inch is also really great and light!

[ostrich]

RPF - Macs are a little out of my price range. Plus I'd have to install Windows.

Al - Yeah, the scanner on my laptop is disabled. I figured I didn't want to lock myself out of the admin account.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

Time falls away, but these small hours
These little wonders still remain

[cardine45]

This thread actually helped/hurt me. There were so many good suggestions that I spend about 8 hours shopping for one even after tons of research. I've always owned/preferred Dell's, but I feel like they've been getting worse lately, so I considered going with something new. I highly considered a Mac despite the high price because I like doing a lot with pictures/graphics, and that would suit my needs better and I've heard too many terrible things about Windows Vista, so I wasn't sure I wanted a new pc.

Anyhow, I wound up with a HP which I really really like so far. Main problem being I'm used to ordering a Dell online where they walk you through all of the extras you may need (such as Microsoft Office), and now because I wasn't thinking, I have to use the old laptop for Excel and Microsoft Money until I get the software. The new computer has a 15.4" screen (I wanted something small, but I didn't want to stare at a tiny screen), a dedicated graphics card with dedicated memory, and a few other nifty things.

I got some great advice from the salesmen at circuit city and best buy that I thought may help others.
1. The larger the screen, the shorter the battery life (it takes more power to feed the larger screen)
2. The longer the battery life, the bigger the battery, therefore the heavier the computer is.
3. Smaller screen equals keys closer together on the keyboard. (fine for me, but most men have bigger hands and can't type on a tiny keyboard.)
4. Get what you want from the start without overdoing it. Basically you don't want to spend that much money on something that doesn't have what you want, but you don't want to get a lot of stuff you don't need because computer technology is ever-growing and no matter what you get, it's basically "obsolete" within a year anyway.

I hope that helps anyone else out looking.

[ostrich]