Request for Information on Laptops (Vanity)

FreeRepulbic ^ | 4-8-07 | johniegrad

[johniegrad]

My wife wants a new laptop computer for her birthday which is April 13th. She intends to use it primarily for work purposes and for continuing her education online. She works as a nursing director for surgery and anesthesia in a 400 bed medical center and has responsibilties for seven to eight figure budgets, scheduling for about 150 RNs, facilities planning, management-union negotiations, and performance evaluations among other things.

From an education standpoing, she is working on a business degree to augment her RN and may be considering a master's type program unless I can talk her out of it.

I am asking for Freeper assistance in selecting the manufacturer, hardware, OS, and whatever add-ons people might think useful. I would also like to take into account reliability, customer support, and ease of use. While I have owned and used computers since 1983, I don't consider myself technically savvy and do not want her to have to acquire additional training to use the thing.

I haven't shopped computers in about seven or eight years and time constraints due to my own schedule make this task seem formidable. Therefore, I am planting my lazy ass in this chair and asking for your assistance.

The old bat will be 45 this year but she has been sturdy and reliable. She probably deserves something nice. I had considered buying her a new ironing board but she wanted a 'puter so here I am. I hope she doesn't use it for online dating.

[johniegrad]

OK. I am logged in. Can the august body of technogeeks come to my assistance? In advance, thanks.

[1rudeboy]

I’ll bump this thread, and add that I am looking for a laptop that can play EVE Online (cheap). [chuckle]

[leda]

keep an eye here for info for later, sweetie :)

[republicangel]

This old bat is also turning 45 in a few months. Hmmmm...

I am very curious about the replies that you will receive. I am taking online courses presently and considering the Masters route once I receive my Bachelor's degree in October. I need to get a laptop. This desktop puter is confining.

[Mark was here]

You told us everything but the most important detail. How big is her lap? This is critical information is sizing a laptop.

[TADSLOS]

Whatever you end up with, make sure it has spell check...;~)

[johniegrad]

How big is her lap?

She is about 5'9'' and weighs about 130#. I think there is a program to calculate the lapsize if you look under "Accessories".

[Pukin Dog]

From an education standpoing, she is working on a business degree to augment her RN and may be considering a master's type program unless I can talk her out of it.

Maybe you are joking, so I will check before answering; Do you support her new efforts or not? Because, if you don't, but are doing it out of a sense of fairness or loyalty, it wont end well.

[patton]

If your wife is a freeper, I suggest you consider diamonds, instead, in light of your post.

[BikerJoe]

Get an HP. Do NOT get a Dell. I’ve seen too many of them lately with mainboard problems after only a couple of years.

[CarrotAndStick]

If you want a laptop that also doubles as a tablet-PC(for applications like reading ebooks, jotting notes with a stylus, instead of typing, etc), go for the Fujitsu T series.

http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/mobile/tablet_pcs/lifebook_t.html

[Ron in Acreage]

I have a Compaq Presario V5000 and it does everything I need. It was pretty cheap also. About $600-$650. WiFi ready, CD burner, lots of power and memory, WinXP, Vista capable if you dare.

[Misplaced Texan]

I work in a situation where everyone has a laptop of their selection. There are Toshibas, HP, Compaq and Acer brand. They all operate well.

Look for the best deal you can find on a name brand that has the best combination of processor speed, hard drive capacity, RAM and a few bells and whistles like burning DVD’s.

I don’t particularly want to promote a store or a brand, but this is one I have been looking at for a few weeks and it actually went up $50 while I have been looking.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Acer-Aspire-15-4-Widescreen-Notebook-PC-AS5100-3949/sem/rpsm/oid/170888/catOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

You may want to look at the two year warranty also. I don’t usually buy it, but I know two persons that have gotten brand new laptops when they took theirs in for repair so I am strongly looking at that option for my next purchase.

I am not a techie by the way.

[johniegrad]

She does want to pursue the master's degree and I don't have any real objections to it. It would really be education for education's sake since she will not make any more money from a job change that would be available from that degree. The money isn't that big an issue as we could retire right now if we wanted to. However, I am about 9 years older than she is and she will continue to work after I retire. She is hoping to move into a less stressful job at that point and the additional degree would give her more flexibility in options.

She is not a Freeper but has a good sense of humor. We have a very good marriage and God is the reason. One of our pasttimes is good natured insulting of each other. She dishes it out as well as she takes it. No, she's not a jewelry kind of girl.

[blu]

Dude, first, speaking for your wife (long suffering, it sounds) please tell me where you live so I can come and kick your a$$! LOL! An ironing board?? smirk any intelligent man knows us wimmenfolk all want one of those Roomba thingys!!

Then, get thee to the nearest Apple store or go online and buy her a new Apple laptop (powerbooks?) Get the one with dual processors, then she can run her windows apps too. The advantage to this as opposed to a windows is the ease of use and lack of "honey, my computer won't start...honey, it says I need this....yada yada yada"

[johniegrad]

Get an HP. Do NOT get a Dell.

Thanks. Good advice #1. I had been considering a Dell. We already have a hp pavillon ze5170 but she thinks I Freep on it too much and wants "her own". It has been pretty reliable but we had tons of problems with XP and security for awhile. FR was helpful in solving some of those problems which is why I feel comfortable coming here for help.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Get an HP. Do NOT get a Dell. I’ve seen too many of them lately with mainboard problems after only a couple of years."

Can't agree. We've had minimal problems with our Dell Laptops. Get a Dell direct from Dell, or a Toshiba when your local Office Depot is having a sale. I'd also get Windows XP rather than Vista.

[Sam Cree]

Macbook is nice.

[johniegrad]

Thanks for the information. To show you how far away I am getting from this stuff, I didn’t even know the stylus option existed. Can you tell me anything about Fujitsu as a manufacturer?

[Gorzaloon]

We each have a Toshiba Sattelite. Beautiful display, good ergonomics.

Refuse Vista; Get it with XP or refuse the sale, if Vista. I just went through Hell helping a neighbor.