What's the best non-Apple laptop you guys can recommend? I have a friend who is pretty stupid... er, doesn't like Apple for some reason, and is in the market for a new laptop. He currently has an old Dell Inspiron from 2001 that gave up the ghost and he'd like to replace it as soon as possible. Basically, he's looking at something for music & movies and multimedia stuff like recutting/burning movies and the like. Hell, I tell him "Get an Macbook" but he won't listen.
Blindfold him and take him to the nearest Apple store. Remind him about the joys of Boot Camp. *shrug* Seriously, I don't know. Does anyone other than Apple make reliable computers anymore? Dell and Gateway used to be strong brands - not so much anymore. IBM doesn't make personal computers anymore. I really don't know.
Tell him to get a Dell. Maybe a newer high end inspiron laptop or a lowend XPS. A very basic XPS though soemwhat expensive would be good for media since its designed for games it most likely would handel media and media editing pretty good.
I have an HP dv9500t, and it's a great multimedia machine. a bit on the huge side though (17 inch widescreen display)
Your friend refusing to buy an Apple makes him aces in my book. Smart man. I was recently issued a HP Compaq 6910p from work, it's a good machine so far - I haven't used it for gaming or anything intense yet, though.
Personally I can't stand people who trick others or pressure them into getting a Mac, if they're so good why would you need to do that? Also gateways might be pretty decent too but definitly look at reviews, don't go by price or name alone.
Don't get an HP with Vista. They take about an hour to boot up and a half hour to do anything else. Just get a mac.
Nothing really replaces doing a lot of window shopping/playing with the laptops that you're looking at, unless you're willing to pay for lenient return policies or good warranties. Factors to consider and look for: 1) Portability and durability: if you have to have a laptop instead of a desktop, this is the main difference. If it's something that will never be far away from you, then think about the weight and don't forget the power brick and peripherals. Even if you think you won't carry it around much, pay attention to the build - Avoid lid latches that are going to break. If it feels flimsy, then it's going to break. If it has stupid dongles or adapters for frequently used ports, those are going to break or get lost (They're also expensive t replace, and you won't get them cheap on eBay either). I always list those factors first, and advise everyone to narrow down your choices here first, before you even look at specs. For sheer durability, I have always liked Thinkpads, though I have seen a lot of newer HP's that stand lots of abuse. Most Sony Vaios fail miserably, though the VGN model I have now isn't bad. After that, look at the spec options, if there's something you need under the hood. 2) Ergonomic factors: If it's uncomfortable to use, then you won't use it much, or you will suffer more than you need to if you use it a lot. Do you like the feel of the keyboard? Do you like the size of the keys, placement of the mouse, size of the trackpad, etc? Are frequently used ports (USB, power, display) put in places that will really suck when you're trying to use your laptop on your lap? This is where I hate some Thinkpad models. Pay attention to how likely you are to kick a usb stick or if you're likely to accidentally hit the disc drive button. 3) Ergonomics part 2: Hardware buttons or quick access (the Fn+whatever buttons)to display and sound functions are nice. So is a hard switch for the wireless network radio....if it's in a usable/accessable spot, and isn't something you need a pen tip to move. 4)After all that, then look at the non-essentials like specs, software, color, whatever. If a Dell fits your/their purpose, then buy a Dell. If it's a HP that has everything you want, then have at it. One last thing: If your budget allows for it, buy a spare battery now and put it in storage until you need it. By the time you really need a new battery, the world will have moved on and it will be expensive /clumsy to replace. If the budget doesn't allow for it yet, make it top priority as soon as it's possible.
Get a computer that comes with reinstallation CDs. Seriously, no one ever thinks about it, but I see people all the time that get burned. HP does not give these with a computer anymore and has not for years. I met a lady at work last week who got really burned by this. She had an HP media center desktop, and the hard drive crashed. The only way HP gave he to reinstall her OS from from a recovery partition, but that was lost with the hard drive. So she had to buy recovery discs from HP for like $50. Then when she got them, they would not install because her new hard drive was not sold by HP. She called and talked to 2 supervisors. One told her itshould have worked. the other told her that she had to buy another hard drive, this time from HP. She finally just went out and bout a new OS. For that reason alone, I would recommend a Dell. They tried that stunt for a few months, and due to customer complaints, they stopped it. The best part od having a Dell is any OS install disc will work on any Dell. I have done this for many friend who had had enough of Vista. I just gave them XP. As long as it's a Dell disc and a Dell motherboard, it doesn't even ask for a product key. I like Macs, but if he doesn't want one, don't force it. It will make him hate them even more.
Nobody gives out recovery cd's anymore, most of the manufacturers even have the testicular fortitude to charge you extra for a set. IBM, Sony, and HP (possibly more) include software preinstalled to let you make a set, which many people forget to do until it's too late
Most manufacturers don't include recovery CDs since they can put the software on the laptop and leave it up to the user to RTFM and spend 25 cents on a dvd-r to burn the recovery disc. Which of course means people forget and only complain afterwards.
Tell him to get a Mac and a OEM copy of Vista with a little USB mouse from Newegg or something. That way get get a great laptop with the only do-not-wart-ware being itunes in OSX. I have fucking had it with PC manufactures pushing crapware on laptops and desktop systems. Im normally a very anti-apple guy, but I decided to stick it to the PC-OEMs more than usual with my recent laptop purchase. Got a Macbook Pro and a copy of Vista and have had nothing but smooth sailing. Love that sweet fresh Windows install. I can boot straight into Windows like any normal PC, but if I want to take advantage to the better battery life offered by OSX, I can switch to that too. Also, don't bother listening to those XP haters. Vista is great as long as he gets a decent machine without too much crapware on it.
I used to dislike the Apple but that Mac Book Pro is pure love. If I have the cash, totally picking one up.
