INSTRUCTIONS: New laptop buyers, please copy and paste the below questions into a new thread. Answer the questions to the best of your ability. If you are unsure, just say so. It's OK, that's why you're here. Give as much information as possible and try not to be vague. The more accurate information you give, the better the recommendations you will receive.
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General Questions
1) What is your budget?
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Netbook; 10” screen or less
b. Ultraportable; 11" - 12” screen
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like:
b. Dislike:
5) Would you consider laptops that are
refurbished/redistrubited?
6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
8) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?
9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Screen Specifics
12) From the choices below, what
screen resolutions would you prefer?
a. WXGA – 1280x800 or occasionally 1280x768; For people who like big text and icons that are easy to read. Less stuff fits on the screen, which translates into more scrolling.
b. WXGA+ – 1440x900; A modest bump over WXGA. Text and icons are a bit smaller. A little more stuff fits on the screen.
c. WSXGA+ – 1680x1050; The middle ground. Again, text and icons are smaller than WXGA+, and more stuff fits onto the screen. Good for having applications open side by side, like a web browser while playing a video.
d. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Very small text and icons, that can be hard to read. Lots of stuff fits on the screen, which means less scrolling. Good for applications that require a high level of detail like CAD or Photo Editing.
13) Do you want a
glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
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Please state any additional features you need. It's also helpful if you can
indicate how experienced you are with computers. If you're a novice and don't know much, that's alright. Everyone's a novice at some point.
Glossary and Explanations
Glossy vs. Matte Screen
Glossy screens have a reflective coating. Colors appear sharper and more vibrant. They do however produce more glare. Some people like them, others do not. The glare problem is most acute in well lit environments, like an office. Glossy screens tend to be better for multimedia uses like viewing DVDs or photos. If you are unfamiliar with the screen types, we would highly recommend you check some of each type out before you buy. The screen is one of the more important parts on a notebook. You don't want to get stuck with something you don't like.
Screen Size & Resolution
Please note screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some can view WUXGA resolution on a 15.4” screen all day, while others think it is horribly small. Again, we would recommend you check some notebook screens before you buy to see what best fits your needs.
(see notebook screen guide article for more info)
SSD (Solid State Drive)
A solid state drive is a flash based storage device which uses non-volatile NAND memory chips instead of the
traditional mechanical rotating disk and reading head. This newer technology drives perform much faster since they dont need spin up. Think of it as using your RAM as your hard drive. It consumes less power since there are no mechanical moving parts, this in turn also gives SSD's the advantage of running cooler. They are also impervious from damage by vibration, shock and magnetism.
The downsides compared to a traditional HD is it lacks storage capacity and its price is greatly higher per GB.
Typical Definitions of Refurbished Notebooks
Refurbished notebooks often come at significantly lower prices and are generally covered by warranties by Dell, HP, and
Lenovo. Lenovo generally has a universal 1 year warranty, while Dell has standard 3 on their business lines and 1 on consumer laptops (all extendable). HP offers a choice of 1 or 3 years. Other stores like Tiger Direct only offer 90 days. These laptops are in conditions ranging from being never powered on to scratch and dent (but still fully operational).
Refurbished:
Laptops that may or may not have been powered on.
Laptops that may or may not have the security seal of the box broken.
Laptops that may or may not have been used.
Laptops that may or may not have minimal cosmetic "scratches".
Redistributed:
Laptops that where ordered and never delivered.
Laptops that where place on order but never shipped.
Laptops that where ordered but then canceled and never shipped.
Laptop is new and sealed in box.
Laptop has never been turned on.
Security seal is not broken.
Laptop is in mint condition.
Scratch & Dent:
Laptop has been turned on.
Laptop has been used before.
Security seal is broken.
Laptop may have noticeable cosmetic dents.
Laptop was fully restored to manufacturing state.
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