Where to buy a laptop?

[DocFrankenstein]

I need a low end laptop...

I'd like it to be reliable and perform these basic functions:
Word processing
Shouldn't freeze when viewing rebel tiffs and jpegs
Should slowly be able to convert raw into tiff...

40 gigs
512 ram
I think anything above 1.5 ghz is ok

What do you recommend I get? where?

[FlipsidE]

Price range?

FlipsidE

[ssim]

I find that Dell to be pretty good value. I've had a couple of them now and haven't had any problems. They do seem to have some fairly decent deals with Christmas coming up.

[Jon]

Check out the Toshiba Satellite range. And make sure it has a built-in CD burner. 40 Gig doesn't last long when you're shooting RAW.

When you say 1.5 GHz, that'd be Pentium M/Celeron M, right? That's about the same as 2.6-2.8 GHz P4/Celeron in performance.

[DocFrankenstein]

Price range?

FlipsidE
DOH

Sorry... should've mentioned that.

i don't know. I'm really right on finances and everything over 300 bucks will be withdrawn from my visa account.

I'm looking at around 900-1100 american max.

And I would like it to be rugged. I'm gonna use it through uni a lot and when shooting too.

[Jon]

Toshiba Satellite or a Dell Latitude (not an Inspiron, they're consumer-grade; the Latitude's the business line and tends to be a little more rugged and to have a better range of add-ons (docks, etc.) which you can get later and use with subsequent years' models). Is this to complement a desktop PC or instead of one?

[IanD]

Doc,
Take a look at TTX. Canadian company and they build they to order. I've been using them for several years now and never a problem. Excellent customer support and they are based in TO.
www.ttx.ca

[hogzilla]

I picked up a gateway and it came with all the slots for the memory cards built in and i got it for $899

[FlipsidE]

Give the Dell Inspiron 1000 a shot. They aren't built to be as rugged as a Latitude, but a great deal right now.

SG

[blinking8s]

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore/

[Jon]

I picked up a gateway and it came with all the slots for the memory cards built in and i got it for $899

Gateways have a (deserved) reputation as, shall we say, something less than robust. If you want it to last, get a business-class machine (Toshiba Sat. Pro or better, Dell Latitude, IBM but there we're talking bucks) and sacrifice a little on the processor. You can always add memory later, and upgrade the hard drive if needed. Unless you absolutely, positively, have to have it, don't worry about FireWire. Same for on-board memory card slots. You will have at least one PC Card slot and you can get PC Card adapters for any other size you need. Of course, you use Canon so all you need is PC Card-CF until you get that Mk II. Also, external USB 2, multiple-media readers are dirt cheap.

[jimtfoto]

Doc:
Strangely enough, I found the new Best Buy stores in T.O. to be OK (even though they're owned by the same company as Future Shop, the staff there actually know what they're talking about). We bought a laptop and a desktop system from them over the past year and have had no problems or issues.
Here's a link to a Best Buy page with some notebook computers, maybe a bit more than what you'd like to pay, but .... you could also just swing by one of the stores to check them out. They usually have something on sale.

cheers,
jim

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/dept.asp?logon=&langid=EN&dept=0&WLBS=FSWEB57&cati d=20352&test%5Fcookie=1

[iowahawkeye6]

Apple plug:

I've been using a 12" 500mhz iBook since May of 2001 with no problems. I paid almost $2000 back then. Now you can find a 1.2ghz for $999.

Dell plug:

My brother in law has used a Inspiron (sorry don't know what model) for about the same period of time and has also had no problems.
Good Luck

[sGu]

If you tend to do a lot of image work on it, LEAVE DELL OUT. They have the worst display on a laptop I've ever seen, flat, inaccurate colour, lack of contrast, remember, if you correct colour of an image according to what you see on screen, you'd better make sure monitor displays it correctly first.

Personally i'd recommend Apple, iBook would perform well enough for your needs, if not, check out Powerbooks

[iowahawkeye6]

I was trying to be PC by plugging both mac and pc :D

If you buy a Apple don't use iPhoto-It's reeeeeeaaallly slow when you have collected a 1,000 pic's or so. Use another software application to orginize your photos. This coming from a guy that live's and die's by Apple products.