Am considering this:

Has to be PC, not Mac.

http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/satellite/P770/P775-S7320

Would like to keep it <$900, even less would be better. Will not be used for gaming (visiting grandkids can stuff-it).

Any opinions/experiences greatly appreciated.

Dell's out of the question as, they have done some very bad things with laptops in the past.
(Like pre-loading Vista on a platform that wasn't designed for it.)

Gracias, Muchachos,
Love, Bobby

I haven't comparrison shopped lately so wait for the experts but it seems to be pretty good specs for sub $1000. I like Toshiba laptops, myself. Currently hating the HP one I got assigned at work to replace my old Toshiba.

One observation.
HD is on the slower side but you may not even notice that, depending on your intended usage.

Murph, you forgot to sign your post "Love, Andy".

BTW, I like my Dell XPS very much, and I'm siding with the visiting grandkids.

Oh yeah:

Love, Mark

I'm liking the fact that Bob will see a bunch of responses to his question, but they'll all be BS posts from me!

Be aware that Toshiba loads a TON of crapware on their machines, which tend to be kind of flimsy. Fast machines, but there are those considerations.

Me, buying a PC laptop (which ain't gonna happen), I'd be looking at Thinkpads.

Re. Crapware. First hing I do to any PC I didn't build myself.... Format.

Of course, I can't do that on corporate machines anymore or I get flagged on the LAN as a rogue and the IT cops come and threaten me with nerf guns and silly string or something like that.

Edit:
Oh ya, Love, Andy

Ya, like that's a newsflash.

Thanks for responding Ken, Andrew and not Mark.

It's predominatly going to be used for Bill's sanity management, as he is now spending 2 nights and 3 days a week at his octogenarian parents' house to do their feeble and entirely irrational bidding.

He's already sucked up having dinner be OVER by 4:30 on those nights, but he can't do Wheel and Jeopardy with them any longer, what with all the bludgeoning possiblities presented by his mother's copious chatzke collections.

So he really wants a 17" screen for TV and movies, but will mostly use it for the same stuff everyone else does---avoidance.

P.S. Anyone looking after aged parents, my hat is off and my heart is out to you. My responsibilities ended 4 years ago, so at least I'm not dealing with mine while he's doing the same. That had been our biggest fear by far for years. I guess I'll still call that "lucky."
Well, except for the times I was out of the house with them when their, umm, systems failed. Nice.

I really like the build quality and the keyboard of the Lenovo I got for my daughter. I did NOT like the 15" Toshiba it was competing against. We have HP's at the office and people seem to like them. But my experience with Lenovo has been very favorable.

Love,
Tom

Another +1 for Lenovo. That's my work laptop, so it's set up for ...well, work. Very reliable, well built, good ergonomics.

Don't write off Dell, especially stuff from their Outlet. I love my XPS with Windows 7. Vista was the Edsel or New Coke of OS.

Love, you know who...

My preferred laptop's are ladies.

Love,
Cam

Now, that's waaaay more useful than the stuff Mark posts.

I wonder how much difference there really is between brands these days. Computers seem to be commodity products now.

Would it make sense to spend extra on a business class laptop for greater durability?

Edit: sorry Bob, no love from me. My ex got it in the divorce.

Bob,

I just wanted to post in your thread.

Love,
Sean

Ah, in a 17, business class laptops are going to cost a lot more (I don't even know if Lenovo MAKES a 17" laptop), in which case, I'd probably go with the Tosh.

I'd rather eat lunch at Olive Garden.

This one .

Asus is making some pretty good stuff these days.

I have a 17" HP laptop, 8 GB RAM, 650 GB HD. Hate it.

I have a 10.1" Toshiba net-book with the 2GB RAM upgrade, 250 GB Hard drive, and I love it. loaded it with Microsoft Office Pro, Corel XP5, brownish copper soft rubbery grippy surface. Seems bullet proof, never crashed, Windows 7 Starter barebone OS.

Checked, I don't think it's available any more.

______________________________________________________________
Socialism isn't love, it's theft. Socialism promotes indolence, favors takers over productive people, deters industry, innovation and creativity. Socialism destroys individual freedom, because group rights are always at the expense of individual rights. Socialism presumes some asshat knows what's better for you than you do. Socialism is for losers.

Bob, I've been very pleased with my Asus laptop. Very fast, runs cool, no problems. And it was a refurbished model from Tiger direct. I would have bought new, but the model I wanted was no longer available. The refurbished one was around $600. Note also that a recent Asus laptop was highly rated in the last issue of Consumer Reports. Don't have the issue in front of me, but I'll look it up if you're interested.

I grew to hate my stupid old HP laptop. It ran hot, was slow, and the hard drive failed after 18 months. I'd never buy another hp product.

Cheers,
Alan

Thanks a lot, everyone!

As I was sitting down here this morning, I was expecting to see 25 prank posts from Mark, (not that I wouldn't have enjoyed them).

John, thanks for the link to the Asus.

Lenovo was on my look-list, but not Asus.

I will investigate both now, thanks to all of you.

My only concern is that the first sounds Italian and the second sounds Greek. We all know that neither of those countries should be allowed to manufacture anything, except high-priced suvlaki rotisseries, espresso machines and paninni presses. The real expense comes from having to build a bed/bath addition to your house for the service rep to live in.

Finally, finally, finally!!! I've been trying to start sig wars here for well over a year now! Thank you Cam(tankerous). Thank you 2 x 6 spds (Socialism Promotes Dirty Sex).

It's worse than that, Lenovo is Chinese and Asus is Taiwanese. It's like a cold war of laptops!

So, once again, I am forced to choose between a country that would poison my dog, or a country that would see him as a tradable food commodity. Hmmmmm? That's gonna be a tough one (or maybe not, if they tenderize over there).

According to China, both PC's are from the same country. According to Taiwan, they're not.

Boy, this is confusing.

As usual, I'll probably make my final decision based on color and texture.

Seriously, though, you guys have now got me completely focused on one or the other. That sure has made it easier, thank you.

[quote=fredk Edit: sorry Bob, no love from me. My ex got it in the divorce. [/quote]

You still could have signed it just "Freddy."

Bob Gets Icky:

Fred, it was not doled out to us in a limited supply at birth. Everyone gets to make as much of it as they desire and everyone deserves to get it and give it. One of those people wipes your ass everyday (unless Ian and Alan are trying to watch you poop in the woods). He's the same guy that's in your bathroom mirror.

And Porn!!!

You still could have signed it just "Freddy."

Bob Gets Icky:

Fred, it was not doled out to us in a limited supply at birth. Everyone gets to make as much of it as they desire and everyone deserves to get it and give it. One of those people wipes your ass everyday (unless Ian and Alan are trying to watch you poop in the woods). He's the same guy that's in your bathroom mirror. [/quote]
OK Bob, you got me. The real reason is I was saving the extra love for Ken's deer 'cause all they're getting is wrapped in bacon.

Fast Freddy

Used to be that every from of creative thought was about sex and death.

Based on our usual thread derailments, now it's sex and bacon (ew!), or is it death and bacon?

Let's see, atherosclerosis and sex? Nah, that can't be right.

Atherosclerosis and death? Yup, yup. I think that's it!

Or is it a syllogism? Sex = bacon; bacon = death, therefore...?

I think I know that one.

My finger smells funny.

So you're a Freudian, eh?

Bacon is a universal relevant.

Even the great Shakespeare was Bacon.

Not sure if I believe it but I'm pretty sure Cam has the evidence.

Take that you "Bacon-Fed Knaves"
Henry IV Part 1, 2. 2

THIS English Bacon is waaay more intersting (and fupped)!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon_(artist)

Faith-based Freud?!! (again, ew!)

Too bad he understood absolutely nothing (nobody did then) about early childhood learning processes.

Yeah, he wasn't the best as far as understanding children. Or women's issues, for that matter.

I don't understand kids or women.

I'm Freudian, then?

Canadian Bacon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109370/

Wow. That's quite a cast. Amazing that it didn't win best picture. Rhea Perlman AND Rip Torn? Money, baby.

Did you note the director?
Michael Moore, yes, THAT Michael Moore.

"I'm the Canadian Prime Minister?! Inconceivable!!!"

Thorough threadjack. Nicely done.

If we come back around again and start a new thread on bacon, we can start discussing laptops by the end i'm sure.

Tried that with the beer thread. It failed.

Potable Pork

That recipe actually calls for a bacon infusion!! JP, how'd ya do on the pharmacology part of the boards? Can you drag out your mortar and pestle and whip up a few cc's? No 22 gauge's this time. I think we're gonna need a spinal tap syringe for this one. Intrathecal bacon. Lumbar#4! Lumbar#5! Better spread 'em, cause here it comes! Hey, no pain, no bacon!

The breadcrumb thing, though, is disturbing on mulitple planes of existence.

Aside from the vodka, it sounds like a description for our kitchen table after the kids have had breakfast on a Saturday morning.

We understand, Dan. Lots of people prefer beer over vodka w/ Saturday breakfast.

Well, we do have beer with maple syrup , if they could just add the bacon you could roll it in toast and then you'd have a party!

Don't know how I missed this, but I'm glad I came across it to provide a laugh on a quiet Sunday afternoon. And WOW, that's NOT an egotistical opine AT ALL.



For arguments sake, let's pretend that's true. Now, let's read my sig and see if I say that, then we'll look at the definition of essence.

Sig - Socialism is the essence of love.

Essence - the characteristic or intrinsic feature of a thing, which determines its identity; fundamental nature.

If I had said "love is the essence of socialism", then your "socialism isn't love, it's theft" proposition could at the very least be considered a viable critique, but because that's not the case, your assertions thenceforth are null and void (not that there's any credence to them regardless).



Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, your entire post presumes that you know what's better for me than I do.

Bob, if you dont mind my bringing this tread somewhat back on topic.

Why do you say no Mac?

The reason i ask, is that my last 2 laptops have been a macs.. and i am averaging over 4 years per laptop.. Granted i pay a bit more upfront, but i personally dont know anyone that is able to use a laptop for as long as i am... (spoken, everyone with a pc i know goes through them quite fast)

Also, you can get a 13" macbook pro for just about 1000$, over a 4-5 year period, i would guess that would actually cost you less....

I have a buddy who had a dell, within 2 years the damn thing was literally falling apart, the plastic around the hinges for the screen was all breaking, as well as the case in general...

Asus has that super thin laptop that is a knock off of the macbook air. One of my buddies has one of those, the build quality of that machine seems to be every bit as good as the mac product.. Maybe that one will be an option if Apple isn't?

At this point i don't think i will ever buy a laptop made of plastic again if i have the choice between metal v.s. plastic regardless of the brand.

Bob,

Had done some research awhile ago and found Asus and Lenovo had best combo of reliability and value. That's a general answer.

Your best bet is to get over to Newegg and read the reviews over there. Narrow it down to 2 or 3 and then look at the reviews on Amazon. This approach always worked best for me because it provides critical mass from actual users.

We all do Cam, we all do.

The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money. MT

Of course you prefer socialism Cam, but the loving you speak of appears to be in the taking, not the giving.

Socialism requires a pocket to pick.

And there is nothing worse than empty pockets

Yup, Mr. Rock Head, No money, no honey, no car. That's a socialist.

Thanks to all for the advice.

Got a super deal on the 17" Toshiba from a friend in CA, so did that.

Edit: Thanks also for the derails. Always more intersting than the "answers" to the questions.

Love my Toshiba Notebook.

Good luck!!!