# 1 daughter is in her first year in college and I'm thinking ( I know that's dangerous but I'm doing it anyways ) that a laptop puter would be a good investment in her education.<br>Now for the prob. <br>I'm a computer dummy. :<br>What would be a good brand and what goodies should I look for ?<br>She is going to go to medical school after her first 4 years of college.<br>I know anything I buy now will be outdated in a couple of years.<br>I would like to have a DVD drive and a CD RW drive also ( I do know a couple puter related words ;D ) and whatever would be a good tool for her.<br><br>Come on all you computer guru's chime in and teach me something.<br><br>Thanks for the info.<br><br> : Eddie : 8)

 

I really like my Toshiba Satellite, I've used it hard, it's been kicked around quite a lot but has stood up well. I've had it a couple years now.<br><br>I don't have a DVD or a burner though :'(

 

I am using an Acer Travelmate 623 TX - It has a burner and a DVD ROM- <br>I am really happy with it. It gets kicked around on a regular basis and holds up well. <br>I suggest that you look for a rugged exterior and good workmanship in the display hinges. I've seen lots of laptops fail on the hinges, being unusable afterwards. I think that Toshiba has good products too.<br><br>Maybe you can get an end of life Acer or Toshiba for a very reasonable price- at least I did with mine. <br><br>AlpineRAM

 

We have Dells now at work. Used to have HP's. I liked 'em both. I don't think you will go wrong with whatever you choose now. They all seem to be good and reasonably priced.

I don't know if you can get both a DVD &amp; CDRW drive, so you might want to just get the CDRW, or if you want, opt for the DVD+R(W) drive. Get at least 128MB RAM, 256 would be better! ;D I'm sure the hard drives won't be less than 20GB (bigger is always better!). Processor, I would get at least a 2.0GHz, preferably Intel -- I don't like Intel Celerons, but some people might. That should get you on the right track at least!

Tony

 

I use a Dell Lattitude C600 with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. I've carried this thing from he!! to breakfast and sat it on top of running 160 deg. F compressor frames. A CD burner is a must. Hardly anything will fit on a 3.5&quot; magnetic disk anymore.<br><br>You might make sure that the medical courses don't use Apple software. Graphics intensive stuff is usually made for Apples.

 

I have a Dell insperon 8200 lots of power, dell makes a great machine and has top service after the sale!<br><br>KC

 

I agree with getting the Toshiba Satellite. It has the DVD-ROM/CD-RW that will keep her entertained and it is fast enough with the internet. <br> They have a pretty good customer assist line too. They spent an hour on the phone helping me un-mess my laptop after my son scrambled things up !! <br><br>PISTOL

 

I have a Dell Inspiron 8100, Has a CD-RW/DVD-ROM Drive 2 batteries and 512 Megabyte of ram ;D This thing hold's up very well, Had it in the desert of Kuwait in 135* heat. Worth every penny i spent on it. It is now 1 year old.

 

TOSHIBA !!!!! Most trouble free computer I have found

 

I just ordered one of these, they have great reviews and you get darn good power for a good price. If you order from someone like Frys or Staples, you probably would get free ground delivery.<br><br>Jim

 

My son, who is a junior computer science/math major (3.8 GPA) said that Dell, Gateway, and Toshiba are all good machines. He is Resident Computer Consultant at his college, and has worked on a lot of different brands. The ones mentioned about are the better ones. He also says you should stay away from Compac in the laptops, as they are not as good as those above. Look for a lot of storage (hard drive) at least 20 gigabytes of memory, 512K RAM, and as fast a processor as you can get. You can upgrade RAM really easily, but you can't upgrade the processor. Unless she gets into something really computer specific, a machine like this should last her quite a while.

Another thought from my son: desktop computers are a lot cheaper for the same specs., and they are a lot harder to steal.

Hope that this helps.

DeWain

 

I have used the following:<br><br>HP - good system, decent prices, easy to find<br>Toshiba - OK system, but don't like the eraser pointer<br>IBM - OK system, but don't like the eraser pointer, pricey<br>Dell - good system, ok prices, service has greatly improved<br>Micron - good system, decent prices, not so easy to find<br>Sony - good system, small, light, pricey<br>Fujitsu - OK system, small, light, touch screen is cool<br>Compaq - Not impressed<br><br>I currently spec either Micron or Dell for laptops at work (I'm in charge of specing all computer equipment corporate wide). If I were to personally buy one, I would look at HP, Gateway, and Dell. You can find HPs at Walmart, Sam's Club, and CompUSA at pretty much the same price. You can only get Dells from Dell. You can only get Gateways from Gateway. (Pass on buying a Dell or Gateway from anyone but them, otherwise you will have warranty issues.)<br><br>As for specing the system, you need to realize that a comparably speced desktop will always outperform a laptop. As has been said, I would get at least 512MB of RAM with as much processor as you can afford. The &quot;M&quot; processors will be slower than the others (due to the battery saving features). Get the Lithium battery. The Nickel based batterys develop memories (even the hybrids).<br><br>Opt for Windows 2000 Pro if you can, Windows XP Pro next, Windows XP Home if that's all you can get. Windows 2000 Pro has been the most stable version of Windows I have used, but some Universities won't let students connect their Windows 2000 PC to the campus network. Check the University's requirements first.

 

I have a gateway and a Sony VAIO. Love the Sony. It is hands down my favorite computer. It has a CD/RW drive and a DVD player. Held up good for what I have put it through.

 

i currently use a Dell at home, Compac at work. <br><br>What ever you do just do not get a Gateway.. they are juink and the biggest ripoff on the market.. <br><br>Sonys is nice but they have problems with overheating. HP is a good computer also and relatively cheap.

 

DO NOT GET A DELL!, i attend longwood college where a lap top is required, the school has a deal with dell and offers good prices, however i have seen well over need replaced due to bad harddrives, monitor failures, processor failures, etc... mine needed to be replaced twice for a faulty harddrive, and no, i didnt spill beer on it, lol...........<br><br>(the dell dude is also a pothead)