Sooo....to get a laptop or not...

My neighbor is pestering me mercilessly to get one.  I want one too, but 
only for geek factor.  I really have no need for it.  Should I get a cheap 

Borgholio wrote:
> My neighbor is pestering me mercilessly to get one.  I want one too, but 
> only for geek factor.  I really have no need for it.  Should I get a 
> cheap one or not?

I'm not too fond of cheap hardware myself.  Experiences of friends say 
it's not always worth it.  I think you may want to consider the brand, 
though.

There are also all types of forms of laptops.  Some have a large 
footprint, are thick, perhaps like a small pizza box.  Others are sleek.

There's also a slight terminology difference.  Laptops refer to almost 
all, whereas notebooks are the sleeker units.

If you search computer sites like PCMag, Computerworld, Infoworld, etc, 
you may find tips on how to go about laptop shopping and things to consider.

I myself like the Japanese companies - good quality.  Fujitsu and Toshiba.

Borgholio wrote:
> My neighbor is pestering me mercilessly to get one.  I want one too,
> but only for geek factor.  I really have no need for it.  Should I
> get a cheap one or not?

The only thing positive about laptops LTs is their degree of
portability -- otherwise they are typically not really a very good
computer, or else they are vastly overpriced, some 3 or more fold, for
the price/value of the hardware you are getting.  The ratio is a little
bit less severe in some specific instances.

If you get a 'PC' type - where PC in this usage refers to the AT/ATX
type of computer architecture, the ratio of LT cost to desktop DT cost
is terrible and the other big problems are the ergonomics of trying to
use some kind of 'device' instead of a mouse and what kind of keyboard
fits the LT and why the screen location/angle is ergonomically imperfect
and what about the heat of the thing if it is /actually/ on your lap and
what about how heavy it is compared to the portable concept vs moveable
or transportable.

You have to make all kinds of compromises if you care anything about the
cost;  and if you try to save money, you end up with a very suboptimal
compromised result -- which 'thing' also breaks really really really
easily.

If you get a Mac type, then part of the overpricing has already been
taken care of in all of the DT models, so there isn't as much
overpricing of the LT to the DT ratio.  And if you have money to burn,
there are some sweet Mac LTs.

If I had to buy a LT tomorrow, I would buy the Asus EEC.  If I could
wait until day after tomorrow, I would wait for something similar with a
gig of ram.

-- 
Mike Easter
kibitzer, not SC admin

"Borgholio" <borgholio@storymind.com> wrote in message 
news:fnrhfa$hs8$1@news.spamcop.net...
| My neighbor is pestering me mercilessly to get one.  I want one too, but
| only for geek factor.  I really have no need for it.  Should I get a cheap
| one or not?

My kids 'gave' me a new lap top for Christmas (tired on me borrowing theirs) 
all I have to do is tell them which one I want.  (Decisions, decisions) 

On 30.01.2008 22:05, Borgholio wrote:

 --- Original Message ---

> My neighbor is pestering me mercilessly to get one.  I want one too, but 
> only for geek factor.  I really have no need for it.  Should I get a cheap

> one or not?