Need help & suggestions...

I pretty much know what I want, I'm getting a good deal, and a great hook up so I thought I'd take advantage! I decided to go for the Toshiba Satellite M30-YSJ

SPECS incl:

Centrino 1.6GHz proc.
15.4 Inches Wide XGA TFT LCD Screen
512 MB of ram (Max mem 2048 Mb )
80 Gb HD
Built-in DVD Super-Multi Drive
Total weight 6.3lbs

Now I'm gonna use it mainly for desktop publishing and surfing, my current desktop (Compac Presario 4660) just aint cutting it. I should be getting the new Photshop CS soon, and will add all my other applications onto it.

I've never owned a Toshiba anything, so how does it compare to other brands? I was gonna go with a Sony, but I dunno...what d'ya think?

 

compaq sucks, sony support sucks, hp sucks

dell ok

toshiba good, ibm stinkypads good

have a T21 for personal use and it's great - 2 yrs and no support needed. rolled out dell x300s, d400s, and d600s at work...nicely built, battery life sucks

 

Sony VAIOs are ridiculously flimsy and fragile, they just look cool.
Dells will be the most customizeable, and generally are pretty decent laptops. Support is also good.
Toshiba are alright though. Thinkpads are the shit - best style/performance for a biz laptop IMO.

Oh yeah one other thing - don't get any specific laptop insurance - that's a total ripoff. Go to your local insurance agency and get personal articles insurance in the sum of $3K, or however much you want, for your laptop. If you drop it, or it gets stolen, or anything like that you get reimbursed. Costs only about $1 per every $100 per year. They won't help you out if your laptop breaks due to a purely technical problem, however, only accidental stuff.

 

Are you getting college rule or standard rule paper?

 

PinkyTSX - Sure you don't want to buy and IBM Thinkpad through me for employee prices?

What price range are you getting this in? I can see what might match it if you want.

 

If I were spending my own money on a PC notebook, I'd buy Toshiba. Spending company money, I'd buy IBM. But don't listen to me, I'm typing this on an Apple PowerBook that absolutely rocks.

 

Hey Prov, thanks for the offer, but I'd prefer to buy locally, I don't want to deal with customs...My brother-in-law suggested Toshiba to me and after seeing the model and checking out the specs, it seems like the perfect match. True I don't need all the bells & whistles, but like I said, I want to take advantage. The deal I'm getting in $200 off and my company will pay for the software etc, and I get an interest free loan through work.

Thanks for the help guys

 

Yeah, Toshiba all the way. Our company has purchased Toshiba's since they started making laptops. Im using a Toshiba Tecra S1 right now. I've used a 9100, 8100 and a 740 all before and not ONCE had a major hardware problem. Very impressive and sturdy laptops.

 

I couldn't force myself to use a compaq, HP would be ok but they have some screwy bios and driver issues sometime, Sony is Sony(I just haven't gotten used to a Sony PC but if this were a home theatre system, video camera, etc... then maybe), Dell is good, Toshiba is really good.

Toshiba is one the best brands in laptops. Basically what you are getting is a really great laptop and you should be very pleased with it.

 

Hey Prov, I might hit you up in a few months. I have to land this part-time IT job first though. I really need a laptop but just don't have the money right now, especially going to school in the Fall, Spring, & Summer without a break for the past 2 years. I just couldn't find a job in my field that could work around my schedule since I took 18 hours during the Fall and Spring semesters and 9 during the Summer Semesters.

Geez, I just realized, I need a break!!!

 

I just recently bought a laptop too and i had trouble choosing between sony, ibm or apple. sony's look good but arent tat reliable...ibms are solid machines and the apple, while running a different OS, looks good. in the end i went with the Powerbook since i got a good deal through my school store ($1299+tax for G4 1.33ghz, 60gb, 256mb RAM, cdrw/dvd and wireless). also know a friend who has pretty much all the software (except games) tat i'll need...

i'd recommend the apple or ibm, but toshibas are good machines.

 

toshiba is a great buy. i got my dell 3 yrs ago for for 3 grand and i have been kicking myself ever since. it sux and it weighs like a brick.


sony is overpriced but they do have one of the best screens. still i would go w/ toshiba plus they have an international warrenty

 

Good choice. I love Toshiba's. I have had 4 toshiba notebooks and 1 toshiba desktop. I only had to call toshiba tech support once in 7 years.

I have had sony notebook and desktop, both were good but way way way overpriced. Sony tech support was ok but the warranty was horrible. 90 days I think it was.

Dell is ok. The quality and price is pretty good but I think they have the worst tech support.

HP/Compaq SUCKS!!! I have owned at least 10 hp/compaq products and everyone of them was a piece of crap. I must have spent at least a year of my life on the phone with hp/compaq tech support. They weren't to good but I was able to get them to replace a few computers for free.

I've never owned an ibm notebook but I have had 2 desktops that were very good.

 

Is that discount good for any a-tsx member

 

I'd get a toshiba notebook in a heartbeat
Have owned two Gateway laptops and they were ok...
Now if I could build my own... for cheap...

 

picked up my Toshiba notebook today, so far so good, but there's so much to get used to! My wrists are hurting, can't get used the the mouse.

Thanks all

 

You may want to pick up a USB optical mouse too

 

They have little cute ones for laptops that dont take up a lot of room for like when you are on a plane..

 

I've got a Targus one...nice and small for travelling

Oh yeah, it's got a retractable cord too!!

 

Kensington and I think one or two others make wireless USB mice that can store the USB plug/receiver in the body of the mouse when not in use. I've been meaning to try one of those. Of course, I'm sure that what I'd end up doing is dropping the receiver part down in between the airplane seats where it can't be reached without forcing everyone else in the row out of their places.

Right now, I'm using a MSFT "Notebook Optical Mouse" on my wife's iBook. It's a nice small mouse for travelling with a thin short cord that doesn't get in the way.

 

My first notebook was an Apple Powerbook 5300cs, didn't have any problems with that....but the HD died cuz of age. Then I had a Toshiba Satellite and I hated it. It had so many problems I had to take it back to Best Buy for them to fix numerous times. I didn't like taking it to them to fix over and over and it proved costly....so I got rid of it. Then I got a Dell Inspiron notebook and Windblows XP got messed up and I can't run a lot of programs on my notebook.

Next notebook I am getting is a Apple G4.

 

Actually...all the notebooks that I've gotten...I immediately formatted the thing and wiped out all the proprietary crap out so it's just winblows and necessary drivers to run the thing..

 

can you help me with my Dell?

 

Sure...as long as you have your drivers on disc or can get them online and a copy of winblows...