Laptop Purchasing Advice

[Ramba_]

I am getting ready to go into college and would like to have a laptop that I can carry around with me. I will be using it a lot for class work and programming but other than that it won't be used for gaming or anything that intensive.  Just need a well priced laptop for the upcoming year!

Thanks!

[Geek-9pm]

it won't be used for gaming

In that case, there are lots of options.
Prices are now so low that I think the warranty becomes more important.
Let me explain that remark. Normally we expect quality and price to go o together. But the sudden price drop raises the question of  'how do I know ' it is better. If it really is better, expect to find a better warranty. Right? Surprise! many vendors offer a rather poor warranty and little service support.

The rant below might be just one experience:

Decided To Buy My Laptop At Best Buy

I bought an HP laptop about a year and half ago – my crappy desktop had finally *censored* the bed months prior and I saved my pennies from my first few paychecks of my new job to finally get with the times and get myself a laptop. Of course, I figured to be safe I should purchase the warranty, thinking that would let me avoid any *censored* should it crap out early on as laptops tend to do. I agreed to the 3 year warranty which meant another almost $300 added onto the price of the computer. For me that was, and still is, a lot of money, but I figured it would be worth it should anything happen.

Random Hinge Explosion = “Physical Damages”

Fast forward about a year, and I am leisurely opening up my laptop as I always have – and the hinge EXPLODES in my face – I did nothing out of the ordinary. It was closed – I opened it – and it just immediately came completely undone and some of the metal snapped off. Horrified, I thought – thank GOD I bought that *censored* warranty – and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I could just take it back to Best Buy’s trusty ‘Geek Squad’ and have it fixed in no time.

You can read the rest of the story here:
http://www.turntherecordover.com/2013/02/i-need-to-rant-about-how-terrible-the-best-buy-warranty-is/
It turns out the story does not end very well.
Yes, I recommend a warranty, but read the fine print. If the warrenty costs half the price of the laptop, shop elsewhere.

[Ramba_]

So what would be a decent price for a laptop that I would be using for just programming and Microsoft office. I haven't really studied up on laptops and I'm not sure what good prices would be.

Also if you can provide maybe a website I can get started on looking around for one that would be awesome.

Thanks!

[camerongray]

For that you shouldn't need too much power - I'd look at something like an Intel Core i3 or i5. I'd also stick to integrated graphics as this will improve your battery life.  I'd focus your search on "Ultrabooks" as these are very thin and light.

Brand wise, look at Lenovo, Dell and ASUS.  You may want to take a look at systems targeted at business rather than consumers (Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell Vostro/Latitude, HP ProBook) as these are generally much better made.

You may also want to look at one with a high resolution screen such as 1600x900 or 1920x1080 as this would allow you to have multiple windows visible at once - Useful for programming.

It all really comes down to how much you want to spend.

[Ramba_]

I can spend quite a bit but I feel that I can get what I need for a fairly cheap price. Although I am new to laptop purchasing and really don't know much. I will be able to find it with this information though!

Also what would be a decent price range I need something that will last a while but nothing too expensive. Just something in the mid price range.

Thanks again!

[Geek-9pm]

If price is not an issue, I would do this:
»  Buy a nice smartphone or iPhone.
»  Buy a good tablet.
» With the money left but a cheap notebook.

My point is that mobility is now the thing.

[camerongray]

Also what would be a decent price range I need something that will last a while but nothing too expensive. Just something in the mid price range.

For a decent ultrabook you'd be looking around the $600 price range.  I'd also focus on getting one with an SSD if at all possible in your price range as this will make it a lot faster and more durable for being carried around.

If price is not an issue, I would do this:
»  Buy a nice smartphone or iPhone.
»  Buy a good tablet.
» With the money left but a cheap notebook.

My point is that mobility is now the thing.

They clearly stated that they want a laptop for "class work and programming". A phone or tablet wouldn't be able to do this and a netbook would be too small and low powered for any decent programming work.

Netbooks are pretty much dead anyway as they have been killed off by tablets and ultrabooks.

[Geek-9pm]

They clearly stated that they want a laptop for "class work and programming". A phone or tablet wouldn't be able to do this and a netbook would be too small and low powered for any decent programming work.

You are stuck in the past.
I go to class twice a week and some attendees have tablets. All the class textbooks are  available for downloadable PDF format. But standard size Laptops are not allowed. Notebooks  are a safety hazard and they are distracting to others.  It is a high density auditorium with no desks, only theater seats. Tablets t work well in  that environment and take less space that a pile of textbooks.

Building  auditoriums for 50 people is not cost-effective. Get rid of the desks and and have a big room that holds 140 people and not violate safety codes.
handlke

[patio]

***sigh***

[BC_Programmer]

You are stuck in the past.
I go to class twice a week and some attendees have tablets.

He is a full-time university student. I suspect twice a week would be an approximation of how many days he doesn't[/u] attend.

All the class textbooks are  available for downloadable PDF format.

That doesn't seem particularly relevant. Also you are basically suggesting they read PDF files on a smartphone. Only a person who has not tried to use a Smartphone for reading any modicum of actual content would think that is a usable alternative. The screens are far too small for anything but casual use.

But standard size Laptops are not allowed. Notebooks are a safety hazard and they are distracting to others.

On what basis do you come to the conclusion that Notebooks (presumably you refer to laptops, not actual Notebooks) are a "safety hazard"? How are they a safety hazard? And how are they any more distracting than a tablet?

It is a high density auditorium with no desks, only theater seats. Tablets t work well in  that environment and take less space that a pile of textbooks.

Key phrase, "Tablets work well in that environment". Of course nothing to really substantiate the implication that they work better than Laptops, but at best it's anecdotal.

Building  auditoriums for 50 people is not cost-effective.

Lecture halls usually accommodate several hundred or more, with plenty of personal space or even desks. And this ignores the fact that despite your assertion otherwise, desk space is not required for a laptop any more than for a tablet or smartphone.

Get rid of the desks and and have a big room that holds 140 people and not violate safety codes.

Lecture Halls don't typically have desks.

[camerongray]

You are stuck in the past.
I go to class twice a week and some attendees have tablets. All the class textbooks are  available for downloadable PDF format. But standard size Laptops are not allowed. Notebooks  are a safety hazard and they are distracting to others.  It is a high density auditorium with no desks, only theater seats. Tablets t work well in  that environment and take less space that a pile of textbooks.

Building  auditoriums for 50 people is not cost-effective. Get rid of the desks and and have a big room that holds 140 people and not violate safety codes.
handlke

I am stuck in the past?  Just because you aren't allowed laptops in class doesn't mean that's a general rule.  At my university laptops in lectures are commonplace and how on earth can they be a safety hazard - They hardly spontaneously combust! (Don't bother citing that stuff about Dell laptop batteries from years ago).

The OP specified that they wanted a laptop, and especially if they want it for programming then they simply cannot use a tablet. If the OP finds they need a tablet for certain tasks, then they can buy that separately.  Advising someone to buy a netbook on the other hand is stuck in the past - Netbooks have been dead for a long time, the electronics retailer I normally use currently has a single model of Netbook in stock.  Also, a Netbook is far too slow and small for any sort of serious programming work.