Good deal on Notebook?

[kantonburg]

Having a hard time getting opinions and info on this lappy

In todays Best Buy ad they have an HP ze4315 notebook for $749AR

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11216734&m=0&cat=0&scat=0

I think it's a good deal on a lappy with 15" screen and mobile processor not to mention CDRW/DVD drive combo. What do you guys think?

[K2]

the specs look decent... there is no floppy drive tho...

other than that.. i don't see anything wrong.

but i'm not an hp fan myself... :)

[kantonburg]

I'm not either. From what I hear Sony, Dell, and IBM really are the only ones that hold their value.

We were looking for a decent lappy and our spec sheet had to include 15", 256ram, DVD, and at least 30GB

This has CDRW also and we are mainly using it for surfing the net.

[wung]

the IBM T30 is really good, just really expensive.

A few of my friends have Dell laptops, but they complain that their laptops don't feel very solid/together because of the plastic case (feel cheap).

anyone know how solid the HP laptops are?

[kantonburg]

My MIL has one (HP) and it seems pretty good to me. Then again I've never fooled with many laptops.

[randyored]

Well, they all have plastic cases, so I'm not sure what they are talking about. It could be that they are light wieght?

I have had several laptops and the best one was very light. My IBM Thinkpad 390x was very heavy and it was a slow piece of crap.

But, I think all of the major brands are going to hold up. I have had a couple of HPs (Omnibook and Pavilion) and they are ok. My current laptop is an HP. About the same specs as the ze4315, but the video seems better than mine. <shrug>

I say go for it.

[kantonburg]

darn you randy :)

I'm looking for an excuse not to get it ;)

What about having only one PCMCIA card?

[psycho-]

I've have experience with HP and compaq laptops, and they are seemingly better than my experience than with Sonys (corporations consider them B-class laptops, not fit for road-warrior usage).

Dells are good just for their top-tier corporate support. otherwise, I'm not a big fan of them.

I use my Compaq laptop around 8 hours/day everyday of the month (mon-sunday), and i have no problems at all.

In my grad school, I have many calssmates with the same HP laptop that is listed. they don't seem to have any problems.

Weird thing is that a the dell and toshiba ownershave had problems already in the past year.

My dad has an IBM T32 w/ a 2.2 ghz processor. That thing is SWEET.

Toshibas tend to be junky

So, in summary, HP/Compaqs, IBM tend to be better in my book.
If not the HP, maybe look for a cheap Compaq EVO laptop?

[bachviet]

I'm happy with the Dell Inspiron 2650 I got last month (P4 1.8Ghz, 40GB hard drive, 256MB RAM, and DVD-ROM for $880 after tax and no rebate).

[kantonburg]

A no rebate deal would be nice to find.

[PitViper]

Originally posted by kantonburg
I'm not either. From what I hear Sony, Dell, and IBM really are the only ones that hold their value.

According to this article, some of the DELL, Hewlett Packard and Compaq line of laptops are made but the same manufacturer.
Who REALLY makes your laptops? (http://www.powernotebooks.com/Name_Brand.php3)

I don't think any computer stuff really holds its value. It becomes obsolete quickly. We use both Dell and HP at work. They seem pretty equal in quality.

[cloudhme]

I think Dell's service is better than HP's. I have 2 blind dots on my ze4101 and I contacted HP service center. Some guy told me that, according to their policy, I need to have at least 6 dot on the screen to tb qualified for repair!! Damn HP, I will not buy from them any more. And the RJ45 jacket is loose, the buttons are clumsy...

My friend once had only one blind dot on his Dell laptop too. He called and the service people went to his place and replace it. Another friend told me his story. He ordered a 3-year warranty and during that time he requested 4 repairs. Then Dell gave him a brand new one because it's their policy!!!.

[pongagt]

It's a good idea to get a 3 year warranty on a Dell. There are too many problems with main boards with them. To get one replaced out of warranty is more than the cost of a new notebook. If it is a common problem with the model, it will cost big bucks to get one on Ebay, if you can find one. The other parts lose their value because there are so many of them for sale because it is not cost effective replacing the main board.

[kantonburg]

Originally posted by cloudhme
I think Dell's service is better than HP's. I have 2 blind dots on my ze4101 and I contacted HP service center. Some guy told me that, according to their policy, I need to have at least 6 dot on the screen to tb qualified for repair!! Damn HP, I will not buy from them any more. And the RJ45 jacket is loose, the buttons are clumsy...

My friend once had only one blind dot on his Dell laptop too. He called and the service people went to his place and replace it. Another friend told me his story. He ordered a 3-year warranty and during that time he requested 4 repairs. Then Dell gave him a brand new one because it's their policy!!!.

If I'm not mistaken it's the law that if any product has to be repaired under warranty more than 3 times the item must be replaced completely by a brand new product. Not just the part.

[sachin tendulkar]

How would u rate Toshibas, when compared with dell, hp, compaq, Sony and IBM?

[Jeffbx]

Originally posted by sachin tendulkar
How would u rate Toshibas, when compared with dell, hp, compaq, Sony and IBM?

In this order (IMHO):

IBM
Dell
Toshiba
HP - Compaq (tie)
Sony

[elsidster]

My wife needs another Sony Vaio laptop. Are there certain retailers that are better than others for price/service, or should I pretty much use something like pricegrabber.com/bizrate/whatever...

thanks

[kantonburg]

If you are worried about service I'd stick to a local B&M retailer. This is just me. I'd shudder at the fact I'd had to deal over the phone with a problem on a expensive piece of equipment. Maybe it's just me.

I love a hot deal but I'd gladly pay more for something if I knew I didn't have to worry about it if it broke 2 years from now under the warranty (extended)

[psycho-]

Originally posted by Jeffbx


In this order (IMHO):

IBM
Dell
Toshiba
HP - Compaq (tie)
Sony


I see about 200 laptops from different manufacturers get used on a daily basis. I get to watch them break and such. All these laptops get carried around everyday, used everyday on both battery and AC power, and such.

Based on everday carrying and usage reliability (at my grad school):

Least-to-Most repairs:

IBM
HP and Compaq and Apple g4-ti/ibook
Sony
Dell
Generic no-names
Toshiba

[LPMiller]

Originally posted by psycho-



I see about 200 laptops from different manufacturers get used on a daily basis. I get to watch them break and such. All these laptops get carried around everyday, used everyday on both battery and AC power, and such.

Based on everday carrying and usage reliability (at my grad school):

Least-to-Most repairs:

IBM
HP and Compaq and Apple g4-ti/ibook
Sony
Dell
Generic no-names
Toshiba

I second that list. Hell, I've seen compaq's survive being run over by a GMC Blazer. Of course, I've also see what happens to a Dell Latitude CPxJ when you leave in on the roof of your car and hit the highway. Not that I blame Dell for not surviving being flung into the air at 65 mph.

[g222leav]

Originally posted by kantonburg


If I'm not mistaken it's the law that if any product has to be repaired under warranty more than 3 times the item must be replaced completely by a brand new product. Not just the part.

that's not neccessarily true...sometimes places that say they will replace the product, do so, but not always is it a brand new product. if i'm not mistaken, best buy (and some other places) will replace it will a refurbed item or something of lesser value...

...but my experience with dell lappy's have been good...i got on an old inspiron deal a few years ago, had the the motherboard replaced once (crapped out vid card) and my lil sis spilled water one it another time...both occasions i got it fixed fairly easily...