# Reasons to get a laptop for a high school student?



## ikermalli

*Help picking a laptop (starting at pg 7)?*

Hello,

I finally worked out a deal with my parents to let me get a laptop for $600 or less. So my grandpa wants to pay some of it and my dad doesn't mind, but my mom said she wants reasons. So I told her I wanted to take it for vacation to do school work. She said no, she said vacation is for family time (pfft... yeahh sure). Then she also said she didn't want me taking it to school because she thinks it will get stolen (note: I live in a really safe part of town). So does anyone have any reason for a high school student to get a laptop with noting the restrictions I just got?


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## Vizy

You don't need a lappy now. You have a desktop right? Do all your schoolwork on that. You should wait till college and get a nice laptop. I really don't know much about you, but that is what i would do.


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## massahwahl

I agree with Vizy, wait till college when your really going to want one.


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## ikermalli

Once I get one I know she will let me take it on vacation and stuff (we go away a lot) and I am going to give my computer to my sister because she keeps on having problems and it costs like $300+ a year just to keep it working and out of the year about 10-12 weeks it isn't working or with us.


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## ikermalli

Oh and also waiting until college is a LONG time, I am 14 college is when i'm 18 4 years = too long


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## ikermalli

I was looking at this:
http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=cabsdt1&l=en&OC=N1510CV_F_1E
Any good? I need to run MS Word, Mozilla firefox (4 - 6 tabs), limewire or iTunes and IM sometimes (WLM)


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## TrainTrackHack

> So does anyone have any reason for a high school student to get a laptop with noting the restrictions I just got?


Well, I got a laptop for high school (here in Australia it's caled college, is "college" something like university over in the US?). It's great, because

1. Most people (I at least) can type a lot faster than they can handwrite, meaning that taking down notes & writing up your work will be a lot more efficient.

2. I can have all my stuff on the lappy, no need for excess amounts of paper (which I tend to lose, anyways - having a laptop makes organizing stuff so much easier for me).

3. Possibilty for internet access & other tools that make your work a lot easier (our school computers, for example, have massive amounts of restrictions on what programs we can and can't use, which I like having a lappy, and also you get to use the internet outside of the computer labs if you need it).

4. You can take it with you anywhere you like - I take my laptop to the library pretty much every day so that I can do my work in quiet somewhere where there is no lack of resources (and also, because our library offers free wireless internet )

5. It consumes less power. I use my computer a _lot_ and laptops by nature, designed to be energy-efficient, tend to give your electricity bill a positive change. That may be something your parents may want to consider.


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## ikermalli

Yeah, hackapelite, there is Elementary (kindergarten - grade 8) then there is high school (grade 9 - 12) so I guess like college for you then there is college (you get your degree in college) and there is university which has an undergrad program and some other stuff, I dont know too much about it, i am only going to college not university so no worries for me  AND you hit the bullseye! I totally forgot, our electricity bill was like 300+ dollars more than it was before because my sister and I got some more RAM for our computers (and I was playing gears of war 2 alot) so that would definitely be a strong point, and I can hardly read my writing so the note taking is awesome! If I could find out how to give you +1 or something for rep I would do that!


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## gamerman4

In the US college and university are often interchangeable terms. A college is for something specific (college of arts, college of science, etc..) A university has multiple colleges on one campus. I go to UALR we have 6 different colleges on campus.
We have a College of...
-Education
-Business
-Engineering and Information Technology
-Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
-Professional Studies 
-Science & Mathematics 
map: http://www.ualr.edu/www/features/map/interactive_map.html

High School here in the US is the end of secondary education as a student. Colleges and Universities (and Trade Schools) are considered "Higher/Further Education"


Anyways, there really isn't much of a reason to need a laptop for high school. I only just got my own laptop as a Freshman in College. (My first laptop was sold so I could get my Q6600, i didn't need the lappy anyways)


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## ikermalli

Haha, mind editing the post and giving me some reasons? Haha, just joking, I didn't know that, thanks for the info


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## gamerman4

ikermalli said:


> Haha, mind editing the post and giving me some reasons? Haha, just joking, I didn't know that, thanks for the info



It's not that I have reasons against it, its just that as long as you have a desktop, I can't think of any reason in support of buying a laptop. Now if you didn't have a desktop, it would be different.
Also, regardless of how many reasons I give that go against getting a laptop, you are going to get one anyways.


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## TrainTrackHack

> In the US college and university are often interchangeable terms.


Sort of like highschool and college over here, I suppose. We have primary school (grades 1-6), secondary school (college, grades 7-12), and then university/TAFE (TAFEs here are like trade schools).


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## dznutz

i don't know what your school is like but having a laptop at the highschools around where i live will get you jumped.  stick it in your locker and it'll be gone.  wait till  college and it will be faster/cheaper


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## gamerman4

hackapelite said:


> Sort of like highschool and college over here, I suppose. We have primary school (grades 1-6), secondary school (college, grades 7-12), and then university/TAFE (TAFEs here are like trade schools).



Exactly, I actually wiki'd the Australian education system so I could better understand the system over there. Your system is very similar to the one here in the US, we have 12 grades that make up the mandatory education everyone has to receive which you finish by the time you're around 18 and then you can either get a job, go to college, or go to a trade school......or veg out and live with your parents until you get your act together (provided your parents don't just change the locks on you)


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## ikermalli

I'm giving my sister my desktop once I get the laptop, so really I wont have a working desktop for myself and that is one of my reasons.


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## TrainTrackHack

> stick it in your locker and it'll be gone.


That's weird, I've never had stuff stolen from my locker. I've never heard of anyone having their stuff stolen from lockers for that matter... maybe it's because I'm in a senior college with only students from years 11&12, and they're a little more mature than your average 9-grade wannabe gangsters...


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## ikermalli

The only gangsters in my school are in grade 11, one is alright with my friend so I am fine (he is a crip) and one wanna be so it should be fine. Plus I would keep it in my bag which I have with me all the time


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## atentora

You don't need one yet, really, you don't have any real reason to have one.


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## massahwahl

Well as long as your not a blood then I'd say its safe.

You gotta be careful around those 16 year old gang-bangers.


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## ikermalli

lol, I am not in a gang at all, there is one blood in my school, a few crips and some other random gang people, but they dont do anything in school, because my friends brother knows them so they dont do anything. And also I need it for school, but my mom is kinda not keen on that.


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## phantomofrussia

personally you dont need a laptop for school. also when i was in school having a laptop in class it would be asked to be put away. and knowing the security guards in my school they would most likely just take it saying its inappropriate for school or some other kind of stupid things. 

agree with everybody else who says you should wait for college then get your laptop. once you get to college even though it will take you another 4 years to get it. trust me those 4 years will go by quickly. just stay with your desktop and once you get to college you will be able to get a laptop that is much nicer than one that you will get now.

also since your so set on getting a laptop and i sure not a lot will get you to change your mind... so if you really want to get a laptop i suggest getting a netbook. it doesnt cost a lot  and once you go to college you can get a normal laptop.


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## ronster667

its easyer

tell her that sitting at a desk to do work is really boreing
and if you have a project do with a friend you can do it at there house
you can take it to your familys house when you go over there

youll take care of it!


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## ikermalli

Nice ronster, and also phantomofrussia, I don't want to get something that will only last a little while, I am going to be keeping the laptop as a main computer, and my mom is now okay with the idea after the family thing and the taking it to peoples houses, also the electricity bill part helped a lot! Now, just wondering, I saw an eMachines laptop for 450, an Acer laptop for 500 and a Dell Vostro A860 with a 1 year warranty for 539, which would you suggest?


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## ikermalli

Anyone?


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## TrainTrackHack

> which would you suggest?


Can you post any links? Most people can't be bothered looking up the specs, so unless specs/links to specs are provided, it's unlikely that anyone will help (well, possibly someone...)


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## ikermalli

eMachines

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...angid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10112604&catid=25314

Dell Vostro 1510

http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=cabsdt1&l=en&OC=N1510CV_F_1E

It won't let me configure the Studio 15 but I am thinking of getting the stock one anyway (the one for $552)

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/pro...px/laptop_studio_15?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs


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## Geoff

Laptops can be great for working on homework or passing the time on long trips (such as the family drive to your grandparents at Christmas, assuming they don't live nearby).  The truth is though, at least in my schools you weren't allowed to use laptops during class, even if you wanted to take notes.  Even in college several teachers don't allow laptops as there isn't much note taking in certain classes anyways.  

What you could do is tell your parents that with a laptop you could do your homework say outside on a nice day, or at the kitchen table, or while watching TV (unlike the desktop which is permanent).  Do you only have one computer for your family?  If you do then you could say that it would be useful if you wanted to get work done when someone else was on the family PC.


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## ikermalli

Thanks. My computer is kind of like the family pc. My sister has a Dell and it is always crashing on her so I offered to take it into my room and she gets mine so then I will have a 5 year old computer. But the computer I have right now most people use, my grandparent always get e-mails sent to me for them and then they check it and print it, my dad usually uses this computer for work purposes for hours at a time and I can't play my xbox, or be in my room because I apparently make noise, and when my mom is upstairs she checks e-mails a prices on things she needs, so it is sort of a family pc.


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## bigd54

^^^^Vostros just to let you know are designed for buisness the inspiron is the more home based/entertainment laptop


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## Geoff

bigd54 said:


> ^^^^Vostros just to let you know are designed for buisness the inspiron is the more home based/entertainment laptop


They are a part of Dell's small business division, however they are practically identical parts wise with certain Inspiron's.


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## ikermalli

Which are cheaper/better? Vostro's or Inspirons? Also would you recommend dell laptops or something else? I can spend up to 650 on a laptop.


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## Geoff

ikermalli said:


> Which are cheaper/better? Vostro's or Inspirons? Also would you recommend dell laptops or something else? I can spend up to 650 on a laptop.


Either one would be fine, it really comes down to price.  I've owned 3 Dell Inspiron Laptops and haven't had any issues with them, they usually have great deals such as 20-30% off.


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## ikermalli

Cool, thanks for the help. My dad is coming back on friday and I have to ask him about it now. He knows I have wanted a laptop for a while (since about 4 years ago) but he never lets me get it. Do any of you parents or people who have gotten a laptop or something by persuasion have any tips on when a good time to ask is? Oh and by the way, I can't ask anytime before 9 (comes home at 8 from work) so if I should wait until the weekend could someone let me know?


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## leSHok

dude laptops are just 57987325987598734x better than desktops. my desktop prolly out performs the laptop i have but barely. but i can bring this anywhere. my parents are divorced and all info is on one computer. just so much easier and nicer.


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## ikermalli

How much was your laptop? Also how heavy is it and what model is it? How long do you expect it to last (our desktops usually last anywhere from 3 years to 7 years)?


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## gamerman4

leSHok said:


> dude laptops are just 57987325987598734x better than desktops. my desktop prolly out performs the laptop i have but barely. but i can bring this anywhere. my parents are divorced and all info is on one computer. just so much easier and nicer.



I would love to see the intricate math you did to come up with that exact number.


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## ikermalli

He used the calculator in his head AND experience! Now that is what you would call a genius.


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## Geoff

ikermalli said:


> Cool, thanks for the help. My dad is coming back on friday and I have to ask him about it now. He knows I have wanted a laptop for a while (since about 4 years ago) but he never lets me get it. Do any of you parents or people who have gotten a laptop or something by persuasion have any tips on when a good time to ask is? Oh and by the way, I can't ask anytime before 9 (comes home at 8 from work) so if I should wait until the weekend could someone let me know?



When I was a junior in high school and I wanted to buy a $1,250 laptop from Dell I wrote my parents a letter explaining that I would use the laptop throughout college to take notes, write up reports, etc. and that instead of buying one when I started college I wanted one sooner because Dell had a great deal going on ($750 off any $1,999+ Inspiron), so they loaned me the money to get it.


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## gamerman4

ikermalli said:


> He used the calculator in his head AND experience! Now that is what you would call a genius.


With a number that big, Maybe he used an HR diagram comparing portability to awesomeness. Where servers would be on the lower left and laptops on the upper right with big gaming comps all the way to iPhones as your main sequence (iPhone may be more portable but are less awesome due to CPU constraints of something that small, thus landing it near the main sequence).


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## ikermalli

@ OMEGAThat is a good deal but #1 My parents don't want to spend much money on a laptop if I get it right now (I will be in college in probably 5 years because I am planning on taking a year off and getting some work experience before college because my cousin did that and he said it was a good choice so I will have to get a cheaper one and can't use the college excuse. BUT I will use it for school, one of my friends' has a MacBook and he always brings files for his group like music, movies, documents and all that for people (drama). Any other ideas?

@ gamerman4 He probably just used the extra awesome part of his brain to make that number (y'know, we all have to exercise it once is a while )


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## Vizy

No, he used the calc on his laptop


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## gamerman4

Vizy93 said:


> No, he used the calc on his laptop



he went all 1337 pwnzorz on the numpad!

srsly tho, laptops are useful but I'd rather keep my desktop and use a laptop as a side-kick rather than the main machine.


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## ikermalli

LOL! Or maybe he used the calculator at howawesomeismycomputer.org


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## phantomofrussia

i have a dell inspiron and it is great. no issues with it. a little tip. once you find the laptop you want go and search it on google and find some reviews for it. there was this once site where they also had dell coupons. one of those coupons saved me 500 bucks 

sorry dont remember the site


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## diduknowthat

I just got my laptop in senior year, so I'd be set for college. But for high school? I mean it's always good to have one, but it seems kind of over the top...


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## ikermalli

My mom is keen on it now, because the upkeep of my sisters computer for the next few years would be more than a laptop, and I am taking it in about 2-3 days so yeah... it'll be awesome. But I wont have sound for a while


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## ikermalli

Any other ideas? I am leaning towards a Dell, but after a little while they don't work that well...?


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## AUTOBOOT2000

Just get a better desktop. And carry that on your back.


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## ikermalli

Do you have any ultraportables in mind?  No supercomputers please!


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## AUTOBOOT2000

ikermalli said:


> Do you have any ultraportables in mind?  No supercomputers please!



I know why your getting a laptop don't even bother trust me just get a really nice desktop.


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## ikermalli

I like the portability of it, also we need one that doesn't consume much power because our electricity bill cost went up apparently. Why would I get a really nice desktop? I might switch with my mom though because she has this really cool toshiba and all she does is leave it plugged in to the charger and have it on her desk. But her battery life is really bad, it is like 1 hr or 45 minutes even sometimes


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## AUTOBOOT2000

What do you need it for?


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## ikermalli

Taking it on road trips (we drive to new york a lot), to peoples' houses for school work, taking it to the library, taking it to school (i talked to some teachers about bringing a laptop and they said that it was fine), also when we go to hotels my parents don't like bringing their own laptops because they are big but they always need to use the computer. Also to replace our 5 year old desktop that we have, and my sister wants to take my desktop because she hates laptops. Oh, and for vacation we go on tours around continents, like Europe tours and stuff like that so entertainment on trains, planes, and coach buses for that.


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## AUTOBOOT2000

Why can't you just get a PDA?


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## ikermalli

Because the screen is really small and it won't run mozilla firefox, ms word, Windows Live messenger and a lot of other programs that I use. Do you really think a PDA can be a substitute for a desktop?


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## ikermalli

Thats like saying why don't you just get a PDA to replace the $1500+ desktop you're building?


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## ikermalli

Hehe, the things i come up with when I have a coca cola classic


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## AUTOBOOT2000

ikermalli said:


> Because the screen is really small and it won't run mozilla firefox, ms word, Windows Live messenger and a lot of other programs that I use. Do you really think a PDA can be a substitute for a desktop?



Are you looking at PDA's from the 1990s?

No I don't think a PDA can substitute a desktop, BUT I do know it can substitute a laptop. You are just being stubborn.


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## ikermalli

With such a small screen? I don't think so. With multiple programs running at once? If you could give me a link to one that is not VERY expensive, I will consider it.


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## gla3dr

In my mind, a PDA is for things like scheduling or checking email at most. The screen is definitely too small to be used for things like firefox or word.


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## AUTOBOOT2000

gla3dr said:


> In my mind, a PDA is for things like scheduling or checking email at most. The screen is definitely too small to be used for things like firefox or word.



I use my archos for web surfing and it is not even a pda. I also have a pda with word that I can use fine and If I really need to I can use my desktop in extreme cases.

Also that's why I have adapters to plug it in the tv via s-video or components then voila you use any tv as a screen.


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## ikermalli

@ Glad3r Same here! If he could find a good one, I am open to it, I just really need portability.
@ AUTOOBOOT2000 Well I really don't want to be using a PDA as my main entertainment on a road trip or flight, and also I probably wouldn't have many screens available to use on those trips, plus I would need to buy a hardware keyboard SO, AC adapter, PDA, Cables, Hardware keyboard = more hassle than a laptop


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## ikermalli

Got ya there huh? Ok, so how is this trade:

My desktop:
19" Monitor
EPoX AP550PRO Mobo
AMD Athalon 64 X2 5200+
1 GB RAM
160 GB HDD
nVidia 7600 GT

For my moms laptop"
Intel Celeron M 1.86 GHz
80 GB HDD
Windows XP or Vista Ultimate (reformatting it)
894 mb of RAM
Onboard graphics
15.4 inch screen

Either get that, or wait for a few weeks and get a Dell Inspiron 1525 or a Dell Studio 15 (no christmas presents, we dont celebrate it)

I know it is half the HDD space, but would it be good for web surfing, MS Word, IM and iTunes side by side, along with quickpwn sometimes (i jailbreak iPod touches and iPhones for people) or would it be too slow? The battery life is crap I know that, so that is a HUGE downfall.


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## ikermalli

Hehe, I have 375 now


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## AUTOBOOT2000

ikermalli said:


> @ Glad3r Same here! If he could find a good one, I am open to it, I just really need portability.
> @ AUTOOBOOT2000 Well I really don't want to be using a PDA as my main entertainment on a road trip or flight, and also I probably wouldn't have many screens available to use on those trips, plus I would need to buy a hardware keyboard SO, AC adapter, PDA, Cables, Hardware keyboard = more hassle than a laptop



What PDA are you using? I have 1 chord with my pda. Your just a stubborn little kid.


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## ikermalli

No, I'm just not educated about PDAs, or about them being desktop replacements when hooked up to an LCD display. I have used my moms palm one before, I didn't think it was good at all, but that was while ago.


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## AUTOBOOT2000

ikermalli said:


> No, I'm just not educated about PDAs, or about them being desktop replacements when hooked up to an LCD display. I have used my moms palm one before, I didn't think it was good at all, but that was while ago.




Why do you keep acting like a laptop is a desktop replacement, the cheapest desktop replacement laptop would cost about 2500$.


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## ikermalli

I don't need one of the specially named desktop replacements that re really powerful, I just need one that will do the stuff I need done quickly. To tell the truth, if you are going to get an acer aspire one to replace some really old desktop because you don't use the computer much it IS a desktop replacement, because it is REPLACING your desktop, not because it was named specially


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## AUTOBOOT2000

ikermalli said:


> I don't need one of the specially named desktop replacements that re really powerful, I just need one that will do the stuff I need done quickly. To tell the truth, if you are going to get an acer aspire one to replace some really old desktop because you don't use the computer much it IS a desktop replacement, because it is REPLACING your desktop, not because it was named specially



*sigh*  a pda can do the same thing.


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## massahwahl

Check out the Palm T|X Its freaking awesome! I had one before I got my blackberry.


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## AUTOBOOT2000

ikermalli said:


> I don't need one of the specially named desktop replacements that re really powerful, I just need one that will do the stuff I need done quickly. To tell the truth, if you are going to get an acer aspire one to replace some really old desktop because you don't use the computer much it IS a desktop replacement, because it is REPLACING your desktop, not because it was named specially



WRONG if you get crap parts then that's what your going to get crap, I am not talking about paying for name brand I am talking about paying for quality.



ukulele_ninja said:


> Check out the Palm T|X Its freaking awesome! I had one before I got my blackberry.



Finally someone with a brain around here!


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## ikermalli

That is $400! I might as well get an aspire one if I was going to spend that much on a PDA... but if you have any good links I might get one


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## ikermalli

Okay, so now I have gotten the go ahead from my parents to look for laptops. I am looking at the core configuration for the Dell Inspiron 1525 for $549. Would that be good for Mozilla Firefox, iTunes or Limewire and MS Word? Oh, and a little bit of gaming? Nothing big, just free stuff. To what extent could I push the onboard graphics? Also, should I get the one for $549 with 2GB of RAM, bigger hard drive, and faster processor for the stuff I need? Or is there something else? Since it is the recession my dad said $550 right now, he is waiting on something for work, so he could even boost it up to past 1k depending, but most likely he won't, so could someone help me pick a good budget laptop? He might push it to $700 max, because he can't justify spending much money on a computer (yet he pays lots to get the house painted)


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## gla3dr

> should I get the one for $549 with 2GB of RAM, bigger hard drive, and faster processor for the stuff I need?


Are you talking about the one that comes with the Intel Pentium Dual Core? In my opinion, bigger is usually better(usually=key word). I say go with the most you are allowed to spend. If you are also looking for other choices, there's the HP Pavilion dv5t series in approx. that price range. 

Computers should definitely be higher on the list of priorities than painting the house...


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## ikermalli

Cool thanks!
What games could I play with this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115529   ? I will look around some more then list all my prospects later tomorrow


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## ikermalli

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834107015
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115524
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834115529

Or the $549 Dell specs:

Intel® Pentium® Dual Core T2410 (2.0GHz/533Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic Edition SP1
Glossy, widescreen 15.4 inch display (1280x800)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 (2 Dimms)
Size: 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
CD / DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini-Card
4 cell battery (how long will this last?)
High Definition Audio 2.0
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Integrated 10/100 Network Card


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## gla3dr

Well the COMPAQ Presario and the Acer Aspire look decent. Couldn't get a look at the third like you have there though, it doesn't work. Personally, I'd go for the Acer, considering the higher memory. As for CPUs, I'm no expert, but my computer has an AMD Athlon and it has worked well for me so that's another point on the Acer's side. I don't know a lot about Intel GPUs, but I have bad experiences with a Radeon, that's all I can tell you on that point. 

As for the 4 cell battery, poeple have said that it lasts about 3 hours, give or take 10, 15 minutes. All depends on usage.


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## ikermalli

Thanks glad3r! The link was working just a few moments ago, I don't know what happened


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## ikermalli

I think this might be it, not 100% sure
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147773


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## ikermalli

Oh, and about the dv5t, I cannot find it on the hp.ca website, could you send me a link?


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## gla3dr

ikermalli said:


> I think this might be it, not 100% sure
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147773



That's the third link you had there? It looks ok, but I would still go for the Acer, for the 4GB memory, which is really handy if you are thinking of gaming on your laptop. ^that one only has 1GB, which would probably work for a lot of games, but wouldn't run them at medium or high levels.

Here's the link for the dv5t series:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/series/category/notebooks/dv5t_series/3/computer_store

If you click on the specs tab, it'll give you all the choices for hardware and stuff.


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## ikermalli

Thanks, it is going reaaalllyyy slow for me right now, so it may take a while for the specs for the hp as I am going to go out soon also. S, for the acer, what kind of games do you think I would be able to play on it?


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## ikermalli

Color	Onyx	
Operating system	Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)	
Processor	Pentium(R) Dual-Core Mobile Processor T3200 (2.0 GHz)	
Display	15.4" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)	
Memory	FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)	
Graphics card	Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD	
Hard drive	FREE Upgrade to 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection	
Personalization	Webcam Only	
Keyboard	HP Color Matching Keyboard	
Networking	Wireless-G Card
Modem Port	No Modem	
Primary DVD/CD drive	SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support	
TV & entertainment experience	No TV Tuner w/remote control	
Primary battery	6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Productivity software	Microsoft(R) Works 9.0


For 579.99 + shipping. Is that good? What could be run on that as far as games? Any good fps?


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## gla3dr

Looks good to me. I would have gone with one of the NVIDIA graphics cards but that adds another $100-$200, which it sounds like isn't quite in your budget.
You would be able to play games like fallout 3 on there, for example. SPORE is a good one. You could manage that with ease. I bet you would be able to play starcraft 2 when it comes out. FPS might not be extraordinary but I know, for me, as long as animations are smooth, I can deal with slightly sub-super frame rates.

579.99+ shipping seems like a reasonable price to me. You could try comparing to other stores and sites for similar laptops. I am looking to buy one myself so I'll probably be looking around too. I'll keep you updated here on what I find.


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## ikermalli

Alright, cool. Yeah. I looked at the nvidia, then I looked at the price lol. Yeah 579.99 + free shipping i good. I don't play starcraft games, fallout 3? I think you mean wouldn't not would, on that graphics card. What is spore about? I was hoping to play maybe Medal of Honour, the original gears of war possibly, would I be able to run CoD WaW? I don't mind sub-super frame rates, as long as it is not reeallly laggy or anything, even a slight bit of pixelation doesn't bother me.


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## gla3dr

Sorry, you're right. I meant wouldn't play fallout 3

Like I said earlier, I don't really know anything about that graphics card. What NVIDIA would it be equivalent to? 

Spore is a game that was released this year by Maxis. It's about the evolution of species throughout all of time pretty much. You start out in the "primordial ooze" as a single cell organism and it ends in the space age. The separate stages of the game all have different types of game play. There is RPG style, RTS style, arcade style, etc. The game play is fairly simple but I found it very fun.


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## ikermalli

I don't know which nvidia it would be equal to either, im not good at finding that stuff out. Yeah, I tried spore lite on my iPhone but I don't think it is too great...


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## ikermalli

Oh, it says it's about a 7400-7600 nvidia...


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## gla3dr

Oh well I don't think spore lite for iphone would do it justice. There's also spore for DS but I doubt either of them compare to the pc version. Some people just didn't like it though. I thought it was incredibly amusing. It makes you feel very...powerful.

If it is similar to a 7400-7600, I would definitely upgrade to one of the nvidia cards. But that's just me.


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## ikermalli

lol, if it was up to me I would too, but it's not, and that would raise the cost a lot. I don't do much gaming anyways, some soldierfront once in a bluemoon, but probably nothing more, i have an Xbox 360 for that


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## ikermalli

My choices are either the HP I listed before or this acer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115524
Which one would you suggest? Those are final choices unless there are better deals.


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## gla3dr

Boy, that's gonna be a hard choice for me. I wouldn't go with either of those. Mainly because of the GPUs. If I had to choose out of those though, I would probably go with the Acer. Even though it has Radeon, which I have somewhat of a grudge against, I've heard they're good. It also has the AMD proc, which I like.


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## ikermalli

Hehe, I'm going to get a new desk today and my mom asked my dad when he was going to take me to get a computer this week because he is leaving soon and he gave her the look because he was trying to hide it. That is my analysis. He might get me a mac


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## Kill Bill

ikermalli said:


> Hehe, I'm going to get a new desk today and my mom asked my dad when he was going to take me to get a computer this week because he is leaving soon and he gave her the look because he was trying to hide it. That is my analysis. He might get me a mac



Macs nice although if you play games you will need to install windows via boot camp


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## ikermalli

Yeah, I know, but I am getting my Xbox 360 fixed... So i'll be fine!


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## Kill Bill

ikermalli said:


> Yeah, I know, but I am getting my Xbox 360 fixed... So i'll be fine!



if its the macbook normal make sure he goes aluminum and not the old plastic ones as the aluminum have a 9400M which is about 23% slower than the 8600M GT so it has servicable gaming unlike the plastic with the x3100 although if you need firewire you will have to get the plastic one


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## ikermalli

I really won't be gaming if I get the mac, I am into photo and video editing. Also I like music, and I want to try mixing or chop/screwing songs too.


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## Kill Bill

ikermalli said:


> I really won't be gaming if I get the mac, I am into photo and video editing. Also I like music, and I want to try mixing or chop/screwing songs too.



Then macs your business their perfect for that.


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## ikermalli

Yup  I've wanted one for 4 years. The only downside is that they're expensive!


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## ikermalli

We're picking up a Mac in a month... or tomorrow, either.


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## Stardust

From all the other respones i saw, (Back in the beginning) i understand that college you'll need your laptop way more, but what if you don't have a desktop? And by that I mean ours is locked, public so my siblings need it too, and i gotta ask permission to get on. Meaning i gotta explain what im gonna do b4 i go on or else im not allowed. What do you think i should do?


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