Originally Posted by Leeoku

this seems to suit ur quad core cravings

an i3 is not a quad processor, quad processors have i7-###qm

Notebookcheck's benchmark results are a bit sketchy as they run the benchmarks with different processor/gpu combos and on different operating systems.

Intel Core 2 Duo:
These processors are what really helped intel dominate the mobile PC market. Their performance is great, they run pretty cool, and because the new core I series is out, these laptops are usually always on sale. Intel has additional processor lineups, which include the budget celerons (stay away from them!) and Pentium Dual cores (mehh). They also offer Ultra Low Voltage processors, which are not as powerful as regular core 2 duos, but they provide a lot more battery life. If you are only using the laptop to surf the web, and to type up notes, I would suggest getting a laptop that has one. I am currently using an Acer 4810 TZ which is being sold at Bestbuy new for $400 (sale might be done :( ) Cons: If it doesn't have an ATI/AMD or Nvidia graphics card, it comes with horrible intel integrated graphics

Intel Core i5:

Amazing processors. Even the lowest processor, the Core i3, is faster than any Core 2 Duo, and provides lots of battery life. Stay away from Core i7's if you want battery life, stick to I7s only if you need hardcore performance!

AMD Turion x2
This Turion processor lineup was AMD's response to Intel's Core 2 Duo. They generally run warmer than their Intel counterparts and provide less performance, but these laptops are generally A LOT cheaper than Intel models. Pros: cheaper price for good performance, AND they generally come with better integrated cards than intel's lineup. Why are graphics cards so important nowadays? Aren't they just for gamers? Actually, a lot of applications are starting to take advantage of the power of a graphics card. I know a lot of video rendering applications are starting to support GPU acceleration. Adobe Flash (10.1 and up) support GPU acceleration, which means that you can watch 1080p Youtube with ease, while taking some work off of the processor which means = cooler laptop. VLC is starting to support GPU acceleration, so if that is your video player of choice, then that's a thumbs up for you!

Intel Atom:

Stay away. There's a reason why people complain that their netbooks are slow. Most of the time it's because they have the Intel Atom chip in it. Stay awaay!!! Amazing battery life though

AMD Neo:

AMD's answer to the Intel Atom. Amazing performance, good battery life, and amazing integrated graphics card. They usually come in smaller netbook like notebooks (10-13 inch range)


Now, as to which brand to purchase:

Toshibas: Junk. Toshiba hasn't put out any good laptops out lately and I'd recommend for you to stay away from them

HP: HP has been coming out with hit after hit after hit. They have an amazing Lineup of laptops namely the DV6 (15.6), Envy 14 (14 inch) Envy 15 (15.6 inch) and the Envy 17 (17 inch). Their business models are amazing, and well built also, so you should take a look at those also.

Lenovo: Ohh baby. There's a reason why these are used in so many offices in the world. Other than rugged laptops (such as the Panasonic toughbook series) these babies are the most well built laptops around. Hinges are incredible, no screen flex, no keyboard flex. If you have any family in the states I recommend checking out the Lenovo Outlet. If not, prices are pretty high here from Lenovo Canada. Look out for the T400/T410, T500/T510, X200, X201, Edge 13 and Edge 14.

Acer: Acer has really been stepping their game up lately. A few years ago they were producing laptops that would eventually break down within a year or two of usage. The new Timeline series they just released last year is INCREDIBLE. I'm talking 5.5-7.5 hours of battery life! Look out for the 1810/1410, 3810/3820, 4810/4820, 5810/5820.

Dell: Honestly, Dell needs to step their game up. Their consumer line of laptops are cheap, and poorly built. They are mainly made of plastics, which are prone to some serious flex. Their hinges don't last too long either. Their business line on the other hand, is much better. Look out for the Latitude E6400/E6410 or the E6500/ E6510.

Sony: Sony has some of the best engineered laptops. Don't believe me? Check out the Vaio Z. It packs 4 Solid State Disks (faster than standard hard drives) into a thin and light 13 inch shell! The price for it is quite ridiculous, but it also has a beautiful HD screen ranging from 1366x768, to 1600x900 to a full 1080p screen on a 13 inch! Wowza~!

Asus: If you want a gaming laptop, Asus is the way to go in Canada! The G73 right now is in the lead for best bang for your buck! The design is incredible, it looks like a stealth jet! If you want a thin and light laptop, the UL series provides good performance with switchable graphics cards and good processors, which allow for some good battery life!

Alienware: Honestly, if you plan to carry your laptop to class, stay away from Alienware computers (except for the M11x). These computers, while beautiful and sexy all on their own, are waaaaay too heavy to carry to class everyday, and don't provide enough battery life to use in most classes.

Remember, Dell and HP's business/commercial laptops are very well built, and usually come with international warranty. Also, standard Dell/HP business warranty on their business models is MUUUUCHHH better than standard Dell/HP consumer warranty on consumer type laptops,

Apple: Get it if you think you're trendy, but they don't provide as much bang for your buck as a PC. Nuff said.

From: jamiebenyovi's boyfriend

Check our Notebookreview.com and make a thread in the "What Notebook Should I Buy" section. I'll come help you there

OP is not getting a gaming computer. What she gets does not matter. She won't be able experience any difference between CPUs within the same price/performance bracket. In any case her shit is gonna slow down to molasses after a year and I don't think shes going to reformat her computer regularly or be upgrading at all.

She should just get a Mac and call it a day.

hey thanks for all your help guys. I finally ended up buying the Toshiba Now I just wanted to find out if anyone has or knows where I can get the Office programs and Adobe and stuff for free?

piratebay

Originally Posted by **jewel 03**

hey thanks for all your help guys. I finally ended up buying the Toshiba Now I just wanted to find out if anyone has or knows where I can get the Office programs and Adobe and stuff for free?

You can download Open Office, its a open-source (aka free) Office Suite you can get without pirating Microsoft Office. Its really good imo.

Also if you just wanna play around with Photoshop or whatever Adobe programs there are probably decent, free alternatives. I know there are various different photo-editing programs that people use online, and downloadable programs.

That or you can always acquire Adobe Creative Suite somehow.

Go for an Intel Processor. Avoid AMD if you can afford it, its garbage.

The processor is one of the most important parts, and has a big impact on the computer. and makes up a good few hundred of the price, so don't cheap out on it.

Originally Posted by sew12

You can download Open Office, its a open-source (aka free) Office Suite you can get without pirating Microsoft Office. Its really good imo.

Be aware, in terms of functionality; Open Office = MS Office 1997.

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

Be aware, in terms of functionality; Open Office = MS Office 1997.

In addition to lacking functionality, Open Office is also a slow, bloated P.O.S.

Originally Posted by Tailsnake

Open Office is also a slow, bloated P.O.S.

That's what happens when you write huge applications in Java :p.

One chart shown on CNET shows all of the laptop processors from AMD and Intel. However, such charts show relative information only, about battery life and performance of each processor of AMD as well as Intel. Note that rankings shown on the chart are also not based on independent test results, that is, the actual processor performance and actual battery life of a laptop will vary according to many factors, including the size of the battery, the display, and the optimizations done by the manufacturer.

Go here and start a thread answering the questionaire in this thread
People who know a lot about laptops will answer

AMD is terrible. Their processors heat up easy, wasting battery life and they are not as powerful as the Intel processors. The processor is the single most important part of your computer so dont go cheap on it.

In terms of Intel, you will probably see 2 types: the older core2duo and the newer nehlam architecture (core i3/5/7). While theres not large difference in energy use, the nehlam processors have significantly better performance.

By the nehlam naming convention the core i3 are the cheapest processors. They are ok but you probably want a core i5 processor. These are excellent. The core i7 processors are the best but you will pay a price premium for them and they use a lot more energy.

"Centrino" or "Centrino 2/pro" or other such similar names are 'Platforms'. A laptop will get the "Centrino" sticker if it follows a set of guidelines put down by intel to maximize performance to battery life ratio. For example, the laptop may need to use components from a specific set of intel processors, a specific set of motherboards, and one of a few intel wireless cards. There may be other requirements too.