I have the Dell Studio 15 and my only gripe about it is that it has a slot loading drive which is generally louder than tray drives. Other than that its an amazing laptop.

If cost is a factor, go with 13".
Movies are fine and if you're a bit blind like myself, you can just enlarge the text.

However, if you can afford it, I'd go with the 15".
I hear 17" becomes too bulky.

Agreed. Although the picture can be awesome with 17'', it's not really worth the trouble of carrying it around!

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

If cost is a factor, go with 13".
Movies are fine and if you're a bit blind like myself, you can just enlarge the text.

However, if you can afford it, I'd go with the 15".
I hear 17" becomes too bulky.

._.

I thought smaller laptops costed more, although maybe that's with specific brands.

I'm pretty sure larger laptops cost more, but sometimes the smaller ones have special features. For example HP Tablets (12.1") are a lot more expensive than the 15.4". Netbooks (<13") are especially cheap.

EDIT: hmm...I just looked at Dell and I see what you mean. o.0...

17'' laptops can support bigger hardware, so it can come with better specs than smaller laptops since it can support more hardware.
the screen itself is bigger so it has a higher native resolution which means things look better.

15'' laptops are a good size.
anything smaller might be too small.

also 17'' laptops have fullkeyboards which might interest some people...

For MacBook Pro, is it compatible with all of the softwares necessary for science classes?

Also, is it okay to install downloaded programs (torrents) onto the MBP, or do I need to purchase genuine copies?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by JY123

For MacBook Pro, is it compatible with all of the softwares necessary for science classes?

Also, is it okay to install downloaded programs (torrents) onto the MBP, or do I need to purchase genuine copies?

Thanks!

The MBP's Operating system (OS X) should be compatible with all the software your going to need and if it Isn't you can always boot camp windows. You can also download all the software you need if you want.

k i need some help from some ppl with mac experience
i am intending to buy a macbook pro for next year and i was wondering if i needed to get the protective accessories with it if im going to get the 3 year protection. If i get the keyboard, screen, armrest and outer protection..itl end up costing around $150. Do I need that or would my money be better spent on getting a 15" instead of a 13"? I dont think the apple warranty covers scratches and spills so i dont want anything to happen to it that wouldnt be covered.

Don't buy an HP.

Within the past 4 years, i've gone through 3 HP laptops. All of them cost me well over $1000, so they wern't some cheap $500 cheaper model. I never download any music programs, not even somthing as simple as MSN. I strictly used them to browse the web, and do homework.

My first one kept crashing. I bought a second one.

My second one's wi-fi broke right after the warranty was up. All of the buttons started not working after that. The screen started losing pixels. I bought a third one.

The third one which cost me $1600, is currently in my closet, broken. The wi-fi is broken, the hard-drive needs a total replacement. So i've been using my dads laptop until I decide wether to fix my HP, or replace it.

Originally Posted by bilalbagha

k i need some help from some ppl with mac experience
i am intending to buy a macbook pro for next year and i was wondering if i needed to get the protective accessories with it if im going to get the 3 year protection. If i get the keyboard, screen, armrest and outer protection..itl end up costing around $150. Do I need that or would my money be better spent on getting a 15" instead of a 13"? I dont think the apple warranty covers scratches and spills so i dont want anything to happen to it that wouldnt be covered.

I bought a macbook last year and didn't bother with the extra 3 year protection plan. If your worried about things such as scratches than I wouldn't suggest buying a laptop because they will eventually happen whether you like it or not. I think the apple store gives you a 1 year warranty already and I haven't had any problems at all with my macbook so far. Also keep in mind that the 15" will weigh more than the 13" so carrying it around all the time may not be convenient.

Originally Posted by Vanessa-88

Don't buy an HP.

Within the past 4 years, i've gone through 3 HP laptops. All of them cost me well over $1000, so they wern't some cheap $500 cheaper model. I never download any music programs, not even somthing as simple as MSN. I strictly used them to browse the web, and do homework.

My first one kept crashing. I bought a second one.

My second one's wi-fi broke right after the warranty was up. All of the buttons started not working after that. The screen started losing pixels. I bought a third one.

The third one which cost me $1600, is currently in my closet, broken. The wi-fi is broken, the hard-drive needs a total replacement. So i've been using my dads laptop until I decide wether to fix my HP, or replace it.

I agree; the only thing HP is good for is printers.

I recommend Dell. I've been using Dell products for years, and my current laptop is a Dell. I've had no problems with it! It's worked like a charm after 3 years of almost constant daily use. You can also fully customize your computer online, which is MUCH better than buying a laptop pre-assembled in-store. The only thing I should point out is that my laptop cost me over $2000 because I got top of the line specs so that it would last me for 4 years (remember that you can't upgrade hardware in a laptop).

Oh, and Dell always has some kind of deal going on, so depending on when you order, you can get deals on things like external hard drives, upgraded hardware, software, etc.

My main beef is that I can't upgrade my hardware, and now after three years, the required specs for games are going beyond those of my computer :(. I can't wait to finish school so I can start a career and be able to afford to build myself a great desktop!

Hi,
I was wondering which laptop to get as well...
I don't game, watch movies, download a lot or anything like that, I'll just be using it for schoolwork and internet.
I was thinking the Dell Inspiron 15...
Any good/bad experiences or other suggestions?
Trying to keep it under $700 or so...
Thanks!

Check out Toshiba A505-S6965
its $750 but its worth every penny...im gonna get one myself soon

Originally Posted by bilalbagha

k i need some help from some ppl with mac experience
i am intending to buy a macbook pro for next year and i was wondering if i needed to get the protective accessories with it if im going to get the 3 year protection. If i get the keyboard, screen, armrest and outer protection..itl end up costing around $150. Do I need that or would my money be better spent on getting a 15" instead of a 13"? I dont think the apple warranty covers scratches and spills so i dont want anything to happen to it that wouldnt be covered.

I got a Macbook pro last year and i didn't need any of the protective extras they have. Keep in mind its aluminum and doesn't scratch easily. I did however get the extended warranty since i was paying over $2000 for something it seemed to be a good idea. Also if you buy your Macbook from the apple store you have 1 year from your date of purchase to buy the warranty. Size is a personal preference since the 13" and 15" pros are within 1 pound of each other so there isn't much difference. I would advise 15" because bigger screen size and resolution means easier time reading/watching movies.