Hola, I've never been a fan of laptops and never wanted one myself, but now a need has arisen and my dad is going to buy me one so I can keep in contact with my family while Im away. I'd much appreciate it if any laptop savvy people on the boards could help me out

Basically for use, I'll be doing email, skype, word processing internet and music use. I wont be using this to game, so I dont need a fancy power hungry gpu :flamed: . The thing Is i'll be using this for homework and be multitasking so I dont want the screen resolution or size to be tiny!

For price, I want to go as cheap as I can without getting a laptop thats really slow, I cant stand waiting 5+ seconds for the browser to start or for it to open word, I notice my dads recent laptop does this and the HDD light is solid when its working, is the HDD really just that slow in laptops :unsure2: ? Hes got a core 2 duo in his HP...

Also, windows 7 is a must (since they dont put XP on them anymore and Vista is a no go)

Thanks in advance! :thanks:

Oh, p.s. I buy from Newegg all the time so thats the preference of where to get it, bestbuy has terrible prices...

I have http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157674&cm_re=hp_4520s-_-34-157-674-_-Product one (well mine has a i5 460m CPU) and it works amazingly for basic stuff. Yes it has an Intel video chipset but that really helps battery life. I am able to pull 4 hours out of a regular battery use. It has a fast HDD for a laptop in there.

Hey thanks, that actually looks like what Im looking for in about the right price range too, def bookmarking that one

Funny coincidence that I just bought a 4520s for my dad. Except that this model only has an i3 380m CPU, 3GB of memory, and has the same price tag, in euros.

What about this one? The i3 isnt that bad is it? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157672&cm_re=HP_ProBook-_-34-157-672-_-Product

While it isn't as powerful I don't think you would see a huge difference for word processing, email, etc.

The slowness you're describing would only really be cured by an SSD.

I recommend the Acer Aspire 5542. It's a decent laptop, and mine has lasted me two years, and with regular cleaning hasn't slowed much. It costs around ￡400 from Argos, if you're stateside then I don't know what that would be in dollars, or if it is available over there.

http://www.simplyacer.com/Acer_Aspire_5542_669361.html

Amazon.com has that laptop listed at about $799. I dont say its worth it with only a 2.5 hour battery life at most and a 5400RPM HDD.

A specified budget would help. I don't think there's much point in getting something average if you're going to be using it for a few years.

Here's a good Asus for $750 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220951

And an Acer at a cheaper price-point at $600 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115984

It really comes down to how much you want to spend. I would recommend that you factor in the cost of an extended warranty, but that's up to you. You'll notice the Asus I've linked comes with a 2-year warranty instead of the standard 12-month warranty that comes with most other brands.

Having worked with laptops and computers for at least few years, I myself would stick to brands such as Asus and Toshiba, and steer clear of HP. Acer is good bang for your buck, if you don't have a lot to spend. Others may disagree, that's just my view based on the experience I've had. If you had any questions about specifics, just let me know.

$799? Around ￡400 over here.
And I've never considered battery life because I used to always use it plugged in.