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Up to Discussions in Laptops
7 Replies Last post: Dec 6, 2006 5:01 AM by sandyw  
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sandyw
3 posts since
Nov 30, 2006
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Nov 30, 2006 10:55 AM

new laptop-Dell vs. Sony vs. Lenovo

I am in the market for a new laptop and am trying to decide on what brand to go with. I have been (happily) using a Dell Inspiron 8500 for the last 3 years but need an upgrade. I originally looked at a Dell Inspiron E1505 and customized it with a faster processor, more memory, etc. My only experience has been with a Dell though so I thought I should look at other laptops. So I looked at the Sony FE790, which is also customizable, and liked it but could not find a lot of info on the web as to whether Sony made good laptops. I like their style but I'm not sure about the rest. While I looked for Sony I found that the Lenovos seemed to be getting the best reviews and am now thinking about those. As a side note, my wife has a new Macbook Pro so I do not want to get an Apple.

My main question is this. If I am going to customize a laptop to suit my needs (speed, storage, etc), is there really going to be a difference between these three brands?

My main use for a laptop is multitasking (Office programs), some graphics drawing on AutoCAD, and possibly some video editing. I am not planning on gaming. My price range is at the most $2500 (after full customization). I want a 15" screen and mid-range portability as far as weight.

Thanks very much for any advice people can give me.

Sandy
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Click to view jbking's profile Member
jbking
967 posts since
Aug 29, 2006
1. Nov 30, 2006 11:02 AM in response to: sandyw
I think I'd be tempted to look at the warranties and support lines on each of the 3. The parts will likely be the same in most cases among the 3 brands so the question is what kind of support and service are you expecting as well as whether you want to be where companies have had issues with customer service like Dell and Sony. Don't forget that the latter was the maker of the 6 million or so laptop batteries that have been recalled this year and affected most makers.

Regards,
JB

Home Desktop: VoodooPC Hexx. AMD Athlon FX-60, 2 GB RAM, 2 x 250 GB HD, 7900 GTX video card. Home Laptop: HP dv4000, Pentium M, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HD, ATi 700 Radeon Mobility
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sandyw
3 posts since
Nov 30, 2006
2. Dec 1, 2006 11:16 AM in response to: sandyw
Thanks for the reply. Good point about the Sony batteries. After checking things out it looks like IBM/Lenovo has the best ratings for reliability and support. I'll probably go with that.
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Click to view matchbox2022's profile New Member
matchbox2022
266 posts since
Oct 22, 2006
3. Dec 4, 2006 4:32 AM in response to: sandyw
Ehhh, battery problems were really sony's fault, it affected macs, dells and even some hps. The best screens ur gonna get are 15.4" screens, but they actually are REALLY nice nowadays. even better than the 1920x1200 screens i find in 17.1" laptops. Macs have software thats copyrighted a gazillion times, since its REALLY good at what it does. In theory, Macbook Pro's with a 64MB video card preform as well as a 128MB video card. Believe me i dont know how, i just heard this off of another "mac" forum. So I actually think they are really good at office stuff to be honest, them and Compaqs, which are pretty good with customer service and u dont have to wait half an hour with osama to find out your problem (thanks dell for getting an islam to dumb down what ram was to me when I was trying to explain my screen failure)...
Oh and sony, you're paying for the name. Seriously, their laptops are underpowered for more.

Do or Do Not, There is no Try - Yoda (my roomie) M1710 - 3.26Ghz Core 2 Duo T7600 (Bus Speed 233Mhz) Mult. 14X Voltage 1.313 volts. SuperPI 2Million Bestest Time : 31 Seconds. 2Gb Ram at 333Mhz 7950 Go Gtx (525 Mhz / 600 Mhz) 512Mb <-Hope to get up soon. Have a "Hardware" Question? I might be able to help! power2022@gmail.com
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Click to view kellie's profile Community Manager
kellie
3,385 posts since
Jun 27, 2007
4. Dec 4, 2006 9:50 AM in response to: sandyw
Yes, but Sandy is going to be using AutoCAD, which doesn't have a Mac version. There are some analogous programs, but many companies/projects/etc require actual AutoCAD work. Dual booting or Parallels would still be ok though.

I am curious why you don't want an Mac because your wife has one. Is it because you don't want matching computers, because you like to be contrary, or because there is some problem with hers?

I have had 2 Sony Vaio laptops, and had no truly bad experiences with them.

Kellie Parker | Online Community Manager | PC World
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Click to view matchbox2022's profile New Member
matchbox2022
266 posts since
Oct 22, 2006
5. Dec 4, 2006 10:43 AM in response to: sandyw
werent they expenisve??

Do or Do Not, There is no Try - Yoda (my roomie) M1710 - 3.26Ghz Core 2 Duo T7600 (Bus Speed 233Mhz) Mult. 14X Voltage 1.313 volts. SuperPI 2Million Bestest Time : 31 Seconds. 2Gb Ram at 333Mhz 7950 Go Gtx (525 Mhz / 600 Mhz) 512Mb <-Hope to get up soon. Have a "Hardware" Question? I might be able to help! power2022@gmail.com
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Click to view kellie's profile Community Manager
kellie
3,385 posts since
Jun 27, 2007
6. Dec 4, 2006 11:23 AM in response to: sandyw
I don't know... one was a gift and the other was provided by my employer at the time.

Kellie Parker | Online Community Manager | PC World
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Click to view sandyw's profile New Member
sandyw
3 posts since
Nov 30, 2006
7. Dec 6, 2006 5:01 AM in response to: sandyw
Kellie, I work in a business where having a PC makes a little more sense as far as compatibility. I know macs can run windows via boot camp but I would rather just have a good PC. My wife just ordered a new Macbook Pro which will probably be better than any PC I get. Believe me, I love macs but when I want to use one I'll just use hers. I ended up going with a Lenovo Thinkpad. I know that's a boring decision but I need reliability. thanks for the help.
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