is this a good laptop for school ?

Last semester I hated my 4 year old laptop. I am getting a new one this semester
Consumer reports says get a Dell Laptop, I looked at 2 dells and I would want to combine them, but also I'm not sure if they are that great.


Choice A
Built in Blue Ray-(useless to me)
6GB memory
500GB harddrive
battery 3 hours
18.4inch monitor
Wireless networking
Reads/Writes DVD/CDs

Choice B
4 GB DDR3 Memory(the DDR3 I have no idea what the difference is from Choice A)
500GB HD
battery life 5.5hours
-slot loading disc drive
-wireless networking
-17.3 inch screen

I'd want"
5 hour battery life
I have no idea what "DDR3" Memory is? or if it's better than what the other computer has, "6GB memory"(what the display card says)
-Know clue what a slot loading disc drive is.

I want a read/write slot loading thing is, I'd easily get choice A but I dont need/want blue ray player? or does it matter?

Should I get the 3 year geek squad black tie protection for half the cost of the computer?

 

What's your budget for this? Do you have any special requirements, such as gaming?

 

Its simply for school, note taking and wireless access to get notes from teachers(who post shit online)
it's not for gaming,
I want a nice keyboard and PC compatible, so no mac stuff, I was told Lenovo Thinkpads have nice keyboards.
I need it to be able to run windows 7 and have powerpoint for students(cause teachers use powerpoint and then I can take notes right on the slides)
otherwise, no requirments, I want to spend $990 or less

 

OK, for $990 or less, you have many to choose from. In fact, in the current market, as you may know, you could even set your spending limit a few hundred$ lower and still find many models to choose from. I just made a quick visit to tigerdirect.com and saw this, which I would find very tempting if I were shopping for a laptop: Acer Aspire AS5732Z-4855 Laptop Computer - Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4300 2.1GHz, 4GB DDR2, 250GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6" Display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit; the cost is $500 plus shipping.

I can't confirm what you said about Lenovo since I'm not familiar with them. But, here's one from tigerdirect.com: Lenovo IdeaPad U330 2267-58U Notebook PC - Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 2.0GHz, 3GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 13.3" WXGA, Windows XP Professional/Vista Business; same price as one the Acer.

Stay tuned to this forum. I'm sure others will have comments and may be able to comment specifically on your point about keyboards.

 

DDR = Double Data Rate...basically and generically, geekspeak for memory speed - the higher the better, the more the better...

You can "combine the two" at the Dell site, by following the customization routine...

The best way to decide about keyboards is by experience - go to a local 'puter outlet, and play with the display models...

And, no - IMO, the extended warranties are scams: if it's going to break, it's going to break in the first 6 months, so the basic manufacturer's warranty is usually all you'll need...

 

I pretty much need a big *** keyboard, otherwise I don't care about the screen size, I am using it to take notes and having a small keyboard is just, ugh, tough to manage. I tried that with a HP notebook that I just don't use anymore.
Maybe I can find a notebook that has a nice keyboard and a nice long battery, but is gutless enough to have windows 7, wireless internet, and other shit
I'm going to be at best buy again, trying out the different machines... although Consumer Reports ranks Best buy low as a place to buy shit from, I'm going to go to a Microcenter
Asus UL30A-A1 Notebook looks good, although I don't know about the keyboard and I dont see it ranked in Cosumer Reports buying guide

(1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile SU7300, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, Windows Vista Home Premium, 13.3" LCD - MPN: UL30AA1)
might that be good? I'd have to upgrade to windows 7 though and I don't really need the graphics stuff
http://computershopper.com/laptops/r.../asus-ul30a-a1

they will give me an upgrade to windows 7 on the Asus UL30A-A1
__________________

 

I've not used or worked on Asus computers, but I've had good experiences with their motherboards...

The UL30A-A1 looks like a sweet little machine, especially if you're gonna get a Win 7 upgrade...

 

Whew!, great battery life, per New Review: Asus UL30A-A1

 

LOL
thats what I was about to ask about!
ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

sorta close

seems like a great computer to suite my needs

 

isnt this enough processing speed?

I was told by a friend it seemed on the low end?
thanks

Product Features

* 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo Processor
* 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 2 slots, 4GB Max
* 500GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
* 13.3" HD LED LCD Display, Intel GMA 4500MHD, Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn, 0.3M Webcam
* Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System (64 bit)

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

* Processor: 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* RAM: 4 GB
* RAM Type: SDRAM
http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5-Ligh.../B002P3KMVC/ref=de_a_smtd/176-4519200-2335600

 

I Think this laptop is PERFECT for your requirements, it has a large screen which means large keyboard, there are some reviews on other sites, they seem to be good and rate this laptop very highly.

It has a much faster processor and is under budget!

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=LT-135-AC&groupid=959&catid=1201&subcat=

I'm sorry its a UK site but you should able to find one availble in the US somewhere near you!

 

isnt this close to that?
I cant even tell the price in USD in the one you posted!
ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)