Need a New Laptop? Would You Rather Spend $999 or $300?

Thanks Molly for your very good and understandable article. I know now what I will ask my two adult sons to buy me for Christmas. I have a PC at work, but understandably it has certain firewalls and filters that prevent me from even viewing videos, so this would be perfect for me! I look forward to reading more articles from you on this site (which I love) !!!

The price of the computer was only one factor in my buying decision. I wanted no — and I mean no — trouble with my computer ever, not even from viruses; I wanted complete reliability—few to no breakdowns; I wanted a computer that is utterly intuitive, letting me concentrate only on my work, not giving a thought to how to do this or that; I wanted a computer that lasts and lasts and is the ultimate in upgrade-ability. I found all that and more in my Mac and haven’t once regretted it.

Good to see you here, Molly - I’m a huge BOL and Gadgettes fan. I just bought a netbook, the Eee PC 901 - Linux version and I love it. I have a ‘power’ notebook, 17” - heavy on graphics and well, just heavy. I don’t mind lugging it from the living room to the patio, but beyond that it’s pretty cumbersome. The netbook is light, has a remarkably clear and bright screen, and while the keyboard is understandably smaller than normal, it isn’t uncomfortable to use for short amounts of time… say, a lunch hour at the local deli. Plus, if I take it on a trip and lose it, I’m not going to be as brokenhearted as I would if I lost my much pricier machine.

Thanks Molly, sound like the netbook will be perfect for me and I like the price!

Thanks for having a techie help us through these buying decisions. I would also like some info on flat-screen TVs. I don’t have cable so I will need a digital TV, but there are so many different models with different technical abilities.

Greetings, Molly. I was recently hired as a news director at a radio station in another (nearby) city. I bought a Dell Inspirion laptop computer, but there is no connectivity in the efficiency apartment. I don’t know if I’d be better off bearing the expense of getting a telephone line and all that, or one of those modem hookups to my existing cell phone? Cheers.

Great! Now tell me how to get a car for the price of an expensive laptop, please. Haha… (No, seriously.)

To paraphase an ole folk song:

“Rich woman buys what she wants to,
Poor woman buys what she can.

I hear so much about Macs. I have hear about Bentley, too.

Okay, dumb question here, courtesy of my sister. Really, it’s my sister. I don’t have a dog. Anyway, Monty chewed all the plastic off her memory stick. She wants to know if she can still retrieve the information. I told her to go the MIS folks at her job, but I think she is embarrassed to have such an unruly mutt. (She has to put pepper on her electrical cords so he won’t chew on those, I kid you not.) So, can she get her info back?

Apple is pompous arrogance, personified. Those who swear by them and are certain they won’t have to worry about a virus or Trojan are full of the same stuffing; however, as a user with a history of owning both several times, and often concurrently, if one follows Microsoft’s advice (Windows Defender, etc) anti-virus proggies are not all that necessary (I have never had one, so watch me crash, tonight!). One’s Internet settings will protect us a lot!

I’m all for paying less - in fact, now we must; however, your kind contribution here was timely. Now disabled, with a condition that finds those of us with this at times unable to expend muscle and/or motor neuron activity, plus a vision disorder, I’ve longed for something smaller to pull onto my chaise with me to watch a DVD, or chat here and there with other Wowowers, or friends at large, and perhaps using my thumb drives, continue writing, or editing on an contract, listening to my Philips and Deutche Grammaphon recordings, and recouping at the same time. With that, I’m heading out to investigate your lowest cost suggestions - one more query, though…

I’ve been considering going wireless, using my TVs for monitors, and hooking up my beloved stereo and Infinity speaker system to a home surround-sound. (I was about ready to bring in my Dual turntable and record all my LPs onto DVDs as MP3s in anticipation.) Just as I was ready to make that ‘move’ it dawned on me, if one item goes out, will the rest, too? Any advice on this topic.

Thank you, very much, Molly - you are indeed a gem.

I’m glad to see that there is tech talk. I am one of those closet geeks, and these past few months I have about driven myself crazy with attempting to replace my 5- year old Sony laptop. The reason is because there is so much available, and so much I want to do—-and so many things consumers have to watch out for when making an investment -purchase. I bought my laptop before they were calling them a ” desktop replacement”, but that’s what I was doing. So, I paid a hefty price for my “forward thinking” to have the only LCD 16” screen available. Now, of course, I want to think ahead again (HD, BD, PC/TV) and thought, great, they have these “all-in-one” pc configurations and I need a pc and a tv, why not get all in one. No matter how much I love doing graphics on them I will not pay iMac prices. Seriously, they haven’t even addressed BD (Blu-Ray), ignore anti-virus and spyware,TV tuners, and have limited software for Macs, and everything beyond marginal is extra (“upgrades”), even wireless keyboard & mouse. I want to purchase the technology available today for a reasonable price, and won’t pay for advertisement with words like “brilliant”, “amazingly”, “breathtaking”, “wide-eyed wonder” and offering me the “perfect pixel experience”, because, you know, I’m not purchasing escort services…
So, I am a hair from my next purchase— another Sony and will pay (not a bargain line, but next-generation) because they did get it all into one package and it is less money for more than Macs. Aesthetics are important to me and saving space, and I realize that I could get more for my money if I go for the tower and HDTV combo.
Is it possible to have comment on this subject of PC/TV? I know I’d really appreciate it. I’ve scoured the internet and it’s difficult getting much, let alone solid extensive discussion on this.

Knowing nothing about lap tops figured I would be safe with an Apple. I bought the MacBook Air. Just love it. My grandkids said they had the coolest Granny. Apple is what they are learning on in their grade school. Now I have grandkids everyday after school.