Laptop Help

[Elia Musica]

My parents and I are having a bet. I told that I could buy a "good" laptop on my own, but, I don't know to how to choose the "right laptop." Basically, I good with research but my knowledge on computer parts is limited. ^_^;

A link led me to this forum. I saw a lot of computer experts on this forum, so I thought to myself, "Hey, why not ask these guys?"

Any ideas?

What I basically want to do with the laptop?

1) Use Windows XP (the latest version)
2) Be able to use Mircrosoft programs.
3) Be able to access the Internet.
4) Be able to download.

 

[Elia Musica]

Thank you for help, Latios. ^_^

Sorry about the previous reply. I wasn't specific.

What I meant was:

I would like to know which type of laptop (Gateway, Dell, Apple, etc.) should I get. Which one would you get and why?

Basically, I am looking for a cheap, but an exceptional laptop.

P.S. I would like to play games on it

 

[D-Man]

look this should do it
Ram:512mb or moore
Graphics card: radeon 9800 or later (or nvidia nforce 4 6600)
procesor intel pentium 3.2 or higher

and most of the newest games will work

 

[Elia Musica]

Thanks, Latios. (and sorry, again...)

Well, I would still like to play "Puzzle Pirates" and Gameboy Advance games, like the Megaman Battle Network series and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town. Puzzle Pirates could be found on... well.... could I say the site?

Oh, and I don't want to use the laptop solely for games. I would also need it for college


To D-Man: Thanks for the advice, but, which laptop have all these features?

My computer IQ: Below average...^_^; I really need to go to the library and get books on computers.


Another question ("bowing" Sorry):

Which feature(s) do I need to play PS2 games on my laptop? I would really like to play Harvest Moon: AWL (the Special Edition).

 

[Kal-El]

Well if you're going to play GBA roms, you need about a 300 MHz CPU, at least. Except those kinda don't exist to buy new. You're better off getting an AMD of sorts if you want to be playing games.

For Playstation 2 there are hardly any emulators and the ISOs would be huge (But emulators probably require the disks). Either way you'll need a GeForce 4 or better (Probably 6600 or something).

What's your budget?

 

[Elia Musica]

Well, I don't want to spend no more than $2500 on a laptop. That would be ridiculous...wouldn't it?

P.S.: What is an AMD?

 

[Kal-El]

AMD is a brand for CPU.

$2500? You could get a pretty decent one with that much. But I can't really help you there.

 

[azurill]

$2500 dollars are enough for great laptops.I bought mine for about 800 Euros and it's perfect, 39 GB of space,imagine what could be bought with 2500$!!

 

[Elia Musica]

In that case, I don't want to spend more than $1500 on a laptop. I'll use the extra money to buy a nice birthday present for my mom

So, does anyone know of a laptop that would suit most my needs and cost less than $1500?

 

[The Organizer]

Thanks, Latios. (and sorry, again...)

Well, I would still like to play "Puzzle Pirates" and Gameboy Advance games, like the Megaman Battle Network series and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town. Puzzle Pirates could be found on... well.... could I say the site?

Oh, and I don't want to use the laptop solely for games. I would also need it for college


To D-Man: Thanks for the advice, but, which laptop have all these features?

My computer IQ: Below average...^_^; I really need to go to the library and get books on computers.


Another question ("bowing" Sorry):

Which feature(s) do I need to play PS2 games on my laptop? I would really like to play Harvest Moon: AWL (the Special Edition).

Just get a GBA Emulator for that.

 

[Fangirl]

Just get a GBA Emulator for that.

There are certain system requirements you need to run an emulator. If her laptop sucks, and doesn't have everything required to run the emulator/ROMs, then she won't be able to play said games. Therefor it's important that she checks the system specs of anything she purchases, and thus is also why it's important that those helping know exactly what she wants to play so that they can suggest something in her budget that can also run what is needed.

Anyway if she's playing FOMT on a computer than it's safe to say she's already using an emulator.

*coff* Sorry. High horse.

Edit: Hahaha. Sh*t. Sorry. ^^; *fixes*​

 

[Elia Musica]

Thanks for the advice, and for the record... I'm a girl ^_^;

P.S.: I am still looking for the "right laptop."

 

[ShiningClefairy]

Which feature(s) do I need to play PS2 games on my laptop?

Time travel.

There are certain system requirements you need to run an emulator. If her laptop sucks, and doesn't have everything required to run the emulator/ROMs, then she won't be able to play said games. Therefor it's important that she checks the system specs of anything she purchases, and thus is also why it's important that those helping know exactly what she wants to play so that they can suggest something in her budget that can also run what is needed.

My old desktop, which is significantly inferior to just about any new laptop, could run emulators for SNES perfectly, PSX almost perfectly, and N64 at an acceptable rate. It could run any handheld emulator.

Any laptop these days should run up to PSX and GBA. Don't worry.

Look for these specs:
Roughly 1.8Ghz Intel Centrino or Pentium M (they're the same thing)
802.11g integrated wireless
Around 40 or 60 gigs hard drive
Graphics, I don't know. Unless you're going to play modern PC games (which you shouldn't be on a laptop), you shouldn't worry, and just get what you get.

Look in HP and Gateway, I'd say. Sony tends to cost more for the same specs. I suggest looking in places like Circuit City, Best Buy, Sam's Club, or a superstore like K-Mart or Wal-Mart. You might be surprised at the stuff you'll find there.

 

[Elia Musica]

Thanks, Latios.

So...

GeForce FX/Radeon 9500 is better than Intel Extreme Graphics?

Hmm...interesting...

And these programs would already be install in certain laptops?

Whoa...I need to be careful when I pick the "right laptop"

So far, someone has suggested HP and Gateway... any others?

 

[Kal-El]

So far, someone has suggested HP and Gateway... any others?

Personally I wouldn't take Gateway (Our experiences with them hasn't been any good) or anything with an Intel chip. My grandma has a great AMD laptop (Might be a Compaq) with an ATI graphics card (Not that ATI's on the top of my list).

 

[ShiningClefairy]

In order to run something as good up to a N64/PS1, you need at least a 1.5Ghz processor and a GeForce FX/Radeon 9500 or better. However most laptops these days come with integrated graphics solutions (such as the Xpress200 or Intel Extreme Graphics), so they may or may not play the 3D consoles.

Xpress 200... not able to play 3D consoles? The card is not complete and utter garbage like people say. That's what my desktop has, and unless laptops have an extremely dumbed down version of it, Elia's fine. I can run N64 perfectly.

<EDIT> Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, when I said Intel Centrino/Pentium M @ 1.8 Ghz, I forgot to mention that you could also get one with a mobile AMD Athlon 64, preferably the 3200+. The Athlon will probably be more powerful, but laptops that have a Centrino are both smaller and consume less battery. Power vs. size/battery efficiency... your choice.

The Centrinos shouldn't be that much less powerful, but they are more expensive.

 

[ShiningClefairy]

Really? I thought it was a 9200, the least powerful 128 MB AGP card they've got.

<EDIT> Oh yeah, for N64 emulation, the graphics requirements are extremely low. Using the basic video plugin for 1964, there are 5 settings: OpenGL 1.1, OpenGL 1.2/1.3, OpenGL 1.4, OpenGL for Nvidia TNT or better, and OpenGL for Nvidia Geforce or better. On top of that, that plugin has an option to dumb down graphics so your computer can run it smoothly.

 

[Trip]

I don't know if you've made your decision yet, but let me just put in a good word for Toshiba. I have friends who have had Dell and HP, and both brands have required numerous repairs, and said friends have had their laptops for less time than I've had mine.

The only problem that I didn't cause on my Toshiba, was a few weeks ago the hinge that held the screen up failed, and that was after 2 and a half years of heavy use--more than most people would put it through.

As for a specific model, I can't help you too much there (there's lots of info here about the specs you'll want), but my advice is to get a Toshiba whatever you get.

- Trip

 

[Kal-El]

I must agree with Trip. I've heard nothing but trouble with Dell. HP's a bit better though.

 

[i dont know 2 A.K.A. quilava lover]

DONT TAKE GATEWAY!! we must of had over 50 problems with gateway i say you get what my sister has(it is a decent laptop around 700$)it is a dell inspiron and my computer is a dell and we haven't really had any troubles with it so that is what i say get either a dell or a HP not a gateway