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All Forums > Tech Talk > Tech Talk Forum Page 64 > Gateway or Dell?
AuthorPost
Faunus
Member


208 Posts
1/03
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 10:42AM
Looking to buy a laptop, which company should I go through?

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Saki
At-Large

2087 Posts
11/99
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 11:36AM
Dell, without a doubt. I've used all brands of laptops and Dell has excellent support, good prices, and are pretty reliable. Of the two companies, I think Dell is much better off financially.

- Saki [faqs]

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Drew Black
broken crankshaft

8009 Posts
9/99
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 11:40AM
We bought a refurbished IBM X21 notebook a few months back through an Ebay liquidator. Came with a 1 year warrantee and was less than half the price of the same unit new. I'm sure there are similar deals on other brands available on Ebay as well.

BTW, the IBM is the absolute best notebook computer I have ever used. (I've used roughly 200 different notebook/laptop computers in the past 10 years.)

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MLyons
Senior Member

1617 Posts
8/02
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 11:41AM
I own both a Gateway and a Dell. Having said that, I would agree with Saki and I'd go with a Dell without question.

I certainly don't have Drew's experience with laptops though, or IBM for that matter, so I would also defer to his expertise.

Mike L.

Edited by - MLyons on 4/4/2003 11:42:20 AM

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Saki
At-Large

2087 Posts
11/99
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 11:56AM
I like IBM ThinkPads too, but aside from IBM's price tag, they have a lot of out-of-box failures. That's not so much of a problem if you're buying one, but when you're buying dozens for your company, it really sucks. However, their warranty service options are among the best in the business -- overnight both ways at no charge plus one day turnaround on repair is an option.

One thing from ThinkPads that I can't do without is the TrackPoint mouse stick -- I hate those touchpads!

- Saki [faqs]

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skronker
Notable Legendary Icon

Scopophiliac
9780 Posts
9/02
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 12:18PM
Dell seems the more secure company. And they have a lot of variety. I just went Mac desktop after 3 years with a Dell laptop, but if I were to buy a new laptop I might stick with Dell. They seem like an awfully good value (esp. considering that my $3,100 spent in 1999 would buy me about 4 better-than-comparable Dell laptops today!)
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aybesea
Senior Member

Caroline Cage - Hungarian Hottie!
1485 Posts
5/02
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 12:58PM
I'm with Drew on this one... I've got an IBM T21 and love it to tears!
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Faunus
Member

208 Posts
1/03
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 4:24PM
For a laptop, would I notice the difference if I get a Celeron vs. a Pentium?
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Saki
At-Large

2087 Posts
11/99
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 5:32PM
Depends on what you are using it for. If you're doing mostly Internet or general tasks like word processing, then it doesn't really matter. But if you get a DVD-ROM drive, it will make a difference since the laptop will probably be decoding the video in software.

In general, I've found that what matters most is how much RAM you have installed (I'd recommend no less than 256 MB) and what sort of graphics chip is in it.

- Saki [faqs]

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Hardware All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Your other left
14594 Posts
3/02
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 6:46PM
Saki can correct me if I'm wrong, but as I recall, the Celeron was designed for home computing. The idea behind it was that home users wouldn't be crunching numbers in spreadsheets or working with databases that require lots of data transformation.
Well, to a degree that's true, but some of today's games rival any business application in their demands on the processor. So, we really need a better idea of what you'll use your laptop for to steer you in the right direction. As an example, you haven't mentioned AMD, yet they're very competitive in the gaming arena.
I do need to qualify one statement Saki made. Games over the Internet can be just as hard on a CPU as those you install on your PC, so when he says your CPU doesn't matter for 'the Internet' bear in mind that he's talking about sites like this, not Everquest.
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Saki
At-Large

2087 Posts
11/99
Posted - Apr 4 2003 : 9:49PM
Yep, games today require lots of RAM (both main and video) and more CPU horsepower. I wouldn't even think about buying a laptop for modern games unless you're willing to fork over $2K for a good one. And laptops that are configured like desktop PC alternatives usually are heavy and run HOT.

- Saki [faqs]

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Faunus
Member

208 Posts
1/03
Posted - Apr 5 2003 : 2:46PM
I have a 1.9 P4 desktop with 256 RDRAM that should take care of my hardcore processing and gaming needs.

But for a laptop, I can get a 1.4 Pentium for the price of a 2.0 Celeron. It will just be used for wireless internet, watchingg DVD's and word processing. Maybe some gaming, but I don't think anything too involved like Everquest.

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GaySatyr
Senior Member

Half dirty ol' man; half horny ol' goat!
1684 Posts
10/00
Posted - Apr 5 2003 : 5:30PM
  • Celeron vs Pentium 4: The Celeron chip lacks many of the math skills of the Pentium 4. If you are only doing home office kinds of things, Celeron is a good cost saver; however, if you are doing things that require graphics, database apps, heavy spreadsheeting, or heavy gaming, go for the P4.

  • Gateway vs Dell: Both have nice products and great features; however, my impression over the years is that Dell is a bit better engineered. Personally, I'd choose one of the IBM T-series notebooks over Dell, but Dell is a good second choice.
~ GaySatyr
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Evil_Rip
Senior Member

Power overwhelming
1117 Posts
12/99
Posted - Apr 7 2003 : 3:46AM
maybe its too late to help you...

I bought a vprMatrix 185A5 about six weeks ago. And I love it. I can listen to music while its off. The screen is amazingly bright. the built in wireless is great with my wireless router. It has two usb 2.0 ports in the back. A pcmcia slot, built in modem and ethernet. and I've installed oracle on it and it still runs great.
Warcraft III runs really well too. Watching DVDs on it is good too.

P4M 1.8Ghz, 512MB RAM, 30Gig HD, WinXP PRO.
15.3" WideScreen

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Faunus
Member

208 Posts
1/03
Posted - Apr 8 2003 : 2:33PM
Dude, I am getting a Dell.

2.4 Pentium 4
256 Ram
24X-CDRW/DVD
30 Gig Hard Drive

Thanks everyone

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BIGmike
B-I-G-m-i-k-e

2335 Posts
3/01
Posted - Apr 8 2003 : 3:00PM
I have currently a Gateway (non-laptop), while I was pleased at first, I am not now.

My next computer(s) will be a Dell laptop and desktop.

-----------
P. A. M. F.

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aiden
Belladonna Entertainment

Lost in Hollywood
246 Posts
12/02
Posted - Apr 20 2003 : 7:23AM
Fujitsu Lifebook w00p. Dell should just concentrate on servers and leave desktops and laptops to the pros. Gateway can just beat it out the door.
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