Laptop for University

Alright, I'm in an interesting pickle here...
I've gone through the never ending debate about Laptop vs Desktop and I've realized i need the mobility..
I know a good amount about computers so I know what it is I need to do, but I know Laptops are not as reliable as desktops.
So here we go.
I'm looking for a good laptop for movies, music, reports and papers(and I know any computer can do that), surfing the web, and if at all possible...gaming.
I don't care about weight, I don't have a problem carrying around 8lbs worth of hardware.
Price is where the problem is...I don't want to spend more then $1000 CND(with tax included), i'd prefer not to go over $900, but I might be willing to stretch..

Thanks in advance.

I would look at Dell and previous gen Macbooks. I don't know if you can get the discounts that Dell has but they're are some really good deals on them right now.

Very few systems under $1000 have a graphics card, so not a whole lot of gaming for that price. The Dell 1520 can have an 8600M for $1050US (no upgrades on any other parts), which will do ok with games.

I was trying to stay away from Dell. I'm not a huge fan of that company...

Yeah I had a feeling I wasn't going to get a graphics card.

I'd also stay away from Macs because I'm more familiar with PCs, plus the compatibility factor....

I was looking at Toshiba's Satellites, such as the A200AH1

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Originally Posted by DragoneByte

I was trying to stay away from Dell. I'm not a huge fan of that company...

Yeah I had a feeling I wasn't going to get a graphics card.

I'd also stay away from Macs because I'm more familiar with PCs, plus the compatibility factor....

I was looking at Toshiba's Satellites, such as the A200AH1

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What compatibility factor are you talking about on the Mac? The Macs are pretty much PCs since they have Intel parts-compatibility shouldn't be an issue and they are extremely easy to use for your basic needs. I would give www.notebookreview.com a look.

I think he's talking about compatibility with software, most likely. Sure, most programs have Mac alternatives, but some people require specific programs. I couldn't use OSX simply because I game, but also it's hard to get python libraries to work on a Mac. You can install XP or Vista on a Mac, but then that's adding at least another $100. If he wants to do gaming and doesn't want to shell out for a Windows OS, then he pretty much has to get a PC.

Personally I think Dell's a fine company. I chose an E1505 for my g/f because it was the only thing in that price range with a GPU, and it's worked great so far. I even installed Vista on it and all the drivers were already there. The hardware is rock solid (more solid than my Hypersonic, which has already been sent in twice). Their tech support may not be great but advanced users like us shouldn't need that much. My dad has the second-gen XPS notebook and it's been rock solid as well, despite a year in Kuwait.

Overall I think they're great computers, but the bottom line is that you're not going to find performance like that (especially the graphics) for anything near that price from HP or Lenovo or any other laptop manufacturer.

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Originally Posted by ChaosEnsues

also it's hard to get python libraries to work on a Mac.

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Could you elaborate on that? I'm learning Python on my Mac and I'm genuinely curious by what you mean.

When we were writing a python application for some research fall quarter my friend was using his mac and Eclipse, but one of the python libraries we needed for some reason wouldn't work correctly - there was a long workaround (researched it on the net) but in the end he just installed parallels and XP and did it that way. I'm not sure what the exact problem was since it was his problem, but it would seem that lesser-known libraries (like the one we were using) aren't always compatible with OSX. Anyways, the point isn't really this specific problem (I doubt the OP uses python much), but to make a point about not all programs translating well into OSX. Plus Mac is a moot point if he wants to game at all. I know you two are big into Macs but this is one time to let it go.

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Originally Posted by ChaosEnsues

I know you two are big into Macs but this is one time to let it go.

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I was asking a serious question. Troll harder.

I would look into an Asus laptop. I don't like the Dell laptops very much. Asus, lenovo, toshiba satellite, and Samsung make great laptops. I wouldn't try to get a gaming laptop for under 1K. Just get a good processor, 2 gigs of ram, and around a 80gig HDD. Stick with a <15.4" screen, the 17 inchers are far too big. I would go with around a 14 inch if I had to do it again.

Do not get tied up trying to find graphics cards and all that, to get a good gaming laptop it will cost 1500+. Just go with the basics and put together a great desktop later down the road. OR just buy a 360 ;)

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Originally Posted by ChaosEnsues

I think he's talking about compatibility with software, most likely. Sure, most programs have Mac alternatives, but some people require specific programs. I couldn't use OSX simply because I game, but also it's hard to get python libraries to work on a Mac. You can install XP or Vista on a Mac, but then that's adding at least another $100. If he wants to do gaming and doesn't want to shell out for a Windows OS, then he pretty much has to get a PC.

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and if at all possible...gaming. It looks like gaming isn't that important, which is why I brought up a Macbook.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChaosEnsues

I know you two are big into Macs but this is one time to let it go.

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Excuse me. You really don't know me as I've built several PC desktops for myself and others. I also use Vista on laptop even though it's more of a resource than OSX. I only brought up a Macbook because it's in his price range, it does everything he needs, and the build quality is excellent. Again excuse me for trying to help.

Don't take it personally - I'm just saying that both of you have pushed for Macs in previous threads (usually with good reasons). I never said I know you hongsc, and I'm not trolling Ashpool (and you did get your answer to your "serious", unrelated question) - relax.

If he doesn't mind giving up gaming that would be a fine option, but it is possible to do moderate gaming on that budget, and that would rule out a Mac. The choice is up to him.