Lone Ranger

Getting my son a notebook (laptop) PC for Christmas. It will be used for college next year and the following 3 years, plus he's a gamer but not so much into the heavy duty 3D firt person shooter stuff, more of a World of Warcraft, Eve, Neverwinter, Medeival Total War type player.

I know nothing about what mobile processor is recommended, I see AMD Turion, I see Intel Dual Core, all seem to be fairly slow Ghz speeds like around 2.0. The notebook will be replacing a desktop powered by 512 megs DDR RAM, AMD Athlon XP 2000+ (1.6Ghz) and a 7200rpm ATA100 drive.

I'd like the laptop to be at least twice hopefully three times as fast.

calgaryhhr

Well, this might not be too helpful but I thought I'd share anyways. My friend just had a new MacBook delivered. It has a 2.2Ghz process, duo core and he loves the thing. He was a PC user but made the switch with this new laptop. I've never used a Mac but it seems like they are growing in popularity.

I don't know if that would be a feasible option for you but it's something to consider.

JimZ_HHR

Take a look at any of the new Dell XPS or HP models.

Firewatcher

My daughter purchased a Dell through school last year. No problems, handles heavy software.

afs9

I would highly encourage looking at Dell or Apple. They have excellent prices for students and you can 'build' your computer. You can create an account on line and say that it is for a student (I work at a university and get staff discounts on campus and on line). Discounts are pretty good...

Most applications are PC based and I am on my 2nd Dell laptop in 6 years (old one still works great, just needed a new one for work). But I also own and use a Mac PowerBook.

The main thing I would recommend is get as much memory as you can afford or the system can handle--do not skimp on it! I purposely chose a smaller screen (15.4") with a higher resolution then the 17", so I could upgrade it to the highest I could. Better cd/dvd burner, Wifi and Bluetooth, better speakers, Microsoft for Office (this is essential for a student to have and their are student versions that are much less expensive: Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

The Dell XPS is a lot smaller and designed for gamers, but, of course, practical for school also! They are also more expensive.

I use my Inspiron E1505 as a desk top computer at home (use a wireless mouse). It is a bit heavier due to all the upgrades (about 6 lbs), but it fits easily into my backpack and opens comfortably on a desk when I have to bring it to campus.

I loved that when I got it, turned it on at home, within 30 seconds, it immediately picked up the wireless line in my house and I was on line in minutes!

You can also get Apple laptops that run both a Mac and PC platform...too many choices! Good luck!

(btw, Dell is REALLY fast at building and delivering--bought on a Monday, had by Friday!)

And use the student discount!

sjssk

I got a Dell at Walmart for my wife on Black Friday for $388. It is the 1501 that they usually sell for $798. It's a good machine and don't let the processor speed fool you. Remember duo core means there are two of em working at the same time in there. They will handle anything you throw at em. The only problem with a new notebook is Vista.......

mrjuma

goto best buy and look at hp DV6636NR its on sale for $649.its a kisk a** laptop. vista home premium, 2048MB DDR2 momory, 160 hard drive, burn both dvd/cd. lightscribe disc labeling. looks to me as a very good buy. got my kid one today.

enri9267

Look at a local shop and one that will still install Win XP. I've been telling folk on our radio show to stay away from Vista. No matter what they say, Win XP is still for sale and walk away if they tell you otherwise. It's would be a great if you can get at least 1.0gb memory, DVD burner, 128 or 256mg Video memory, 120gb Hard Drive, Win XP Home or Pro, and wireless networking.

JimZ_HHR

I have a HP, with Vista, I havent had ANY problems .....

Firewatcher

The only thing wrong with anything running Windows is Vista. I absolutely HATE it. I should have stuck with XP.