So I Need Some Laptop Advice
The laptop I currently have is a Compaq Presario that I bought 8 years ago, and it probably wasn't new then; I have a feeling the store saw me coming, and pawned off something from the back room on me.
Computer-savvy I am not.
Anyhow, though I have this laptop, I rarely use it because it's gotten more and more awful over the years. Don't ask me the specs, I have no idea, but it's mind-numbingly slow and powerless -- it literally takes 10 minutes to go from being off to being on the Internet, and then freezes if you actually try to do much online.
It was fine for typing scripts on, but now it suddenly won't let me save anything onto disk. Plus it's so heavy, it's not really portable. It's a brick.
Long story short, I need to buy a brand new laptop.
So I'm looking through the Sunday circular ads out there, and it becomes clear that there's a wide range of laptops available, with price escalation largely due to memory size.
I don't want to spend a huge amount of money on a laptop, especially if I'm spending money on bells and whistles and excess memory I don't need. I have a regular computer (as balky and aging as it sometimes is), and all I need to do on the laptop is write screenplays, and maybe hop on the Internet now and then. Maybe carry it over to a coffee shop, and use it there. That's all.
I don't need to download videos or burn stuff or anything like that.
So how many gigabytes does my hard drive really need to be? 40? 60? 80? 100? 120?
How much memory do I really need? 128? 256?
Which brands are good? Which should I avoid with all desperation?
Give me some advice, horror stories, etc.
posted by Scott the Reader @ 9:25 AM
49 Comments:
40GB of hard drive is huge, unless you're in to downloading tv and movies from the internet, which I'm guessing you're not. Memory: as much as possible onboard, but buy an aftermarket 1GB SO-DIMM as well. Solid brands are Toshiba, IBM (Lenovo), HP/Compaq. OK are Fujitsu, Asus, Sony (are pricey), Sharp, Samsung. Don't buy a Dell (google for Dell Hell), Acer or Benq.
14" to 15" is standard - you'll pay more for smaller and more portable, and more for large desktop replacements. Get a high-res screen - 1024x768 doesn't cut it these days. Oh, and get a Pentium M, Core Duo or Turion - stay away from Pentium 4M, Celeron M is ok if you're really cheap.
Apple laptops are the highest quality you can find. If price is a consideration, look at the iBooks. They won't run Windows (G4, not Intel CPU), but they will run forever.
Agreed that unless you're storing a lot of music or video on your hard drive, 40gb is probably adequate.
Okay, this may be a radical solution, but consider a Mac. They're releasing what should be very reasonably-priced consumer laptops on (probably) Tuesday.
Memorywise on a Mac you want 512mb at least, but I think the same advice holds: buy a 1GB dimm later.
Obviously, there are some transition issues. But if your desktop has USB you should be able to get a flash drive and any screenwriting files you have should be completley cross-platform compatible.
There will be a bit of a learning curve with the new OS, but I've walked half a dozen people through the PC-to-Mac transition and they're all really happy they did it. A consistent refrain is that they don't feel like they have to fight their computer anymore to get it to do what they want it to do.
Do you have my phone number? Feel free to give me a call if you want to talk more about the possible implications.
If you don't want to learn the ways of Mac, then stick to what you're used to. Mac's excell in the visual/audio realm....which evidently you're not in need of.
So stick to what you know.
Toshiba is a fairly user friendly laptop, and can run for a good cost. 40-80 G hardrive is more than enough for you, but I would recommend some decent Ram. go for min. 512k and if the price is fine for you- hit around 1G Ram. It'll allow your laptop to be compatible with most new operating systems and do-dads that no doubt arise every six months.
If the majority of time spent is solely on writing- then just find a screen that suits you- 14 or 15 inches will be good (its an accomadating size that keeps things light and movable).
Theres a run of decent quality laptops to buy- mac or pc...the most important is long lasting, and easy to manage.
I'm a long-time PC user. We have Macs at work. My advice is to borrow an iBook for a while or use a Mac system at a library or Internet cafe before you commit. You might fall in love, or you might, like me, find Macs to be very counterintuitive and frustrating. Just don't underestimate the potential learning curve.
Macs are fun, easy to use, and they don't take forever to boot up and shut down. That would be my vote as well. Plus it seems like they take a lot more kindly to OS upgrades and they don't come with so much bundled software crap that you'll have to uninstall later.
If you're used to Windows, I wouldn't go Mac unless you had to. Not that there's anything wrong with Macs, but ever since the release of XP the same can be said of Windows machines.
A 40 GB harddrive and 512 MB of RAM will be fine, but something people haven't been mentioning is the battery life. If you intend to write in coffee shops or elsewhere where you might not plug in, batterylife is a biggie.
Three main things contribute to battery life: the mAh rating on your battery, the processor, and the screen size.
I'd recommend going with at least an 8400mAh battery. That seems to be the best cut-off point with regards to price and performance. Meaning you get a pretty long-lasting battery for not an insane amount of money. Bigger is better when it comes to mAh though.
Then we have the processor. You'd want to go with either an Intel Pentium M-series or an Intel Centrino (not Celeron.) M stands for mobile, and those processors have been optimized to run for longer off of battery. Centrino is basically an M-series processor with built-in wireless network capabilities. If you get a Centrino, remember to turn off the wireless network card (they usually have a button next to the keyboard) when it's not in use, because network cards are battery hogs.
Third, the screen size. There's no precise advice to give on this. The bigger the screen, the more battery power it'll use. So get as small as you're comfortable with. But don't go too small, or you'll regret it. If I had to recommend something, I'd say probably 15". You might get away with 14", but I made the change to 15" with my latest and the battery-life trade-off have been worth it.
As for brands... Someone mentioned Toshiba. In my experience they make worthwhile laptops. In my last job I serviced Dell, Toshiba and IBM laptops, and the Toshiba ones were by far of the highest quality with the fewest problems. My current laptop is a Toshiba Satellite SA40-231 and I haven't been disappointed.
Satisfied MacBook Pro (1.83ghz 15" widescreen, 80gig HD, 1 gig memory) here.
Aside from the overall ease of use, security non-issues, and creative-type orientation of the brand, you can now run all your old Windows apps through the Boot Camp software on all new Intel Macs (and with the new OS coming out in the next year, you likely won't even have to choose whether to boot into OSX or Windows, just run them side by side if you want).
Price-wise, keep an eye out for the new MacBooks, 13.3", that are due to be released next week. They are the Mactel equivalent of the iBook and should be priced lower than the low-end Pro line (which right now is $1999 in standard configuration).
Once you go Mac, you'll never go back.
I think I'm going to stay with a PC, just because it's easier to deal with the stuff I have and familiar.
OK... I work with computers a lot, and I think I have a pretty good idea of what is good and what's not.
Also, I always look after the most valuable stuff. Not the newest, not the oldest. Simply the best for its price.
First of all, here's the basic things you should look after:
Not Toshiba (nah), Fujitsu (come on...) and LG.
I would like if someone GAVE me a Sony. But, since you are the one that pays for it, and want the best possible for that kinda money, I wouldn't buy a Sony.
Probably an Acer or Asus. Long battery-time, good technology and full with extras and bonuses.
HP are good as well but a bit clumsy, as is Dell. You compare those four trademarks and pick one after the following specifications:
CPU: I ALWAYS use AMD. I think it's better performance and you get more from AMD than you get with the same price from Pentium. If you buy AMD, you should look after ~2000MHz (the AMD model 3200+).
If you decide for a Pentium ~1600-2000MHz is alright.
Hard drive: 60 GB. No question about it. Not 40, not 80. 60. You get 60 in almost the same price as the 40, but pretty much cheaper than the 80.
Memory: 512 - 1024 MB. But 512 will do the job just fine - you don't need more if you want to write.
Screen: Don't even bother to choose size, just try to get one with AT LEAST 1024x768 resolution. I prefer 1280x1024. Oh, TFT not CRT.
Weight: 3 kg at heaviest. Not a gram more. (I don't know the American weight system.)
CD burner and even DVD burner is a big plus. Remember that you should buy something to keep up with the new tech market. You don't want your PC to get old after just one year, right? You never now if you won't burn Cd's and stuff sometime.
Of course Wireless LAN, firewire (for DV-recording), S-VID out (to connect your laptop to the tv/projector sometime) and preferably a memory reader (to save your digital pics in it on your vacation) are all really good and handy things to have.
That's "all".
See, now I'm getting conflicting info -- someone says Toshiba is good and Acer sucks, someone says Acer is good and Toshiba sucks.
What's wrong with Toshiba? Because that's the one I was starting to lean towards.
If you are using Screenwriter 2000, you should be able to use the same disk on an iBook. When you look at prices remember that Macs will come with a lot of stuf you won't need to buy on the other system. you won't have to worry about anti-spyware and antivirus software. Try one out.
I have Final Draft, and I want work to be able to go back and forth easily between my regular computer (a PC) and my laptop.
I know you are looking for inexpensive, but you should really take a hard look at the IBM Thinkpads.
They are thin, light, and have one of the best keyboards in the laptop arena.
But it might cost ya. As for memory, the more the better. If you feel confident about putting in your own memory, buy something with a little bit, and upgrade it pronto because memory you buy separately is inexpensive compared to the same memeory that comes pre-loaded.
I've used a couple of IBM and a couple of Dell laptops. Currently, my personal laptop is a IBM T30 (new a few years ago) and my work laptop is Dell that I find easy to use (but a bit heavy). I have heard Toshiba laptops are well made, but don't have personal experience. If you want to exchange files and software with your pc desktop, then forget the Mac.
I think any of these 3 brands - Dell, IBM and Toshiba - will do for you. Laptops are more inclined to fail, so you need to constantly backup your data onto a good external hard drive (or some backup system) often.
This is what I'd look for:
40GB min to 80GB max (can't imagine you'd need more than 80). I have filled up a 40GB laptop with pictures from the digi cam and mp3s, so it can happen even if you're not downloading porn, cough, I mean video.
CD burner/DVD player drive. It's nice to be able to watch DVDs on airplanes and stuff. And burn CDs for friends.
15 inch display is nicer than a 14 inch. At home, I have a docking station and a 19 inch LCD monitor, but I understand you have a desktop at home, so don't need these add ons.
256 RAM at a min, 512 is better. XP is a beast when it comes to memory. I assume that's the OS the laptop you will select will come with.
Those are the specs I'd start with. And then know that reduction in weight, increase in video/sound card quality will start making the thing go up in price.
You should be able to get a good laptop that serves your needs for $1000 to $1200.
One more thing - I do agree with the comment above mine - I would highly rec' the IBM Thinkpad. A bit higher in cost than a Dell, but sturdier. I love mine.
Seriously, I hesitated to write Toshiba as "bad", but decided to do so. You simply don't get your moneys worth.
I would say Toshiba is a bit parsimonious (nice word, eh?), BUT that does not mean that if you shouldn't consider Toshiba if you find a really good deal somewhere...
And don't hesitate on the Acer ones. Best for office work (together with IBM that I forgot to mention), which I guess is what you want to do.
My Acer is fine. However the screen blemishes easily.
But whatever you get, keep in mind that additional hard drive is cheap so hard drive size really doesn't matter. Yes, men, you heard me. Size doesn't matter.
I'd say (1) make sure you have extra USB ports and a port for your high speed internet cable (2) get the WiFi wireless protocal ready and (3) good screen resolution since you read a lot of scripts on your puter and (4) get as much memory as your budget will allow so you don't have to mess with upgrading it later
I've had a Sony, an HP, ibook, compaq and now 2 Toshibas.
I'm using a high powered toshiba, but I utilize the sound and video. You won't need to...
But in all my experiance's...Toshibas battery life on the new Satellites is rediculous...it's power saver is a godsend, as I can walk away from it for over a day, not plugged in and it simply shuts down and hybernates until I open it. boom- battery is still alive.
Try a few out though, see what feels good. Most chains will allow you 30days and if it ain't right...you can take it back and usually swap up.
systemaddict, when you say "Toshibas battery life on the new Satellites is rediculous" you mean that in a good way I assume? The battery life on my Satellite is awesome. But it comes with a high mAh battery by default.
May sure you get one with a good sized screen that is comfortable to work with. Its what you're going to spend all your time looking at so, make sure you get to try any laptops you are thinking about using, type up a page or 2 on whatever notepad like program and make sure you're comfortable.
Virtually everything else can be upgraded or changed around late if you need, but the screen is usually what stays around the most. Get one you want to be looking at years down the track.
So I went over to Circuit City, just to look at notebook computers. Might have bought one too, if they hadn't been shutting down.
But my question is this....
Don't notebook computers have ports for disks any more? Not CDs, but you know, the square formatted ones?
If not, what do you save stuff onto? Because I'm one of those constantly-backing-up-my-script guys.
re floppies:
no, no longer in general use. you can get an external USB floppy drive for about $30.
to move files between computers without floppies, set up a gmail account that is dedicated to storing your files. and then email your files to the account as needed. like having a 2mb hard drive you can access via the internet.
and of course should have a backup of your HD in any event.
Yeah, most laptops don't come with floppy drives anymore. If you really like floppy disks (or need to read old ones) you can get a USB floppy drive that plugs into the laptop. They are external, but they work just as well.
In the past, I've uses a USB flash drive for quick backups of scripts. I also use an external hard drive for backing up my whole computer.
I vote for MAC as well, but you already vetoed that idea, so okay.
As for backing up your files without a 3.5 inch floppy.
1) Like Chris said, email 'em to yourself.
2) For very little dough, you can get a usb "thumb drive" which you can use in addition to emailing yourself. Those are nice for backing up, and also for moving files from your laptop to your desktop (if, for some reason, you aren't currently hooked up to the internet).
Have fun man. "Having" to buy a new machine is always a good time.
If you REALLY wanna do productive coffee shop writing with this thing, don't get wireless internet. In fact, see if you can get a laptop with no internet at all. A thumbdrive will hold about a decade's worth of script & rewrite files, if you need to transfer to your main computer for printing and backup, and you can always transfer research-related notes to your laptop, if need be.
Man, ask a computer question and wow, a landslide of responses. Yikes.
I have an IBM thinkpad for when I go portable (also use one for work) - I'd recommended. Very easy and light.
Shame the ol' Commodore 64 wasn't shrunk down to a laptop.
If you must stick with a Windows machine, and you're getting a notebook computer, get a Vaio. Do not get anything else. I've supported a lot of different computers. It's Apple or Sony. Nothing else.
I have a Dell, and it does everything I need it to do just fine.
However, my wife has a Toshiba and it's considerably nicer than mine (nicer screen, seemingly sturdier build, more options). The cost was roughly equal to what I paid for my Dell.
I have a 40G Hard Drive in my machine and 512MB of RAM and it has given me no trouble with that configuration.
The truth is Scott, you'll probably be overjoyed with almost any laptop you buy. ANYTHING will by-far exceed the horror it sounds like you've experienced with your current laptop.
That said, price is your primary consideration. Almost any brand and model carried by Wal-Mart, Staples, etc. will rock your world. I'd avoid Dell laptops like the plague (my ex-wife had FOUR bad ones in a row!), though. The reason I say you're safe buying almost any model/brand that a big chain carries is that they can't afford to sell junk--their profit margins are far too slim. So they work as hard as they can to ensure that their miniscule profit margins are protected by providing electronics that'll please the socks off you...and your cat. Sure, it doesn't always work out like that, but 99% of the time I think it does.
Brands I like (which are economical): HP, Compaq, Asus.
Minimum features: 40GB Hard Drive, 512MB Ram, whatever screen size you're comfortable with.
The truth is that you probably don't really need to concern yourself with screen resolution, processor speed, processor type, or much more than the bottomline (the price).
For writing screenplays on the go you don't really need much.
You should expect to spend no more than $1000 for an appropriate laptop for your purposes; though in your shoes I'd shoot for spending no more than $800. Do not--under any circumstances--by a refurbished laptop. Refurbished electronics are exceedingly sketchy.
NOTES: Dell sucks beyond belief. Lenovo/IBM, Sony, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Mac/Apple all cost more than they're worth--particularly because you just need something for screenwriting and internet.
I would recommend getting a DVD writer with your laptop, shouldn't add more then $40 or $50 to the total price.
You can then backup onto CD or DVD, which are dirt cheap. should be under 20c a disk.
Not sure if they can do incremental copying though. That means they can probably only be burned once, which is terribly inefficient.
You could get rewritable dvd's though which cost more, maybe $1 a disk, but allow you to incrementally back up, so you can do a backup a month and add it to the same disk until its full. And if you're just backing up scripts, it will never be full. A DVD should be able to hold 20,000 scripts on it. A CD around 2,000 scripts.
The best way to move documents and stuff around is through an USB memory stick. All computers have USB and it's really just plug in, save, plug out, walk to an other computer, plug in in and open. You can even have it password protected so nobody steels your new Oscar-script.
For old floppies somebody already said usb floppy drive.
USB thumb drives are the way to go. Get a 256 meg stick for $20 and you'll never have to worry about backing up again.
Your new Laptop will most likely be USB 2.0 which means really fast transfer rates. Don't bother with a floppy ever again.
They're cheap enough where you can get two, then keep a copy of your scripts on a drive in your glove box, so when that on the go producer asks for your script you can shoot it right to their lap top.
So I'd say that not buying a thumb drive could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can't afford not to.
FYI, I have a Mac desktop and a Windows XP laptop (Dell).
I transfer files in three ways.
1) Home network. Just log in to the other machine from the machine your on and copy over the files.
2) USB memory drive. Easy to do, but also easy to lose. Put it on a big strap or something so you don't forget it somewhere.
3) Gmail. You can mail files to yourself and stor them in your Gmail account. Then, no metter where you are, you can download them anywhere you have Net access.
Don't use a thumdrive as your primary backup, because the will fail or get lost. Almost any laptop will have a CDR drive so you can back up to a CDR monthly and a CDRW(rewritable) weekly.
I don't know about out in CA, but (for the week of May 7-13, 2006) in GA, CompUSA is selling a Sony Viao laptop fpr 799 (after rebates). It has a 80/512 setup with a 15.4" screen, intergrated wireless, DVD RWdrive and a Centrino M processor. Also comes with "free" (I think it's after rebates)wireless router and all in one printer.
If I were you, I'd be om my way to CompUSA, ready to melt some plastic! I'd at the VERY least serf over to their site to check out the ad. It's on the FIRST page.
Good luck!
I saw the ad for the VAIO, and saw the computer.
But you know what? I think it's an ugly computer.
Not sure how much that should play into anything. But if I have to sit in front of something for hours, I'd like to at least dig its appearance a bit more.
Looks like I'm going to buy a HP at Circuit City. 1024mb and a 100G hard drive, which may be more than I need right now, but it's only $899 after rebates. Plus I can finance it with no interest for 18 months, so I'll only be throwing about $100 a month at it for less than a year.
I think it's a nice choice. I have an HP myself... Just make sure it's slim and not heavy.
I think it was 6.5 pounds. But I can live with that.
I still have a 97 Toshiba with a 4 gig DH (on it's last legs but was a good unit) I am leaning towards a Sony Vaio since most of my electronics are all Sony and they are gearing for that cross platform thingie... does Final Draft come in Mac form BTW?
Final Draft does come in Mac form, although it still has a few issues, e.g., scrolling and redraw sucks. But there's a universal binary update due shortly, which hopefully will make it more Mac-like and smooth out lingering bugs.
Scott said:
"I saw the ad for the VAIO, and saw the computer.
But you know what? I think it's an ugly computer.
Not sure how much that should play into anything. But if I have to sit in front of something for hours, I'd like to at least dig its appearance a bit more."
Are you sure you're not a MAC guy?
FWIW, I know you said you want to stick with a PC, but your Final Draft disk should work fine with a Mac.
They ship programs for both platforms on the same disk, and the files are 100% cross-platform compatible. (When my writing partner and I started working together, he was on a PC and I on a Mac. We never had any problems.)
But good luck with the new HP - hope it works out well for you!
wow - so much advice for a computer!
I have an HP and it's worked for awhile. Dropped it about 2-3 feet onto a brick fireplace and it still works, so that's a plus.
I also like the fact you can push one of the buttons next to the touchpad to turn it off if you're doing a lot of typing and don't need it for awhile.
Anything you buy now should work for quite awhile - they're so packed with features now.
You can hook up your laptop/pc together on a network you can also make sure all your scripts/files are backed up/in sync with one another too.
All you need to do now is say you're getting a new screenwriting program and ask for advice! hahaha
enjoy the laptop :)
LOL, well you didn't say you had to want to carress the thing!! I thought you wanted function, and with all the bells and whistles that the Sony has...
I hope you enjoy whatever you buy!
You know the next technological advance is a little vagina port in the bottom of the laptop (with optional penis attachment). Then no one would ever have to leave home.
You know the next technological advance is a little vagina port in the bottom of the laptop (with optional penis attachment). Then no one would ever have to leave home.
Twisted. LOL.
For what it's worth, my 2003 Sony VAIO overheats alot. I like it all the same, but the overheating/shutting down at random moments can be irritating.
A penis port? Only a man would think of that. Watch, one day, some geek in China will become a gazillionaire from such a thing.
It may be too late since you wrote this post several days ago, but there's one thing I wanted to bring up that I don't believe anyone else has mentioned.
Pay attention to the size of the keyboard. I have a Sony that I spent way too much money on three years ago because it's ultra-light. I bring my laptop with me when I travel, so weight was an important factor. My Sony is so light, I can pick it up with one hand.
The downside, (one that was mentioned in the reviews I read online before buying it), is that the keybord is small. If I type so much as a long email, my fingers cramp.
As you do a lot of typing, it's very important to try out the keyboard. Just pretend to type on the floor model and you will get a pretty good idea. Since size and weight don't seem to be an issue for you, go with a bulkier model if it has a nice comfortable keyboard.
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