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Help me pick a not shitty laptop.
Pilgrim
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I have no idea what the fuck is going on with the laptop marked nowadays and I'm looking for a new laptop in the 900-1100 USD range.
I've been thinking about a Dell or a Macbook and I'm curious about a couple of Acer models but I heard they've had some reliability problems, you guys have any recommendations?
I've been thinking about a Dell or a Macbook and I'm curious about a couple of Acer models but I heard they've had some reliability problems, you guys have any recommendations?
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What are you planning on using it for?
PSN/XBL: Zampanov -- Steam: Zampanov
The only game I really play is Civ 4 and it'd be great if I could do that without getting massive slowdown every time I get to about 1750AD.
I'm a little sceptical about the Macbook because I figure with the unibody case there's not really a lot you can do with it (change RAM, put in a new harddrive, replace a dead battery), is that correct?
Acer is an OK brand, but they don't really optimize for battery life, in my experience. If you're going to be near outlets most of the time, and don't mind cleaning off a ton of bundled software when you get it, you will get a reasonable laptop from them.
The Macbook Pro has crazy battery life, an awesome screen, and a trackpad that feels like you're touching an angel inappropriately. Like you said, you can't do much other than change out RAM, HD, and possibly battery, but that's about all you'd be doing on a laptop anyway - my Acer has, like, three expansion slots of various types and 3 years later I haven't put anything in to any of them.
So, if you're going to be on the road a lot and have a budget for it, I'd go MBP. If you're going to be within 6 ft of an outlet at most times and want to have some money left over, Acer.
Why are all the fonts rendered so funny though?
Actually Acer's new timeline series is pretty sweet. I have a cheaper model (14", low-voltage processor) and I am loving the crap out of it. Thin, light, seemingly sturdy build quality (haven't dropped it yet but it feels "solid"), and gets 8hrs battery life easy.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is the keyboard. Mine has a few keys that are mounted off-axis, but that could be due to the abuse it received while acting as OfficeMax's display model (I got it on the cheap)
I currently have a MBP that is about 2 years old. It is a 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo but with a much slower Bus Speed than the Acer (800 vs. 1066). Additionally, the MBP only has a 256 GB Graphics card and a much smaller HD.
I'm thinking about possibly selling the MBP and buying the Acer.
Thoughts?
That's an ASUS, not an Acer. They are also a good brand, arguably better even. That one in particular looks solid, just remember that it'll probably get pretty hot when you turn up the performance and use it to process graphics with that GTX 260 in there. You may even want to look into cooling solutions if you are actually going to have it in your lap. My roommate has a rosewill fan thing that she uses when she's got her acer in her lap and she seems to like it a lot. I think there are cooling mats as well, but I don't know anything about them.
PSN/XBL: Zampanov -- Steam: Zampanov
There is little real-world difference between a 800 and 1066 MHz FSB (with good RAM it amounts to about a 2-3 FPS increase while gaming if you're lucky), and the the processor in the ASUS is much slower than your MBP (2.13 GHz). Your hard drive can be upgraded to something larger without replacing the MBP, so the only thing you can't upgrade is the GPU. Oh, and that ASUS has a lower resolution display (1366 x 768) than your MBP (probably 1680x1050 though there was a 1920x1200 option if you felt like spending the $$$).
It's basically a step down from your MBP IMO, just upgrade your MBP's HDD if you need more space.
I guess my question is "Does the 2.13 processor with a 1066 FSB and a 1 GB Graphics card outperform a 2.4 processor with a 800 FSB and a 256 MB Graphics card?"
Speed difference for "work stuff" isn't going to be that noticeable...
screen is probably crap too
And for games the Asus will take the MBP out back and give it a beating :P
This said, Asus laptops come in a lot of varieties. It should be possible to track down an Asus with similar specs except for the processor.