If you have a laptop computer . . .

[Amelia G]

I'm looking at buying a laptop. What kind(s) of laptop do you all have? Which ones do you like best and for what features? I'm thinking I want to get something with a good-sized screen but really really lightweight.

[Tequila Zaire]

Well it really depends on what you want it to do...be a desktop replacement or just a notebook. There is a middle ground between the two of course but what you plan to mainly do with it really determins the features you want, weight, and screen size.

Once narrowing that down I'll happily toss out some suggestions...though these days the laptop scene seems to be under the control of Apple and Dell.

[Howrangi]

I second that. you really can't upgrade laptops like a desk top so i would suggest that you get what you want cause thats all it's going to do. tiger direct has good ones and another one would be i buy computers. the second one lets you make it like you want it to performe. they are kinda lightweight.

[VoldtaEngler]

I suggest alienware laptops. Lightweight , big screens. mainly made for gaming but still the power of those machines are pretty good
a bit pricey though. but you pay for quality

[TheDeathKnight]

Yeah... It depends if you are going to be watching DVDs on a plane, or doing word processing at the beach, or playing video games...

If you want to watch movies, you might be better off with a standalone movie player.

If you want to play games, get something powerful.

If you want to do word processing, there are really light machines that
are very simple, and last longer than a PC...

The thing I noticed, and found annoying, is that if you want to watch a movie,
many laptop batteries will not last that long. So look into the battery life of
whatever laptop you are going to get. Sometimes the bigger machines also
have bigger batteries.

[Amelia G]

I think the most important specs for me are lightweight, nice readable screen for minimizing eye strain, robust enough to run Photoshop but not insane specs, mostly going to be used for word processing indoors, will want a DVD burner but probably won't watch movies on it and probably won't use it for gaming.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I reacently bought an HP and it has a nice big and clear hi-def screen with lots of bells and wistles so I dont have to worry about not being able to upgrade. One thing to concider is that big notebooks are usually heavier. Mine weighs like 8.8 lbs. which makes it less portable. Also it has the pentium4 so its fast but it takes like three fans to cool it, which means the battery doesnt last more than about an hour and a half if you're doing heavy processing. So mine is probably not the one for you but don't forget to take things like heat output and battery life into concideration.

[KilLAtomiK]

thanks for making this thread Amelia, ive also been on the market for a laptop i mainly want it for when im away from home cause i prety much drive all over the country and want something with a few of my mp3s be able to run an SNES emulator and some map software nothing to fancy but lightweight and a big monitor would be sweet

[VoldtaEngler]

want something with a few of my mp3s be able to run an SNES emulator

my old windows 95 ran snes emulators.. im sure a laptop could handle it nowadays
i have tons of games though if ya want some! heehee :P

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm kickin' it old school with the NES emulator... its awesome

[Ashender Wraithwalker]

Sounds like you are in the market for a Sony laptop Amelia, they offer large screens and slim/light laptops. Besides that Toshiba is also a good brand but Dell I does not offer much in the way of light/small. Steer clear from HP, Compaq, or the Cow boxes =P (No really no matter what anyone says take it from a guy who makes his own laptops to steer clear of these. They use substandard parts...mostly made in Mexico..will never forget the time I went to fix a friends Compaq...hacked into bios only to discover it was all in Spanish)

Tigerdirect is good for cheapness, Cyberpowerinc.com has pretty laptops with damn good power and Alienware is always the best gaming rig but has a helluva price tag. Check out Sony though for what you are probably looking for.

[MistressJennifer]

Here is what you do, pretend that you work for Verizon, and go into any large office and pretend to fix the phones and STEAL all the laptops. Bring a large briefcase. Then you can take your pick!!

That's the way they shop for laptops here in Manhattan! Get with the program girl!

[Mr Karl]

I bought a toshiba , one of the sattelite models a few months back .I suppose it was expensive enough but thats just after the plus,plus ,plus, I love it, it's got enough to keep up with everything a nice wack of memory, but its not one of those insanity things either

[Tequila Zaire]

Sounds like you are in the market for a Sony laptop Amelia, they offer large screens and slim/light laptops. Besides that Toshiba is also a good brand but Dell I does not offer much in the way of light/small. Steer clear from HP, Compaq, or the Cow boxes =P (No really no matter what anyone says take it from a guy who makes his own laptops to steer clear of these. They use substandard parts...mostly made in Mexico..will never forget the time I went to fix a friends Compaq...hacked into bios only to discover it was all in Spanish)

Tigerdirect is good for cheapness, Cyberpowerinc.com has pretty laptops with damn good power and Alienware is always the best gaming rig but has a helluva price tag. Check out Sony though for what you are probably looking for.

What he said...I've dealt with Cyberpowerinc before and I'm happy with their service and products...plus they are local and if I have any issues I can go directly to them.

[Toe Cutter]

Mac's are the shizzle!

[RobLongshot]

yessss... go with the mac... a either a powerbook or even an an ibook g4 will suit you nicely. especially for photoshop.... its nice to run it on a platform it was designed for.

[matthew2001]

I don't really care.

As long as I can surf the internet and do things with some mobility, then it doesn't matter what kind I have (that being said, having a floppy drive with a laptop isn't a bad idea).

[johnny]

I just bought a 12" powerbook for grad school a month ago and it rocks my world. You cannot pry that system away from me. The only downside is that you have to re-buy a lot of software but if you are only needing Photoshop it should not be too big an issue.

But you really need to know what you want your system for. Since you are a professional in art/media, Macs are generally the norm. It sometimes makes working with others in the field easier as well.

If you do go with a PC type laptop, Centrino branded systems are the way to go, especially if you think you will be on the run all day and want LONG battery life.

As for buying smaller laptops, if you have a monitor you are using already you can just plug it into a monitor to reduce eye strain. Apple LCD monitors (and Sony) are pretty bright and sharp... so even if you went with a 12" it looks nice and crisp.

More importantly on the Apples. It runs OSX and it is SOLID. I also have a Sony and the standby function is braindead. I turn on the Apple and it runs and runs and runs. I also had an iBook for three years and I probably only rebooted it only for new system upgrades and like 5 crashes. That was it. Better yet, less virus writers are targetting macs at the moment.