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These purchases may be a bit of the way off, but are apparently becoming more and more necessary as time goes by.

I need recommendations for a pure workstation labtop (no video game action on this machine required.) I need to be able to run GradeKeeper and the latest edition of microsoft office suite. I need a USB port to swap out memory sticks as necessary. Internet access via ethernet is a must, but wireless would be a nice to have. Need HD space and relatively good performance speed. The laptop needs to be cheap but reliable.


Secondly, I need recommendations for a new router to support wireless connectivity in my home. The D-Link that I own S.U.C.K.S. We have a 1,000 sqft home and little obstruction. Everything is on ONE floor but the connectivity is slow and usually unreliable. It CONSTANTLY drops and as a result, I've got CAT 5 running through my living room area. Haven't had time to snake it in the walls and mount proper jacks...and frankly I shouldn't have to! Your thoughts would be appreciated here. Again Cheap and reliable if at all possible. thanks for your insight as always guys.

Grifter wrote:
I need recommendations for a pure workstation labtop (no video game action on this machine required.) I need to be able to run GradeKeeper and the latest edition of microsoft office suite. I need a USB port to swap out memory sticks as necessary. Internet access via ethernet is a must, but wireless would be a nice to have.

Virtually any new laptop you get is going to be able run MS Office 2007, and come with USB, ethernet, and wireless built in. Mobile hard drives anywhere in the range from less than 60GB on up to 200GB are around. Brand preference really. Literally almost any laptop on the market today can do what your asking...

You need to start asking what size screen you want. 15? 17? bigger? smaller? How portable do you want the system to be? Typical? Super small? Tank with an LCD? How much disk space (you said you need a lot; but that is relative....) Start looking around. Personally I can't even recommend a laptop. Dell is sleeping with Alieware and you know how I feel about Alienware. Given that I already thought most other brands are for shit, I can't even say. Maybe gateway???

I'd say get a Macbook and a copy of Parallels but I don't feel like getting punched, so you can forget that I said that.

Router; once again brand preference; if you have money go for something that supports 802.11n-draft, that comes with 802.11g/b support (virtually any draft-n wireless should); if not just get a 802.11g/b router. linksys, netgear, even d-link (probably guessing that's not on your list of favorites though...) buffalo tech, whoever...

Ok. So you can't recommend a brand name eh? Crap, that is kind of what I was looking for. I think the smaller laptops would suit my needs just fine, 15" monitor or less really. 60 to 80GB should be plenty of HD space, but I'd probably get a 100GB just to be sure. I was thinking DELL but...I dunno. damnit.

D-link sucks. Is there one name brand that stands above the rest? apparently, you don't think so.

been using netgear since we had broadband installed - not had any major problems with it, other than about 2 calls to their tech support, which cured the problems (even then i think it was more me being a computer noob)

I'd say Dell on the laptop, if only for the price.

I've got a DLink DI-624 router I'd give you cheap (I have two and only use one). I've really had no trouble with mine.

i really like my dell laptop, and my guys who are linux geeks liked it so much we now have 5 in my dept. you might look at fijitsu or samsung as well...

definitely get a wireless router that supports the 802.11n draft spec. you will get a lot better use of it. your new laptop should support the same 802.11n draft spec out of the box, but you may need a new wireless card for any other pc's you currently own - worth it.

I have a Dell 1505 Inspirion, bought (About $1,200 out the door after upgrades and addons) it last December 2006 for school. I only use school related programs and MS Office 2003 suite for my office needs. I am very happy with it, it's fast and reliable with the C2Duo processor installed.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/pr ... l=en&s=dhs

The Dell 1505 Inspirion I have has the following items installed:
Windows XP Media Center Edition
Core 2 Duo 1.66Ghz
2GB DDR2 RAM
120G HD
DVD-RW Burner
802.11g Wireless card (Internal)
15" Widescreen LCD


I have a Belkin 802.11g Wireless Router installed at my cable modem in my computer room, it works perfectly. Very easy and simple to setup, works throughout our 1800 square foot house. I can sit down in my living room, open up the laptop, and within 10 seconds I am connected to my wireless router, and surfing the web.

BELKIN WIRELESS ROUTER
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductP ... _Id=136493

hmm thanks guys. Belkin eh? hmm.

OK i have belkin router, higher end onethen linked to above but love it, best router I have had.

As for laptop as a desktop replacements, I am a big HP fan. I have the dv8000t, replaced with the dv9000. It can game with a nvidia card in it, and its packing a 17" monitor. But these days I don't look at dell for laptops, friends have had way to much bad luck with them. HP's these days seam very solid and hey atleast you can go to circuit city and look at them before you buy. but buy through cosco, as online you can build the laptop you want like off HP's site, but its cheeper and you get the what 6 month return it to any store return policy. and its direct from HP still, same options and everything.

For picking a laptop first pick the screen size tho man, thats where you start. Pick that and you narrow the search parameters hugely.


O and for price, HP prices are on par with Dell's hell the dv8000t equivlent with dell was about 150$ more, had a slightly better video card, (not by much at all) but was known for crappy screens so even if you could see the difference the screen seamed t be hit or miss on. I did a lot of research when looking for my laptop and trust me reliability seams to favor the HP brands. Mine only know issues when I got it was some have a sticky control key, whihc I have but hey sticky key VS change of bad hardware in general. I can tel you one friend has a DELL over 3 years now and still has massive warrentys as literlay every part in the thing has been replace,d screen, motherboard, ram, hard drive. I am on a dell now (work laptop) a Latitude s610, its not a bad machine, but in all honesty I think the feal of the HP is much stronger build.