Windows 7 - Laptop for Windows 7

Hello:

I am thinking of purchasing a laptop tomorrow that will run Windows 7. What brand to you recommend and processor? I am thinking about 600-700 dollars.

Bill

Everyone's opinion will vary I'm sure.... I prefer Intel by far over AMD, and I prefer Nvidia over AMD also for video...

As far as brand, I'd say most are decent, as with anything the more you pay, the better you usually get....

Dell, Toshiba, HP... I've seem some decent Acer laptops lately too from costco that were better than I would have expected for that price... Just have to find one you like...

The real question is what do you need/do on a computer?
Is it for just the normal stuff like surfing the net, graphics, gaming, school work?
15" or 17.3" screen?
You will get numerous opinions on what to buy but the best suggestion is to
check out the return policy.
Best Buy charges 15% return to stock if you open the box.
Sam's Club or Costco has a 30-90 day return policy no questions asked.
That's where I have purchased my laptop and desktop.

You can also Google ....Laptop Reviews and see what everyone has to say.
Have fun shopping...
THW

Hello Bill, and welcome to Sevenforums!

The type of computer you get depends a lot on what you use it for. (Prices in US Dollars) You can get itty bitty computers (with itty bitty screens) that are fairly good and go for around 300$ or less. You can get wider screens and have a decent laptop for 400$-500$. You can get pretty good laptops for 700$. Tell us what you want to use it for. Brands don't matter so much, except I would avoid a couple. Dell seems to be pretty simple and decent with good tech support. any store you go to, employees can also help you choose provided they are trained/knowledgeable, such as Best buy (not advertising, it is just the only store in my location that has such employees). Walmart might, but I wouldn't think them being too knowledgeable. Also, I don't know what kind of stores are in your area.

Hi bill, welcome to 7F!

There are many factors that determine what Laptop is right for you, first, and foremost, What is your normal workload, and will it do what I ask of it?
Here are some guidelines:
Laptop buying guide - CNET Reviews

You can search, then click on any Store link, then laptops, $600-$700 price range.
You should be able to get a fairly decent one that will handle everyday needs, Browsing, emails, some video viewing, but you might be pressed to run Photoshop, Gimp, or Mathamatica with an Astronomy plug-in

Here is one site in the 600-700 range: Newegg.com - PCs & Laptops, Laptops / Notebooks, $500 - $750

If were going to buy another laptop, I would definitely go with a Toshiba or Asus. They seem to be top of the line right now. I do not care for HP or Acer. Almost every single person I know that has owned and HP or Acer has had a hardware problem within 2 years, about a third of which were major. As in motherboard, cpu or screen failed for no known reason. Dell, and Lenovo are decent in my opinion, but some people would refuse to buy either. Last time I checked, Sony's were more expensive than they were worth, but I don't hear too many complaints about them. I cannot comment too much on other brands, just because I don't have much experience with them.

As far as processors go, I've always preferred Intel. Which one depends on what you plan on doing. For light computer use, an i3; if your doing stuff that requires a lot of processing power, an i7; an i5 is somewhere in the middle.

I spent $300 for a returned to stock ,17.3" ,HP i5 from Sam's Club.
My HP Desktop was a returned to stock from Costco for a few more dollars and came with 24" monitor.

Have had no problems with either and they both are over 2 years old.
THW

see My Specs below.

I have to go with the Toshiba and Asus too. Very high quality on both that I owned. Be prepared for serious bloat/crapware on Toshiba's. Asus ....... I LOVE my G74Sx but did experience some problems "out of the box" and it took FOREVER to get any kind of support. Having said that ....... wouldn't trade mine for any other model/brand. Toshiba's customer support is top notch btw, best I've seen of them all.

Buy anything but a Sony. They are too restricted in the BIOS. The one I have returned, you could not even run a live CD or change the bootorder. And that was an $1100 deal.