Laptop Help

[implosion]

Hey so i'm heading off to university and i was thinking of buying this laptop...

[url] http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10126090&catid=28239 [/url]

i was wondering how is this graphics card ? Intel GMA 4500. Every time i try to find out stuff about it i keep ending up with GMA X4500HD or GMA X4500. I don't play on using the laptop as a gaming computer but to play some games on the side (halo or call of duty) and the quality doesn't have to be amazing.. 30 fps is fine. i'm gonna be commuting from home and i got my ps3 to do my hardcore gaming

Also will this laptop last me for a good solid 4 years ? our home computer is getting pretty crap and my mom was like buy a cheaper computer now, and in a year or 2 give this to your brothers and you can get another one. -- i wanted to customize my dell studio online but my mom doesn't want me to buy online.

thanks

[BigBear]

Ask what they have for open box laptops first.

They will be about half the price as this one

[wtd]

Standard advice applies.

Buy a Mac, or if you're getting a Windows machine, go with a Thinkpad or Dell or HP business class machine.

[andrew.]

I agree with wtd. Buy the 13" MacBook Pro. It will last for 4 years and if you don't like OS X, you can install Windows or Linux on it.

[Insectoid]

Macs are a tab bit more expensive than other laptops, but you pay for what you get. Macbooks are virtually indestructible (with the exception of the air, piece of shit) unless you're trying to kill it.

[DemonWasp]

...or unless you use it for 3-4 years, after which my girlfriend's Mac started breaking as follows: hard disk died, front case bottom is loose, keyboard just plain died (without any spills), scratched top case. It's not like she's rough on it either.

[implosion]

Yeah i've heard good stuff about macs. but they are too pricey. i'm also getting warrenty with the laptop because right now i'm living at home and i have 4 other younger (crazy) siblings. but what about the link i put up for that laptop ? i haven't been able to find any info about the intel gma 4500. Also i've never used a mac before and all my friends & family have pc.

[endless]

if you're living at home, the best thing you could do for value is build your own desktop.
but if you are set on a laptop for under $1000, i would look into Lenovo. any laptop under $1000 should be expected to break anytime after a year (2 years on average), and Lenovo is easy and cheap to get replacement parts for. they are also generally pretty well built considering the price, and have a metal framework.

[wtd]

endless @ Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:18 am wrote:

if you're living at home, the best thing you could do for value is build your own desktop.

Desktops hold very little value for students. Students have classes to go to and are frequently away from home.

[endless]

here's what i recommend for a laptop for you.
Lenovo R400/500
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087¤t-category-id=17A6B5506A7043E09699EC4CA7D620B2&menu-id=products
comes with free windows 7 upgrade too.

[wtd]

implosion @ Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:46 am wrote:

Yeah i've heard good stuff about macs. but they are too pricey. i'm also getting warrenty with the laptop because right now i'm living at home and i have 4 other younger (crazy) siblings. but what about the link i put up for that laptop ? i haven't been able to find any info about the intel gma 4500. Also i've never used a mac before and all my friends & family have pc.

1. Make sure the warranty covers accidental damage. Most don't.
   
2. Intel GMA 4500 is integrated graphics. It doesn't hold a candle performance-wise to the Nvidia 9400 integrated part or ATI's (AMD-originated) 3200 integrated graphics.
   
3. If you have even a shred of intelligence, you'd have no trouble getting used to a Mac, and likely significantly less trouble after that.

[wtd]

DemonWasp @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:05 pm wrote:

...or unless you use it for 3-4 years, after which my girlfriend's Mac started breaking as follows: hard disk died, front case bottom is loose, keyboard just plain died (without any spills), scratched top case. It's not like she's rough on it either.

Most laptops start doing those things after 6 months to a year, without being abused.

[wtd]

endless @ Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:23 am wrote:

here's what i recommend for a laptop for you.
Lenovo R400/500
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087¤t-category-id=17A6B5506A7043E09699EC4CA7D620B2&menu-id=products
comes with free windows 7 upgrade too.

Anything shipping with Vista now will have a free upgrade to Windows 7. Also, of the two, only consider the R400. The R500 is too big.

[ecookman]

insectoid @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:52 am wrote:

Macs are a tab bit more expensive than other laptops, but you pay for what you get. Macbooks are virtually indestructible (with the exception of the air, piece of shit) unless you're trying to kill it.

Isn't getting a mac a bit of a problem, if everything in the school is windows based?

[DtY]

ecookman @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 1:10 pm wrote:

insectoid @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:52 am wrote:

Macs are a tab bit more expensive than other laptops, but you pay for what you get. Macbooks are virtually indestructible (with the exception of the air, piece of shit) unless you're trying to kill it.

Isn't getting a mac a bit of a problem, if everything in the school is windows based?

I don't think there's much software that schools use that wont run on a Mac, at my school anyway the computers have:
Turing - This would be the exception >_>
Python - Comes with OS X
Some Java IDE - Not a big step to learn to compile from the command line (or get a java IDE for Mac, I'm pretty sure Eclipse works on Mac OS)
Office - You can get for Mac (Or you can even go a step further and get a free office suite)
Audacity - Not sure if any classes specifically use this, but it's FLOSS, you can get it for Mac OS
Gamemaker - You can't get it for Mac, but I don't know that any classes have used it (Might have been used for CS in the past)
Photoshop - You can get for Mac, our school even has a Mac lab for media arts

That's all I can think of that you might need for school, but if there's anything else you can use Wine, or just run Windows.