New Laptop

I finally feel whole again. I have gone a whole year without a laptop and darn it, I didn't like it! I think that every tech, from the Helpdesk Technician to the CIO needs to have easy access to technology. I happen to think that giving a tech a laptop is the best thing you can do to encourage them to become a better tech. But I digress . . .

I did a post a few weeks ago about all the laptops that I was considering, and I still think those are some of the better options out there, but I settled a bit.

My dear husband was in Wal-Mart the day before Christmas (yes, I am one of THOSE people who got a laptop from Wal-Mart, my head is down in shame . . . but only a little) and saw a deal that he could not pass up.

I got an HP Pavilion DV6629WM. It has a beautiful 15.4" display and came with a digital camera and printer. Unfortunately, it did come with Vista Home Premium, which I am not entirely thrilled about, but I can always downgrade if I really need to.

5 Laptops for the Women On Your List

I need to buy a laptop. Between blogging and studying for the MCSE exams, I need to be able to have everything with me instead of carrying cds around. My iPod has helped, but I really need a computer with me everywhere.

So, I have started looking for laptops that I want to purchase. I already listed out the specs that I like in a earlier blog, here I want to make a note of the laptops that I am seriously considering.

1. I think the one I like the best is this T23210 being offered at QVC. I have stated again and again that I really like Dell products, so it is fitting that this top my list. I like the specs on this laptop, and I LOVE the color options! I have not purchased from them in the past, but the price on this laptop is very good.

2. I really like this XPS M1530 a lot. I love the highest end option, but I think right now it is a bit too expensive. And again, I have to say that I really like the color options here. For something that I will have attached to my hand, I like the idea of it being attractive. Besides, colors make me happy.

3. I also like the IBM Thinkpad X61s fully loaded. It is not as pretty as the Dells, but it is a solid laptop, and you can still get Windows XP Pro loaded if you want to, which I think I do.

4. I also really like the HP Pavilion dv2500t. It can be customized to include the features/specs that I want, and the price is competitive.

5. Finally, I am not sure this is the year I am ready to jump in and purchase a Mac, but I am very tempted by all of the hype about running a better Windows machine on the MacBook Pro.

Desktop and Laptop Specs for Home Users

Many of my friends are buying laptop and desktop computers for their kids and spouses for the holidays. I am constantly being asked what I recommend, so I thought I would recreate the specs I like here and then just refer them to my site.

Let me start by saying that I recommend Dell over all other computers. The reason is simple; support! They have the best support I have encountered, and that goes for business sales and personal sales as well. They stand behind their product and that means something to me. And by the way, I am not getting any commissions from them.

For a laptop I recommend at least the following specificications:
Processor: A Dual core of at least 1.6 or higher
Memory: 1GB
HardDrive: 160GB
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n

For a desktop, I recommend the following:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 (2.20GHz)
Memory: 2GB
HardDrive: 320GB
Graphics Card: Best you can afford

These are just what I would look for if I were buying one for myself. Many of the stores are running fantastic deals right now, so certainly shop around and look for the highest specs for the lowest price, but processing speed and memory are key for almost all users, so don't be cheap in those areas.