Help picking which laptop to buy

Hi all,

2 years ago my husband & I kicked off a small internet based side business and purchased a Dell Inspiron 1501. Vista just came out and we couldn't get XP. We had to go on the cheap (AMD Turion 64) and have had nothing but trouble with performance even though we are not power users. I guess you get what you pay for. Now we have to replace it because the power port in the back is loose, the fan is dead, and the battery is toast. We can now afford a nicer laptop, but want one with a docking station because of the power port issue.

I have looked at the XPS 16, Studio XPS 16, and the Dell Precision Workstation M6400 but am not sure what to get. The M6400 is very attractive because it comes with XP (I can use all of my software again) and I can purchase a docking station; however, it has a dizzying amount of options. I am not sure what we need or don't need. We will primarily be using it for minor webpage design, bookeeping (quickbooks), photos, and some video. Like I said, we are not power users, but we want a laptop we can keep for awhile and our business can grow into. Is there anything else out there we should consider? What would be a good build for us...keeping the cost ~$3k with a wireless printer. Your help is greatly appreciated

 

Try doing the FAQ and posting in this thread.

and wow, you can buy a really nice lappy for $3k!

 

Thanks! I'll read through it and repost.

 

With that much (3k) buy a MacBook Pro and run bootcamp with vista, it will run perfectly and you get an awesome machine, much better than a dell, plus since you get Mac OS X 10.5 and Windows XP (and vista if you wanted) on the same machine... ftw

 

+1 for macbook pro unibody with bootcamp

 

The unibody and mac os x are superfluous if all they want is a computer that will work really well with windows. If they get the unibody/ mac os x, they'll have to mess with everything else not windows related, get used to another os, and jump through more hoops to do the same job. Build quality seems to be consistent with manufacturers unless you go with some cheapie no on has ever heard of. Vista also wouldn't run at native performance via boot camp. The difference might only be noticeable during games, but it is still there. Don't macs have a problem with fan control when in boot camp?

 

i dont think they should go mac. she wouldnt be able to use any of the software she wants without bootcamp and just be more of a hassle then anything else.

keep in mind after you fill out the form there will be another OS transition soon. from windows vista to windows 7 some time end of this year. if you interested in windows xp, i know lenovo (IBM) offers xp downgrades from time to time as part of thier configuration