Laptop computer,anyone use them?

[Whiskers]

As you've noticed I haven't been online much lately.I have been having computer problems for a couple months now and it is getting harder and harder to keep my old pc running.My good computer(which it turns out wasn't so good after all) crapped out this summer and I have been getting by with an old one I had saved back.Now the old one has just about had it as well.I am getting the deathly blue fatal error screen,I can reboot but sometimes it will only work 15-20 minutes at a time at most.
I have been looking at new ones and have pretty much decided I will go with a laptop this time.I was wondering if anyone had any tips for what to buy or not buy.I will probably wait until the Christmas sales to get one,it will take me that long to figure out just what I want.
Features I need/use alot are DVD + - R/RW,media card reader,and several usb ports.I usually lean toward the Intel chip but I have had one with AMD in the past and it worked OK I guess.The last two comuter I had were Hewlett Packards and I haven't been near as happy with them as I was with the Compaqs I had before them.Now I think they are basically the same thing.I have been looking at some Toshiba's this time around although there are alot of choices out there now.Should a person stay away from the Acer and Aspire and the value priced outfits even if they are loaded with the same stuff as the higher priced ones? I wonder how they hold up?I would hate to buy one just to figure out I was like the people who rushed out and bought a Yugo to drive 25 years ago only to discover they were only good as yard ornaments when something tore up.LoL

[donkey]

I dunno, I never had one. Well I did too. was way back when a laptop weighed bout forty pounds. was a compaq an ya took the keyboard off the bottom of a case that looked and weighed much like a sewing machine case.

I hava friend that has one an when he's usin it in the house, he hooks it up to his desk top monitor. and uses a external mouse.

I've not heard much good bout the Dell products. enuff in fact, that I think I will stay away from them.

Thats bout all I got to say bout the matter. I just am perty dumb bout em.
(think I just opened myself up. lol)

[Whiskers]

Yea,I think I would like to use an external mouse also.I have tried a few of the demo's at Best Buy and I guess it would get easier to use the little built in touch pad "mouse" but it would take some getting use to.I think I could manage with the small monitor that comes built in though.
I know absolutely nothing about them myself either,that's why I figured I would ask a few questions.

[Sinker]

Cain't help ya none. Don'y understand all I know bout this'n. It does wonderful things........sometimes it seems all of it's own accord! But honestly I spect it's my own enormous potential fer ineptitude that does it! It causes me to wonder about things that make very little or no differnce at all ! Fer instance; If it was a shovel in my hand, I was usin' instead of a keyboard, how big would the hole be!

[Whiskers]

sinker said:

.... It causes me to wonder about things that make very little or no differnce at all ! Fer instance; If it was a shovel in my hand, I was usin' instead of a keyboard, how big would the hole be!

Them is some pretty deep thoughts there Sinker,tis probably over my head..

[Wolfman]

Toshibas are generaly pretty decent and usualy a lil cheaper than the others.
If your going to do a lot of Pic editing, movies ect get a desktop with as much ram as you can afford.
From what im told even with the same chips in them laptops are slower. Unless you need a portable one go with a desktop.
Besides, you can get a GOOD desktop for what a decent laptop will cost you.
Dells are ok, they can be hit or miss. Down side to them is many of their graphics cards, ram memory ect is soldered to the d@mn motherboard. Got to buy a whole new board to upgrade. Unless you can afford to go with their top of the line you wont need to replace for awhile stay away from dell.
Compacts and hewlets steer clear from for desktops.
Gateways are supposed to be good and built to your specs.
Best bet is find a puter geek that like to build em, decide exactly what your going to need want for the next two years and have them build you a custom. Be a bit cheaper and you'll be happier in the long run.

Otherwise go to a puter repair shop and get a decent refurbished one cheap. Or build one yourself, their not THAT hard.

[showmebob]

I've got a Toshiba that I've had since 2003. Used it everyday for 3 years with no problems. Put it in storage for a year and the battery is junk now. But how long can a battery last in storage after 3 years of hard use? I'd buy another Toshiba anyday!