Expert: Lauren Bennett - 7/15/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hey, so I need a laptop of course, but I want a decent one.  I'm willing to spend just over $1000.  My question is will I be able to get a decent laptop to do some gaming as well?  I'm in a small town of 3000 people and so that's what I will do on free time.  BTW I'm from Canada, (I read your description :P) but our dollar is almost equal now so I thought that might not be an issue.  If your guess is off by a couple hundred, that is fine as well.  I just need an idea.  Thanks a bunch.

-Love Chad

ANSWER: Yes you can certainly get a good computer for around $1,000.  However, you probably won't be able to get a warranty as well.  That means when it breaks (and yes, all computers break), you'll probably have to pay someone around $50/hr + parts to fix the computer.  Would you be willing to spend extra to get a hardware warranty to cover you while you are in college so that if it is fixed, you know you can always get it fixed quickly and efficiently without having to pay any extra?

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QUESTION: Well I know a guy who works with computers in the college so he may be someone to lean on.  If I did need get a warranty, how much am I looking at spending?
ANSWER: Just keep in mind that parts can get pricey too.

You are looking at about an extra $120 to get a 3 year warranty.

You are looking at an extra $200 to get a 4 year warranty (but you get $50 Dell gift card with that option)

Let me know :)

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QUESTION: Ya the 3 year sounds good.  So, do you think you can give me a specs list.  I would prefer it to be customized, obviously, but if I have to I can get a factory piece system.  thx.
ANSWER: Components
PROCESSOR   AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-56   edit
OPERATING SYSTEM   Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium   edit
LCD PANEL   15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife™(glossy)   edit
MEMORY   1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm   edit
HARD DRIVE   Size: 120GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)   edit
OPTICAL DRIVE   8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability   edit
VIDEO CARD   ATI RADEON® Xpress1150 256MB HyperMemory™ (Integrated)   edit
SOUND OPTIONS   Integrated Audio   edit
BATTERY OPTIONS   85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery   edit
WIRELESS CARDS   Dell 1505 Wireless-N   edit
Service
WARRANTY AND SERVICE   3 Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day   edit
  
Dell Recommends
4 Year Limited Warranty
Ultimate peace of mind with an additional year of service!
Help Me Choose
  Upgrade to Get $75 in Dell Dollars with 4 Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service [add $90 or $2/month1]
DIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS   6 Months of America Online Membership Included   edit
Accessories
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE   No Security Subscription (30-day trial)   edit
PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE   Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD   edit
PHOTO AND MUSIC SOFTWARE   No Pre-Installed Software   edit
Software
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Network Card and Modem   Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem   
Adobe Software   Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.08   
Labels   Windows Vista™ Premium

(i hope that is readable - it doesn't copy over very well).  that is the "older" version - they just came out with a brand new line like 2 weeks ago but they are on the pricier end still.

if you'd like to go with the new one with the intel processor and a slightly better video card, you are looking at like $1330 vs $1010.

Let me know.

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QUESTION: Hey.  Everything was awesome...the one thing that bothers me is the video and sound cards are integrated.  Is that optional, or am I going to have to pay up a little more to get video card slots?  This is very informative though, thanks a bunch.

Answer
You can upgrade the sound for like $25 or so.  You generally can't get the dedicated video cards without upgrading to the Intel processor as well.  The video card I have in my XPS notebook is integrated like that.  It has 64 MB of dedicated memory and the rest is shared.  However, it runs great with Vista and all the games I've played on it.

I'm actually trying to sell it.  I have a desktop and need money to pay rent.  It is the XPS M1210 (12").  I love it and I am sad to see it go but I need to pay rent :(