Trying to help my cousin pick out a Laptop

OrangeWolf

Gawd
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Jan 6, 2011
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So, my cousin (who isn't very computer savvy), wants a new laptop. I am not sure of her computer usage as she doesn't seem to want to answer that question -- AFAIK integrated graphics and a 3rd gen i3 should more than meet her needs.

Here's what she wants (heh):

  1. Touchscreen
  2. 12.5" or smaller
  3. CD/DVD drive
  4. Windows
  5. Under $500
  6. Superb build quality
  7. Brand new
I'm not sure of anything that fits those criteria. I told her she might have to be willing to pick a top 2-3 of those features and she said she could go up to $700 max (with tax) but would prefer to keep it to $500 if possible.

I suggested a Thinkpad x230 (since I love mine) but she is generally against Lenovo because an old G-series IdeaPad she had was a POS. I doubt she'll change her mind, especially as it hasn't got a DVD drive and is a little over the preferred budget.

I want to come up with a few laptops to suggest to her. She'd prefer to be able to look at one in person. Here's a few ideas I had:

Asus Vivobook -- 11.6", touchscreen, <$500, Windows, i3 CPU. This looks like a nice deal on the surface so I'm not sure why it's so cheap.

Surface RT -- She loved the idea of a Windows tablet w/keyboard until she realized that tablets didn't come with CD/DVD drives, at which point she was irritable and wanted to know why not. I think these are around $500.

Dell Inspiron 13 (available at Best Buy, so she could look at it) -- only $389, but again... don't think it has a CD/DVD drive.

Anyone have any other ideas that I suggest to her? I think I can convince her to order if I find something she likes, but she'd prefer to see it in person.

I need at least one suggestion at the 13.3" size to offer her that includes a CD/DVD drive. I wish she wasn't so set against Lenovos. Blargh.

Ideas?
 
Windows we can do.
12.5" or smaller and an optical drive will be limiting (and for some reason optical drive + touch seem to be hard to find together). How about an external USB optical?
Pick 2:
1. Touchscreen
2. 12.5" or smaller
3. CD/DVD drive

Then these next 3 don't all go together. Have her pick 2.
5. Under $500
6. Superb build quality
7. Brand new

Random ideas:
Latitude E6230 12.5", optical drive, no touch
Vaio T 11.6"-13.3", no optical drive, touch
 
I mentioned the external and she said no. I asked her what she was using CD/DVDs for so often that she had to have it available on her laptop and she couldn't answer that question either. Heh.

The E6230 would be fantastic to suggest, but it's well out of her extended budget. If it could be had for the right price I'd suggest it though -- she "wants" touch and has no real need for it, so I can probably talk her out of it.

Will mention the Sony option.

Thanks for the response. Problem is that what she wants isn't really viable -- just glad she's never heard of an SSD or she'd want that too. ;)

I reckon the options to talk her out of (that you mention above) will be (1) Touch Screen and (2) Build Quality. Possibly with raising the price point to $700, but that has to include tax.
 
I mentioned the external and she said no. I asked her what she was using CD/DVDs for so often that she had to have it available on her laptop and she couldn't answer that question either. Heh.

The E6230 would be fantastic to suggest, but it's well out of her extended budget. If it could be had for the right price I'd suggest it though -- she "wants" touch and has no real need for it, so I can probably talk her out of it.

Will mention the Sony option.

Thanks for the response. Problem is that what she wants isn't really viable -- just glad she's never heard of an SSD or she'd want that too. ;)

I reckon the options to talk her out of (that you mention above) will be (1) Touch Screen and (2) Build Quality. Possibly with raising the price point to $700, but that has to include tax.
What you've got to remember about Dell is that their sticker price isn't the final price. If you can wait for the right coupon to come along, you can usually get 20-30% off.

Even cheaper would be the Dell Outlet. Look for scratch and dent (brand new w/damaged boxes usually) rather than refurbished (used and returned/refurbished). Wait for a coupon code at the outlet and you should be able to find a scratch/dent E6230 for right around $500 (cheapest scratch/dent I see atm is $649 w/i5-3320m).
 
I don't think she'll be up for dealing with the outlet (I suggested it already, even if it was technically "new") but I think I'll ask again.

If she wants something quality on a budget she's got to be willing to compromise somewhere. Otherwise yeah, looks like a nice little machine. The Dell equivalent of the x230.

Edit: Thanks for the help BTW Kueller, much appreciated on all counts. Got a few more things to toss at her now. :)
 
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This one caught her eye while we were at Best Buy: Asus - 14" Laptop - 8GB Memory - 750GB Hard Drive - Black

The specs look good for the price (i7 CPU, 14.1" form factor, 8GB RAM for $699, plus she has a $50 off thing apparently).

I'm having trouble figuring out what model it is though. I was intending to look that one (and a few others) up for her on Notebook Review and let her read what they had to say. Anyone have any ideas on that? Seems odd that it wouldn't say clearly. I had wanted to look it up, heh.

Particularly in terms of (1) build quality, as she is "rough" on her computers, and (2) battery life.
 
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