I just had to order a new one. Any thoughts on my decision? I went with the Dell 17 inch 7000 series.

Windows 8.1 with touch screen. Backlit keyboard. Core I7 processor with 1 TB SATA hard drive. 8GB if ram, but I will probably upgrade to 16GB. I have heard this model has some wifi issues.

1) Windows 8 is a steaming turd.
2) If you get a Dell, make sure it is from the business division. It won't cost any more, but tech support is infinitely better. Call centers are based in the US, returns are faster, and the equipment is generally higher quality.
3) When buying a laptop, I ONLY buy Thinkpads. X and T series. Period. Accept no lesser substitutes. Everything Thinkpad I have purchased is still running today. Including an ancient 15+ year old IBM Thinkpapd T21 ... rocking a Pentium III Coppermine 800 MHz CPU and Savage IIX 8 MB AGP GPU. 8 MB is so little VRAM, you can't even run 1024x768 resolution and OpenGL and full 32-bit color at the same time. Not enough memory. Have to drop down to 24-bit color to keep the video acceleration and a decent resolution.

(05-12-2014 09:15 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  1) Windows 8 is a steaming turd.
2) If you get a Dell, make sure it is from the business division. It won't cost any more, but tech support is infinitely better. Call centers are based in the US, returns are faster, and the equipment is generally higher quality.
3) When buying a laptop, I ONLY buy Thinkpads. X and T series. Period. Accept no lesser substitutes. Everything Thinkpad I have purchased is still running today. Including an ancient 15+ year old IBM Thinkpapd T21 ... rocking a Pentium III Coppermine 800 MHz CPU and Savage IIX 8 MB AGP GPU. 8 MB is so little VRAM, you can't even run 1024x768 resolution and OpenGL and full 32-bit color at the same time. Not enough memory. Have to drop down to 24-bit color to keep the video acceleration and a decent resolution.

This one has 8.1. I don't know if that is any better. For my work I need something more than an ultrabook. I need video production capabilities and an optical drive. Tablets just won't cut it for the line of work I am doing.

I've heard good things about the Thinkpad though. I am more concerned with problems associated with hardware. My current system has a motherboard going out only after a year and a half of use. That cannot happen again. I could update to the sdd hybrid drive.

Here is the screen resolution:LED Backlit Touch Display with Truelife and FHD resolution (1920 x 1080)

This is almost top of the line Dell. There is only one class above it.

We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

What do you own?

(05-13-2014 07:28 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

What do you own?

I don't have a laptop. I have an HP desktop and and iPad that I use. I leave my toshiba work computer at work.

My desktop is set up kind of as a gaming rig but I use it for some work.

(05-13-2014 07:30 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:28 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

What do you own?

I don't have a laptop. I have an HP desktop and and iPad that I use. I leave my toshiba work computer at work.

My desktop is set up kind of as a gaming rig but I use it for some work.

I've owned Dell before, but not one this expensive. I'm hoping it is a good system.

(05-13-2014 07:33 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:30 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:28 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

What do you own?

I don't have a laptop. I have an HP desktop and and iPad that I use. I leave my toshiba work computer at work.

My desktop is set up kind of as a gaming rig but I use it for some work.

I've owned Dell before, but not one this expensive. I'm hoping it is a good system.

I had a Dell way back that was a solid computer. I'm sure it will work great for you.

(05-13-2014 07:34 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:33 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:30 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:28 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

What do you own?

I don't have a laptop. I have an HP desktop and and iPad that I use. I leave my toshiba work computer at work.

My desktop is set up kind of as a gaming rig but I use it for some work.

I've owned Dell before, but not one this expensive. I'm hoping it is a good system.

I had a Dell way back that was a solid computer. I'm sure it will work great for you.

I hope you are right. I've had some bad luck lately and just need a solid system.

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

I got a Toshiba less than 2 years ago.... its not bad, but I am unimpressed about screen.

I bought a Lenovo less than 2 years ago and I was unimpressed with its reliability...partially my fault, partially theirs IMO. I'm really debating about putting in a 3rd hdd in less than two years in it. 1st one was within the warranty period, I'm out of that now. What sucks is it was a $700 laptop....and it will be a $200+/- repair.

(05-13-2014 09:24 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:25 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  We use Toshibas exclusively. They are okay. They are better than they seem to get credit for but I wouldn't buy one as my own computer.

I got a Toshiba less than 2 years ago.... its not bad, but I am unimpressed about screen.

I bought a Lenovo less than 2 years ago and I was unimpressed with its reliability...partially my fault, partially theirs IMO. I'm really debating about putting in a 3rd hdd in less than two years in it. 1st one was within the warranty period, I'm out of that now. What sucks is it was a $700 laptop....and it will be a $200+/- repair.

You can replace your hard drive yourself ... and then your cost is the part (~$70 tops unless it is SSD).

Toshiba laptop drives are the devil Bobby Boucher. I replaced two Toshibas in my ancient Thinkpad T21 ... but the WD in my T61 is still going and the SSD in my X220 is REALLY still going.

Also, if you get a Lenovo ... get the damn Thinkpad line or the Thinkcentre line if it is a desktop. Only n00bs get Dells that aren't from the Dell Business Division. Only n00bs get Lenovos that aren't from the Think division.

That's true. Even their external drives suck. I had a 1TB one screw up on me that left us in a lurch.

Toshibas are just really cheap with the discount they give you.

I agree that Windows 8 sucks ass, but we are a Dell company and I've always had very good luck with their products (going back 16 years). Servers, laptops, desktops, monitors... it doesn't matter. We've had low end to high end and everything in between and always had good luck... granted we are on a business contract thus get better service than home users. Just make up your own "small business" and open up a small business account there and you'll get put into their business support after you order it through your "company." No need to actually have a company.

(05-12-2014 09:15 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  1) Windows 8 is a steaming turd.

Not sure if you dislike W8 because of it's look and feel, or if it's because of operational issues. The laptop I got for my kid and W8 and he hated it. There is a program at this site that will bring back the look and feel of W7 or XP

I'm not opposed to trying Windows 8.1. I know it will take some getting used to. I love Windows 7, but I am willing to give 8.1 a shot.

Jesus! I just had to call Dell support two hours after I turned on my new laptop for the first time because I somehow turned on airplane mode and could not turn it off. What a pain in the ass. Windows 8 will take some getting used to.

(05-21-2014 09:13 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  Jesus! I just had to call Dell support two hours after I turned on my new laptop for the first time because I somehow turned on airplane mode and could not turn it off. What a pain in the ass. Windows 8 will take some getting used to.

(05-21-2014 11:23 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(05-21-2014 09:13 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  Jesus! I just had to call Dell support two hours after I turned on my new laptop for the first time because I somehow turned on airplane mode and could not turn it off. What a pain in the ass. Windows 8 will take some getting used to.

It ended up being that I turned off the wireless card from the keyboard and the only way to turn it back on is from the keyboard.

So I had to return the system and upgrade to the same model that has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2GB DDR5 graphics card and 16GB of ram. The system I had was great, but didn't have the CPU to run the 3D video software I bought.