Laptop Suggestions?

[Gump]

I'm going to have to shut down the old PC for about 8 months while my new home is being built. Thinking about picking up a laptop/notebook in the interim. Any suggestions?

Emphasis will be on low price since it's just going to get me through til the new house is done (plus there's a lot of things to buy for the house!).
Frys Electronics has a Toshiba on sale for 549.00$. Anything I should be looking for? Basically just going to use it for web surfing and e-mail type stuff. Nothing elaborate.

My wife is hesitant to go the wireless laptop route due to security/privacy issues. Any reassurances I can give her?

Thanks for any help!

[Kevin P]

Toshiba makes good laptops. Look for one with enough RAM (512 MB minimum) and a large enough hard drive to meet your needs. Just remember that laptops aren't as easy to upgrade as desktops.

Tell your wife that wireless can be secured. Use WPA or WPA2 encryption. Do you have a wireless router already?

[Gump]

Toshiba makes good laptops. Look for one with enough RAM (512 MB minimum) and a large enough hard drive to meet your needs. Just remember that laptops aren't as easy to upgrade as desktops.

Tell your wife that wireless can be secured. Use WPA or WPA2 encryption. Do you have a wireless router already?

Nope. Don't even know what it is...I'm a computer neophyte! ops:

[Gump]

If you mean the service, probably Verizon.

[dyazdani]

I guess that's a "no." You can buy one for about $50, give or take.

Like this...

[aud19]

I also vote Toshiba for a good quality but still affordable laptop. To do better you've got to move up in price to Fujitsu's, IBM's and Sony's

[Arneson]

Move this to the How to use a router section. lol, (only kidding)

I agree Toshiba but would add cheap HP's aren't bad.

[Chris D]

Remember, if you're about to buy any computer, laptop or desktop, we're only a month and some away from Windows Vista. IMHO, buying a computer with a fresh Vista install would be preferential. If it were me, I'd wait just a bit until the release.

[Arneson]

Been reading terrible things about Vista, makes me think of the awful mistake I made with Windows ME.
I upgraded everything to it and suffered the consequences.

[PewterTA]

I've heard good things about vista (not enough to make me go to it when it comes out), I don't think it'll be an awful mistake... but then again, who knows it's microsoft.

If you really want the "feel" of vista, a couple places already make "skins" for XP to make it look and function like vista.

[Kevin P]

IMHO, it's better to wait on Vista. Let someone else beta test it for MS. When a new OS comes out, it usually takes a while for other software and drivers to play catch-up. Stick with XP for another year or so. I usually wait until service pack 2 before I switch OSes.

[Azeke]

I agree with you Kevin, unless he doesn't mind being a beta tester. As a rule of thumb I try not to purchase ver 1.0 of any electronics/software, of course there are exceptions to the rule, but it is very rare.

Lenovo ThinkPads are rated pretty well ( a bit costly though), and is certainly one to consider for evaluation.

When going wireless just ensure you utilize at least 128 bit encryption.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke

[Gump]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

Leaning towards a Toshiba on sale from Circuit City for 599$. It's got 512mb memory which I can upgrade to 1g for 50$. Also has an Intel Core Duo , 14.1 inch widescreen, 1.7 megahtz Processor T2050, Works, Windows XP, 80GB harddrive, DVD burner, and other stuff that I can't remember.
How's that sound?

Probably going to hold off on the router for awhile and just get a modem card from verizon. Staying with relatives while the house is being built and I don't feel comfortable hooking up new stuff at their house.

Also going to hold off on the Vista idea until they get any bugs worked out.

Thanks again for all the tips and ideas.