First Laptop......Need Help........?

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VelcroBP

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Jan 16, 2010
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1_Budget: $600-$800

2_Size: 12"-15"

3_Resolution: At least 720p

4_Portable/Living Room. Already have a desktop workstation.

5_Battery: Not crucial as will mostly be used in home near outlets.

6_No gaming really, aside from maybe internet flash games and the like. Maybe some old-school emulation from time to time.

7_The main purpose would be connecting to my 42" 720p HDTV preferrably via HDMI; Streaming videos/music from my home network; internet browsing; some web design and photo editing possibly.

8_Storage: Not crucial as I have several larger drives on the network for media files.

9_I have shopped at NewEgg.com and Amazon.com extensively in the past. Also looking at Apple.com for if I end up going with a refurbished MacBook.

10_Lifespan: 3-5 years, hopefully.


11_Optical Drive: Not crucial, but would prefer some kind of DVD combo drive. No need for Blu-Ray as I have a stand-alone player.

12_Brands: I've never had a laptop and always pieced together desktops, so I'm unfamiliar with the reputation/reliability of any brand. I am really interested in an Apple and have a iPhone 3gs, but am not sure if the extra price is worth it for my purposes.

13_Country: United States

14_This is my first time shopping for a laptop. I've always only had desktops so I really don't know what I'm looking for. I don't want to spend too much for the meager tasks, but would like a few premium features such as HDMI. I will mostly be using this laptop in my living room for web-browsing and general multi-media through my HDTV. Just another component to the entertainment center, really.
 

VelcroBP

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Jan 16, 2010
13
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18,560
I have seen some at my local Staples. I plan on taking a trip to the closest Best Buy over the weekend to finalize my decision with some hands on. Really though, I've read some reviews in HP owners forums and think I'd be ok with the battery bulge. Also, and maybe this is pure rationalization on my part, but I like the idea of extra airflow underneath considering it's prime placement inside my entertainment center.

I truly appreciate your input! Without this thread I would have given up by now and probably bought the cheapest one with HDMI that some salesperson at an electronics store told me to.