What should I get?

Well, Ive been wanting to get a new Laptop for awile now, and since my tax return is coming in I have decided to spoil my self, Now I was thinking of ordering an Alienware notebooks, since all I plan on doing with it is playing games and school work and all I need to do is make a 500 doller deposit (With my tax money) and I can pay around 100 dollers a month for a really good one. Does anyone here have any experiance with this? Other recomadations?

What do you want to do with it? Game, art, or just internet?

Mostly, online gaming but for internet and all that goodstuff as well.

Gaming makes it expencive, cause if you want to keep up with technology with a laptop- double the price of the goods immediataly.

It's more about specifications really. I'll tell you the specs of my highest end game (Path of Neo- VERY cool game ), and what I've got since my computer is now cheep enough to buy on PC (donno about laptop)

*Windows 2000/ XP (I've got XP. It's pretty standard for comps to get that now)
*Pentium 4 1.8Ghz/ AMD Athlon 1.8 Ghz or higher processor (I have P4 2.4 gHz- The number of gHz is the imp thing here)
*512MB memory (I have 1512MB, but that's cause I also do high end graphics on my computer- I NEED that much memory)
*Hard disk space- 1GB (I currentyly x1 40GB, and a 100GB hard drive- it's just handy to have large ones I keep the unflattened pics- huge)
*DVD rom x6 speed (I don't think you can by slow ones new now...)
*GeForce FX 5200/ Raedon  8500 or higher (I have the GeForce one )

What does this all mean? Well, from what I gather, the processor is how fast it crunches problems, and the memory is how fast it can be fed the info. I have large amounts of memory to make beter use of my processor cause it usually needs to process many huge images at once. Hard disk space is all up to you. Intend on having alot of huge files on the laptop? Get a 100GB hard drive. Just gaming and clearing e-mails? Go for a smaller one. You'll find out quickly if you need a bigger one in 6 months time. Video card is the one I can't explain. That one I was told to get a GeForce, and I ended up getting that particular card. I have never used it to its full potential untill playing Path of Neo, so it depends on if you're gonna be playing new games. If you are, get the best, cause it wont stay the best for long.

I hope this helps ^^;

My brother just got an Alienware laptop and desktop and he's pretty happy with them. I think I heared their tech support was good. Don't get a Dell though, whatever you do. Their tech support is terrible.

I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop that's pretty good but I hardly use it these days. Toshiba's a pretty good brand. They are expensive though.

I know you move around a lot but for gaming a desktop might be better. They are cheaper and easier to upgrade. Once you get a laptop, you can't really upgrade it. With a desktop, every couple years you can just upgrade the motherboard and processor and RAM and that's it. That doesn't cost a lot either. Maybe $200 to $400 for an upgrade depending on how much you need. And maybe a new graphics card when you need one to keep up with the latest games. I got my desktop in 1998 and still have it. Overtime, I just upgraded a few pieces here and there when I needed to. At this point it's completely different than it was when I originally got it 8 years ago but the monitor is still the same. Anyway, my point is it's cheaper for a desktop. Plus if you get a desktop, you can have a bigger screen and better speakers!

I totally agree. Unless you need a laptop, don't get one. Their keyboards suck most of the time, and you usually end up getting extra mice and screens etc... Everything is expensive too. Its a shinny idea, but not worth it unless you need it.

Well the point of getting a laptop is because i am gonna be moving around ALOT the next few months (From A School, to C School and then to my "permenant" duty station) and god knows what else, SO I want some portability.

If you mean moving houses or place of living, get the desktop. if you mean you need to bring it to work with you our out of your house a lot, get the laptop. Comeon, you've got muscles.

Besides..  desktop systems aren't too tough to carry around.  Especially if you don't insist on having a honkin' big monitor.  Flatscreen are just fine, and very light.  Most modern towers aren't super big, and speakers come in a handy-dandy box with styrofoam!

*grin*  All the computer techs in my house would recommend a desktop system.

Put it this way- moving once a week? Desktop. More than twice a day? Laptop. Besides, you'll be happier for it when you are permanent

Point vaid, Ill definitly think about it, but I also like to carry my shit around with me, like say I wanted to bring it home with me on leave or if I go on a ship and have little room to begin with.