Getting girlfriend a laptop

[Andrew07]

Is getting my girlfriend a laptop for Christmas/our anniversary tacky? When I told my mom she thought I was crazy and presumed (maybe rightfully so) that the gift was more for me than her...I've gotten my girlfriend some pretty nice jewelry and I just bought her a ridiculously priced Dooney and Bourke purse/wallet set. She's moving out next year and I thought it would be nice if she had her own laptop she could bring to Starbucks or whatever, have a computer in her apartment to go on the internet, and we could watch movies on it during trips. What do you guys think? Laptop or stick to jewelry?

[brandondrury]

Well,

If you are asking for personel advice, I'll give it. (I need a satan smily).

First of all, just remember that this is just the beginning and whatever monster you create now will be 10x more powerful in the future. I'm highly against buying anything useless and nothing could be more useless than jewelry. Expensive jewelry is even worse. I think it sends a disgusting message to a woman when you buy her expensive useless shit. She is being trained to be a money waster. That's one thing. It's another when they reach 35 and figure out that a machine can be purchased that will actually shred up money at an alarming rate. She'll be blown away at her epiphany...she can watch TV and spend money at the same time.

I refuse to encourage piss poor money habits. I've got plans for my cash down the road. I don't intend to be working too much longer so the last thing I need to do is create a demon that will inhibit that.

For modern computer people, a laptop is a necessity. I've been wanting one for a while now, but I don't really leave the house too often, so it would mostly collect dust. For people who aren't attached at the hip to their computer chair, a laptop is a tremendously useful tool. If you've got the cash to blow on your girlfriend, then I think a laptop is an awesome choice.

It depends on how much cash you've got and that sort of thing, but I would never spend that much money on a girl. My engagement ring costed slightly less than a SM 57. I see no reason why the ring she got isn't adequate. If she doesn't like it, she knows where the door is. If she thinks that we base our relationship on how much money I waste on her, than she is highly confused. It's worked out pretty well thus far.

Brandon

[Andrew07]

Aw dude you're a true romantic at heart

How would you suggest I start researching this? Im a mac guy and don't know a whole lot about PC's. This laptop would be her main computer that she would use to: type papers and such for homework, go on the internet, watch dvd's, bring it to Starbucks or whatever, and play the Sims 2 and its expansion packs. She isn't a "gamer," and the only games she does like to play are the Sims 2 and its expansion packs.

[brandondrury]

Well, you may be a Mac guy, but this isn't a Mac world, for better or worse.

I wouldn't recommend getting her a Mac, but I can't remember ever recommending a Mac to anyone. (Mainly because I can't fix a Mac... I know PCs better than I know my jerking off hand). You'll have to decide the PC vs Mac argument.

With laptops, the advantages of PCs go down from my point of view. I prefer building my own computers so I can get exactly what I want, ensure the components are of decent quality, and to ensure that I don't have to deal with proprietary bullshit. Well, I wouldn't know where to start when building a laptop. If it was I, I would just buy one at a consumer shit store. (When I say "consumer shit store" I mean your typical Best Buy type of place where people who think they are really smart compare crappy speakers with other crappy speakers.

Anyway, If I was buying a laptop for a girl, I would just fine the laptop with the best warrantee in my price range. That's it. I've never heard a girl complain about the bandwidth of USB 1.1 or the size of drivers of HP printers. I've never heard a girl complain about lack of hard drive size. In fact, I can't remember a girl complaining about the speed of their computer at all (after I uninstall the average 8 toolbars installed in internet exploiter and 400 spybots).

So, I guess I'm saying is that I've got a feeling that your girlfriend will not be as picky as me when it comes to her PC.

Hears the deal with the warantee. Manufacturers are always changing their policies. Dell has the best support ever 5 years ago. Now I'm hearing a lot of complaints. HP had the worst support ever 5 years ago. I haven't been hearing as many complaints lately. Just remember that if you research a particular brand, you are going to get little more than Ford vs Chevy arguments.

You may want to just plan to buy the in store warantee thingy. They are a ripoff sometimes (like any insurance), but that feature is the best one you could possibly imagine.

Most girls would prefer some gimmicky bullshit...like a laptop that weighs 2lbs instead of 4lbs or that uses rounded corners. Maybe there is a laptop where they can paste their favorite animal stickers in designated spots on the top. Maybe there is a pink model.

Basically, I'm saying that unless your girlfriend is somehow unique (which has happened over 7 times......I know this because there are female astronauts), she will be more concerned about what it looks like than the stability of USB 2.0 vs Firewire.

Brandon

[richiebee]

Does she have an iPod? If so get her these...

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/...amplifiers.php

[brandondrury]

Ha!!

I haven't figured out if this is a real product yet. The concept is entirely outlandish, but my gut tells me that this greatly increases the chances of it being real.

Brandon

[Andrew07]

Alright dude so I got my options semi-narrowed down but still could use your guys advice. I want to get a PC laptop, 15'' in $1000 range. Went to best buy and the guy said since she'll play the Sims 2 and dvd's on the laptop get this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1158319080012

He said the AMD would be better than the Core 2 Duo and the game would perform better if the video card was 256 not 128. I would also add 1gig of memory. What do you think? Consumer reports voted Dell as the better pick...

[brandondrury]

Well let's put this into perspective. I know you've got some pretty awesome preamps. I don't remember what preamps you have exactly.

Let's just say you've got some Neve stuff, some API stuff, and Great River. If I told you that you have to make an entire record just using the Great River mic pres, could you do it? Would it even be that big of deal?

I'm guessing that the various laptops are about the same. This just consumer grade stuff. A guy who obsesses about AMD over Intel Core 2 Duo is much like the guy who REQUIRES an API on the snare (even though a zillion mega sounding records have been done on other pres.

If I had a grand to blow on my girlfriend, I'd walk into Best Buy, immediately factor in at least a 2 year warrantee (maybe 3) and then find the cheapest computer that had the features I would want...for me, it would be at least 512MB RAM, whatever size LCD screen I require, and the faster processor.

Done! I wouldn't overthink this.

I overthink EVERYTHING so for me, the general rule is this:
I don't overthink anything that doesn't make me money.

I say that you should just jump in and buy one. You've got less than a week anyway. I'm guessing that all the new, $1000 laptops are good. It's not like there is an obvious junker out there.

Brandon

[Andrew07]

ended up getting an HP...seems to be holding up ok. Problem is there's a bunch of freeware programs and demos that came with it. What's the best way to wipe out/clean up/organize all this shit?

[brandondrury]

Problem is there's a bunch of freeware programs and demos that came with it.

The #1 reason I HATE name brand computers.

You can use the band aid technique or you can use the surgery technique. With the band aid technique, you will eventually have to have surgery or just accept the fact that you paid $X for a computer that was intentionally slowed down to faciliate the sale of future laptops.

People think that computers slow down over time. They do not. A computer runs or it doesn't. It's not like a computer is like a car or something and over time wears down and slows down. However, if a person puts demos, junk, junk, toolbars, spyware, viruses, etc they still run at the same speed.....it's just a great percentage of CPU power is directed to these other tasks.

To end my bitching, I'd download all drivers for the notebook, burn a data cd, and the format the damn thing. Installing a new copy of Windows now should save you 2 years before you need to buy a new one (not accounting for hardware failure).

Brandon