Laptops with Win 7

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

I'm looking for a new laptop and would like to do so sooner rather than later. Opinions? Ideas? I'm looking at Lenovo as a brand and it seems pretty good. I prefer Win7 as the OS. Mac is not worth the money, in my opinion, so not that. I may be persuadable to Win8, but it would be a hard job to convince me of that. I want something with a good battery, nice screen for movie viewing, decent speakers, and a fast system.

[Tally M.]

I've got a Lenovo with Windows 7. Unfortunately it had a faulty hard drive....but other than that, it's been great. The screen's great (15.6 in) , I'm fine with the speakers, it runs fast. Battery's...okay. About three hours with everything off and not plugged in. It's the V570 by the way

[Whistler]

I love my Lenovo. My husband got it for me on a black friday deal last year and replaced the hard drive with a solid-state drive (I think it's a Y480). Yes, I did end up with Windows 8, but it's not too bad once you get used to it (I basically never use Metroid, the tablet interface). I had two thinkpads back before they were bought by Lenovo and they were great then (in fact, I gave my second one to my brother and as far as I know it still works, and I bought it in 2008).

[Giovanni Schwartz]

I don't get why people have a beef with Windows 8. I mean, it's new, yes. But when (if?) you got your first smartphone, you already learned a remarkably similar new OS. Granted, it's weird at first, especially if you don't have a touch screen, but it's still feasible to use. And, at this point, on my desktop, I hardly use it at all besides when the computer first turns on to click on Chrome, which takes me right to the desktop.

Another GREAT thing about it is that (At least for me, probably because I built the computer myself from the parts #nerdcred) it boots up in literally 8 seconds. I don't even have an SSD, which makes it more impressive.

Also, Microsoft is probably going to stop supporting Windows 7 pretty soon, which means that it will be virused up like none other. It may not happen for a year or two, but if you're spending the money on a Lenovo, that probably means that you want the thing to last more than a year, amirite? If you do plan on switching it out more than once a year, I may or may not recommend getting something a little cheaper.

Anywho. A lot of disjointed ramblings from me today.

If you have any questions, let me know. I LOVE to talk tech and give recommendations.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Hey Gio, thanks!

My big concern is that I've heard Win 8 has trouble supporting things like Photoshop and some heavier games. How much truth is there to this? How's the compatibility work out? I've always liked Windows because they are pretty universal, but with the shift to more mobile-type tech, I'm not sure if that still holds.

I use my laptop as a full entertainment system, which I guess relies more on memory than on OS. I've also not got a smartphone or tablet, so I think part of my hesitation is that unfamiliarity. Especially since I'm not planning on a touch-screen laptop. I do have a Wacom tablet I like to use for photo editing. Would that connect well into the OS?

[Whistler]

Windows 8 can handle AAA videogames fine, if it is supported and the hardware is there for it. I've played Civ V and Guild Wars 2 quite comfortably on my laptop. The only game it hasn't been able to play is the Walking Dead (I'm not sure why not). The most annoying part so far was getting a desktop version of skype (rather than a metroid version) so I could skype and play games simultaneously.

I have a Wacom tablet but I haven't tried it--I imagine as long as you have updated drivers it would be fine.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

Well, I typed out a response, but Whistler covered everything I wanted to say.

Why am I still awake?

[Dead Cat]

Well, I typed out a response, but Whistler covered everything I wanted to say.

Why am I still awake?

Because you're my evil minion and you cannot sleep until after your master has fallen asleep.

[Amity]

I've been lurking here forever and ever and this topic has finally brought me out of my lurker-dom.

I have a Lenovo U310 ultrabook with a 13.1" screen and a 1.5 gHz processor that runs Windows 8.1. At first I thought I'd hate Windows 8, but I installed a couple programs that make it run basically like a Windows 7 machine so I've made my peace with it. The processor has handled World of Warcraft and heavy-duty data analysis just fine. The speakers aren't all that great, but it's an ultrabook and I sacrificed cool speakers for the sake of having a portable machine.

I disagree that Microsoft is going to stop supporting Windows 7 in the foreseeable future. They're just now getting around to dumping XP, and I'm sure a lot of businesses aren't going to upgrade to 8 for at least a few more years. So if you decide not to purchase a Windows 7 machine, that shouldn't be one of the reasons why.

However, Lenovo technical support is the worst. THE WORST. My computer started having battery problems soon after I bought it in May, and since then it's been a 7-month long saga that's involved at least 15 calls to technical support and sending the machine to their repair facility twice (I sent it in for a second time last week and hopefully when I get it back tomorrow the problem will finally be fixed). If anyone is interested is some schadenfreude I can share the email I sent them a few months ago to complain about their customer service.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Amity, welcome out of lurkdom, and thanks for the feedback about their customer support. That's the main reason I'm avoiding Dell is because of the crap service I've seen friends receive. I've stuck with HP for so long because I have inside connections with the customer service department, so I can make a major fuss if issues aren't resolved properly.

Knowing that you can adjust it to run like 7 helps a lot too. My big look at Lenovo was because HP isn't selling new machines with 7 anymore, and I was trying to avoid 8. If it's not as much of a problem as it originally sounded like, it may be worth sticking with a company I know and trust but braving the new OS. Thought?

[Marduk]

Amity, anyone who uses the term "schadenfreude" in casual conversation is certainly welcome here.

[Whistler]

that reminds me of the time I had to replace a fan on my Thinkpad, and the BYU computer place took ages to get back to me and said the part would be super expensive, so I bought it on eBay for much cheaper (but I had them replace it). I think it was a whole summer term before I got my laptop back.

Come to think of it, is there any computer company that has good support?

[Amity]

The program I use is called Classic Shell and it restores the start menu. With that, it operates pretty much like a Windows 7 or XP machine. I'm sure there are ways to disable the charms bar, too, if you find it annoying (like I do). If that's your biggest hesitation about Windows 8, it sounds like it might be a good idea to stick with HP since you know you'll have good technical support.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

that reminds me of the time I had to replace a fan on my Thinkpad, and the BYU computer place took ages to get back to me and said the part would be super expensive, so I bought it on eBay for much cheaper (but I had them replace it). I think it was a whole summer term before I got my laptop back.

Come to think of it, is there any computer company that has good support?

As much as I hate to say it, Apple. Also, when I bought my Surface, it crashed after a couple months (wouldn't turn on. I think the RAM all died). I took it in and showed them, and they pulled out a box and gave me a brand new one.

[Dragon Lady]

that reminds me of the time I had to replace a fan on my Thinkpad, and the BYU computer place took ages to get back to me and said the part would be super expensive, so I bought it on eBay for much cheaper (but I had them replace it). I think it was a whole summer term before I got my laptop back.

Come to think of it, is there any computer company that has good support?

As much as I hate to say it, Apple. Also, when I bought my Surface, it crashed after a couple months (wouldn't turn on. I think the RAM all died). I took it in and showed them, and they pulled out a box and gave me a brand new one.

I think this just gave me the biggest smile I've had all day.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

The program I use is called Classic Shell and it restores the start menu. With that, it operates pretty much like a Windows 7 or XP machine. I'm sure there are ways to disable the charms bar, too, if you find it annoying (like I do). If that's your biggest hesitation about Windows 8, it sounds like it might be a good idea to stick with HP since you know you'll have good technical support.

Honestly, being able to wait a few months because I'm not rushing to get Win 7 before it's gone will also really help my budget. I think you've won me over, Amity. Thanks!

Also, despite being a PC girl all the way, I would agree with Gio. While they aren't close to flawless, Apple support is some of the best out there. HP's is actually pretty good (ignoring my innate bias toward the company.) I say this mostly because I'm a fan of chat-based support when possible, and they have a good system for that. Apple and HP are the best chat-based support systems I've seen.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

Microsoft's is pretty good, too.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

Microsoft's is pretty good, too.

I've never had to work with theirs before. That's good to know.

[Dragon Lady]

Just curious, but do they have stores you can walk into and get support? Locally (to Utah)? That's what I love about Apple's support. I can go in and talk to a real person. And if it's a hardware problem (like my screen is smashed), I don't have to mail it anywhere.

[SmurfBlueSnuggie]

I know there is one local to me in Portland, OR. I was riding the Max train to an activity and was like "Woah! That's a Windows store! What the heck?" I'd never seen one before. No idea how it measures up to Apple Stores. I've been happy with the service in the Apple Stores. Honestly the main reasons I'm not going Mac are price and comfort. I'm really familiar with Windows; I grew up on it. And I feel like there are PCs that provide just as good of a product for a lot less money. Yeah, maybe the Mac is better, but not in any way that I need. However, I love my iPod and have always been happy with their customer service.