Nerdfighters to the Rescue! I have some questions about a laptop, internet, and wireless. :)

[Shawna]

Alright. I really want a laptop. I actually found one at Dell.com (XPS M1530 - Feel free to comment on that decision) that I like. The price would be $1,602.00 (after customization). The sad thing, is I am so lost right now. I'm pretty computer literate... but this is my first time buying my own computer, never had a dell neither, and have no clue about wireless. Now that all of that is out there, I have looked everywhere for some simple answers to these questions that I have. Then it hit me, DOH! NERDFIGHTERS! THEY'LL KNOW! :D I knowwww, I thought of you guys last ;( *runs from angry mob* I'll give out free cookies to make up for it :D Okay, enough blab.

Note: We have a cable connection to our desktop computer. It is wired.
Links:
Here's a link to the laptop after signing in my account.
If that didn't work, here's a link to the laptop uncustomized.
If neither of those work, Dell is a jerk. I'll get new links.

How does Dell do the "monthly payments" thing?
Is the XPS M1530 a good choice?
How can I get a wireless connection through the desktop pc with no additional charges to the cable plan?
If it's not possible, what are my options?

Thanks to any who answer. :)
Shawna

[The Silent Protagonist]

The laptop is good. Not quite sure if it's worth the the price.
Just ring up Dell to find out about their monthly payment option, which is more than likely direct debit ( taking the money from your bank account every month )

As far as connecting to the internet is concerned, I recommend you buy a wireless router from your internet provider/ closest pc store. Since this laptop comes with a wireless card. Then you can connect your pc (which probably hasn't a wireless card) to your new router ( by wired connection ) to connect to the internet & your laptop would work off the wireless.

[Shawna]

It's really that simple?

If I hook up the wireless router to my desktop, would that affect the router that we already have? How would I work around getting internet on my desktop through the wired connection and still getting it on my laptop wireless? Just have two modems hooked up?

[Marilyn]

dont buy a dell!!!! either you should go for a mac (best computer out there) or I would reccommend HP, Dells are crappy computers with crappy service and they always breakdown after a couple of years or needs tons of work.

about wireless, i dont know, but i know if the computer has wireless ability you can just steal wi-fi (if you live in a well populated area, i live in a city) for free.

[Rob Stoel]

Hehe...The dorm I live in right across from the Library....And they have WI-FI, and I seem to be in perfect range for the Internet!

Any who back on topic....Yeah don't get Dell...They are just......BAD. I say mac....Well I think I'm saying that because i'm an Apple-Whore. Which ever ^^

[Arne]

Seconded. I'd recommend HP or IBM/Lenovo, or, alternatively, a Macbook. Also, unless you need a lot of computing power (in which case you should buy a desktop computer anyway), $1600 is by far too much. You can get a decent laptop from HP for half that price, and a Macbook for maybe $1200.

[Shawna]

Let me just say how glad I am that I asked you guys. I seriously just saved a lot of money and headache.
So, I took your suggestions and went to look at some HP computers. I tried out bestbuy because I think I would trust dealing with them. Oh my goodness. I found the perfect computer! As before, all suggestions are completely welcome. This one is so much better than my first choice. I really didn't want to cave on the RAM or HDD because... well, I just didnt' x) I was set on 4 gig RAM and 500 GB HDD though I would have settled for 320. This laptop also has the full number pad (which I was sad it wasn't on the last choice). So, I think I'm set with this one. I'll wait to see what you guys think. Here's a link: HP - HDX Laptop with Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology

I know the price is still up there, but it's pretty much in my budget. I wanted to pay a few extra dollars to get everything I want. I still need to check about if Best Buy has monthly plans. I'm typing this before looking XD So, I'm open to more comments.

About the Mac, I really want one, but I decided to go with Windows because when I go back to school, this fall, I am getting a Mac from the school through my student loans. I wanted to be able to have a Mac for school and Windows for whatever else. :)
Thank you so much for answering.

[BSmith]

Please please please tell me you're not going to buy redundant computers with a loan. That has to be one of the most ridiculous things i've heard. You don't need two laptops. You'll just be throwing your money away if you do that. I'm sure you have something else you can use the extra $1000 for... like books/tuition. Remember, when you pay back that student loan, instead of the macbook costing you 1k, it will be more like 1.8k if you buy it with a student loan. If you the macbook is some sort of crazy "perk" (aka included in the cost of the loan) from the loan, don't spend extra money on a windows computer if you're forced to get the macbook.

Also, if you absolutely must waste your money on having two computers, buy a windows desktop. It will save you ~$400.

[Shawna]

I wish I could tell you otherwise. I do plan to have two computers to have Windows. Is it that crazy? I'm really kind of worried that I'm not going to take a liking to Mac once I get it. Yes, it is required with the loan. Well, I have the option to buy it on my own. But, it is coming in the loan with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator etc already there for a little over a thousand dollars. (Laptop + Adobe) Which, is hard to pass up. My major will be Graphic Design. Ehh, I'm just now starting to reconsider even buying a second computer. Well, if I do what I said in my last post and wait until Windows 7 comes out, which will most likely be December 09, then by then I'll have time to know if I want to just settle with the Mac. If that is the case, I'll have x amount of money saved to use for.... well whatever comes up that it needs to be used for. That would be a smart route I think.

[Mollie]

Get a MacBook it's $999.00 plus if you show your student ID you gt $50 off. Its a well made laptop plus their are no viruses made for mac, nobody has temped to make them, so you laptop will never get messed up from a virus. You can bring it in to apple if you have problems and the apple geeks will help you and answer all your questions for free.

[BSmith]

$1600 For a XPS Dell laptop is too much. If you don't know how to set up the wireless, you really dont need all the extras of the xps line. The XPS laptops are designed specifically for gamers and people doing intense graphics/computing. You should look at the studio line or the inspiron line. I personally would go for the studio line since the inspirons have crappy hinge construction. Also, unless you really really really want the mobility of a laptop, you should get a desktop. Desktops are much cheaper (~$650 for a powerful one) and you can get a lot more computer for the money. If you do get a laptop, you shouldn't spend more than $1000. If you spend much more than that, you're probably buying more computer or warranty than you really need.

P.S. Don't get a mac. You'll have to buy a new operating system every six months which will bleed your bank. Also, iCulture is not a reason to buy a computer. PCs are much more useful unless you're buying the compy specifically for video or picture editing.

P.P.S. Unless you really need a computer now, you should wait until windows 7 comes out. From what I've heard from my friends who are beta testing it, it is a lot faster and better than vista. If you can't wait, consider getting xp on your computer instead of vista.

P.P.P.S - Wireless works like this:
Internet goes into cable/dsl modem --> modem is plugged into wireless router using cat5 cable --> computers w/o wireless cards plug into router using cat5 cable. computers with wireless cards access the wireless from the router.

P.P.P.P.S - Don't get a netgear router, they are crap. Linksys probably makes the best routers out there. Also, follow the setup wizard that comes with the router, and make sure you set up some sort of encryption. I personally use WPA or WPA2.

Hopefully this was helpful.

[Shawna]

Yes, this was very helpful. I completely forgot about hearing about Windows 7 from a friend online not long ago. I guess it really wouldn't make sense to buy a computer that is full of windows vista and have to go through the pain of upgrading + paying more money to move to Windows 7.

Also, I checked the Bestbuy "payment plans". Shew, I was amazed at how many complaints, bad reports, and warnings about using the Bestbuy payment system (which runs through their credit card program) I found. I think I'll get it directly from HP unless I pick it up from a store and pay cash.

With all of that said, $1,000+ is a lot of money and I think I'm willing to wait for Windows 7. I think I'm going to take a trip to the bank soon to open a savings account and start putting money up. Once W7 is released (June/July 2009 - December 2009) I should have a pretty good bit to start with in getting the computer. I still really want the one I chose above ( HP HDX16 ). I think that will be the best thing for me.

But, I agree with your suggestion. It is worth waiting for Windows 7. I think I'll stick with the laptop. :) Though I considered what you said about the desktop. I would probably get a desktop if we didn't already have one. I think I'm going to be away from home more once I go back to school, so I'm planning on letting the laptop benefit me in that sense. I will definitely remember to look at Linksys. I've heard from other people that it was a good way to go.

Thanks for all the tips. :)