Computers & Networking

[UECE2010]

I am in need of a computer and I like to shop around a lot and gather opinions before making a final decision.  I stopped by a BestBuy only to find that the sales associates working in the computer section gave me false information and really didnt know what they were talking about.  They only wanted to point me towards their favorites and suggest a brand such as HP, Toshiba, Dell, Apple or Sony.  Thats pretty much all thats on the shelves.  Thanks for the help...

I am an Engineering student and I need to upgrade my 3 or 4 year old Dell.  My main concern is running AutoCAD and I know a laptop isnt the best option out there but I need it to be at least somewhat portable.  I think a bigger screen would be helpful and I really like the keypad available on the larger laptops now.  Im not too concerned with a large hard drive because it seems like the standard now is anywhere from 250 to 500 GB which is beyond plenty.  I do need a fast computer though and I would think a better processor and more RAM would help that, but Im not the most computer savvy person, so Im not sure.  Ive done a limited amount of research and found that there is the newer AMD processor as well as the Intel Core2Duo, or something of that nature available in some HP models Ive been looking at.  I dont really mind what brand of computer I get as long as its the best one for the money and can efficiently run AutoCAD, as well as some other usual applications that you would think a college student might run.  I dont like having recurring problems, and my Dell has had them over and over.  Friends have turned to HP and said they love them, so Ive been looking in that category.

Any information, suggestions, or any other kind of help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...

[SlimJim77]

--"They only wanted to point me towards their favorites and suggest a brand such as HP, Toshiba, Dell, Apple or Sony.  Thats pretty much all thats on the shelves.  Thanks for the help...""

You're right...that is pretty much the entire inventory(brandwise), aside from Asus and Gateway. If you didn't have a brand preference, what's wrong with showing you their favorite? Anyways, I'd suggest Asus, but the pickings are going to be pretty slim until back-to-school.

[UECE2010]

I didnt mind seeing their favorite computers, but I told them a little of what I wanted in a new laptop and the associate walked me around and showed me what they "recommended" based on previous sales and it seemd like random picks from all around their computer section.  He went from $550 computers to $1200 computers and everywhere in between and just tried to give me a sales pitch rather than being informative.  I gave him a price range and an idea of some features I liked and he didnt seem to pay attention which is why I am resorting to a discussion board.  I like bestbuy and I think they'll give me the best computer for the best price but it wasnt until his co-worker stepped in and caught him giving me bad information that I realized he was just coming up with random answers to questions.