Computers & Networking

[ankh13]

So I think I've finally narrowed it down after weeks of research and searching. I don't know which one to get & I'd appreciate some help. 

I think I'm going with either:

 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+17.3%22+Qosmio+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+500GB+and+750GB+Hard+Driv...)  

or 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+15.6%22+XPS+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Silver/28172...

despite Dell & their customer service.

I like Toshibs for the graphics card & memory & all the red (favorite color) but dislike 3D

Dell.. I like the price (as I will paying for the computer in it's entirety.) 

Overall I do not know which brand to chose. Toshiba or Dell? 

[xl]

I prefer working with the larger 17" screen.....

However, if you plan to take the machine out of the house often.... go with the smaller Dell

[ncoclub]

I just did a copy and paste for both laptops to Amazon and read the reviews. I think you should too.

[joea64]

If BB were still selling my model of HP desktop, I'd tell you to go out and buy it. I don't know much about either model, to be honest, but from what I do know, Toshiba has a much better reputation than Dell. Then again, the Dell does have that 17.3" screen (which my HP machine also has). Is there a Toshiba model in or near your price range that has a 17" screen?

[Hpshopper]

THIS ONE IS JUST PERFECT: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+17.3%22+Pavilion+Laptop+-+8GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Dark+Umbe...

[ankh13]

I was going to go with HP to begin with. I was going to go with the laptop that Hpshopper suggested but it does not have a blu ray player/reader nor a "real" graphics card. At least not the one BB sells, though I've built one for a little over 1k that has a blu ray and a decent graphics card... and so I'm back being undecided now between Toshiba & HP custom built lol 

[joea64]

You probably know all of this since you say you've home-built/custom-built at least one laptop , but here goes anyway:

As far as I know, there are very few if any laptops that you can buy at brick-and-mortar stores, including Best Buy, that come with a Blu-Ray drive as part of the original equipment. I really can't say for sure myself that I've ever seen any. You can purchase external Blu-Ray drives but they're quite pricey (one I was looking at at BB in late January, right after I bought my new laptop, was $180) and you have to have onboard video that can play Blu-Ray discs.  Also, what do you mean by a "real" graphics card? If you're talking about something really high-end that can play the latest FPS games, once again, there are comparatively few laptops that can meet your needs in that regard though I do remember seeing at least one Asus model at BB that has a nVidia GTX 560 series GPU. Laptops generally aren't designed or intended as high-end gaming machines.

[ankh13]

The only "high end gaming" I might do is WOW and that's if I get back into it. Or the new Star Wars game. I know the Toshiba Qosmio has the NIVIDA 560 card installed. The HP laptops' is ....   Both come with a blu ray player so I'm not worried about buying an external.