7/13/09: UPDATE!!! This is the new Toshiba laptop--SKU 9371538 I bought for $579.99.

I also bought this Belkin N Router--SKU 8993896 for $59.99.

The sales clerk twisted my arm into adding on to their FREE 6 month virus software another 6 months for a total cost of $20 for 12 months. He gave me Kaspersky which I had never heard of.

I was also asking here for advice on getting a keyboard cover to prevent spills etc. but have still not located one.

Now, I need to create my own Restore CDs. Anything I should before starting this task? My PC is stil in the box-LOL! And, does anyone know of any Belkin or Toshiba rebates off hand?

Thanks for all that have helped me along the way!!

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Here is my original post for this thread:

I need some help/advice on buying a laptop. I won't bore you with the reasons why my current one is falling apart on me-LOL! Some background info...

So, I mainly would like some feedback on what would be a good laptop to purchase at the sites mentioned without getting too technical. Oh, and I also would like to be able to use my PC wirelessly. I used to have the wireless card inserted but took it out. I also would like to have a signal strong enough to use next door--at relative's house. I have a printer that can print wirelessly. I am tired of sitting and waiting for pages to load and load at times--GRRR. And, I have DSL.
I hope that gave enough insight for some replies. Thanks for any feedback!

Wireless use next door is going to be touch and go whatever laptop you get. Sears online or B&M has some OK laptops, but any that are on sale cheap go out of stock very quickly. Dell will give you an "ok" price at any time without any waiting in line. Unless you really want to use up your GCs, I would just go to Dell online or the Lenovo refurbished outlet if a refurbished computer is ok.

I know I am about to just buy a laptop out of sheer frustration from using my current one. I am sitting here trying to view the current Best Buy ad and it is taking forever between my screen freezing up and the pages needing to load. Not the way to make such a large purchase.

Does BEst Buy offer dollar off cpns like Staples?

I am looking at the Toshiba $549 laptop and like the side number pad. But, for $50 more I could get the extra 1 GB memory by buying the HP to the right. The only difference is the extra GB and 43 min of battery life. Not too sure about the Toshiba brand though. Of ocurse, I really know nothing about any brand and am going soley on perception of the name. This is all soo overwhelming! I'm not sure if models with the number pad end up having closer set keys on the rest of the keyboard and that puts them closer to the cramped out netbook I put my hands on?

I would like to get one that already has a wireless set-up/card inside of it-one less thing to set-up. What indicates the speed of the laptop? I always hear someone has a faster laptop! Maybe I need to make a drive to BB or Staples and actually look at things before buying? Problem is that is really hard for me to do right now due to medical reasons.

I guess the only decision to make today is what GCs to buy at the grocery store, BB or Staples?

Or if you don't mind spending $499 + tax/shipping, you can get a real decent machine. Just go to the Dell website and browse their laptops (you can filter with check-boxes on the left side of the screen). I'm placing my order for the $299 + tax/ship right now.

In case anyone is interested, I ended up buying this laptop yesterday:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9166635&st=hp+lapt...

I paid $649.99 but looking at it online I noticed it sells for $615.99. Does the store not ring up the same as online and vice versa? I will have to get an adjustment-I just hope that lower online price does not end tonight the 27th since the store is an hour away.

Also, I was all ready to check out and the clerk then asks if I wanted them to do an "optimization and create restore CDs for $69. (I see I ended up being charged $39.99 instead.) I thought those call ame with the boxed laptop? Is this a new thing now? I asked if this was only for HP and was told most all makers do this. The reason he gave me was it must save on the production of the CDs. Hmm, I need to look into this. He then said they would need my new PC for about 5 hours! And, the reason was because they remove whatever programs/software come with the PC that I may not want. He cited AOL, Napster and perhaps Yahoo. Now, how do I know what I DO NOT want if I am not able to take the PC and see what it comes with??

He stated keeping these items slows down my PC. I asked what happens if I get my PC so jammed up that I need to restore it without their CDs they are making me? He stated if I did not have their CDs I would need to ship it back to HP and then a new hard drive would be installed. Is all of this true? I just don't get this! My current laptop and my very older desktop both had restore and recovery (or whatever they are called) CDs. I understand that when using those you wipe out EVERYTHING on your PC and it is as it was out of the box on day 1 but that is OK with me.

And, do I really want them taknig my PC out of the box and doing whatever to it? How do I know what they really end up putting on it?

Check out the tech support before you choose a brand because you want a company with intelligent tech support people, not idiots who know nothing and have to type everything you say into a search engine and so they can read the results back to you (in a droning monotone that proves how much they hate foreigners -- ummm-hmm, ummm-hmmm, ummm-hmmm). Also search their website for troubleshooting information, both software and hardware (if disassembly instructions aren't provided, pick another brand). HP/Compaq and Toshiba are two companies that are really bad for phone and website tech support.

Best Buy's optimization service doesn't do much at all and merely applies bug fixes that are free from Microsoft and tweaks that don't matter. I don't know if there's a way for Best buy to undo the process.

This tells you how to create the restore CDs: http://www.pctechbytes.com/hp-recovery-cd.htm It is as simple as clicking an icon in the start menu and inserting one or more blank DVDs or sometimes some CDs. It can take some time, but requires no computer knowledge.

Uninstalling programs can be done under control panel, programs, programs and features. How To Uninstall The hardest part is knowing what NOT to uninstall - many things with crazy sounding names may actually be useful. Research any program by googling it before you uninstall it. A free program called the "PC decrapifier" http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ will give you a suggested list of many things to uninstall, and if you check the boxes it will uninstall them for you, if you want to do an extra thorough job.

But, often, a program is better to leave installed, you just want to save CPU power and memory by having it not run at startup. It is to your benefit to learn how to manage what is in the Startup folder and the registry run keys - it can be done by hand, by looking at the registry, or by using the built-in Microsoft program "Msconfig" - just press Windows Key and the letter R, type Msconfig. Google for instructions on Msconfig or press F1 for the microsoft help. There are other free programs to manage which programs run on start up.

These "optimization" services are pretty worthless if you are willing to learn how to make the CDs and uninstall software yourself, and how to do things like set the time. Some people want a computer to work like a microwave, without caring about the details of how it works. If you are unwilling to learn about computers, these services have value because a computer that is running all the pre-loaded bloatware can be very slow compared to one without it. Some of the worst programs for bloat however are ones that you may want installed - kodak or other software that comes with digital cameras, and the drivers and software for many printers. When programs like these are useful but bloated, that is when the ideal situation is to learn to make them not run on startup and only run them when you want to use them.

Another task that can be hard to learn how to do on a computer but that is essential is making backups of your files. There are two main kinds of backups - one is backups of your own files to a place other than the hard drive, which you can make with a utility or by manually copying files to a USB hard disk or flash drive / USB key. The other is a backup or "image" of your entire hard drive which if you have a virus, hard disk crash or other problem, you can restore from and have a complete working system just the way it was when you made the backup. This full image (or sometimes clone) backup will require software to make, and learning how to do this may take some effort. But, computers do fail, and you will really want a backup of some kind if you ever have a problem.

I was able to get the price adjustment over the phone. At first they said I had to come in, but, I reminded them it is an hour drive for me---and the store was closing in 1 1/2 hours! He stated the online prices can change at any given moment and do not run as a weekly ad cycle. Since the amount of the credit was LESS than the amount billed to my CC, they applied the credit.

I still have not picked up my laptop yet. I have debated going with this optimization stuff at BB or taking it to Staples for a lower price. I think I will follow the advice of everyone above and make my own restore CDs. Wish me luck!! (I assume the laptop I bought is able to burn these CDs? I will have to go decipher the product details page.)

I also need some advice on an N Router and was told I would also need an N Wireless Adapter all so that my range for wireless would extend next door. I have DSL. The two that were shown to me were about $80 each. Any opinions on which to go with? I forget the brand I was shown.

Also, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on keyboard protectors or skins. I added one to my original desktop in 1997 and that was the best thing ever! On my current laptop I never did and have regretted that. It always seems to get crumbs and other stuff in it.

Thanks to all for the help--I really do appreciate it!!

What an ordeal! Here is my update...
I no longer am the owner of the laptop I thought I had "bought" originally. As I mentioned, I decided to not have their optimization and restore CDs done for the $50 cost. I get to the store and explain all of this and am then told that my machine has the optimization already done but no restore CDs. I explained that NOTHING should have been done per my directions. The clerk then said what happened was the optimization was done even before I bought the machine and that the sales clerk should have know that. Hmmmm

Of course, the service can't be undone. I figured at this point one of two things has taken place:

1--this machine had optimization done and the buyer then returned the machine for whatever reason. (I was not looking for a used machine!)

2--the service was done and the buyer decided, for whatever reason, to cancel the sale before it even left the store.

I asked if I could just have a SEALED box and be one my way with a credit for the services I paid for. Well, this was their last machine in stock. They offered to give me the optimixation at half off (a credit of $20) but I declined. So, here is am back to square one. Not really as I am back to negative square three since I made two trips (1 hour each way) and stil lhave no laptop. I now am the proud owner, once again, of a $600 Best Buy GC. So, I guess that is where I will end up buying the next laptop, I am hoping sometime this week. I was so pressed for time when I got to the store that I really could not spend any time looking at the new laptops they had.

I have looked at the few laptops in their current ad. Someone said I should go to my Super Wal-Mart, but, as I said, I own that huge GC for BB!

Anyone have any opinions on the models in the current ad?

Go with DVDs. They hold about 8 times the amount of information as a CD - so less disk swapping