Laptop Suggestions

[Jb1210a]

Hello all, I travel a lot for work and I am looking to purchase a laptop for personal use that would mainly handle FFXI. Being a 10 year old game, I don't need to spend a lot of money for this and I was looking for something that could effectively handle the game while duoboxing and on a hotel wi-fi connection. I used to use my work laptop for this, but my company blocked use of online games on our laptops and quite frankly the laptop didn't do very well with it anyway.

All that being said, I am looking to spend between 300-500 and consider anything above this to be frivolous since I won't really be using it for much else other than FFXI.

Thanks!

[The Stig]

US I assume? I'm unfamiliar with where you would look so I am going for the most logical place:

You want to strike a good balance between "enough to play FFXI" and general overall use and portability:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pav...&skuId=6892224

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+1...&skuId=5043709
(I'd go with this one due to the i3 CPU)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+I...&skuId=4559043
Superior i5 CPU + 14 inch screen

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+I...&skuId=4590137
Slightly shitter than the one above

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+1...&skuId=5510725
Top tier of what you are able to afford, a smaller shell, still an i3 CPU (quite decent). The ram is a little low though.

I believe I dualboxed fine back in 2007 on a Core 2 Duo, 12 inch screen laptop with 2gb of ram so I believe all these should dualbox no prob.

Let me know if you got any questions. If you have a preferred retailed (that egg site, I forget the name....?) let me know and I'll go take a look for you.

[xerodok]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834230825

ASUS Zenbook UX32A-DB31 Ultrabook Intel Core i3 2367M(1.40GHz) 13.3" 4GB Memory DDR3 1333 320GB HDD Intel HD Graphics
$299

Probably the best deal you will find anywhere and will play FFXI, and other games, just fine. Not sure what The Stig's obsession with Dell laptops are but I can tell you that the Dell Inspiron i14RN-1818DBK that is posted above is a garbage-tier laptop. My company has a contract with Dell, I ordered about 4 of those (similar models, not from Best Buy), over a couple months, 2 were DOA and one additional motherboard died since.

[Sonomaa]

I have a dell xps 15, runs like a champ, I think they have an i3 for around 500ish, mine is an i5

[The Stig]

No obsession, just being realistic based on specs. -- failure wise I do wonder about but I've not personally witnessed. I do think something weird/destructive is going on for these laptops to fail like people claim they do. This is not to say I don't believe you, but even in our workplace heavily filled with Dell stuff I rarely see that many disasters.

Highly advise against the Zenbook you recommended though. The CPU (Intel Core i3 2367M) despite hiding behind an i3 tag, is no where close to the performance of an usual i3. I'm skeptical of this one.

[Kohan]

Dell is awful, and there's a multitude of reasons.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/3180...verything-else

http://www.dailytech.com/After+Lapto...ticle16986.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/te...l.html?hp&_r=0

Beyond that, I've dealt with their field reps. This leads into a story I've told on BG before, but it's relevant.

Years ago, I managed a computer/copier repair center, which dealt with everything from laptops to industrial printing machines. When we were hiring new field reps, someone who formerly worked with Dell applied. I had an existing distaste for their technicians when one opened up my own company laptop and half-assedly put it back together (which included tearing up the easy-release pull for the modular graphics card); I wound up fixing it myself, and subsequently telling Dell how awful their reps are.

Regardless, I couldn't hold that against the tech outright, but his resume was dog shit. He'd graduated Dell's own internal training program, and if you don't know, all they do is provide their technicians with a "Follow The Numbers"-style manual to making repairs and replacements; they don't require real skills. I didn't want him. Upper management decided the position needed to be filled, and hired him regardless.

I later dealt with him coming to me and complaining about being unable to get a CD-ROM into its tray on a tower he'd been building. When I walked over and saw him attempt it, I asked him for the CD-ROM, flipped it over, and then pushed it right in.

He wasn't working in my department for much longer.

Dell is garbage.

[Omnipotent]

Just bought:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+1...2014&cp=1&lp=2

[Kohan]

If you don't mind refurbished items (although you can, technically, buy a 1 year extended warranty on this and still do well—I personally don't find them necessary, but I understand the buyer's need for comfort), here's what I believe to be the same unit, but for about $200 less:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834230552

[Jb1210a]

I really like the Newegg site, I find much better deals there. I like the suggestions so far, they all seem relatively what I was looking for. How is the compatibility with FFXI and Windows 8? I recall seeing a thread about them not liking each other too much. Thanks again!

[xerodok]

I really like the Newegg site, I find much better deals there. I like the suggestions so far, they all seem relatively what I was looking for. How is the compatibility with FFXI and Windows 8? I recall seeing a thread about them not liking each other too much. Thanks again!

If you are strictly looking to play FFXI, getting a laptop with Windows 7 will be cheaper and run it better. The POL version of Windows 7 mixed with windower works just fine.