any insight into this computer model my daughter wants for Xmas (fit in, how much)

[loves2read]

HP G72 Notebook 2.0GHz, 320GB, 17.3" - Sam's Club

she called last night and said that she really wants/needs a new laptop--
she has been using the one her school provides teachers which is really against the rules...
she said she wanted a Mac but I told her for what she said she would use it for (Internet-ing and photos and watching DVDs when she travels) that a Mac was probably overkill....
her school uses PCs but she has used Macs before and they are Apple people so am sure that is part of the allure...

told her to go to Cnet.com and look at some reviews and let me know--
to go to Best Buy or other store and physically look at the keyboards and machines and see which ones felt the best--
big believer in finding something that fits you and not all keyboards have same "feel" or have their slots set up the same...
she did not do that...
just went to the Sam's website and looked...
her husband uses laptop for his work (lean 6 project manager) and works his hard--he has bought the last few at Sam's and they have held up well--but this is not the same type of machine he would buy...

this processor is probably basic but it has 6 cell battery so would think that would mean decent battery life...
she is not type to sit at Starbucks and chat on-line--but she does fly and spend time in airports fairly often
she will Skype with friends/us so having good webcam/mic is important
don't know how much she will really do with her photos beyond just downloading from camera and maybe uploading to Facebook--
she has nice Canon but does not "do" much artistically with her photos

tried to find reviews online but it is Sam's product and maybe a new entry so was not finding any feed-back from users...

any suggestions/comments would be appreciated
any other models in same price range but maybe better would also consider
I don't shop at Sam's so can't go take a look at it here

thanks

[Big G]

I had a huge laptop like that once. I thought it would be great, but I hated it after about 3 months. It was just too d@mn heavy, ran hot, and the battery wouldn't even last a full movie.

My wife bought a $400 netbook last year. (You can get $300 ones at Costco/Sam's Club.) It runs MS Office just fine, works great with the Internet, plays downloaded movies and TiVo shows, streams Netflix with our home WiFi, etc. It does everything your daughter would want, absent the DVD drive - and you can find models with a DVD, if that's a deal-breaker.

The smaller screen size is more than compensated for by the long battery life and extremely light weight. Plus, if it gets stolen, you're only out half as much $$$.

That's my 2 cents.

[jimithing78]

I have a very similar HP laptop. It's a couple years old but it's a 17" HP laptop. These type of computers are considered desktop computer replacements. They've got decent processors, plenty of hard drive space, full sized keyboards, etc.

As Big G said it's definitely going to be on the heavier side for a laptop. For me it's worth it, though. I've taken mine on long overseas flights and I like the bigger screen for watching movies. I have a 12 cell battery for mine which makes it heavier but it'll last 4 hours or so even after a couple years of use. I also have a power adapter to plug it in on airplanes.

Plus as far as dependability I've never had anything go bad on the laptop. My wife has dropped the laptop multiple times and the only thing that broke was the power connector on the charging cable, nothing on the laptop itself. I bought another one off Ebay and it works fine.

Seeing one in person is a definite must for me when buying electronics. If she decides to go small she might look into the Ipad as well.

[HockeyDadof2]

If watching movies on a plane is important to her, I would recommend something slightly smaller. I have a very similar laptop to the one you linked and while I like it, I have found that when I sit it on the tray table in front of me it is dificult to fully open the computer and the screen has to sit at an akward viewing angle. That's why I am asking for an IPad from Santa....

[unexpected]

This computer is ginormous. A few thoughts:

1) This computer will be impossible to take anywhere. It will be very heavy, and will not fit into a backpack.

2) As far as battery life - don't follow the 6-cell/9-cell/12-cell whatever. The biggest eater of battery life will be screen size. This laptop is so big, I guarantee you that within a year the battery life will be an hour or less.

3) The processor on this machine is really budget. There's a big markup on this laptop, and better deals exist out there. You want something with an i3 or i5 processor - that's basically the new standard these days (unless you go netbook).

4) A Macbook actually wouldn't be too bad for her purposes, as long as it fits her budget. I would recommend against the iPad - things like uploading photos from the canon, etc. get very complicated. She could get the new MacBook Air if she feels really fancy.

5) Amazon has much better deals on computers (as far as value for money goes). I would buy these machines over the one from Sam's:

Amazon.com: Dell Inspiron i14R-1761MRB 14.1-Inch Laptop (Mars Black): Computer & Accessories: Reviews, Prices & more

Amazon.com: Toshiba Satellite L655-S5107 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Fusion Finish in Helios Black): Computer & Accessories: Reviews, Prices & more

Both these machines have slightly smaller screens (longer battery life) and more a modern processor, as well as a bigger hard drive.

[LQQKOUT]

Intel Core i3-370M Processor 2.40 GHz, 3MB Cache
very good for what she needs.

[GayleTX]

I have a 17" laptop....wish I didn't - when I'm traveling it's way too cumbersome when I have it and a suitcase and a purse all hanging around my neck at once.

[Handsome Stranger]

I have to agree that that laptop is too heavy. I have one like it and it has become the "couch" laptop.
Someone converted me to Apple products, guess what I recommend?

[galore]

What's the MOST important aspect of a notebook PC?

For me, it's portability (=size, weight, materials, case quality)

Does the primary objective need high-end processing power?

Facebook, photos, skype -> a low/medium-end CPU will do. No need for a good GPU.

Is price a factor?

If yes -> netbook. No -> MacBook Air.

A huge, heavy, plasticy notebook fails the main purpose of a notebook, IMO.

[mSooner]

They are definitely pricey, but I love the fact I can buy applecare and drag my macbook pro to the apple store for every little dang issue. It has saved me many times...and my macs have performed a hell of a lot better than my PCs