After years of mulling it over, I finally managed to purchase a new laptop. The sad fate of a tech-loving anthropologist in the concluding months of a PhD program is that cash flow is at an all-time low, while new gadgetry is at its shiniest. Even on my spartan budget, however, such is the diversity of the general consumer marketplace that I was able to maximize my hardware options at competitive prices. In the end, I managed to procure a brilliantly performing Win7 laptop for under $500. It isn't the MacBook Pro I had so hoped to acquire, but it has proven reliable. Even Windows 7 is not too shabby.
The process of buying a new laptop or computer today is complicated given the range of products, brands and features available. I am often asked for advice on this subject, which inevitably becomes a very personalized process of narrowing down needs and wants against a set budget. Novices who are unsure about computers in general are unanimously overwhelmed by the choices and frustrated when they end up with something they don't want (or that ends up being "too complicated"). Still, it's even more difficult when you know exactly what you want and need it to come out of a reasonably priced box. It therefore took me about 4 months to narrow down a system and specifications within my price range (which consistently became obsolete with each month that passed) and I remained undecided until the last moment.
I had never purchased a laptop in a physical store before, having previously ordered online. I realize now how lucky I was that the product which arrived at my door in 2002 was a quality machine with a decent build and intuitive design that suited my needs. I now fastidiously check local shops before purchasing products online to test their build quality and suitability. I spend more waking hours interacting with computers than any other activity, so I am very picky when the planets miraculously align and I can afford a new purchase. In short, design is everything. Drives and memory can be updated, but you're stuck with the shell. This is where tactile perception counts. It has to feel right.
Although I have been in constant contact with innovative technologies, brand new hardware and cutting-edge devices in the course of my research, this was my first major, personal acquisition in over 8 years. I am happy with the speed and flexibility of my new system, but I miss some design features of the old one. In my shopping experience, I must have literally tested hundreds of laptops of different specs and models. Here are my impressions:
