Good Ideas for a new Geo-laptop?

[+Team Jac'd]

Hey all... my old Stinkpad-600E is getting close to its last legs. This has been a good laptop that has served geocaching well over the last year and a bit, and it will be sad to see it go.

 

Does anyone have any good recommendations for laptops that work well with geocaching software and are durable? Any recommendations for places to purchase or to avoid purchasing laptops would also be cool.

 

cheers,

Poppa J

[+FluteFace]

I've just started using a Dell Inspiron E1405, and although I can't tell you how durable it's gonna be, it's running everything I want or need it to. It's light, and the battery lasts several hours. I also hear that there's an extended battery for it, although I usually use a car adapter (one that supplies 120) in cars. It sure beats my old boat anchor of a laptop that overheated!

 

I bought it through Costco because of their no-questions-asked six month computer return policy, which I had to use on one computer. It was a life saver in that instance. Sure beat having to jump through all the hoops required if telephone service can't fix the problem.

Edited December 11, 2006 by FluteFace

[+TotemLake]

I've just started using a Dell Inspiron E1405, and although I can't tell you how durable it's gonna be, it's running everything I want or need it to. It's light, and the battery lasts several hours. I also hear that there's an extended battery for it, although I usually use a car adapter (one that supplies 120) in cars. It sure beats my old boat anchor of a laptop that overheated!

 

I bought it through Costco because of their no-questions-asked six month computer return policy, which I had to use on one computer. It was a life saver in that instance. Sure beat having to jump through all the hoops required if telephone service can't fix the problem.

I'll second that 6 month no hassle return. That was the underlying reason I bought my HP Pavillion from there. Other stores are 30 days and maybe a restocking fee to boot. A laptop will either go bad in the first 6 months or be with you for several years.

[+Recdiver]

If you want a rugged laptop and you have a pocket full of money - Panasonic Toughbook -

Whether it's being dropped, shaken or soaked the Toughbook - like our Tough customers - stands up to just about anything you can throw at it.

[+The Jester]

This summer we bought a new laptop to replace one on the way out. Got the cheapest one on sale at Fry's - they have a 90 warranty (but their service dept isn't all that speedy, at least from our one shot at it).

[+Bluesman63]

I have an HP Pavilion DV1000 series. 1.6 gig Celeron with 512 megs ram. Wi-Fi is built in and I have an air card through a local cellular company. Runs GSAK with no problem. It's small, light, and goes everywhere with me.

[+Father Jack]

I own a Sony vaio laptop. To be honest its the best thing i've ever owned. buy one if you've got the cash, its well worth it.

[+Sparrowhawk]

Another vote for the Panasonic Toughbook. You could drop those things from a cliff into a mountain river with rocks in it and it will still reboot nicely. Just TRY to kill it! I am saving my pennies for one someday.

[+quadsinthemudd]

i have only been caching with my dell inspiron 1150 laptop since september. but i used this for my autoglass buisness. my van did not have ac and it sometimes hits 100 degress out here in spokane so in my van was alot hotter. i have dropped it a few times spilled water on it once (that was a very scarry day) i turned it off quickly and was able to turn it upside down and blow compressed air over it until it was dry. the only thing i have done to it in the two years i have owned it is replace the cd drive last summer. to hot maybe. i will buy my next laptop from dell again but i will look into the costco thing that sounds like the only way to go. not a big fan of dell suport but there product has been even better than our gateway home computer