57 Comments
 

Lenovos have always been excellent for me. If you really want to look like a boss, get a laptop from a gaming computer manufacturer (Alienware, Origin PC, Digital Storm, etc.)

 
LIBORhttp://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=192

Velocity micro are handbuilt in VA (American made!). They don't come preloaded with tons of junk software. You can customize the PC's to your liking, but not the notebooks

A 1,3GHz Pentium with 3GB of DDR2? What is this, 2005?

Also, pretty much all computers are "handbuilt." No one's going to program a machine to assemble a laptop, it wouldn't make sense.

 

Alienware. Overpriced, but still awesome.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

Thinkpads are awesome if you go for the top of the line, their lower end stuff just isn't as good as it used to be. Also, HP has a line of business laptops (you can find it on their website) that are extremely well built, perform very well, and aren't very expensive.

 
leveRAGE.Alienware.

If all you are doing is internet, a few videos, and working from home occasionally, Alienware is massive overkill.

Apple makes the best laptops, though they are expensive and run OS X (not that 7 is much better - I can't stand the bloat on that thing.)

If I were you, I'd look at the small business Thinkpad, Sony, and HP models. I'd also consider running XP instead of 7.

I am pretty sure you are not allowed to work on your personal laptop since everything you will be working on is confidential. I know that, in some cases, you can work from home (I don't think this is the case for M&A but it happens for BO roles) but you need to configure something for you PC in order to keep everything confidential.

By the way, what is the problem to use Excel on another PC and read your email on that computer?

I'm grateful that I have two middle fingers, I only wish I had more.
 
cruel3aI am pretty sure you are not allowed to work on your personal laptop since everything you will be working on is confidential. I know that, in some cases, you can work from home (I don't think this is the case for M&A but it happens for BO roles) but you need to configure something for you PC in order to keep everything confidential.

By the way, what is the problem to use Excel on another PC and read your email on that computer?

I work in IBD and have a work laptop I use from home. And why wouldn't you check email from the computer you are working on all day...makes no sense at all. A lot of the associates + have tablets though..they are nice for travel

 

Ok but you don't use you own laptop when you are at your desk right?

I'm grateful that I have two middle fingers, I only wish I had more.
 

i have some co-workers who use iPads to check personal emails. Also, the firm typically will have free wifi at the office that connects to your firm's server. you can get work emails on the ipad as well.

pretty nifty I'd say.

 

They let you bring in your personal computers/tablets at work? I was going to buy an ipad but I thought i would be useless if I wasn't able to bring it to work or it would have looked really award if I came in with an ipad to work looking like a hipster dem.

I buy ipad right now then.

 

I have an iPad that I use mainly for reading the news during the morning commute and to check personal stuff that my firm blocks like gmail, Facebook etc.

 

I have a Mac book Air and I love it. The only problem is I can't stand office on a mac so if you plan on doing significant work (although I woulnd't put too much emphasis on using it for work) obviously that might be a stretch. As far as balance goes, I personally like lenovo as they tend to do a lot of things really well and are pretty dependable. I had one for most of college and I can't complain.

 
Addinator37I have a Mac book Air and I love it. The only problem is I can't stand office on a mac so if you plan on doing significant work (although I woulnd't put too much emphasis on using it for work) obviously that might be a stretch. As far as balance goes, I personally like lenovo as they tend to do a lot of things really well and are pretty dependable. I had one for most of college and I can't complain.

Run VMware Fusion or another virtualization service, and you can have full Windows on Mac hardware.

 

Guys above are wrong. You can work remotely from your personal computer, so it still needs to be decent. That said, you will be remote logging in to your office computer in reality.

I recently got this HP laptop below for sub-$500 with rebates and it's pretty nice. I would not put money on a Mac, they're simply overpriced and I don't like Apple products personally. http://www.staples.com/HP-Pavilion-dv6-6b26us-156-Laptop/product_445615

 

[quote=Banker88]Guys above are wrong. You can work remotely from your personal computer, so it still needs to be decent. That said, you will be remote logging in to your office computer in reality.

I recently got this HP laptop below for sub-$500 with rebates and it's pretty nice. I would not put money on a Mac, they're simply overpriced and I don't like Apple products personally. http://www.staples.com/HP-Pavilion-dv6-6b26us-156-Laptop/product_445615…]

I tried this and they told me no. :(

 

If there's one thing i've learned about remote logging in on my laptop is that not having the full keyboard with the number pad and pg up/down etc makes it miserable. I'd highly recommend picking up a cheap keyboard/mouse combo, will make a world of difference for using excel/ppt. You can get it on amazon for like $20. I'd say get a laptop with the full keyboard, but then it'd be a tank and it's probably not worth it...

 

Get an Apple. You won't have to worry about your laptop - maintenance, upgrades, or it getting old - for the next 3 years, 4 or more if you get a top-notch one.

I'm typing this from my early-2009 Macbook. Still kicking ass, still runs Windows better than half of my friend's machines, and still haven't had a single problem with it.

in it 2 win it
 

^ THIS. I have a mid 2009 Macbook pro, although I have never installed windows. It still works great.

"When a defining moment comes along you define the moment or the moment defines you."
 

If you will be doing anything with work, I wouldn't suggest getting a Mac. But if it is going to be used exclusively for leisure, than a Mac is probably the best way to go.

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
 

Echoing the statements above, I'd also suggest going for a macbook. I have a macbook pro15" from mid 2009, and it's still going strong after 4 years of pretty heavy use. Also runs Windows 7 on bootcamp like a charm. This is me personally speaking since I love the Mac OS, how it's unix based, as well as the reliability and general feel of the laptop. Of course, many people would argue if surfing/netflix are your only uses, just go for a cheaper PC.

 

oops lol didn't read post

get a macbook 4 leisure its ez to setup, basically for noobs since it's apple and u can't possibly mess anything up, plus u dun need to customize it . if u want to have a real laptop that can actually run all programs get a lenovo or asus.

"so i herd u liek mudkipz" - sum kid "I'd watergun the **** outta that." - Kassad
 

and no, booting up an emulated version of window s on mac is not running windows, as much as mac users love to regurgitate apple advertising jargon, slogans, etc.

"so i herd u liek mudkipz" - sum kid "I'd watergun the **** outta that." - Kassad
 

lol @ all the mac fans

tell me one thing that a mac can do that a windows computer can't do for half the price.

Aesthetics? = Check out Dell XPS 15z and HP Spectre 14 Graphics/Video? = RazerBlade, Alienware Bootup Speed? = Windows 8.1 boots up in 9 seconds

Only two things that mac has going are its Photobooth, which should only be relevant if you were a 14 year old teenage girl, and its 2550x1440 display, which you will NOT see any difference compared to a 1920x1200 display unless you are in a job function where literally every single pixel counts.

If you have the money, get a Dell XPS 15z with maxed out specs, which will cost at least a full $500 less than the macbook pro equivalent. Thank me later.

If you don't have much money to spend, then you shouldn't be thinking of a mac in the first place.

Tell me Apple Fans, how does paying an additional $600 to slap an apple logo at the back of your laptop feel?

 

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"so i herd u liek mudkipz" - sum kid "I'd watergun the **** outta that." - Kassad

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