I will be starting a new life in Vancouver in exactly 3 days! One of the first thing I need to do is to get a laptop (my desktop is in shipment). Any tips on where to get a decent one without being ripped off?

Thanks!

JandS

Futureshit?

I guess triumphguy is not recommending "Future Shop"!! We're not there but when we arrived sometimes I think we just had to accept that we had no time to shop around and just do it cos it seemed like a good deal. We bought our PC from the local Mr Computer guy, and a lap top from "Scource" both turned out to be dandy!

Our buy list was....

GPS / Sat Nav
Car
Computer
Christmas Tree

But I guess your list might not quite be the same LoL = But do get yourself a bank account priority for sure.
Good Luck

Did you mean futureshop? Or was that your sense of humour..............

Actually - the last laptop I bought was from gateway over the internet: it was fine - no problems at all.
http://www.gateway.com/

Yes - sorry!

It just seems the good things you buy from them today become tomorrow's crap!

Good idea! The laptop is really to go on line to shop for somewhere to live (yes we have not found a place to stay yet!), mobile phone and banking options. These days it is just not possible to live without a computer.

Or go over to the dark side and buy....


http://www.apple.com/ca/mac/

And London Drugs sell decent computers:

http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures/...&Sort=0&Page=1

tempting........however most of the programs I own are PC compatible. May be a bit too much pay to buy all the programs again for MAC. Anyone knows the delivery time for dell.com purchases?

I recommend www.ncix.com. I normally buy parts from them but their pre-built PCs and laptops seem decent

Oh no - Don't ....... Just don't !!! We ordered and paid for a super deal and it all went incredibly wrong........ But do you know I cannot for the life of me think what exactly happend.

I know I paid for it by credit card done and sorted - Then they phoned me up asking to confirm my credit card details - I figured it was some scam so wouldn't give details. Then another phoned asking for details of my order.... I told them they had the order they should know!! But then one would be a bit arsey at 2am!!! Indian call centre!!!

It went on and on and they said they wouldn't process the order unless I confirm the credit card over the phone - In the end mastercard refunded it....... Dell did not.

Just my opinion - I would never deal with Dell

I bought mine through futureshop I was lazy as I normally build my computers from scratch.

I didn't appreciate the lifespan on this thing I am sure there must be a better company in terms of customer service.

Try looking for smaller companies within Vancouver who might give you better warrenties and such.

Tigerdirect.ca for that!

When you do get a lap top here,sign up for free CRNE tutorials
offered for PHC employees from the link below.
I think the !st tutorial starts last week of April.(3 sessions )
http://ccrs.vch.ca/Catalog.aspx

Recently bought a 15 inches Toshiba lap top from Futureshop
which was on sale for $680.00.Decided not to buy extended warranty.

Whereas for the other 2 HP lap tops I have 3 years extended warranties
for both.

I do rate Dell (have bought numerous top-end servers, laptops and desktops from them since we moved here 3 years ago) BUT their delivery time is "variable" to say the least. Sometimes they've arrived within the week - other times it's taken closer to a month.

ncix.com are excellent, price wise, and their delivery times are generally *very* good (plus they have walk-in stores in Vancouver, anyway, don't they?)

Tiger Direct have a great selection but NCIX and Direct Canada (sister company) tend to beat them on price most times...plus Tiger Direct shipping is extortionate!

Don't go for a Toshiba. We do PC repair and have seen an unproportionate number of fatal motherboard failures on Tosh laptops since we've moved here... I always really rated them a few years back, but they're definitely not as reliable as they used to be (is anything...hmmm...??)

Are you rich? If so, get a Sony Vaio. That was my best ever lappy - lasted me about 6 or 7 years and survived numerous falls off the arm of the sofa and several spillages of an alcoholic nature over the keyboard - but I can't afford one any more... so we use Dell