The keyboard on my laptop is dead. I'm almost entirely sure that it's beyond the point of any return; my kid sister got to it, and pulled off all the keys, one by one, and everything beneath it until she hit the casing. I do have a USB keyboard that I can use, but it ain't the same.

Am I right in thinking that I'm going to need to buy a new laptop unless I plan on using an external keyboard? Lucky I was thinking of buying one then, I guess.

Any advice on what to get? I wanted to get something fairly small, slender, and light, so I wouldn't feel like a prick carrying it between classes - but student life means I can't blow three grand on Apple's newest iGod - or whatever they're calling it. It's for writing on, so I don't want something with an awkwardly cramped keyboard that's uncomfortable to write on, either.

Any advice would be really appreciated, and rewarded with genuflection. =)

 

If she only tore out the keyboard, then you should be fine assuming its a relatively mainstream model (toshiba, dell, HP, what have you), but it'll probably be £90 all in for a refitted keyboard. Take it to a laptop repair shop.

Mine recently conked out, for £70 I got it repaired. Works fine now.
USB keyboards are usually OK in the interim.

 

That so? My local computer nerd is unreliable, it seems. People these days are a disgrace. Ah well, thanks - I'll start looking under the cushions in the sofa for change.

Awesome avatar by the way. The 'tache really adds the non to non-consensual. ( :

 

@Oz: Win.

Now I just need the cash - time to start calling in old debts, blackmail, and five-fingered discounts at the supermarket.

 

I'll be wanting a new machine before too long anyway, like a kid who's after a new toy at christmas, so I may as well get it now instead of wasting money on a keyboard repair too - so thanks for the suggestions.

Everything looks shiny and desirable, so I guess I'll mosey on down to the nearest computer shop I can find and tinker with the keys for a while to see if they fit my dainty effeminate hands.

Size ain't everything, but it's nice to have something...appropriate. ^_^

 

I find the Vaio's to have really nice keyboards They are kind of like the MacBook's keyboard. The Vaio's are quite expensive, so I think the next best is probably Toshiba, maybe even HP.

 

My husband, dad, mom, and sisters all have HP's that are very nice. Personally, I have a mac, but I use it for design work and prefer the OS. If you were looking to spend a ton, I'd say go for an Apple, but I know they're way overpriced, so I'd recommend looking at the HP's.

 

They aren't overpriced, you pay for what you get. All depends on whether you like the OS or not. I personally use a Mac, they are expensive, but they last a hell of a long time.

This Macbook Pro is nearly three years old, I never shut it down, and its generally in use on average for 10 hours a day, I'd say. Only problem i've had is the battery. It was replaced instantly, and without fuss under the warranty, so that was fine.

OP: I would honestly consider the bottom range 13" Macbook Pro's. Even if you got one that was slightly used or so. My mother just recently bought one second hand that was a month old, and it performs so much better than I was expecting it too. Something like 7 hours of battery time, double what most laptops can offer. Keyboard is incredibly nice to type on, and the screen is great. The only real problem is, they aren't hardcore gaming machines. They can run a lot of stuff, but this is the graphics chip in the low end machines.

They are $1199. You could also look at the polycarbonate Macbook for $999, however the lack of a glass LCD screen and an aluminum enclosure really sucks.

If you are considering getting a mac, send me a PM, and I can tell you quite a lot about them, from an impartial point of view.

 

I was thinking about taking a bite of the Apple, but...meh. I know next to nothing about computers save that a macbook is pretty. Pretty is reason enough for me, but not my wallet.

Thanks for all the feedback. Time to start making decisions, soon - I can treat myself to a shiny new thingy for christmas, if I make up my mind soon enough.

 

Get a macbook. I'm getting one.

(My laptop died on me in a year and a half. I refuse to go through that angst again...)

 

Just to nip in here and comment on the laptop recommendations; the new MacBooks and MacBook Pro's have integrated battery. So, unlike with earlier Mac editions, if your battery life starts top get into the truly sujckish range, the only way to fix it is to ship it to Apple. Or take it to a Mac store. But they do supposedly get a 7 hour battery life, so maybe that compensates.