Best Laptop ?

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi, I'd suggest you go into PC world or similar and have a play with the laptops on display. The quality of the screen is much more important than the size. My last LT was a 17" because I wanted a desk-top replacement, but I'm going for a 15.4" this time because the widescreens are so good now. I use mine all day every day, and I need it for photo manipulation, but even so I have found that the current 15.4" screens are fine - just don't skimp on the quality of the screen.

Also, there is the weight to consider - often you can't tell with the LT's on display as they remove the battery, which is probably half the weight. But a 17" screen can be double the weight of a 15.4".

Hope this helps

zzzLazyDaisy

Jaffa. wrote: »

Laptops are only ment for light use, I cannot recoment Dell, Acer HP or Compaq laptops as I've seen too many people with them having to wait months for their laptop to be fixed. Take it from me, they just don't last very long at all.Look for something that's going to run cool and have a long battery life. Then look at processor/ram OS ect...

Sorry, I don't agree with this. I have a Dell, I was unfortunate that it developed a fault after a few weeks, BUT they sent the engineer to my house the next day and he replaced the hard-drive and the mother board on the spot. Later I had a key that kept sticking - same thing, out the next day, replaced the keyboard, no questions. In my experience their after sales service is excellent.

Also, it is not true that LT's are only meant for light use. Many people have a LT as their main computer. Often they don't leave the house and are simply a replacement for a desktop (I have a little netbook for travelling, my main LT stays at home). If that is how the LT is used on a day-to-day basis, long battery life isn't so much of an issue, because more often than not it will be plugged into the mains anyway.

OP, it really depends on how you are going to be using the LT.

superscaper

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Sorry, I don't agree with this. I have a Dell, I was unfortunate that it developed a fault after a few weeks, BUT they sent the engineer to my house the next day and he replaced the hard-drive and the mother board on the spot. Later I had a key that kept sticking - same thing, out the next day, replaced the keyboard, no questions. In my experience their after sales service is excellent.

Also, it is not true that LT's are only meant for light use. Many people have a LT as their main computer. Often they don't leave the house and are simply a replacement for a desktop (I have a little netbook for travelling, my main LT stays at home). If that is how the LT is used on a day-to-day basis, long battery life isn't so much of an issue, because more often than not it will be plugged into the mains anyway.

OP, it really depends on how you are going to be using the LT.

Agree with this. I now use my laptop as my main computer. Not had a single problem with it and I'm really into gaming as well (so much for no heavy use). I don't often take the laptop out, it's mostly convenience for moving around the house. But when I do take it on business trips etc, to be honest a netbook or light powered laptop wouldn't do. Also my personal info is backed up and encrypted if it's sensitive. If it were stolen I don't see how it's that much more of a hassle to replace than an el cheapo one.

£$&*"($£&(

Jaffa. wrote: »

Hard drive size will not matter in a laptop as you shouldn't be saving ANY personal data on one.

Laptops are only ment for light use.

I have to agree with the previous posts and disagree with this. I use my laptop a lot, a haven't had a desktop for 6 years and there not meant for any less use than a desktop - the larger ones are billed as desktop replacements. I can see if your carrying a laptop around all the time, in places where it might be nicked, you should secure personal data but mine has personal data on it and there's nothing wrong with that.

ladybelle

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Hi, I'd suggest you go into PC world or similar and have a play with the laptops on display. The quality of the screen is much more important than the size. My last LT was a 17" because I wanted a desk-top replacement, but I'm going for a 15.4" this time because the widescreens are so good now. I use mine all day every day, and I need it for photo manipulation, but even so I have found that the current 15.4" screens are fine - just don't skimp on the quality of the screen.

Also, there is the weight to consider - often you can't tell with the LT's on display as they remove the battery, which is probably half the weight. But a 17" screen can be double the weight of a 15.4".

Hope this helps

Unfortunately I dont have any PC world close by me and I cant travel any distance to be able to see one. I have a small Currys locally and they had a 17" Dell on display and on lifting it I thought it was really light so reading your comment about the battery being removed is really interesting !
Are all 17" laptops really heavy then ? I currently have a 15.4 but on seeing some new 15 inch on display their screens looked bigger than what I have now ?
This is to be a big investment for me so want to get this right. I'd rather go for a top quality 15.4/6 inch screen with high quality spec rather than the bigger screen just for the sake of having a big screen.

Marty_J

Apple MacBook Pros are pretty light for their size and also have excellent battery life, very nice screens, comfortable keyboards, flawless build quality etc, though you'll struggle to find even a 15-inch model for less than £1,000.

zzzLazyDaisy

ladybelle wrote: »

I currently have a 15.4 but on seeing some new 15 inch on display their screens looked bigger than what I have now ? .

LOL! Exactly! I am not techie enough to be able to explain it to you. All I can say is that in real terms the display on a modern laptop is bigger and better than the display on a old laptop of similar size. So a new 15.4" is as good as my old 17", but the prive difference between a 17" and a 15 or 15.4 is enormous.

Re the weight, if you research the laptops the specification usually gives the weight, so you can compare them.