The Great 'Cheapest Decent Laptop' Hunt

jordan_matthews

How does the following measure up:

1 - N02631 £517 delivered
Intel® Pentium® M 1.70GHz
512MB 60GB 14.1 inch WXGA (1280x800)
DVD+/-RW
Internal 56K v.92 Capable Fax Modem
Intel® ProWireless 2200 802.11b/g Mini PCI Wireless LAN Card

From dell (main site)

When you take into consideration 4.5% Quidco cashback, its not a bad deal.
What do other think? Or is it worth holding out??

hutchie_3

Tesco have Acer Aspire widescreen wireless laptop today @£383.20.or 20% off all laptops

Tharweb

hutchie wrote:

Tesco have Acer Aspire widescreen wireless laptop today @£383.20.or 20% off all laptops

I thought the Acer Travelmate 4021WMLI was the better option at £398, £15 or so pounds more for a true Centrino rather than Celeron M.

Brodel

jordan_matthews wrote:

How does the following measure up:

1 - N02631 £517 delivered
Intel® Pentium® M 1.70GHz
512MB 60GB 14.1 inch WXGA (1280x800)
DVD+/-RW
Internal 56K v.92 Capable Fax Modem
Intel® ProWireless 2200 802.11b/g Mini PCI Wireless LAN Card

From dell (main site)

When you take into consideration 4.5% Quidco cashback, its not a bad deal.
What do other think? Or is it worth holding out??

IMO this is the best deal on all the laptops around the 500 mark. DDR2 RAM which is faster than regular DDR, Pentium M 1.7 which is faster then Centrino M's and also runs cooler and uses less power so the battery lasts longer, plus you can upgrade to the 9cell batter for 11 quid which could give you at least 4+ hours of use maybe more. Unless you really need a 15.4 screen and larger HD then it seems to be the best around at the moment. Acers aren't bad, but if you want mobility I think the Dell is better.

EdCov

Brodel wrote:

IMO this is the best deal on all the laptops around the 500 mark. DDR2 RAM which is faster than regular DDR, Pentium M 1.7 which is faster then Centrino M's and also runs cooler and uses less power so the battery lasts longer, plus you can upgrade to the 9cell batter for 11 quid which could give you at least 4+ hours of use maybe more. Unless you really need a 15.4 screen and larger HD then it seems to be the best around at the moment. Acers aren't bad, but if you want mobility I think the Dell is better.

But 14.1 screen.
What ports does it have, does it have firewire, does it have TV out?
Depends on what you require...

Tharweb

Brodel wrote:

IMO this is the best deal on all the laptops around the 500 mark. DDR2 RAM which is faster than regular DDR, Pentium M 1.7 which is faster then Centrino M's and also runs cooler and uses less power so the battery lasts longer, plus you can upgrade to the 9cell batter for 11 quid which could give you at least 4+ hours of use maybe more. Unless you really need a 15.4 screen and larger HD then it seems to be the best around at the moment. Acers aren't bad, but if you want mobility I think the Dell is better.

Thought they were the same...

dc2447

Brodel wrote:

IMO this is the best deal on all the laptops around the 500 mark. DDR2 RAM which is faster than regular DDR, Pentium M 1.7 which is faster then Centrino M's and also runs cooler and uses less power so the battery lasts longer, plus you can upgrade to the 9cell batter for 11 quid which could give you at least 4+ hours of use maybe more. Unless you really need a 15.4 screen and larger HD then it seems to be the best around at the moment. Acers aren't bad, but if you want mobility I think the Dell is better.

I just got given a £1400 Dell laptop for work - not a patch on my £399 IBM Thinkpad from Staples.

You have to look through the specs when dealing with Dell laptops

Nemo

Tharweb wrote:

Thought they were the same...

You're right. Centrino means in has a Pentium M processor, Intel chipset, and onboard Wireless.

Perhaps the OP meant Celeron M.

Brodel

Nemo wrote:

You're right. Centrino means in has a Pentium M processor, Intel chipset, and onboard Wireless.

Perhaps the OP meant Celeron M.

Yea you are right, sorry. I have been looking at too many laptop specs recently as I'm in the market for one too. I apologise.
I still think the Dell is the best around the 500 mark though, in my opinion and for what I would intend to use it for etc. Obviously everyones needs are vary.

Malestrom

The Dell machine is good value but CS is shocking, you pays your money and takes your chance I guess.