New laptop

Yorkie1

Well, events have overtaken my laptop and it's dead, or at least not viable for repair. I've got the hard drive out of it and left the rest at the PC shop for spares. (It was the nvidia graphics card that broke).

So, I am now laptop-shopping. I've looked at the sticky at the top of the page.

The PC shop recommended for reliability and customer service: Asus, Samsung, Lenovo. Of course, they are the brands they sell ... at a price which is more than the bigger shops or online. I had an HP, which I've been happy with, but they said that they wouldn't touch an HP with a bargepole for customer service.

Assuming that their comments have any validity, I've spent time looking around this afternoon. Does anyone have any comments on the following machines (I use the PC for surfing, forums, iPlayer, email, word processing, photo & music storage; not gaming):

Samsung RV510 currently @ £330
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5084715/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/c_2/2%7C14418968%7CLaptops+and+netbooks%7C14419039.htm

Asus A52F - EX911 currently @ £400
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/asus-a52f-ex911v-red-laptop-08702336-pdt.html

Lenovo G560 @ £290
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=sr_in_-2_p_4_5?rh=n%3A340831031%2Ck%3Asamsung+rv510%2Cp_4%3ALenovo&bbn=340831031&keywords=samsung+rv510&ie=UTF8&qid=1305554003&rnid=419150031

Would have to get the last one online which presents delivery difficulties.

Thanks in advance

Hammyman

Yorkie1 wrote: »

(It was the nvidia graphics card that broke).

Should've taken it back to the retailer. It was an acknowledged manufacturing fault by nVidia so was covered under SOGA.

Anyway...


So, I am now laptop-shopping. I've looked at the sticky at the top of the page.

The PC shop recommended for reliability and customer service: [/QUOTE]

None of those on your list. If you're wanting something that'll last outside of the 12 month warranty, you need to up your money, ideally getting out of retail class. My golden rule is that if its got a glossy screen and a glossy case and looks very pretty, its a bag o !!!!!!. I see and repair enough of them to know of what I speak.

The only Lenovos worth buying have the same design as they've had for the past 17 years and preferably with a rubberised lid.

Yorkie1

Thanks, Hammyman. The PC shop did say it was a recognised fault but the laptop was getting on for 4 years old; the SOGA didn't occur to me, but I figured I'd had a good run with it anyway. Also, the thought of tackling PC World ... arghhhh! (And I'd have probably been without the laptop for a number of weeks whilst they tested it etc etc, if others' experiences with PC World technical staff are anything to go by!).

I can't really afford to pay much more than £350-400, particularly given the type of use it gets (lots of hours but nothing high-end or complicated). Oh well, back to the research ...

clinteestwood

go back to the shop and take the entire laptop back. They will probably take it apart and sell it for parts.... its your property, not theirs. If its the gcard that is no more! has ceased to be! expired and gone to meet 'is maker! tis a stiff! Bereft of life, then you should take out the ram modules, perhaps the dvd player and even the screen. (but def the ram).

as for the makes they are all good, but a little on the pricy side. Lenovo are good but for business, Asus are good, but for deep pockets (IMO). HP are actually quite good and do good budget units, as do acer.

Yorkie1

Well I've retrieved the laptop but don't hold out much hope of PC World playing ball, particularly as I have got the hard drive out of it now.

I went to Currys yesterday to get a physical feel for the brands on show there. One feature I use a lot, and wouldn't want to be without, is the 'scroll' facility on the touchpad. My old HP had a vertical and horizontal one. None of the new HPs on show had this, so that means HP are out of the equation.

I've heard poor things about the build quality (hinges, screen, cracked carcasses) of Acers.

I think that, given clinteestwood's post above, that Lenovo and Asus are probably also off the list for now.

So, back to Samsung and another recommendation - Toshiba. Any comments on these compared products?

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ArgosComparison?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002701&categoryId=&langId=-1&returnToURL=%2Fwebapp%2Fwcs%2Fstores%2Fservlet%2FBrowse%3FstoreId%3D10001%26langId%3D-1%26c_1%3D1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C%2BPCs%2Band%2Bphones%7C14418968%26c_2%3D2%7C14418968%7CLaptops%2Band%2Bnetbooks%7C14419039%26p%3D1%26pp%3DShow%2Ball%26r_001%3D4%7CBrands%7CToshiba%7C1%26s%3DPrice%3A%2BLow%2B-%2BHigh&compIds=1500920511&compIds=1500920845&compIds=1500920817&compIds=1500979373&compIds=1500920751&orderedIds=1500920817_1500920845_1500920511_1500979373_1500920751_

clinteestwood

I have a Toshiba satellite pro 400. the speakers are useless but the untit is solid enough. the screen and HDD broke but were all replaced in a timely and professional fashion by toshiba. they collected, fixed and returned for free. it was about £700 2 and a quarter years ago and is still flying along. I wasnt happy at the start with it as i thought that the speakers were very poor and the keyboard a little below par, but have since warmed to it as its still speeding along and never gives me any issues. Actually my main gripe about the Toshibas are the touchpad buttons, those sort of elongated oval shaped ones.... they break... A LOT! mine havent cus i noticed from week one that they were already losing their rigidity so ive been careful, but i know 3 people with the same issue.

Acer, imo are great. i had a 17" for over 3 years and it was only at the end that it started to break. I brought that everywhere with me, including college everyday. had it on all the time, dropped it a few times... it was a soldier.

Yorkie1

Sorry to keep bugging you guys, I promise I will have bought one by this weekend!

Have tried out a load of laptop keyboards for 'feel' and functionality and eliminated quite a few but got a few more.

There's an Acer:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-5736-refurbished-laptop-08527265-pdt.html

An HP:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/hp-g56-113sa-dual-core-laptop-with-4gb-memory-black-08702344-pdt.html

A Packard Bell (down to £350 in store and seemed to have HDMI despite description):
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/packard-bell-easynote-tk87-gn-020uk-3gb-core-i3-laptop-red-09862712-pdt.html

Didn't like Toshibas or Dells, or most of the Samsungs (had no scroll bars on touch pad, or touch pad in odd location)

Patto

I recently found myself in the same boat as you so decided I would look on Argos for a new laptop I decided to go with HP as I've never had problems with any HP products I have/had (got my previous one from Argos and had it for 3 years no probs) and noticed this laptop

1. Sorry as a new user you are not allowed to post with links. This is done to stop spammers clogging up the site. Please edit your message below to continue. *Insert sad face*

with £70 off, the spec was more than enough for my use and the 17.3inch widescreen persuaded me. I am more than happy with it and it's value for money In regards to HP I've never heard anything negative in regards to their customer service.

Good luck in your search!

davb

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Sorry to keep bugging you guys, I promise I will have bought one by this weekend!

Have tried out a load of laptop keyboards for 'feel' and functionality and eliminated quite a few but got a few more.

There's an Acer:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-5736-refurbished-laptop-08527265-pdt.html

An HP:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/hp-g56-113sa-dual-core-laptop-with-4gb-memory-black-08702344-pdt.html

A Packard Bell (down to £350 in store and seemed to have HDMI despite description):
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/packard-bell-easynote-tk87-gn-020uk-3gb-core-i3-laptop-red-09862712-pdt.html

Didn't like Toshibas or Dells, or most of the Samsungs (had no scroll bars on touch pad, or touch pad in odd location)

I'm not a particular fan of Acer, but for the price this one is a way better spec than the three you mention.

Hammyman

Yorkie1 wrote: »

My old HP had a vertical and horizontal one. None of the new HPs on show had this, so that means HP are out of the equation.

They do have it. Its implemented in drivers so just get the drivers directly from Synaptic. In fact it is a little known fact that all Synaptic touchpads actually support multi-touch gesturing and Synaptics driver enables that unlike many of the manufacturer drivers.

clinteestwood

dont get the acer 5736 or HP g56 as the cpu is outdated by a good while. that other acer 5742 is a good deal tho. On the specs alone i would choose the acer (hdmi out) decent all round specs as well, the only problem is the speaker on this thing is as useful as a kick in the testicles!