Student laptop choice

Stu_Dent

Hello everyone!

I'm looking to buy a laptop for my new uni course I'm starting this September.. I've decided between a choice of three but can't decide which..

They are:
1) http://h20386.www2.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=ECC_BUNDLE_4025527&opt=&sel=PCNB (I can get 10-15% off this - need to check)

2)http://www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/cos_1,cos_1.2,cos_1.2.2/155729 (or 399 from john lewis)

3) http://www.dell.com/uk/p/laptops?s=dhs&~ck=mn#!facets=93410~0~1450395&p=1&sort=price&overrides= (inspiron 17 for £399)

There's so much information on here about which laptops to go for etc, but for around £400 and a 17" screen, these seem to be decent options without spending hours more researching.

any thoughts?

thank you in advance!

Weird_Nev

Is this intended to be a portable laptop or a desktop replacement?
17" laptops are absolutely massive, and very hard to carry around.

What do you need the laptop to do? Just internet/office applications, or is there any video editing, software development or computer modelling (including CAD/scientific modelling) involved?

Cisco001

Do you really need 17"?
If you get 15.6", you have lot more choice.

Also will you carry it around for taking notes?
What course you are doing? Would you need to run program which are graphic intensive?

Out of those 3, HP would have the fastest CPU.

WTFH

I would ONLY get a 17" laptop if:
1. It was for photography (not video, just stills)
and 2. It needed to be carried around regularly.

If it's not for photography, don't waste your money on one. They are more expensive and easier to break than a smaller screen.
If you're doing photography but do not need to take the computer to your shoots, then get a desktop - you'll get far better value for money, a better graphics card and a better monitor.

But, the main point is: don't buy a laptop with a 17" screen. It's not portable, it's not practical and it's not cheap.

Stu_Dent

Thanks everyone for your responses. You're all completely right that 17" is a bit unnecessary, but I feel it would be helpful for the work that I'm going to be doing on it. I don't need any graphics software etc, just microsoft office, internet surfing and something that will cope with a few tabs being open at the same time.

Thank you again!

Stu_Dent

Cisco001 wrote: »

Do you really need 17"?
If you get 15.6", you have lot more choice.

Also will you carry it around for taking notes?
What course you are doing? Would you need to run program which are graphic intensive?

Out of those 3, HP would have the fastest CPU.

From your last sentence, it sounds like the HP is best but there's much of a muchness between them..?

Weird_Nev

Stu_Dent wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your responses. You're all completely right that 17" is a bit unnecessary, but I feel it would be helpful for the work that I'm going to be doing on it. I don't need any graphics software etc, just microsoft office, internet surfing and something that will cope with a few tabs being open at the same time.

Thank you again!

OK, well the principle point there is not screen size, but resolution.
All of those laptops have 1366x768 resolution. That is NOT big! It will be a coarse grained screen. I know this because my laptop is also 1366x768.

One possible solution is to buy a second much larger screen with a higher reslolution for use on your desk. That way you can get a more compact laptop that is actually portable, and take advantage of a decent screen when you're not mobile.

But you've not given a compelling reason for needing a 17" laptop. I'd look at a 15.6" laptop and see if you can get one with a higher resolution screen.

chunter

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/1079920.htm?cmpid=AR116BDY02017TE2&_$ja=tsid:11693|prd:|cat:AR116&ET_cid=2768033&ET_rid=13421778#pdpFullProductInformation

WTFH

Have you physically seen the size of any of these or picked them up, or are you planning to buy them off the web?
They are big. In a university library, or wherever you may be, they take up a lot of space on a desk (and above it when the screen is open).
Also, as Weird Nev pointed out, all those screens are 1366x768, which is not particularly high res. So, you're wasting your money.

The laptop I use for photo/video editing has a 17" screen. It's 1920x1200 resolution. That means I can edit videos in HD at full size. If the screen was lower resolution, I'd have to move around an image that was bigger than the screen, or work on it at a reduced size.
Also, to get a similar "quality" of image in a lower res screen, you need to sit further away from it, so you can't see the detail as much.

I can send you more details, but let's just say it's a smidgen over your budget.

Stu_Dent

I've always had a 17" laptop and just prefer having a larger screen. I'm not worried about the size of it or resolution of the screen.

When I'm working with databases etc, it's helpful to see more of the data which a larger screen allows. I might be carrying it around so can't always attach to a larger screen. Come to think of it, I could use my mini laptop for when I need to carry something around and get a desktop for home.. decisions decisions!

thanks everyone!