New laptop help

Lisaberry

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00F93MBXC/?!!!!!ho01f-21

This has a bigger screen than I wanted, definitely doesn't tick the pretty box but seems a fairly good deal? I think my main issue is no touch screen - is it worth paying the extra to get it?

Any thoughts on whether this is a good buy?

ministe2003

prowla wrote: »

Just buying a computer on spec is like buying a car on its 0-60 performance; there is more.

I don't even understand what this means. A computer's spec is its hardware, and its the hardware that allows it to perform. Spec is everything. How pretty it looks has no bearing on its ability to perform

prowla wrote: »

And, since we're talking laptops here, not phones and tablets, what Wintel laptops are available which beat the Mac's Retina display?

There's plenty of laptops that have full HD screens. ASUS beat apple to it, actually.

redcard wrote: »

This is complete rubbish.

Find me a Macbook Air equivalent that costs less.
Find me a Macbook Pro equivelant that costs less.

I bet you don't.

XPS and Vaio can be customised in any way the user likes, and can be set up to offer at least the same spec as a Macbook air. It will cost less AND be customisable in future to allow the user to keep it at top spec for longer, meaning long term costs are lower overall.

TheSaint wrote: »

An i5 will do you. The i7 is not much of an improvement for the cost.

An i7 can be massively better than an i5 , especially in laptops because mobile i5s are all dual core, whereas you can get mobile i7s which are quad core, like the one I got and if you can find a good offer, you can get one for under £600. Often an i7 laptop is very expensive because it comes with lots of other bells and whistles, and in that case I'd agree with you, however like I say, if you can find a good offer then an i7 is well worth paying more for than an i5

prowla

ministe2003 wrote: »

I don't even understand what this means. A computer's spec is its hardware, and its the hardware that allows it to perform. Spec is everything. How pretty it looks has no bearing on its ability to perform

Of course the CPU spec is relevant, but it's not the whole story.

Things like the touch of the keyboard, how usable the trackpad is, whether the case has a nice finish, how robust it is, how heavy it is, whether the screen flexes when you open it, and so-on are relevant. If you don't understand that then so be it.

I'd rather have something that looks and feels nice than an ugly lump of cheap plastic.

I think it is fair to say that Apple have often been guilty of placing form over function, but I think their current range covers both aspects.

I don't know if you include the OS in the spec or not, but many consider Apple OS X to be superior to Windows, and with the retrograde step that is Windows 8, that is even more accentuated.

And then you have to consider the after sales service; the Apple stores are really quite excellent, and you get more there than you would if you buy a computer from DSG stores.

(Though curiously, that is precisely what I will be doing next week - buying a Wintel laptop from PC World!)

ministe2003 wrote: »

There's plenty of laptops that have full HD screens. ASUS beat apple to it, actually.

The MacBook Retina display is beyond HD; the 13" has 2560x1600 and the 15" is 2880x1800.

Can you list and Wintel laptops which equal or beat that?

As far as the non-budget models go, Asus prices are on a par with Apple.

ministe2003 wrote: »

An i7 can be massively better than an i5 , especially in laptops because mobile i5s are all dual core, whereas you can get mobile i7s which are quad core, like the one I got and if you can find a good offer, you can get one for under £600. Often an i7 laptop is very expensive because it comes with lots of other bells and whistles, and in that case I'd agree with you, however like I say, if you can find a good offer then an i7 is well worth paying more for than an i5

You seem to be fixating on the CPU only. Is an i7 in a lesser laptop better than an i5 in a better one?

We could assume that an i7 would be better than an i5 in the exact same laptop, but when comparing different manufacturers it's not quite so clear cut.

For instance, what about the memory, the hard disk speed (or SSD), whether it has a dedicated graphics card versus one which shares computer memory, what speed networking it supports (and how good its wireless performance is), how many USB ports it has (and what speed), etc.?

And how about an i7 based system with a 500 GB disk versus an i5 based system with a 1 TB disk - which is better?

Simply fixating on the CPU is a very blinkered view.

Lisaberry

Thanks everyone for the help. I eventually bought the Asus X550C. It's quite light, looks nice and has an i5 processer. I got it from John Lewis so I get 2 years cover with it and they price matched Argos for me. I'm sure there are tons of laptops that are better for £449 but it was taking over my life so I had to bite the bullet and get the best I could find.
Only thing I'm finding tough is getting used to a multi gesture trackpad. I should probably read up on all the gestures but I'm being quite the man about it...I keep flicking to different screens and doing all sorts of funny things. Windows 8 is actually taking more getting used to than I thought it would!

Nile

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