Hp Laptop - Worth The High Spend?

Tao81

:think: I've decided to purchase a high spec laptop to replace my current (aged) desktop.

Being such a huge investment, I'm feeling really frustrated 'cos I need to go forward with a purchase but not clear whether I'm potentially letting myself be drawn into too high a spend through aesthetics of particular machines and all the glitzy marketing out there?!!!!:o

So in an attempt to hopefully minimize the risk of making a hugely expensive blunder. I thought I'd air my anxiety here and put it before a sensible crowd such as yourselves, before I handing over my lovely lolly!

Have shopped around and like the HP DV range of laptops, particularly the HP DV9399 @ £1,199 but as you can see very expensive!
I've closely eyed up the DV6331 and DV6299, much cheaper, but not sure if this would be such a wise purchase because of the shared graphics memory, these models are fitted with 256mb Turbocache nVidia Go 7400 memory cards rather than dedicated video memory which, I've read is the only way to go if you are considering spending a lot on a laptop?!

It's definitely not a case of 'money no object' far from it!
However, I am willing to splash out on a high spec machine in an attempt to relatively 'future-proof' me from having to update again too near into the future.

There's far too much out there to choose from and such minute differences between the spec. of machines, within particular price ranges, that it's got to the stage where I almost feel like it might be best to make up a picture board of all the one's I'm drawn to..... blindfold myself....... spin round a couple of times and stick a pin it?!!!!!!! (hopefully hitting the board and missing my cat and child!:rotfl:)

Not being able to take that final step and decide exactly what to buy is SO frustrating :wall:

Do you guys have any experience and suggestions on good laptop buys at the moment pls? What do you think of the HP DV range vs other brands i.e. Toshiba? (I'm almost sure it should be one of these two brands........Phew! That feels like a result, considering the amount of choice out there?!)

I'd be happy to spend a lot less. Was initially aiming to keep purchase under £1000 as will need to buy an external hard drive (for back-up), probably office software and a laptop bag (which doesn't come cheap).
Where would you place your money? Any ideas?:idea: Help me out?!.... I'm going crazy comparing so many laptops and their specs.....!!! :rolleyes2

madnlooney

The way laptops and computers in general are going your looking at spending alot of money. i spend £1000 last year on a laptop and now its worth id say about £400. Technology has changed that quick with dual cores coming out. but then its the case of when to buy one really.

As you say there are lots to choose from. ive not seen the DV range so cant really comment on them.

pealy

Hi, I think you need to tell us what you want to do with the laptop? If you want to play stat of the art games then you need a very different machine to someone who surfs the internet and uses office applications.

I've been looking for a laptop to replace my current Toshiba (an old one which now overheats when the CPU gets stretched). I develop web applications in Visual Studio and my requirements are pretty simple; a dual-core processor, 1GB ram and 80GB HD. I can find a perfectly suitable HP laptop (reconditioned) for £325 delivered and certainly wouldn't need to go over £500 for a spanking new one.

Bear in mind that whatever you do, however much you spend and however much you try to future-proof your purchase it will depreciate and get out of date quickly. Perhaps you could spend £500 now and keep the other half to spend on another in 12-18 months time? I'd expect a £500 laptop in 18 months to be better than a £1000 laptop you could buy now.

motorguy

You could easily get a decent laptop for surfing, mail and home office type use for £400. If thats all you do with it, i'd buy something around that price, then change it every couple or three years.

I do that with mine. i bought the last good dell deal there - 1Gb RAM, 15.4 inch screen, 120Gb hd drive, dvd re writer, wireless, AMD Turion processor - cost me around £328 delivered. I expect to be able to run that for a couple of years and probably still get £150 on ebay.

albertross_2

www.dmxdimension.com / www.ebuyer.com £350-£400 laptop

or get a free one/use £300 off offers from aol/orange BB

www.ebuyer.com £80 on case/drive

http://www.openoffice.org/ Free

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/savings/ £720+ for the next one when you get bored of this one.

Tao81

pealy wrote: »

Hi, I think you need to tell us what you want to do with the laptop?

I can find a perfectly suitable HP laptop (reconditioned) for £325 delivered and certainly wouldn't need to go over £500 for a spanking new one.

Bear in mind that whatever you do, however much you spend and however much you try to future-proof your purchase it will depreciate and get out of date quickly. Perhaps you could spend £500 now and keep the other half to spend on another in 12-18 months time? I'd expect a £500 laptop in 18 months to be better than a £1000 laptop you could buy now.

At the moment I am not doing anything which is too demanding of a machine.
I initially went shopping for a machine that is kind of somewhere in the middle between cheaper range and all-singing, all-dancing affair?! In an attempt to best cover as many bases as I could for my money.
I know technological developments move at break-neck speed.
My biggest concern is that if I go for a cheap laptop, it won't be suitable to pass onto my teenager in 2-3 yrs time, because it won't have some of the capabilities she will be expecting of it by the time it's handed on?!

Where do you get good re-conditioned laptops from? Never having gone down this route myself before, I'd be afraid I'd buy rubbish?!

Your final comment and suggestion is excellent and something I had considered along the way. I'd thought of buying something within the £500-£600 price range now and then higher spec (like those at top end of market now) for much lower price later. THANKS FOR STEERING ME BACK ON COURSE.......See, I knew I was getting a bit carried away:eek::rotfl:CHEERS:beer:

What does annoy me is that to buy a new machine now, you are stuck with Vista, which is greedy on resources and therefore pushes up the spec. of machine needed just to utilise the functionality of the OS.
I'd be much happier if I could walk into a shop and ask for a particular machine of my choice and have windowsXP pre-loaded instead of Vista!!

Millionaire

Have you ever considered getting a MAC? You dont need to get a PC.

gremlin666_2

If you want a high spec laptop i would go for one from Alienware.

pealy

Tao81 wrote: »

What does annoy me is that to buy a new machine now, you are stuck with Vista, which is greedy on resources and therefore pushes up the spec. of machine needed just to utilise the functionality of the OS.
I'd be much happier if I could walk into a shop and ask for a particular machine of my choice and have windowsXP pre-loaded instead of Vista!!

Sounds like Dell might be worth a look for you, if you look at configuring the new Vostro range you have the option of choosing XP instead of Vista for the same price.