Laptop Confusion

Grumpy_Old_Duffer

I would like to buy a Laptop to replace my existing PC (350 Mhz Processor!!!:o ) and want one that will be able to open about 8 applications at the same time AND process the data in these applications i.e. ACCESS, PSP, EXCEL (x2 or 3), Internet Explorer, DVD Copying.

I don't play DVD games so that is not relevant.

I've looked at 'What Laptop' and am even more confused as I thought that you need as big a Processor & RAM as you can afford (2+Ghz Processor and 1Ghz RAM would be nice) so that you can have a number of applications open without the Computer Hanging/Crashing. In the 'What Laptop' magazine they show Laptops with the sort of specification I'd like in Budget to High Level Laptops!!

I've looked at Refurbished units at RDC and they don't appear to be to bad i.e. 1.7Ghz & 512Mb RAM and I've also looked on Ebay (as you do!!). It looks as though I could pick-up a pretty decent Refurbished unit for about £500.

Any 'Experts' point me in the right direction of what sort of Processor & RAM I should go for, as all the Processors being quoted now are beginning to confuse me .

I currently use the Companies IBM Thinkpad T23 which does tend to 'creak' a bit especially with some of the EXCEL workbooks I have which have some complicated 'interlinking' formulae.

puno

look out for the dell deals, there seem to loads around at the moment for sub 500 all of which will do what you require.

Some points to note

Celerons tend to be slow, I've just sold my 2.4 GHz celeron and it was slow to boot and slow when many applications open. So avoid celerons if you can. Look out for the new pentium M processors 1.6MHz and up (they have good battery life and are swift for internet and office type apps) will be good enough for what you want to do.

The other main pinch point is that XP likes lots of ram so the more the better, My personal preference is 1 gig of ram but you can get away with 512Mb ram.

puno

forgot to say the new processor ratings can be confusing,

a new pentium M 725 1.6GHz processor is at least equivalent to a desktop pentium 4 2.4GHz (intel suggest using a factor of 1.5 for comparison)

The reason is that these new chips have been completely redesigned, intel are about to use the same design in a new range of desktop processors and are ditching the current pentium 4 desktop processor!