which laptop???

j88kln

hi,

i am currently looking for a laptop as mine died on christmas eve.

i mostly surf the internet, play games, download music and films, talk on msn messenger and do word processing.

usually i am downloading, playing games and listening to music at the same time.

i am looking for-

- 15 inch screen
- minimum of 2.2ghz dual core processor
- minimum of 2gb ram
- not too bulky
- good reliability

i have looked around at laptops and have narrowed it down to a few -

- apple macbook pro (2.4ghz) £1,471
- acer aspire 5683wlmi £750
- dell xps m1530 (2.4ghz) £971
- sony viao vgn-fz21z (2.2ghz) £999

i am looking at spending around the £1000 mark but obviously if the macbook pro is the better of the bunch i could stretch to it. but that is the only laptop that i would do that for.

does anyone have any experiences with the above laptops and if so any information is very much appreciated.

plus if anyone has any other laptops that fit into the price range and specification please say.

thankyou very much

Andy

masterthief

I've heard a few ppl criticise the reliability of Acer laptops but haven't tried them myself. I would be wary though.

The Macbook is v. good and easy to use, but look at prices for it on pricerunner.com or from certified apple resellers (just google that phrase and you should get some results) as you might well get a cheaper price for it. Where apple, IMO, really do leave PCs in the dust is running several programmes simultaneously like you stated you do. I find there are much fewer hangs/crashes doing this with Macs than with PCs.

That said, for 500quid less, and going just from the info you've supplied, I'd give the dell some serious consideration.

One thing to bear in mind is capacity for upgrades. If you wont be replacing your new purchase for several years (e.g. 3-4) theres a good chance you will need to upgrade either the RAM or the memory at some stage to use newer software or store more data.

j88kln

thanks for the fast reply.

i looked at the dell straight after i saw the macbook and it does seem a good system for the price.

i have added the sony at the bottom of the list as i have found that one tonight.

any other help is appreciated

Andy

uktyler

Morgan have this at £823, not a bad price for a Toshiba:
http://morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=4257&CategoryID=11&SubCategoryID=

Top spec Core 2 Duo T72000 processor, 2GB RAM, 400GB storage, TruBrite 17" display, stunning graphics plus WiFi and Bluetooth comms

• Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor (2 x 2.0GHz), 2GB DDR2 RAM
• 400GB storage (2 x 200GB SATA drives), multiformat DVD writer
• Superb quality widescreen 17" TruBrite display (1440 x 900)
• nVidia GeForce GO 7600 graphics, 256MB dedicated RAM (527MB total)
• WiFi and Bluetooth, integral webcam, card reader, Harman Kardon sound
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium and MS Works 8.5

Toshiba part no - PSPBGE-01C004EN
* * * Deal Just Done - Stock Due Wednesday * * *
Related Links
Toshiba website (specification)
Stock Status
Toshiba reconditioned
Warranty
1 year warranty

Or a pink MSI for £600:
http://morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=4377&CategoryID=11&SubCategoryID=

MSI PR210 YA in coral pink, AMD Dual Core TK-55 Processor (2 x 1.8GHz)
2GB DDR 2 RAM, 120GB SATA hard drive and multiformat DVD Writer
12.1" widescreen TFT display (1280 x 800) with Amazing Crystal Vision
ATI 1270 graphics with 1GB shared memory, integral 1.3 megapixel webcam
WiFi and Bluetooth, card reader, fingerprint reader and HDMI connection
Weighs 1.8Kg, measures 22mm thick, inc 4 cell lithium-ion battery

Or a Gateway at £500:
http://morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=4345&CategoryID=11&SubCategoryID=

• Intel Core 2 Duo T5300 processor (1.73GHz)
• 2GB RAM, 120GB hard disk and multiformat dual layer DVD writer
• Ultrabright 17" widescreen TFT display (1440 x 900 WXGA) resolution
• Intel shared graphics (up to 224MB RAM), hi-def sound and stereo speakers
• 802.11 g wireless network, 10/100 LAN, 56K modem and card reader
• 4 x USB 2.0 ports, Firewire port and long life 6 cell lithium-ion battery

I've used Morgan in the past, very good people, they do know what they are talking about, rather than the spotty oiks in other places.

epz_2

what games do you play? if its fps'rs then get your checkbook else you could get away with a pretty low spec pc.

one thing i would say is disk io will likely be a major factor in what you are doing so a 17" laptop with 2 disks will be a major advantage.

if you are a serious gamer then the xps 1730 looks good but im waiting for the nvidia 8800 laptops to ship properly and not just the specialists.

j88kln

i play games such as football manager and command an conquer so it isnt a major need for top of the range graphics.

i dont really want a 17" laptop as i coped ok with the smaller 15" screen of my old laptop.

wolfman

If I had that sort of money I'd personally go to Dell and build a custom Inspiron.

Or look on their outlet website (google "Dell outlet").

Or even check eBay, there are some good Dell deals on there, although you may prefer buying from a known dealer like Dell than an eBayer.

Just make sure you get a Core 2 Duo, around 2.0Ghz would be fine (a T7250 for example), 15" screen with a high res (1400x900), and a dedicated graphics card (preferably an nVidia! and not ATI).

epz_2

in that case you really dont need anything that high end just a big hard disk(they are faster and woulnt get as fragmented), i dont know of any 2 disk 15"ers.

fair play on the screen but i personaly couldnt go back from my 17", frankly i am looking for a 20" for my next purchase but my laptop never leaves the house.

j88kln

i am really leaning towards the dell as it seems to tick all the boxes for me plus it has blu-ray, built in webcam, bluetooth and wireless.

what is anyones opinion on the sony compared to the dell?

epz_2

j88kln wrote: »

i am really leaning towards the dell as it seems to tick all the boxes for me plus it has blu-ray, built in webcam, bluetooth and wireless.

what is anyones opinion on the sony compared to the dell?

i really wouldnt pay extra for blueray, its hundereds of pounds for 1st gen tech which wouldnt get used much yet while it will be a very simple £30 upgrade for a burner by the time it is needed.

masterthief

agreed with epz - the 'fight' between blu-ray and hd discs could end up going in favour of hd which could render a blu-ray player useless. I'd say hang on another 12 months or so as far as these two mediums are concerned and see how they progress.

and no probs on the fast reply - just happened to be browsing when you started the thread.


personally, while I like the vaios, I think they get a lot of attention for their aesthetics, which apples also do. I don't think they're that great as computers though, a bit overrated (my flatmate had one so I had a couple years use of that form time to time). the toshiba posted about above sounds good for the price - I'd seriously consider that or the dell.

re the mac - remember you might not be able to play the games you currently own on it (in fact there's a good chance you wont be able to) unless you get virtual pc or something similar to run windows or simulate the windows os on the mac. unless you just play games online, you have to factor in the cost of new games/the potential inconvenience ofrunning windows on a mac into the full 'cost' of the mac. while its a great computer, this will likely price itself out of your decision.