# Laptop Advice



## fut1a (Dec 28, 2006)

I want to replace my laptop so what would you people in the know advise?

I would use it for general surfing and sometimes downloading music and sometimes when I can find it I would watch the match.

I would like it to be wireless but the security on this concerns me, what would I need to do to ensure it was OK?

A larger screeen would be nice for the footy.

So are there any good promotions on at the moment?

What makes models would you advise?

Budget up to Â£600 ideally but upto Â£1000 if I must


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## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

Just dont get a compaq they're sh1t - or at least mine is


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## TT_Broonster (Jan 28, 2007)

J55TTC said:


> Just dont get a compaq they're sh1t - or at least mine is


or a Sony Viao - they're sh!te too :x

Buy a MacBook!


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## T3RBO (Dec 9, 2003)

Most decent laptops are now Wireless (802.11b/g) it's how you connect to the router than counts.... WPA is secure :wink:

Make sure it has a decent processor and sound quality (VGA port also useful so it can be connected to the tv)

Best bet is to flick through pc world for spec etc and once a decent one found google it and get a decent price

Hope this helps :wink:


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## fishface (Nov 25, 2006)

J55TTC said:


> Just dont get a compaq they're sh1t - or at least mine is


HP (same company) are sh!t too


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## Wondermikie (Apr 14, 2006)

Get a Dell of some description, I've been using them at work on and off for 10 years and never had a single problem with them.

I bought an XPS M1530 a few months back, brilliant...

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstor ... 5308&s=dhs


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## conlechi (May 6, 2006)

I have a 7 yr old Dell Inspiron and never had a problem  ,

just bought another Dell Vostro for my business

Mark


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## jbell (May 15, 2006)

I am typing this on a DELL Inspiron 8600 I have had for 3 years, never missed a beat, 15" widescreen is perfect and not too heavy for carrying around.

Will be replacing it with a XPS1530 later this year

Will definately buy another, I also have a DELL Dimension 4600 which has been faultless, just bought 2Gb of Ram for it for Â£51 from Mr Memory, much faster now


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## Lock_Stock (May 22, 2007)

Macbook. Best computer I've ever owned. They really are better than a PC, almost entirly becuase windows is shit. You just never realise because there is no alternative. Takes some getting use to, but OS X and a Macbook is the way to go. Not much more expensive than a similar spec branded laptop either...

Go to an Apple store or a Solutions Inc store and try one out. They boot up in 10-20 sec and shut down in under 10. They are also silent.... These are little things, but trust me, they make the experience so much more enjoyable!!!!!!!

fyi... don't buy anything else from apple though... they are a rip off


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## W7 PMC (May 6, 2002)

fishface said:


> J55TTC said:
> 
> 
> > Just dont get a compaq they're sh1t - or at least mine is
> ...


Really?, bit of a shocker then that they own the laptop/desktop space then :lol:


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

W7 PMC said:


> fishface said:
> 
> 
> > J55TTC said:
> ...


I have had an HP since Feb 07 and would buy another, but have to agree that if money wasn't an object, I'd have a Mac, you get more bang per buck with PC's though.

HTH

H


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## Lock_Stock (May 22, 2007)

Hannibal said:


> W7 PMC said:
> 
> 
> > fishface said:
> ...


personally i think it is a bit of an illusion. you think pc are cheaper but. a similar spec machine will cost only a little less but at the same spec on paper the mac will perform better. to get a laptop that will perform as well you will be tallking similar cash. the mac will likely have less issues too.


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## fut1a (Dec 28, 2006)

Oh bugger now you are really confusing the issue, I had not even considered a mac :roll:


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## Lock_Stock (May 22, 2007)

fut1a said:


> Oh bugger now you are really confusing the issue, I had not even considered a mac :roll:


Best advice...... Do some browsing... Find one you like, then go home and order it online cheaper. Do not believe the nonsense the salesman tells you, just get the facts and feel free to post them on here. Plenty of people will be able to tell you which spec is better and why. If you can get a short list that you 'like' deciding best on spec should be easy.

Find out if you can:
>Processor. Model and Speed. ie. Core Duo T5500 1.8Ghz
>Main Board Chipset. ie. Santa Rosa (less important to know this)
>RAM. Included, and MAX possible. (2GB installed & 4GB max)
>Front Side Bus speed (FBUS). For example 800MHz. 
>CPU Cache. (ie 2MB per core).
>HD size. (ie 120 GB)
>Screen size
>Weight

All of the above will tell you which laptop is going to run faster on paper. The subjective piece will be design and build quality. This is where the advice people on here have already given will be useful, and your hands on experience in a shop will be essential.

You could spend 2 grand on a state of the art laptop, if you don't like the response and feel of the keyboard you will not enjoy using it.... simple as that!


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## fut1a (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks for the help so far 

For some reason I keep being wrawn to this one, what do you think? Could get it for Â£729.01 with a standard 1 year warranty or Â£815.97 wth a 3 year warranty.

Will I need something with this spec?

Would a lower spec save me money and do what I need it to do?

I am not worried about the weight because it is strictly for home use.

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Toshiba_ ... ersion.asp?


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## Lock_Stock (May 22, 2007)

fut1a said:


> Thanks for the help so far
> 
> For some reason I keep being wrawn to this one, what do you think? Could get it for Â£729.01 with a standard 1 year warranty or Â£815.97 wth a 3 year warranty.
> 
> ...


]

Toshiba do have a reputation for making good reliable laptops... but also have a reputation for being a bit overpriced. I don't have any personal experience of them though.

The spec looks pretty good for the money, you could prob get the same spec for about 650... possibly (check Dell online), if you shop around for different brands, but maybe not... it certainly doesn't look to be a rip off.

One point on the spec. They say it has 3gb of RAM installed. This is Odd. I have never known any company install 'uneven' RAM. This is because the architecture of the PC will be optimised to have a matching pair of RAM (if 2 sticks are used). I'm guessing this online retailer has just stuck an extra cheap 1gb stick in to make the spec seem higher. In reality it may even run slower than with just 1x 2gb stick!!!! very odd.
The other thing, is, depending on the chip set, some laptops althogh they will accept 4gb of RAM, they will only use 3gb.. this is an architectural issue. The 2006 Macbooks had this issue. The late 2007 model has the later santarosa chipset and fully utilises all 4 gb. It might be worth double checking the specs direct with Toshiba before buying.

I would budget for an extra stick of 2gb RAM (provided you can match with the one in there already). Other than that it seems ok....

If you buy an uptodate core 2 duo machine with 2gb ram or more. As long as you are not intending to do gaming, video editing or music editing, any laptop in the 500-800 quid range will be really good....


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## fut1a (Dec 28, 2006)

Lock_Stock said:


> fut1a said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the help so far
> ...


I was having a look in PC World earlier and I saw quite a few 3gb laptops :?


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## Wondermikie (Apr 14, 2006)

I would have thought 3gb is always better than 2gb, in whatever circumstances?

I have 4gb on my Dell, Vista can see it all.


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## skydiver (Oct 12, 2006)

Another vote for Mac here. I have used PC's for years and PC based programs, to be honest no matter what you use or how much you spend they all seem to be rubbish.

Not so with Mac, they really do boot up quickly and never crash (they do freeze once in a while) I can honestly say my Macbook is a joy to use. Any worries about using PC software is taken away now with the ability to run windows on Mac (although you won't want to!)


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## Lock_Stock (May 22, 2007)

Wondermikie said:


> I would have thought 3gb is always better than 2gb, in whatever circumstances?
> 
> I have 4gb on my Dell, Vista can see it all.


I have read, and always been told, sometimes even doing themselves out of a sale that you should never have unmatched memory.

I do not know the science behind it, but it is to do with the efficiency at which the memory can interact with the CPU. It is designed to have symetrical architecture.

Although 3GB may be better than 2GB, depending on the computer it may be minimal if anything. Some motherboards won't even work at all if you put unmatched memory in.

Maybe things have changed and now this is the done thing. I personally think it is a marketing ploy by manufacturers. A 1GB cost peanuts now, but 2 x 2GB or even 1 x 4GB starts to be expensive. Adding a 1GB stick to a laptop is an extremely cheap way to increase the percieved spec without actually improving anything.....

2GB to 4GB you will see a big improvemnt. 2GB to 3GB I would be surprised if you can see any performance gain... it would be marginal at best.


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## Lock_Stock (May 22, 2007)

just to caveat... these laptops with 3gb are probably very good. I'm just saying, buy the cheaper one with less ram, and buy a 2gb stick for yourself and plug it in (provided it comes with 1 stick or 2gb, not 2x 1gb sticks!)

Don't pay the extra for the '3gb' model....


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