First time laptop buyer! Need help finding my perfect laptop! - Page 2

coldsnailnet · 25th January 2006, 10:36 AM

sreg0r, what screen res did you get with your laptop? Whered u get it from? I was surprised to see the Turion outperform the Pentium - M chip for battery performance in that article which reviews your laptop, but that may be because they were comparing the low voltage Turion to the older pentium Ms (Dothan) rather than to the Sonoma.

Mitch01 · 25th January 2006, 10:43 AM

I think it's all a personal experience, also the bigger the order the better the service.

Dell's have picked up the game alot more recently, as their older systems were shocking. Desktops were fine, but the older laptops had alot of issues.

Every manufacturer has their good and bad models.

ASUS make lappies for Sony, and I believe Apple as well (could be wrong on this one). Also I believe Dell are rebadged/OEM, not self manufactured.

My main beef with Dell stemmed from a faulty ZIP drive, which 5 techos came out, and couldnt fix, and didnt bring a spare drive to replace it with.

Then another issue where a clients notebook motherboard died 1 day before warranty expired. Dell came out, said motherboard was faulty and has to be replaced. A few days later they came back, replaced it with a second hand one, and it was a DOA. The response from Dell was "well its out of warranty now, so you'll need to pay to get it fixed". After kicking up a stink our client was told "dont bother taking it to fair trading as we are an overseas company". So the client ended up forking out for a new notebook (Toshiba).

That was about 3 yrs back now .. so maybe they have changed... but for me ... I still cant trust them. When I called up about buying a laptop about 12 months back, they phone people had NO idea about the specials they were running, or the technical details of the laptops.

Anywhoo .. in the end some people have good, and some have bad experiences... like everything its a gamble.

I've had no issues at all with my ASUS, and calling them with a technical query had them get back to me very promptly. Until it stuffs up, obviously I wont have a bad thing to say about them.

GRObFURSt · 26th January 2006, 11:43 PM

Centrino is the marketting name given to a laptop with an Intel Mobile CPU, Intel Chipset and Intel Wireless card....hope that cleared that up...

Pie_Lad · 27th January 2006, 8:45 AM

I think I'm getting pretty close to choosing the Dell. I can't find anything for cheaper with the same/similar specs.

Digitone · 27th January 2006, 2:22 PM

Yeah go the dell. have found the warranties to be great e.g. was having trouble with my PCMCIA slot rang up dell they sent a new Motherboard to the authorised repair centre in my area overnight they came out and I had the Notebook fixed in under 24 hours.

I have had to send by laptop off to them once but that was after the laptop had an adventure of a balcony onto the pavement below

so glad I paid that $600 three year extended warrantie that covered accidental breakages (Is a lot cheaper now and it covers theft as long as its stolen from your car or work)

EvilGenius · 29th January 2006, 1:23 AM

Made my argument in this thread here

emu69 · 29th January 2006, 2:58 AM

Given the comments you've made so far about support process tolerance and budget, I'd say focus less on support capabilities and more on value proposition. The last 5 laptops I've purchased have been Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100, Toshiba Satellite 5200, Dell Inspiron 8600, Dell Inspiron 8600, Dell Inspiron 9300. The next looks likely to be Dell Inspiron 9400 based on the current roadmaps. I don't purchase at the value sweetspot, but instead just behind the technological bleeding edge (most often due to release Vs. remuneration cycles).

From my experience Toshiba has better local support. That's not to say that Dell doesn't have local support, just that Toshiba's can be easier to access due to more flexible process adherence and language issues. Depending upon your purchase timing, Dell most likely will have a more current hardware offering due to the structure of their supply chain logistics.

The total RAM required is a personal thing based on your work practices. My latest laptop runs well with 2GB as I tend to use Virtual PC more than I used to, or at least run more virtual PCs and hence need more physical RAM. Small changes to the way you work can significantly ease the demand for physical RAM, especially if you have a fast hard drive like a Hitachi 7K60 or 7K100. Not sure about others lately, but Dell tend to overcharge for RAM and then give away double on special offers. Doesn't make a great deal of sense (unless you count stock clearance), but it's often cheaper to upgrade RAM in Dell laptops post-purchase.

You also need to look at your processor requirements as this can often significantly alter the final cost. Best way is to get some hands-on time with an equivalent spec machine (hardware and software) and make the call subjectively. Pentium M machines do better clock-for-clock than Pentium 4 and Celeron machines, and have way better battery life (on the off-chance that matters to you). I'd expect AMD-powered machines do as well.

Graphics processing power is an area more subjective than any other. Do you intend to play demanding games? How tolerant are you for lack of detail? Ie. Do you really need huge AA and AF capability?

Beyond that DVD burners are cheap and often upradable from DVD+RW to DVD+-RW/DL via firmware. Huge screen resolutions are very nice, but perhaps not vital. While 17" screens are impressive, there's nothing wrong with a 15.4" and the machine retains portability. Every laptop should have at least 802.11b/g and possibly BT if you have any BT devices. 802.11a use is less common. Unless you actually use the laptop while walking or struggle to maintain over 40KG of body mass, go with the biggest battery offered. Bundled software and warranty/support can make big $$$ differences. Once again, make sure you understand your minimum requirements based on your [expected] usage. Large external USB2 HDDs are really handy toys.

Purchasing a laptop is one of those rare cases where we have TOO MUCH CHOICE. You're doing the right thing with all this research. Once you've made your choice you'll hopefully stay less one-eyed than the rest of us.

Craig

Pie_Lad · 29th January 2006, 11:53 AM

Thanks Craig, that was very insightful.

I know how I plan to use this notebook, and your comments have basically sealed in what I will buy.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

sreg0r · 29th January 2006, 1:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldsnailnet

sreg0r, what screen res did you get with your laptop? Whered u get it from? I was surprised to see the Turion outperform the Pentium - M chip for battery performance in that article which reviews your laptop, but that may be because they were comparing the low voltage Turion to the older pentium Ms (Dothan) rather than to the Sonoma.

1280x800 is the max, which is what i'm currently running. This is about inline with what the ATI x700 is capable of running. Nothing compared to the Dell 9300/9400 though. I got a friend to buy it from the local wholesaler here in Adelaide for me. Not sure what voltage a pentium M runs at but the AMD's run at 25W or 35W, mine is 25 but i'm not really sure of the difference it would make. At the moment i get approx 3.5 hours life depending on CD use and wireless card use.

kjmantis · 30th January 2006, 7:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie_Lad

Thanks Craig, that was very insightful.

I know how I plan to use this notebook, and your comments have basically sealed in what I will buy.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

I have a mate in a very similar situation as you. So what did you end up getting???

25th January 2006, 10:43 AM	#17
Mitch01 Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sydney Posts: 27,492	I think it's all a personal experience, also the bigger the order the better the service. Dell's have picked up the game alot more recently, as their older systems were shocking. Desktops were fine, but the older laptops had alot of issues. Every manufacturer has their good and bad models. ASUS make lappies for Sony, and I believe Apple as well (could be wrong on this one). Also I believe Dell are rebadged/OEM, not self manufactured. My main beef with Dell stemmed from a faulty ZIP drive, which 5 techos came out, and couldnt fix, and didnt bring a spare drive to replace it with. Then another issue where a clients notebook motherboard died 1 day before warranty expired. Dell came out, said motherboard was faulty and has to be replaced. A few days later they came back, replaced it with a second hand one, and it was a DOA. The response from Dell was "well its out of warranty now, so you'll need to pay to get it fixed". After kicking up a stink our client was told "dont bother taking it to fair trading as we are an overseas company". So the client ended up forking out for a new notebook (Toshiba). That was about 3 yrs back now .. so maybe they have changed... but for me ... I still cant trust them. When I called up about buying a laptop about 12 months back, they phone people had NO idea about the specials they were running, or the technical details of the laptops. Anywhoo .. in the end some people have good, and some have bad experiences... like everything its a gamble. I've had no issues at all with my ASUS, and calling them with a technical query had them get back to me very promptly. Until it stuffs up, obviously I wont have a bad thing to say about them. __________________ "I think in this world, if you can do something you love as a job and it doesn't feel like a job that is one of the greatest gifts you can have" - Hugh Jackman 2009

26th January 2006, 11:43 PM	#18
GRObFURSt Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2,246	Centrino is the marketting name given to a laptop with an Intel Mobile CPU, Intel Chipset and Intel Wireless card....hope that cleared that up... __________________ Q9400 @ 3.4ghz w/ Zalman CNPS9700 LED- EP45-UD3R - 9800GT @ 790/1015 - 4GB XMS2 800 13487 06marks Vista HP 64

27th January 2006, 2:22 PM	#20
Digitone Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Coffs Harbour Posts: 1,084	Yeah go the dell. have found the warranties to be great e.g. was having trouble with my PCMCIA slot rang up dell they sent a new Motherboard to the authorised repair centre in my area overnight they came out and I had the Notebook fixed in under 24 hours. I have had to send by laptop off to them once but that was after the laptop had an adventure of a balcony onto the pavement below so glad I paid that $600 three year extended warrantie that covered accidental breakages (Is a lot cheaper now and it covers theft as long as its stolen from your car or work) __________________ Mobile Phone Industry Employee Club Member #5

29th January 2006, 1:23 AM	#21
EvilGenius Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: _Rocky Status:_Folding! Posts: 6,358	Made my argument in this thread here __________________ i5-750@4.0 \| GA-P55A-UD3P \| 32GB GsKill Ares PC-12800 \| NVS420 \| Corsair HX-850 \| CMStacker810 Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more Cry fold for Team24, OCAU and all the world! Wanted - 2 x Dell S2409W's, 14-15" i3/i5/i7 laptop ballpark $300

29th January 2006, 2:58 AM	#22
emu69 Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Brisbane Posts: 29	Given the comments you've made so far about support process tolerance and budget, I'd say focus less on support capabilities and more on value proposition. The last 5 laptops I've purchased have been Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100, Toshiba Satellite 5200, Dell Inspiron 8600, Dell Inspiron 8600, Dell Inspiron 9300. The next looks likely to be Dell Inspiron 9400 based on the current roadmaps. I don't purchase at the value sweetspot, but instead just behind the technological bleeding edge (most often due to release Vs. remuneration cycles). From my experience Toshiba has better local support. That's not to say that Dell doesn't have local support, just that Toshiba's can be easier to access due to more flexible process adherence and language issues. Depending upon your purchase timing, Dell most likely will have a more current hardware offering due to the structure of their supply chain logistics. The total RAM required is a personal thing based on your work practices. My latest laptop runs well with 2GB as I tend to use Virtual PC more than I used to, or at least run more virtual PCs and hence need more physical RAM. Small changes to the way you work can significantly ease the demand for physical RAM, especially if you have a fast hard drive like a Hitachi 7K60 or 7K100. Not sure about others lately, but Dell tend to overcharge for RAM and then give away double on special offers. Doesn't make a great deal of sense (unless you count stock clearance), but it's often cheaper to upgrade RAM in Dell laptops post-purchase. You also need to look at your processor requirements as this can often significantly alter the final cost. Best way is to get some hands-on time with an equivalent spec machine (hardware and software) and make the call subjectively. Pentium M machines do better clock-for-clock than Pentium 4 and Celeron machines, and have way better battery life (on the off-chance that matters to you). I'd expect AMD-powered machines do as well. Graphics processing power is an area more subjective than any other. Do you intend to play demanding games? How tolerant are you for lack of detail? Ie. Do you really need huge AA and AF capability? Beyond that DVD burners are cheap and often upradable from DVD+RW to DVD+-RW/DL via firmware. Huge screen resolutions are very nice, but perhaps not vital. While 17" screens are impressive, there's nothing wrong with a 15.4" and the machine retains portability. Every laptop should have at least 802.11b/g and possibly BT if you have any BT devices. 802.11a use is less common. Unless you actually use the laptop while walking or struggle to maintain over 40KG of body mass, go with the biggest battery offered. Bundled software and warranty/support can make big $$$ differences. Once again, make sure you understand your minimum requirements based on your [expected] usage. Large external USB2 HDDs are really handy toys. Purchasing a laptop is one of those rare cases where we have TOO MUCH CHOICE. You're doing the right thing with all this research. Once you've made your choice you'll hopefully stay less one-eyed than the rest of us. Craig Last edited by emu69; 29th January 2006 at 3:17 AM.

25th January 2006, 10:36 AM	#16
coldsnailnet Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3	sreg0r, what screen res did you get with your laptop? Whered u get it from? I was surprised to see the Turion outperform the Pentium - M chip for battery performance in that article which reviews your laptop, but that may be because they were comparing the low voltage Turion to the older pentium Ms (Dothan) rather than to the Sonoma.

27th January 2006, 8:45 AM	#19
Pie_Lad Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brisbane Posts: 2,322	I think I'm getting pretty close to choosing the Dell. I can't find anything for cheaper with the same/similar specs.

29th January 2006, 11:53 AM	#23
Pie_Lad Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brisbane Posts: 2,322	Thanks Craig, that was very insightful. I know how I plan to use this notebook, and your comments have basically sealed in what I will buy. Thanks to everyone who contributed.