Page 1 of Recommendations on buying a new laptop

Hi guys,

I`m looking to buy my first laptop, and could use some advice/recommendations. There are some very clever computer people here so please allow me to pick your brains. :p

This laptop will likely become my main computer over the next twelve months, so I really need it to perform all of the (multi)tasks that my current desktop PC does. That is, word processing, internet browsing, e-mail, MP3 ripping, basic DVD authoring/burning, as well as the odd game of Football Manager (not into top-of-the-line gaming). I suppose I`d probably watch the odd DVD, too.

My current PC specs are:

Model: Dell Dimension C521
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.40GHz
RAM: 1GB
System type: 32-bit Windows Vista

Basically, I`d take a good deal on a similar (absolutely no less spec-wise, although I`d consider movinh down to XP if I thought I wouldn`t get left behind in a year or two) laptop, but then there`s the temptation to upgrade a little. Well, you never know what you might need the extra for. :D

I had a quick flick through Dell, and for a laptop of similar specs to my current PC, I`d be looking at £500. The processors all seem to be Intel Dual Core, which in comparison to Athlon, bumps up the price. For an extra £40, though, I could double the RAM to 2048MB, which is tempting. The trouble is I`d be crying into my wallet to spend more than £500.

Any thoughts on ways I could spec this laptop to suit me best? Are there good, lesser-known retailers that I could look to? What kind of battery life can I expect with a laptop of this type? What brands should I look to for long-term reliability?

All help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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Brian Elliott is a sports writer for the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, and is a regular contributor to DVD Reviewer and SLAM! Wrestling.

Please visit my website!

This item was edited on Monday, 21st April 2008, 23:17

This year I`ve been knackering my bank account re-equipping. I operate one clean system that`s never attached to the internet for most jobs and a system I guess you`d call dirty for connection to the internet and all the Reviewer stuff. I`m still debating the new internet machine (hence t`other thread about laptops or desktops), but I`ve had my new clean system about a week and a half now.

It`s a Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pi 2512 from Dabs £339. 1Gb RAM, 120Gb HDD, 15.4" Widescreen display, DVDRW with double layer burning support. Windows Vista Home Premium preinstalled. It`s an absolute dream and I could only be happier if I woke up tied to Kiera Knightley. ;)

J Mark Oates

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Thanks Mark. I might consider that one if I could upgrade the RAM by another 512MB.

At the moment I`m leaning towards getting a Dell, simply because you can order it to your specification. Does anyone have experience with the various types of Dell laptop? I had been looking at the Precision laptops, which seem to be the most expensive. I wouldn`t mind upgrading a more basic one, if it would work just as well.

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Brian Elliott is a sports writer for the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, and is a regular contributor to DVD Reviewer and SLAM! Wrestling.

Please visit my website!

Check out the Hotdeals website as they regulalrly post some good deals you can get on Dell laptops

have a look here as the first 3 are all in your price range and all high spec machines,

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=PRODCATEGORYVIEWPAGE&USG=APPLICATION&ENT=APPLICATION&KEY=71842

I was just looking there, as it happens!

I managed to customise a Dell Vostro 1000 for a little over £350, with the following specs:

Processor: AMD Turion 64 x2 TL 60
RAM: 2048MB RAM 667MHz
System: Windows Vista

Given that my desktop is has an Intel chip, and has 800MHz RAM, how will this laptop perform in comparison to my desktop?

Thanks again.

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Brian Elliott is a sports writer for the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, and is a regular contributor to DVD Reviewer and SLAM! Wrestling.

Please visit my website!

After years of punishing my old PC, I got a new laptop.

Acer Aspire 7720 from Play.

Being so out of touch, I don`t know how it compares to other computers, but I do know this. I`ve been watching Tower of Druaga and Blassreiter on it, streamed from Youchoob and in full screen with smooth animation and the sound always in sync with the video.

On my old PC watching them in quarter screen, it looks like stop motion animation that stops every second for the processor to catch up.

===========================
Jitendar Canth

Quote:
"I thought what I`d do was, I`d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes."

My Top 20 movies at YMDB
Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer & MyReviewer

normally customizing Dells isn`t cost effective.

i.e. say there are 2 laptops, one costing 400, the other 500, to make the £400 laptop meet the spec of the £500 one can cost £125.

i think most pc shops where you can customise are the same, but Dell seem worse for it, it`s best to buy the machine listed with the spec you want, than build machine up to what you want.

Saying all that, I`m happy with my Dell D610 work laptop

As for Mesh, I`m happy with my home desktop PC. I think their laptops are ASUS.

you could check out www.novatech.com they have the advantage you can buy without an O/S, or if you want to buy one, you can choose which MS one you want.