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deep-techno
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28 Feb 2008, 1:38 pm

I'm currently saving up for a laptop and eventually hope to get one. But I can't decide which laptop brand to get. I'm hoping for a decent laptop between £500 and £600, that has a decent Core 2 Duo with 2GB of RAM, a good webcam and hard drive, as well as a graphics card that plays the occasional game (e.g. GeForce 8500+). A card reader (such as xD) would be an advantage, as would Bluetooth or a TV Tuner.

I can't decide between the brand of laptop though, though there were 3 that I considered.

> HP
> Dell
> Toshiba

Do you have/know a laptop that has the features and specification that I want? Do you recommend any? (No Apple MacBooks please!)


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pakled
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28 Feb 2008, 2:01 pm

I haven't seen an HP in awhile. They make good printers, though..;)
I've been working with Dell Laptops (620 and 630 models), not sure how expensive they are in pounds, but they seem ok. Only problems I've heard reported is sometimes the main battery doesn't last as long as it should.

I've also worked on some of the older IBM/Lenovo models, T60s, 40s, etc. They're also pretty spendy, but then I fix 'em for a corporation.

Long story short; most companies make pretty decent laptops, as long as you stick with name brands. If you're interested in a particular model, Google it, include the word 'problems' or such, and you can find out the worst. In addition, the companies have their own web sites, so you can get (slightly biased...;) information there...



Tequila
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28 Feb 2008, 2:28 pm

Get a Mac and stop being such a Jessie. Sorted. ;)



Zsazsa
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28 Feb 2008, 2:38 pm

Have you checked out the ratings done by Consumer Reports in the USA to see which laptop they recommend as being the best
one with minimal problems and repairs? Consumer Reports does have a website...just Google it.



deadeyexx
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28 Feb 2008, 2:53 pm

I'm pretty pleased with the Toshiba I got a couple years ago, so I'd definately reccomend that brand.

BTW, a bit of advice about getting features like webcams built-in; don't. These extras built-in add a ton of cost to your laptop & can be purchased seperately for a fraction of the cost. Built-in stuff is also harder to repair or replace. Just be sure to get a new computer with enough USB ports to handle any extras you might want, and you'll be set.



corroonb
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28 Feb 2008, 3:42 pm

I'd recommend Compaq/HP, they make quality products. My younger brother has a Dell and its build quality and reliabilty is nowhere near as high as my Compaq Presario V6000.

If I was buying a laptop now, I'd go with the Asus EEE PC. Its very small and very cheap too.



deep-techno
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28 Feb 2008, 4:21 pm

I'm thinking of getting the Dell XPS M1530. If I select 'Small and Medium Business' on their shop, I can configure a nice spec for just under £600, which is considerably higher than those of similarly priced HP laptops. Also, on Dell's website, you can customise the specs, whereas with HP and Toshiba you can't. (Although you can customise HP laptops ion the Us, but not in the UK, which is where I live).

Image


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RohrbachDS
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28 Feb 2008, 7:13 pm

I have an HP. It's pretty good, only problem I seem to have is battery life. I haven't used a Dell except in school, where they buy the cheapest thing they can find so I can't really judge a majority of Dell laptops on them, and I have never used Toshiba.



corroonb
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28 Feb 2008, 10:11 pm

I'd agree about battery life. You're lucky if you get a laptop that lasts more than 2 hours. Try to get an upgraded battery when you buy and don't have the battery in the laptop when you are using mains power as this degrades the battery. Acer also have very nice laptops and their prices are better than most of their competitors.



Riddick124
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29 Feb 2008, 9:03 am

I would recommend HP, dell's laptops are just bad.



SqrachMasda
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29 Feb 2008, 4:08 pm

in my opinion
(not familiar with mac stuff)
it seems like most pc use similar stuff inside anyway
it's like the brand only means how it looks on the outside

i have dell, and i know it's a pathetic brand
but when i got it, it lets you run through all the aspects and customize what you want
that's when i really saw that it's just other parts
but the even better thing was i was going to spend about 1,000
when i got to the end they asked for a promo code
so i looked some up and found one that said
save 500$ on any laptop over 1500$
so i went back and made it much much better just to get it to 1500$ so i could spend 1000$ again

i guess from my experience i learned that i'll keep this for a while because i know i can buy new parts much cheaper than a new laptop
i've helped a lot of people who have much better looking laptops than me
they are clueless anyway
i make mine work well for me
it's a sure shot it's going to be up to standards

it's sounds stupid, but even if you get a different brand
you should go to dell and customize one like you're buying it
that way you'll go through all the steps and see all the specifics
it'll help with buying another brand anywhere else
those donkey's at the store are out for $$$$
so it's always better to know enough so they don't screw you over



viska
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29 Feb 2008, 7:24 pm

I just bought a laptop. I went with Lenovo. I'm not sure I made the best choice, but it's the best I could make with the info I have. I'll tell you how it is in 4 weeks... :(



nodice1996
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29 Feb 2008, 8:08 pm

dell, get xp though. vista is crap! (i have vista)


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Lunar-Lander
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01 Mar 2008, 10:21 am

The Samsung R60 plus has been a good laptop for me since last Autumn. It has the specs you want but no built in webcam.
http://www.tech.co.uk/computing/mobile- ... a-r60-plus

LL


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V001
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01 Mar 2008, 10:30 am

My brother has a dell laptop. He swears at it alot. It's 2 years old and the power plug is not working well. And the video card can not be upgraded. In short do not buy a dell laptop end of line grin...



viska
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01 Mar 2008, 10:54 am

Laptops are generally hard to upgrade regardless of brand, except for a few components like memory.