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Buying New Laptop, need advice/recommendations
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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27. September 2009 @ 17:59 |
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My price range is 800-1100. I don't want a Mac, and I don't want overheating to be an issue.
I will not be using it for gaming.
I want it to have great processing power, ram, etc. (so I can multi-task).
I want it to have a fairly high battery life.
I want it to be compatible with Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.
Nothing else is really of any importance, at least not that I can think or right now.
Please let me know if you need more info.
I need advice on which laptop to get, and where to get it. Money is an issue, I just want the biggest bang for my buck.
Right now I'm just looking at some on Newegg.
I am looking at a "business" laptop, the HP probook - it has a great battery life, and I don't really care about high quality audio. What do you think of this?
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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27. September 2009 @ 18:02 |
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I live in America.
Size and resolution isn't a great concern, portability would be nice. I also want it to be durable, don't want to replace it in 2-3 years.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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29. September 2009 @ 13:24 |
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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29. September 2009 @ 16:11 |
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It looks like that is a gaming computer though.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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29. September 2009 @ 17:34 |
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Not really, just because it can play games (just about, the HD4570 isn't awesome) doesn't mean it's useless at anything else. I haven't found anything with better CPU performance than that for that price from a reliable brand as of yet.
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chanchal9
Suspended permanently
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3. October 2009 @ 07:36 |
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Hi,
The majority what you hear is hype - the core DUO machines are really use-full in two real world scenarios - if you are a gamer or you?re into digital production. Like graphic design / video editing.
Good luck.
-----------------
Regards,
Best Watches edited by ddp
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 10. November 2009 @ 21:54
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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3. October 2009 @ 12:01 |
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Sam, for the link you posted - I noticed that it is DDR2. For my purposes, is it going to make a difference in performance if I get DDR2 or DDR3?
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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3. October 2009 @ 13:28 |
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. October 2009 @ 15:34 |
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chanchal: Apart from not really understanding that post, I also ask that you remove the link from your posts, as that's advertising and against forum rules.
Kenny: No, not really, DDR2 works with core 2 machines, DDR3 works with core i5/i7 CPUs. It's not better, it's just how it works.
The link you have posted does not exist, so I can't see what you were suggesting, but it looks like a netbook, which can't do any of the things main laptops can do. They also have tiny screens (7-10").
As for the other link, the Asus one is slightly faster, but the Toshiba one is better quality, which for a laptop is important.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. October 2009 @ 15:35
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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3. October 2009 @ 15:42 |
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The first link was just a link to the ASUS one that is being compared in the second link.
I'm looking into the Thinkpads though, what do you think about them?
I am deciding between the Lenovo Thinkpad T500 and the Lenovo Enhanced Thinkpad T500.
The enhanced is more eXpensive but from what I gather, the only difference is that the enhanced has the business version of Vista, dvd burner, and a different wifi card. The business version of Vista is irrelevant because I am going to get Windows 7 Pro 64 bit from my school. The dvd burner I can live without. And the different wifi card.. I think the Thinkpad Wifi is better even though the Intel one costs more. Therefore I'm going with the the regular T500, which is 160$ cheaper.
Here is a link for the model:
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/contr..._menu_area=true
It is 939$ - but I am thinking about doing a few upgrades, I put my justifications in parenthesis below, let me know if you think the upgrades are a good deal:
+ hard drive upgrade from 160 5400 RPM > 320 GB 7200 RPM (+50$) (faster and larger HD)
+ 15.4" WSXGA+TFT, w/CCFL Backlight (+75$ - this is so I can get 1680 X 1050 resolution and a better screen)
+ 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM (32.50$) (this is so I can utilize a 64 bit operating system)
+ 9 cell - Li-Ion Battery (70$) (much better battery life)
So after doing all that, the total comes out to:
$1,166.50 cents
After a coupon code (USPSEARCH), I save 175$, so it goes down below 1000$. After tax, it is back up to $1053.50 - that is the total after everything.
Is this a good deal? Any customizations that I included that are not worth it? Any additional customizations that I should consider? Do you think this is a better deal than the Toshiba/ASUS laptops that we just talked about?
One other concern I have is that in the customization screen, it says the current version of vista for this laptop is not eligible for a Windows 7 Upgrade. I'm pretty sure this means that they will not provide a free upgrade to Windows 7, which is fine because I get one through my school anyway. But I just wanted to make sure that by "not eligible" they do not mean that it is impossible for me to upgrade because of hardware limitations or something. This is not the case right? If I upgrade to Vista premium for 50 more bucks, then I am eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. October 2009 @ 18:21 |
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The Lenovos have the weakest graphics cards of all the laptops, but not using them for gaming that's not too much an issue. Fastest CPUs are in the Asus and Lenovo - the Lenovo is better quality than the Asus, so it's probably your best bet.
There is no hardware in any of the laptops that will prevent the use of Windows 7.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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3. October 2009 @ 20:08 |
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I missed that the WSXGA+ had CCFL backlighting and not the LED. LED screens supposedly improve battery life and offers screen clarity, but the 1680 by 1050 resolution is also great, and only the + has that. I'm not sure which one to get anymore, based on this thread of people analyzing which one is better, there are mixed reviews of either choice. Some people think the LED screen is washed out.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=320218
I am leaning towards sticking with the WSxGA+ just because of the resolution, and I do not think I will be that picky about a CCFL vs LED screen.
For the warranty, you're saying I should get the "Mobile 1Yr Depot to Total 2Yr Depot Warranty" - which adds 69$?
The return policy is not great - they charge a 15% restocking fee.
Also, I'm going to add the bluetooth incase I need to sync my contacts or something like that, and the camera in case I ever need that (total of +50$ for both)
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. October 2009 @ 20:15 |
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LED backlit screens are rare, I wouldn't focus too much on getting one yet. A higher res for laptops is very important imo.
I didn't say anything about getting an extra warranty, I just said don't buy the Asus as it's more likely to break :P
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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3. October 2009 @ 20:21 |
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Lol yeah, I meant to edit that out, but there's no edit feature here. But do you think that it's a good idea to upgrade the warranty from 1 year to 2 years for 70 bucks?
Thanks a lot for your help!
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. October 2009 @ 20:21 |
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Depends. Usually you can get more manufacturer's warranty than that for free.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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3. October 2009 @ 20:30 |
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I'm not sure what you mean. More manufacturer's warranty? Isn't Lenovo the manufacturer? Well, I think it is technically IBM, but they have an alliance so I assume that warranty they offer IS the manufacturer warranty, right?
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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3. October 2009 @ 20:44 |
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Unless you buy direct from the manufacturer, extra warranties are usually supplied by the store.
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