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help buying a laptop

  • 25-01-2009 5:44pm
    #1
    peter-pantslez
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,213 ✭✭✭


    ok im looking at getting a laptop and wondering can anyone help me out or point me in the right direction.

    i will mostly just use it for internet, photos, music samll bit of word stuff and watching movies.

    my buget is €500.

    im looking for something fast with maybe about 120gb hard drive.

    and has to have windows XP.

    thanks in advance for any help given


Comments

  • #2
    Alanstrainor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,157 ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    peter-pantslez wrote: »
    and has to have windows XP.

    99% of notebooks/laptops will come with vista. Haven't seen xp machines for sale in months. You will struggle to get xp. Can i ask why you need xp? Vista is a very capable OS.


  • #3
    Aircontrol
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭Aircontrol


    Alanstrainor is right.
    You will NOT find a laptop with XP nowadays.
    Very very very rarely you might.
    Now,I dont agree with URL="http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/member.php?u=81540"]Alanstrainor[/URL] that vista is an alright OS and im using XP because i changed.
    The only thing is the drivers can be a pain in the neck trying to find with a laptop that has maybe just come out and is on Vista. But if you need XP there are so many simple ways of getting it.
    Like buying it..
    I am looking myself for another that is same budget price but can play games.
    Anyway this is a good laptop : www.acer.com/products/notebook/as5720.htm

    It comes with vista but as i said it can be changed but the drivers are the hardest part , lucklily i have this laptop and i got the drivers here [/B]Laptop Drivers: Acer Aspire 5720 Xp Driver Download

    Hope this helps.


  • #4
    mct1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭mct1


    Well, I think you'd probably be fine with a good netbook like the Dell Mini or Acer Aspire One. They're much smaller than laptops but they do everything you seem to want. And they're cheaper. And very 2009. And they mainly come with XP as they won't run Vista.

    Having said that, yesterday I bought a Dell Inspiron 1545 250GB HD with 3 GB RAM from PC World for 549 euro. It's a gorgeous machine and its predecessor the 1525 (still available) was top of PC Pro's Best Budget laptop list for months. It may be more than you need though. Have a look at the netbooks I mention. And check out the PC Pro website (nothing to do with me honest) as the last issue reviewed several of them.


  • #5
    peter-pantslez
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,213 ✭✭✭peter-pantslez


    thanks for all the replies.

    Alanstrainor, i want XP because iv tried the vista on my brothers lap top and i hate it cant find my way around it at all and iv heard lots of bad things about it.

    Aircontrol, thanks for that link to the drivers i can see that coming in handy:D

    mct1, thanks for that il try get up to pc world the weekend


  • #6
    leninbenjamin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,983 ✭✭✭leninbenjamin


    Vista's fine. it does take a couple of weeks of getting used to, but once you break that barrier you realisation all the file organisation stuff is as simple, if not easier to worth with than XP.

    on the performance point of view, just make sure there's plenty of RAM (i'd go with 3GB+ meself) and it will perform as good as XP (well almost). Myself and my father have identically speced machines, except he runs XP pro and i run Vista Home Premium, i've my machine actually booting faster than his. it just takes a few mins to go reading and tweaking some of the built in features that aren't needed (but for some stupid reason are activated on default, like tablet support).


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  • #7
    dixiefly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,951 ✭✭✭dixiefly


    Have a look at this

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SONY-VAIO-VGN-SZ230P-B-CD-1-83GHz-13-3-NOTEBOOK-LAPTOP_W0QQitemZ350157286312QQihZ022QQcategoryZ177QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262


  • #8
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,385 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    Im using the aspire one right now. Lovely little netboot, grand for browsing, music, looking at photos. Not so sure how you would like it if you were going to be watching movies alot: small screen, no CD/DVD drive

    I bought mine with linpus linux on it and only an 8gb Solid state drive and then set about putting XP on it. Not the easiest of tasks mind you but ive it up and running now with XP SP3 lite and its running no bother. I put an extra gig of RAM in it too.

    If you do go down the route of the Aspire One, save yourself the hassle and get the A150. Its got a 120Gb drive, and 1 Gb of RAM, and includes XP. For the money I think its one of the best little netbooks out there, [size=-2]havng only the advent 4211 to compare to[/size]


  • #9
    leninbenjamin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,983 ✭✭✭leninbenjamin


    Black_Knight wrote: »
    Im using the aspire one right now. Lovely little netboot, grand for browsing, music, looking at photos. Not so sure how you would like it if you were going to be watching movies alot: small screen, no CD/DVD drive

    meh... trying to watch movies on those things would be a nightmare. Personally i'd pay for something like the basic Inspiron, for around €530 you get a laptop with much more power than a netbook, a 15 inch 16:10 screen, 2GB RAM and 250GB HD, and most importantly a DVD+-RW which would be important for the movies watching. the downside is Vista of course, but it really shouldn't be the deciding factor imo.

    now that i think of it, you could get a vostro with XP pro installed, but you'd be paying a €50 eur privelege to do so, for what is essentially a weaker speced machine.


  • #10
    phill106
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,821 ✭✭✭phill106


    been leaning towards this laptop
    http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Asus_X59SL-AP338C_Laptop_X59SL-AP338C/version.asp

    which ill prob buy next week, should be ok for you too. as for the vista thing, you may as well get used to it. xp is just about gone, and windows 7 is similar to vista. I've used vista a fair bit, and as long as the computer is a current one, you shouldnt have problems with it.

    as for vostros, im typing on one now, a 1500. its ok, but the plastic feels so cheap on the outside, and i have no confidence in longterm build quality.


    ps just noticed, on the same site, there is a link there for xp laptop
    shttp://www.laptopsdirect.ie/AdvSearch/default.aspx?rewrite=xp_laptops
    skip past the mini notebooks and their is some toshibas etc there which should suit

    and yes this is like my 2nd postt about this site, but i swear i dont work for them, just been doin research for buying a laptop :)


  • #11
    Alanstrainor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,157 ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    Beware LaptopsDirect. I know i shouldn't be showing a bias against them, but my god they are a shocking crowd to deal with, both through my own experiences and others on this and the consumer issues forum. There are countless reports of dodgy dealings and non existent customer support when things go wrong, not just little things either, massive faults and there's still no talking to them.
    Consider your options before buying from them, and do a search in this forum and consumer issues. Might make you reconsider.


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