Would you buy this laptop?

Yorky

Would anyone have any qualms about buying a laptop on Ebay? I've been looking locally at a Toshiba L30-10X but it would cost €600 whereas this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Packard-Bell-120Gb-1Gb-WiFi-DVD-Writer-Wscreen-Laptop_W0QQitemZ320155404379QQihZ011QQcategoryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

is SO much less.

PS

Looked again at this and it only uses Windows XP rather than Vista.

I did an internet search for the Toshiba L30-10X and it is available from Laptopsdirect.co.uk for about €50 less than locally. Has anyone bought form this company before?

It is for an Arts course so the spec. is sufficient.

Any other comments would be appreciated and thanks for any replies.

PowerHouseDan

linky not working

Yorky

fixed it now but have gone off this as only XP. What do you think of the Toshiba?

Tom Dunne

Yorky wrote:

fixed it now but have gone off this as only XP. What do you think of the Toshiba?

Toshiba are up there with the best. Having used them before, I wouldn't hesitate buying one.

You do know that laptop has a Celeron M processor? I appreciate what you are saying about it only being used for an Arts course, but just be aware it is fairly low spec.

I wouldn't put Vista on a Celeron M with only 1 Gig of RAM - it would be a very poor performer. XP is the way to go with that laptop.

Yorky

Thanks for the reply but won't XP be obselete in the near future? Also, I don't know if it is possible to get a new Toshiba without Vista.

Tom Dunne

Yorky wrote:

Thanks for the reply but won't XP be obselete in the near future? .

Not in the near future. In 3-4 years, maybe.

techman07

I am not sure if its all Vista laptops, but you can ask, as regards the laptops direct site don/t have the best reputation on here for delivery.

If you take delivery into account likely about €30 you can always ask a local dealer to match the €30.

Try these guys http://www.bms.ie/ been selling Tosh for years (no I dont work for them, but I have dealt with them) They also service and repair for Tosh in Ireland.

I have to declare up front that I am a huge Tosh fan and used them for over ten years.

Good luck

Yorky

Now more confused. Having read up on laptops, the general consensus seems to be that if you're running Vista you need a dual core processor and 2GB of RAM. Went to a local shop and they maintained a Celeron M processor and 1GB of RAM is more than adequate. Then another salesperson in the shop concurred with me! Can anyone give me a definitive answer on this?

With regard to Dell, I find they seem to be more expensive than Toshiba by the time the customizing is done and the factory outlet only had one 2GB RAM /dual core processor yesterday. Also, I've heard that the after-sales service can be frustrating (to say the least) due to the language barrier in the foreign call-centre. Has anyone any thoughts on Dell?

homehelptech

I've recently bought a Dell Latitude D630 with 2GB and the latest Centrino dual core chipset. It runs Vista Ultimate. Despite the high spec (it was expensive) it doesn't feel that fast to me. I also recently bought a few Dell 1501 laptops with twin-core AMD processors and 2GB RAM for delivering "Computers for Beginners" computer training. These have Vista Business on them and I would describe them as adequate for doing one task at a time. Based on these experiences I would not even attempt to run Vista on a Celeron M.

I also looked at laptops direct as the main alternative to Dell. In my case whenever I called Dell up they made me a very compelling offer which blew away my laptopsdirect option (they were willing to throw in something free or negotiate on price/cost of delivery). But maybe I was lucky, I don't know. It's definitely worth calling them to see what they're offering.

Both types of machine are very well built for the money.

I've only dealt with their Indian customer support people for delivery tracking but I found them really excellent when one of my deliverires went wrong. They were very proactive and called me daily to keep me informed.

Tom Dunne

Yorky wrote:

Now more confused. Having read up on laptops, the general consensus seems to be that if you're running Vista you need a dual core processor and 2GB of RAM. Went to a local shop and they maintained a Celeron M processor and 1GB of RAM is more than adequate. Then another salesperson in the shop concurred with me! Can anyone give me a definitive answer on this?

The definitive answer is yes, it will run Vista with 1Gb of RAM and a Celeron M. However, it won't be the fastest. Try opening up a few applications at the one time and it will slow down considerably. And it won't be future-proofed.

So yes, the general consensus is Dual Core and 2Gb of RAM.

Yorky wrote:

Has anyone any thoughts on Dell?

Read the Dell thread started by Killbillvol2 for a more informed opinion on Dell.

Yorky

This http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Toshiba-Satellite-P200-17C-Laptop-Notebook_W0QQitemZ270164085716QQihZ017QQcategoryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem seems like a pretty good price. Any thoughts on the price/spec? I note that that it has a Centrino processor.

Tom Dunne

Yorky wrote:

This http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Toshiba-Satellite-P200-17C-Laptop-Notebook_W0QQitemZ270164085716QQihZ017QQcategoryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem seems like a pretty good price. Any thoughts on the price/spec?

Yeah, great spec. Watch the price shoot up near the end of the auction, though.

Yorky wrote:

I note that that it has a Centrino processor.

<begin pedantic>

Centrino is actually a brand name, not a processor. Centrino=processor+other chips , bundled by Intel.

</end pedantic>

Don't say you didn't learn something new today.

Yorky

What I meant with regard to the processor was is a Centrino not dated now and not as good as the leatest tranche of dual core processors?

AlmightyCushion

Like Tom said centrino isn't a processor.

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T5450

This is the actual processor.

Tom Dunne

Yorky wrote:

What I meant with regard to the processor was is a Centrino not dated now and not as good as the leatest tranche of dual core processors?

No. To give an example, my laptop is a Pentium-M Centrino. That one is a Core 2 Duo Centrino.

They are both technically Centrinos, but different models.

Damn marketing people.

Yorky

Having considered the replies (thanks to all) I have decided against a new laptop for the following reasons: Vista and price.

I am going to buy a second hand laptop on Ebay with Windows XP. Can anyone provide an indication of price and specification for a laptop for a student doing an Arts degree? It will be used for Wireless internet access, emailing, word processing and DVD watching.

Again, any replies would be appreciated.

vir7ual

you can buy new laptops with XP.
Only thing to consider when buying a laptop 2nd hand is you have no warranty and cant gaurantee the battery life.

But dont be under the illusion you cant get a new laptop with XP, you most certainly can. It also comes with peace of mind, a warranty.

Just something to consider before you buy a 2nd hand laptop and then it dies 6 months later.

Yorky

Thanks. Any suggestions for a spec. and where to buy a new one (with XP) online?

AlmightyCushion

Yorky wrote:

Thanks. Any suggestions for a spec. and where to buy a new one (with XP) online?

For what you are looking for a cheap dell around the €600 mark will be fine.

Sonnenblumen

We're trying to select a Toshiba for college work, retailer says better to go with XP than Vista, claims the latter is problematic in WIFI areas. Is this true?

The XP model contains Intel Core Duo 1GB RAM Win XP Pro 80GB HD @ €830 or Vista with Intel Core Duo 1.2 GB RAM, 80GB HD @ €800.

Thanks for feedback.

AlmightyCushion

I've never heard of Vista having any problems with wifi and I doubt it would. It is pretty much an essential part of any laptop. As for the prices Dell cannot be bet at the moment price wise and I would go with them.

Yorky

Thanks for all of the replies. The laptop purchased is an IBM Thinkpad T30 - it has two USB ports but I'll need one of these for a memory stick. There are other ports but I don't recognise them - does anyone know how I would ascertain which is for the external keyboard and/or mouse? Assuming there are ports for the keyboard/mouse, is it just personal preference whether to use these or the USB ports?