Aldi Laptop - Sunday 7 October - Medion MD96290 15.4" Multimedia Notebook

RugbyFan

Hi,

This laptop is for sale this week. My wife is also thinking of getting herself a laptop to do school related work on - she is a primary teacher. It might also be handy for her to work with her sister, who is also a teacher and they do a lot of planning together. On occasion it will probably get used with a data projecter.

Basically, for the spec is it good value? Her upper limit is €900. How good is Aldi support?

Intel® Pentium® Dual-core processor T2130, 1.86 GHz, 1MB L2 Cache and FSB 533MHz

15.4" TFT WXGA Widescreen Display
1280 × 800 pixels. 16:10 widescreen cinema format for optimized DVD playback and more desktop space on screen.

2,048MB DDR II SDRAM

160GB Hard Disk

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
128MB shared memory based on PCI-Express technology.

8 × Multi-standard DVD/CD Burner with DVD-RAM and Dual Layer support
Watch DVDs and even make your own. Reads and writes: DVD±R/±RW/±R DL/DVD-RAM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM.

Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g
Connect to the Internet without plugs or cables with Wireless LAN technology. Data transfer speeds up to 54Mbit/s (requires WLAN access point).

Integrated VGA webcam
Great for messaging programs and video conferencing. CMOS image Sensor. Video resolution 640 × 480 pixels, 30 frames/second.

More info from:

http://www.aldi.ie/images/data_product/85804134746f770b1491b6.pdf

bogman

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 poor integrated graphics
Dual-core processor T2130, 1.86 GHz Not latest technology, Intel® Core™ 2 Duo much better
2,048MB DDR II SDRAM vital in any laptop
Xp over Vista in my opinion
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055145616
Dell deals are much better value
Good luck with your choice

killbillvol2

bogman wrote:

2,048MB DDR II SDRAM vital in any laptop

Why? You recommend XP over Vista and say 2GB RAM is vital? Bull****.

Linoge

bogman wrote:

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 poor integrated graphics
Dual-core processor T2130, 1.86 GHz Not latest technology, Intel® Core™ 2 Duo much better
2,048MB DDR II SDRAM vital in any laptop
Xp over Vista in my opinion
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055145616
Dell deals are much better value
Good luck with your choice

I agree. I got a vostro (yes I know... yawn...). Includes a 256mb graphics card and bluetooth for 850.

There are better deals to be had, by far. In fact, very poor offering altogether.

Re: XP over Vista - Personal opinion there really. Vista is horrible to get used to , but its here to stay so get used to it IMO!!

As for 2gb RAM. Is vital for Vista.

mcR

killbillvol2 wrote:

Why? You recommend XP over Vista and say 2GB RAM is vital? Bull****.

I have to agree vista is terrible well maybe for me, it's freezes more and programs aren't the best running on vista, even the made for vista ones are crap. I do think for vista it will help to have 2GB Ram but not really needed

OP I'd stay clear of vista if you want to keep things simple and stick with xp

I'd go dell, their doin new laptops with xp again now and for a 900 euro budget you will get a far better machine than this one or better yet a equal cheaper one. Check out here for good deals on dell laptops, you'll find a much better deal

Also i'd look for a latop with at least 2MB L2 Cache and a fast FSB, thats if you want the laptop to stand up the test of time

majiktripp

RugbyFan wrote:

How good is Aldi support?[/URL]

Horrendous.

These laptops used to be good value a few years ago , hell in 2005 I bought one in Lidl, that lasted 6 months.... Dude , Buy a Dell.

TerrorFirmer

I feel so dirty for continuously pimping dell but....Vostros, Vostros....VOSTROS

junkster12345

have a look in the bargain alerts area of boards.ie , there is a dell thread there updated daily with promotional codes, i got a laptop for my bro with a very similar spec to the one you posted but mine had a 256 graphics card and truelife colour screen 2 gig ram and dual core processor 160g hhrd drive and all the rest, trust me, dont buy the aldi one, go with a dell, only down side is there is a 2-4 week wait on dell for certain machines, but its worth the wait hands down, go with what people are telling you and go with a dell, you wont go far wrong.

Tom Dunne

bogman wrote:

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 poor integrated graphics
Dual-core processor T2130, 1.86 GHz Not latest technology, Intel® Core™ 2 Duo much better
2,048MB DDR II SDRAM vital in any laptop
Xp over Vista in my opinion
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055145616
Dell deals are much better value
Good luck with your choice

About the only thing that is true in the above is the bit about Dell deals.

The rest is utter nonsense.

AlmightyCushion

tom dunne wrote:

About the only thing that is true in the above is the bit about Dell deals.

The rest is utter nonsense.

I disagree, the graphics are terrible and the core 2 duos are a far better processor. I still agree with the dell part.

Tom Dunne

AlmightyCushion wrote:

I disagree, the graphics are terrible and the core 2 duos are a far better processor.

For school work? It will do the job just fine. Still poor value for money.

AlmightyCushion

tom dunne wrote:

For school work? It will do the job just fine. Still poor value for money.

It's more than enough for some college work and yes it is poor value for money but then again what isn't when you compare it to a vostro.

Tom Dunne

AlmightyCushion wrote:

It's more than enough for some college work

What would you know about college work?

AlmightyCushion

tom dunne wrote:

What would you know about college work?

If you must know, Mr Dunne if that is your real name, I know loads about college work thank you very much.











My classmates tell me all about it.

bogman

tom dunne wrote:

About the only thing that is true in the above is the bit about Dell deals.

The rest is utter nonsense.

Maybe you should rename yourself to IKNOWITALL
Instead of being negative why did you not offer the person posting the thread advice
If you think the rest in nonsense then you are letting us know that you know S.F.A
I will admit that 1gm of ram will suffice but 2 will remain my choice, the remainder of my advice is unchanged old man

Tom Dunne

bogman wrote:

Maybe you should rename yourself to IKNOWITALL

How about I change my name to I KNOW A HELL OF A LOT MORE THAN YOU DO

bogman wrote:

Instead of being negative why did you not offer the person posting the thread advice

I did - I told the OP to ingore pretty much everything you say.

bogman wrote:

If you think the rest in nonsense then you are letting us know that you know S.F.A

ROFL.

You completely ignore the fact that the above spec will suffice for what the OP intended. There is no debate as to the merits of one CPU vs. another, or the merits of the graphics card. The question asked is whether the above spec of a laptop is good value, given the intended purpose. Any low- to mid-range CPU will suffice, as will any graphics card for this purpose.

Simple office-type applications do not need the latest and greatest CPU, nor do they need anything more than the basic integrated graphics card. So your points about the CPU not being the latest technology is irrelevant. Here's a crazy idea - not everybody needs the latest technology.

There are also the minor detail of the long wait for Dell Vostro delivery, vs. walking into an Aldi and picking it up there and then (queues not withstanding).

bogman wrote:

I will admit that 1gm of ram will suffice but 2 will remain my choice, the remainder of my advice is unchanged old man

After all that.

superweld

right i am no expert, so what exactly is bad value about this? i just went on to the dell website and picked a similiar spec notebook and once you add a bag and mouse and some other essentials then this aldi price is very good and you gets loads of decent software which you don't from dell. the processor may be slightly worse than some of the current dell offers but the dell ones work out more expensive so..... someone explain please? and also, since when did everyone start liking dell? up to recently they were slammed for being crap no matter how much they cost!

RugbyFan

Thanks everyone for all your help.

If I take Superweld's point that in fact the value might be okay considering what's included then I should still probably still go Vostro because at least I get to choose the spec!

superweld

RugbyFan wrote:

Thanks everyone for all your help.

If I take Superweld's point that in fact the value might be okay considering what's included then I should still probably still go Vostro because at least I get to choose the spec!

what vostro are you going for? are people ordering these from america?

AlmightyCushion

superweld wrote:

what vostro are you going for? are people ordering these from america?

They are available on dell.ie. They are in the business section.

superweld

AlmightyCushion wrote:

They are available on dell.ie. They are in the business section.

oh i was just wondering because those prices are excluding vat since they're in the business section so the vostras are farily expensive really. so i was thinking maybe people were ordering them from america since the dollar is weak or something, basically since the original post in this thread was a query about a low priced laptop.... the jump to a vostra seems excessive.

AlmightyCushion

superweld wrote:

oh i was just wondering because those prices are excluding vat since they're in the business section so the vostras are farily expensive really. so i was thinking maybe people were ordering them from america since the dollar is weak or something, basically since the original post in this thread was a query about a low priced laptop.... the jump to a vostra seems excessive.

What are you talking about? The vostros are fantastic value for money. I ordered one the other day for my sister and it is a great laptop for the money. It even came with a 3 years business warranty (I could have shaved about €150 by getting rid of this but mum insisted). Hell I even tried to get an inspiron 6400 for the same price and it had a much worse spec.

superweld

AlmightyCushion wrote:

What are you talking about? The vostros are fantastic value for money. I ordered one the other day for my sister and it is a great laptop for the money. It even came with a 3 years business warranty (I could have shaved about €150 by getting rid of this but mum insisted). Hell I even tried to get an inspiron 6400 for the same price and it had a much worse spec.

how much did you spend on it though? you're probably right about value for money, i won't argue there, but if someone wants to spend approx 750 on a laptop then is the aldi offer not good at €729.99 ? (i'm assuming that the vostro cost you at least a grand)

AlmightyCushion

superweld wrote:

how much did you spend on it though? you're probably right about value for money, i won't argue there, but if someone wants to spend approx 750 on a laptop then is the aldi offer not good at €729.99 ? (i'm assuming that the vostro cost you at least a grand)

€711. Here's the spec.

AMD® Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL60
Genuine Windows Vista® Business - English
3 Year Business Hardware Support - Next Business Day
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
2048MB 533 MHz Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
ATI Radeon® Xpress 1150 HyperMemory (integrated)
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
6 cell Lithium-Ion Battery (53 Whr)

TerrorFirmer

For about 750 you can get a Vostros with 2ghz core 2 duo, 2gb ram and 8400gs video card

Processor - dumps all over the aldi one
Ram - same
Video card - tears the aldi one to shreds with its teeth

The Aldi offer is actually very....not a great offer.

superweld

AlmightyCushion wrote:

€711. Here's the spec.

AMD® Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL60
Genuine Windows Vista® Business - English
3 Year Business Hardware Support - Next Business Day
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
2048MB 533 MHz Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
ATI Radeon® Xpress 1150 HyperMemory (integrated)
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
6 cell Lithium-Ion Battery (53 Whr)

that's pretty good actually, i just went through the same spec and got it to work out at 771.98 as i added a bag and true life but still pretty good. i'm not sure what the difference between vista home and business is but i doubt it's a problem.