New laptop

Michael O Leary · 25-10-2007 3:50pm #1

Hi all,

I want to buy a laptop for my girlfriend for her birthday next Friday. I was told by someone in PC world that Sony, HP and Toshiba and the three best names to go for and that if she is not interested in playing games, graphics etc, then a good laptop will cost about €1500.

Any suggestions, comments?

Regards,

Michael
www.iewto.org

TerrorFirmer · 25-10-2007 3:59pm

I honestly wonder if the staff in PC World could possibly be any thicker.

1,500 would get you a very nice gaming laptop. But seeing as you don't want that, you'd get a good, solid reliable laptop for about 700-1k depending on what you value - hardware spec's, asthetics, etc.

What's your budget, what are the intended uses?

First rule - avoid PC World. Their prices would be hilarious if it wasn't for the said fact that people go in there reliant on the info these spanners churn out. They do have some decently priced budget laptops but for higher end ones, they will charge you crazy prices.

AlmightyCushion · 25-10-2007 4:00pm

Well there was your first problem. You went to pc world. Stay away from there. What exactly will she be using it for? If she's not really into gaming then you won't need to go over a grand.

Michael O Leary · 25-10-2007 4:07pm

Hi folks,

Thanks for the advice so far.

She just really wants it for home use and also for doing stuff in college.

I would also like it to be able to store pictures, music, movies and to look really sexy. The laptop, not me. :-)

Thanks,

Michael
www.iewto.org

majiktripp · 25-10-2007 4:08pm

Michael O Leary wrote: »

Hi all,

I want to buy a laptop for my girlfriend for her birthday next Friday. I was told by someone in PC world that Sony, HP and Toshiba and the three best names to go for and that if she is not interested in playing games, graphics etc, then a good laptop will cost about €1500.
www.iewto.org

Honestly do you have to sell your soul to work in PC World? €1500 would buy you a cracker of a laptop but also €500-€600 would buy you a nice little runner from Dell for web browsing,office word processing etc, just don't expect too much from it.
As for the Three Brands named, HA! Conveniently the ones that PC World sell but sure everything else is rubbish right....

kev_s88 · 25-10-2007 4:08pm

if you're talking a decent laptop, go Dell.they're hard to beat on price and quality.unlike PC world!!! (shower of bastards)

check out the dell inspirons or vostros.vostro are a bit more expensive but they are full of quality!!

majiktripp · 25-10-2007 4:09pm

We just got a Dell Vostro 1400 into the office here and its a very nice looking machine, check Dells website and have a look at it, along with the offer codes you see floating around in the Bargains alerts section you should find a winner!

TerrorFirmer · 25-10-2007 4:12pm

Yeah I was going to suggest the 1400, nice and compact 14.1" screen, and for about 900 you'd be able to kit it out very well and get some accidental cover or extended warranty with it. The other Vostos are good value too, but for her purposes the 1400 would be the best. Most compact. You could also get a Vostro 1000 for much, much cheaper and it'd still serve her purposes great but will be bigger then the 1400.

christophicus · 25-10-2007 4:18pm

kev_s88 wrote: »

if you're talking a decent laptop, go Dell.they're hard to beat on price and quality.unlike PC world!!! (shower of bastards)

check out the dell inspirons or vostros.vostro are a bit more expensive but they are full of quality!!

Vostros are cheaper then Inspirions .

kev_s88 · 25-10-2007 4:19pm

not if you add on the VAT.well the one im looking at at the moment is'nt anyways

christophicus · 25-10-2007 4:20pm

The one I got was well cheaper.

AlmightyCushion · 25-10-2007 4:21pm

Here's a vostro 1400 that will more than suit her needs. It's €750 excluding vat and delivery. You could shave over a €100 of that if you drop the warranty down to a one year.

AlmightyCushion · 25-10-2007 4:22pm

kev_s88 wrote: »

not if you add on the VAT.well the one im looking at at the moment is'nt anyways

The vostros are cheaper. What one are you looking at?

TheDriver · 25-10-2007 4:26pm

found a nice one on dell, throw on a 3 year warranty, truelife screen and better battery and should get it for 697 all in. Look up dell.ie/epp and put in 305-n1015017 for the evalue code, its a cracking looking machine, free laptop bag and all. Unless anyone thinks otherwise??

TheDriver · 25-10-2007 4:30pm

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Here's a vostro 1400 that will more than suit her needs. It's €750 excluding vat and delivery. You could shave over a €100 of that if you drop the warranty down to a one year.

Was looking at warranty, 3 years for price of 2 yet its 10 euro to change? hahaha!!

kev_s88 · 25-10-2007 4:36pm

it was a 1500.i had it nicely built up so it was about 800euro ex.VAT. and the inspiron i had built up to the same specs was cheaper.not sure what inspiron it was though

lovetwix · 25-10-2007 5:46pm

I guess girls may like inspiron more

get a lovely color cover,

and vostro looks a little bit boring.. but anyway...never buy laptops from pc world... bear in mind that 1500 euro could get you a great gaming machine if you buy it from right place.. and a 700-800 euro vostro 14/1500 or a 800-900 inspiron 1520 is your best choice..

B00MSTICK · 25-10-2007 7:07pm

Ordered my gf one (a Vostro) yesterday for €506 incl del/vat. Its the most basic but if all she'll be doing is net/word/dvd/music etc then its more than sufficient.

Peter Walczak · 26-10-2007 8:55am

Right... You're saying "avoid PC world", that's fair... But if I'm to buy a laptop I'd like to go to a shop, pick up one and take it home with me. I wouldn't like to wait for the delivery. Now, the question is, what other shops are worth dropping into? Preferably in Laoise area.

BostonB · 26-10-2007 9:08am

Michael O Leary wrote: »

Hi folks,

....to look really sexy. The laptop, not me. :-)...

I think the Sony's look better and you can get a decent spec under the 1000

If image is important. You'd get more hardware for cheaper with a Dell though.

TheDriver · 26-10-2007 9:27am

Shops will always be dearer and you may not get exactly whatyou want as they don'#t build them to order

Tom Dunne · 26-10-2007 10:01am

kev_s88 wrote: »

(shower of bastards)

No need for that, please keep it civil.

Peter Walczak wrote: »

Right... You're saying "avoid PC world", that's fair... But if I'm to buy a laptop I'd like to go to a shop, pick up one and take it home with me. I wouldn't like to wait for the delivery. Now, the question is, what other shops are worth dropping into? Preferably in Laoise area.

Generally speaking, you pay more for the "privilege" of walking into a shop. Have a look at the stickies and quit hijacking this thread.

To the OP: paying anything over €800 for a laptop for what your girlfriend will be doing is nothing short of madness. Remember the PC World staff are salespeople and it is in their interest to sell you the more expensive item. I really can't blame them for this, but they are giving incredibly biased advice, and it's not in your favour.

New laptop

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