Need a laptop for college...

antomorro-sei

Howaya's!

I want/need to get a laptop for college. I've around 700 quid to spend I suppose, but that'd have to cover everything like anti-virus and bags etc.

I was looking at these two mainly: http://www.laptops4students.ie/stud_bun1.html and http://ecomm.euro.dell.com/dellstore/basket.aspx?c=ie&cs=iedhs1&l=en&s=dhs&itemtype=CFG&oid=cdb178bb-f693-4fcd-971c-ee1c36597346

Also, what's better to use, Vista or XP? I really don't know

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Anto

Alanstrainor

The link to the Dell doesn't work. You can't link us to stuff in your basket...
As for the xp/vista decision, i'd go with a vista machine with an upgrade to windows 7 (Which is windows Vistas replacement).

antomorro-sei

Oh sorry, ehm the Dell one is an Inspiron 15

The Big Red Button

I don't know much about laptops in general, but I just bought the Dell Inspiron 1545 a couple of weeks ago and so far I love it! I got it in Currys, it was €499, €640 altogether including Norton 360 anti-virus and Microsoft Office.

It's got Vista Premium - if you want to upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out, you need to get this rather than the basic Vista.

I'm sure you could probably get it cheaper online, the reason I got it in Currys is because they seem to have a very good coverplan. That's costing me another €147 over ten months, and gives cover for three years. That's optional though obviously.

I got a very good bag in Tesco for €15, a wireless mouse in Argos for €20 and I'm sorted!

If you've any specific questions about it just ask me.

Make sure you go for the 1545 rather than the 1525, as the 1525 has only Basic Vista and no webcam.

Edit: I was also considering the Compaq one you have linked to, however that only has 2GB memory compared to 3GB ... as far as I remember they were fairly similar apart from that.
Also edited very wrong figure for coverplan, thanks McSandwich!

Ricky91t

The dell link isn't working and the other laptop for the price is crap,It's all "bundled" with stuff which is shown at the RRP to make it look better,Where as you could get a dell for 460 and then get this : http://www.software4students.ie/Microsoft_Office_Enterprise_2007-details.aspx for 510 and you've got around 200 to get a rucksack memory stick etc.

gerrymadden1

If you can pick up one of these you won't go far wrong...

http://ireland.aldi.com/ie/html/offers/2827_10001.htm

I couldn't wait & ended up paying €800 for a Toshiba which I've grown fond of.

My friend was more patient & bought 2 of these. They are superb!!!

The IT guys where I work are all waiting to buy one of these next time round.

McSandwich

chatterpillar wrote: »

I don't know much about laptops in general, but I just bought the Dell Inspiron 1545 a couple of weeks ago and so far I love it! I got it in Currys, it was €499, €640 altogether including Norton 360 anti-virus and Microsoft Office.

It's got Vista Premium - if you want to upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out, you need to get this rather than the basic Vista.

I'm sure you could probably get it cheaper online, the reason I got it in Currys is because they seem to have a very good coverplan. That's costing me another €470 over ten months, and gives cover for three years. That's optional though obviously.

€470 for an extended warranty :eek: , is that correct? (I ask because that's only €19 less than what you paid for the laptop) What does it cover?

Given how quickly computer hardware depreciates, if your laptop should die after the standard 1 year warranty period, €470 would be enough to replace it with the latest model including Windows 8 or whatever.

[edit]If you bought recently, you can cancel an extended warranty during the cooling off period. [/edit]

Also, your college will more than likely have a software licensing agreements which allows you to use certain software for free or purchase it at low cost. (For Trinity see: http://www.tcd.ie/iss/purchase/student_software.php)

Also see:
http://www.software4students.ie/FAQ.aspx
http://www.software4students.ie/dreamspark.aspx

The Big Red Button

McSandwich wrote: »

€470 for an extended warranty :eek: , is that correct? (I ask because that's only €19 less than what you paid for the laptop) What does it cover?

Given how quickly computer hardware depreciates, if your laptop should die after the standard 1 year warranty period, €470 would be enough to replace it with the latest model including Windows 8 or whatever.

[edit]If you bought recently, you can cancel an extended warranty during the cooling off period. [/edit]

Whoops - pretty major typo there!

The warranty is costing me €147 altogether, but that covers any kind of loss or damage or theft, like if I drunkenly spill a pint over it or drop it or anything they will repair or replace as often as necessary over the next three years. As I'm pretty accident-prone, I think it's worth it.

I'll go back and edit that now!!!

antomorro-sei

Cheers for the replies lads. So, I'm thinking now that I'll get the Dell Inspiron 1545, with Vista Premium so that it can be updated to Windows 7.

Ricky91t

antomorro-sei wrote: »

Cheers for the replies lads. So, I'm thinking now that I'll get the Dell Inspiron 1545, with Vista Premium so that it can be updated to Windows 7.

I've read a few bad reviews on the Dell inspiron 15 not sure which model though,There is/was an issue with the hinges and it seems any issues with the studio have been seen to,For one the touch sensitive controls have been removed on the 1555 and replaces with FN functions so it might be a safer bet and save you from being laptopless is something does happen to the inspiron,It seems dell but a bit more thought into the studios and precisions etc

Just my opinion though

dazzday

antomorro-sei wrote: »

Howaya's!

I want/need to get a laptop for college. I've around 700 quid to spend I suppose, but that'd have to cover everything like anti-virus and bags etc.

I was looking at these two mainly: http://www.laptops4students.ie/stud_bun1.html and http://ecomm.euro.dell.com/dellstore/basket.aspx?c=ie&cs=iedhs1&l=en&s=dhs&itemtype=CFG&oid=cdb178bb-f693-4fcd-971c-ee1c36597346

Also, what's better to use, Vista or XP? I really don't know

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Anto

In terms of antivirus, dont be fooled into buying Norton, Mcfree or similar. A number of free programs do the job better and using less resources (norton in particular can sorely slow down you performance).
When getting your new laptop use a free program like decrapifier to clean up the system of all the bloatware that comes with it (MS office free trial,Norton, manufacturer software etc)...just google anything you are unsure about.
Then install some of the following free programs: (not an exhaustive list...just search boards and you'll find loads of esential and useful free software)

AVG/Avira/Avast......all these are free lightweight anti-virus programs that majority of people here use. Whatever one you choose is really personal preference as they all have their own small advantages.

Spybot/Superantispyware/adaware/malwarebytes....these are your anti-spyware software to stop trojans etc. Probably best to use a couple to complement each other to make sure they find everything.

Comodo...this is a free firewall to protect access incoming and outgoing. For a regular home user, the standard windows firewall is sufficient enough protection more than likely.

CCleaner...your crap cleaner. Allows you to clean up all your cookiies, browser historys etc easily. Also acts as a registry cleaner (with a backup) and as a very handy program remover.

Openoffice...your free office package totally compatible with MS office, including Word, spreadsheets etc. Did i mention its free?!

You will save yourself a nice bit of cash which could go to getting a better spec model and have a very solid protection plan for your laptop, as i think most people here will agree.

McSandwich

chatterpillar wrote: »

Whoops - pretty major typo there!

The warranty is costing me €147 altogether, but that covers any kind of loss or damage or theft, like if I drunkenly spill a pint over it or drop it or anything they will repair or replace as often as necessary over the next three years. As I'm pretty accident-prone, I think it's worth it.

I'll go back and edit that now!!!

That sounds a lot better!

pontovic

Now, allow me to be helpful yet blunt.

Firstly, don't go anywhere near PC world or Curry's to buy a laptop. Only mugs go in there. *no offence

Secondly, check out www.laptopmag.com where you can read extensive reviews of the best laptops and let that help you make a decision.

I don't know what your needs are but I would imagine something portable enough so that you can take it around with you, a small footprint on a desk and something that has enough poke to keep you going.

My first recommendation would be to go for a Macbook but you may be a couple of hundred euro short especially if you want to buy a new one (maybe get a second hand one?).

I would consider the following:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=492731

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=492709

Or the Samsung N510 which is coming out soon but cannot be found anywhere now. Packs more grunt that the 2 above especially for gaming if that's important to you.

Good luck with it and if you need help just shout.

antomorro-sei

I was thinking this...

Dell Inspiron 1545 which is costing me 503euro, with theis spec:

Base Intel® Celeron Dual Core T3000 (1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache)
Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 (64 BIT) - English
Memory 4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
Keyboard Internal UK English Qwerty Keyboard
Video Card Intel Integrated GMA 4500MHD
Hard Drive 250GB (5,400rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Optical Devices DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)
Wireless Networking Dell Wireless 1397 Mini Card (802.11 b/g)
Cables 1 Meter Power Cord - UK
Shipping Documents English - Documentation Inspiron 1545
Standard Warranty 1Yr Limited Warranty - Collect & Return
Enhanced Service Packs 1 Year Limited Warranty - Collect & Return
PalmRest Black palmrest
Bluetooth Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Module
Order Information Inspiron 1545 Order - Ireland
Primary Battery 4-cell 24WHr Li-Ion primary battery
Carrying Cases No Carry Case
Dell System Media Kit Inspiron 1545 Resource DVD (Diagnostic & Drivers)
Camera 1.3 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera
Colour Choice Black Colour with Matte Finish
Accidental Damage Support No Accidental Damage Support
Online Backup DataSafe Online Backup 2GB 1 year
Labels Wireless Label - Celeron Dual Core
LCD 15.6" Widescreen WXGA CCFL (1366 x 768) TFT Display with TrueLife™
DataSafe (Services Owned) Datasafe Local 2.0 Basic
Microsoft Application Software Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word)
Protect your new PC No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
Power Supply 65W AC Adaptor

It seems decent enough to me anyway, what do ye reckon?

After that though, I was considering, for another 50 quid to make it a 320GB Hard Drive and add a 6-cell Battery. Any advantage/point of doing this?

Ciaran500

You should be looking for a Core 2 Duo in that price range, not a Celeron.

peejay1986

Ciaran500 wrote: »

You should be looking for a Core 2 Duo in that price range, not a Celeron.

Agreed! You need a Core2Duo in this day and age. You won't last long on a Celeron. Also, I'd seriously consider upping the 4-Cell battery as thats very low capacity and will only get you an hour I'd imagine.

antomorro-sei

peejay1986 wrote: »

Agreed! You need a Core2Duo in this day and age. You won't last long on a Celeron. Also, I'd seriously consider upping the 4-Cell battery as thats very low capacity and will only get you an hour I'd imagine.

Hmm, right cheers, I ain't too sure on what the Core2Duo is tbh.

One of ye can choose a laptop for me :pac:

Ricky91t

antomorro-sei wrote: »

Hmm, right cheers, I ain't too sure on what the Core2Duo is tbh.

One of ye can choose a laptop for me :pac:

Get an order in Quick I ordered mine 3 days ago and it's EDD(Estimated Delivery Date) is 17/09 which is 3 days before I start college!

I went for the Studio 1555(can't stand the look of the inspiron 15's) and couldn't afford the core 2 duo,I went for Intel Pentium Processor T4200 (2.0GHz, 800MHz, 1MB cache) just because I was on a budget and couldn't justify spending €90 more on a Core 2 Duo when I've been using a 1.6ghz atom processor for the last 8 months.

I'd recommend this Inspiron 1545 system..

You could add ram and a HD if you want but that system is fine for a student,It all comes down to a budget