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I'm really sorry, but I badly need a new laptop, and boards always delivers!
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16-08-2011 12:49pm#1My current laptop is in a bad way. The hard drive is dying (I can hear that wheeze-click-click-click) from it constantly, it's very slow (despite having barely anything installed on it etc) and I can't shut it down, because when I start it up again, it's just whole worlds of blue-screen. I've been sleeping it for quite a while now. When I could still shut it down, it took about 35-40 minutes, just to bloody start up. Worst of all, the battery lasts about 20 minutes. The battery lasted 2-2.5 hours for about 2 years, until the HD started to die, and then all of a sudden I got 'consider replacing your battery' and that went to **** too.
I promise I did read through pages and pages of older threads before starting this one. I didn't find much there though. I'm going into my final year in college and I want something reliable. I need the laptop mainly for college, but I do spend a lot of time online etc too, so I definitely want to get a good machine, as opposed to a bog-standard one that'll do word-processing and little else. My current laptop has a 15.6 inch screen and I like that, but I definitely wouldn't be adverse to it being smaller and lighter, as I carry it in and out of college every day, all of my college work is done (and will be done) on it.
Key things I'm looking for, with about €700-€800 to spend
- BATTERY LIFE - This is, like, key. It just makes it so handy not having to worry about it giving way during 2-hour lectures, or having to charge it in the middle of the day. I'd be happy to buy a good laptop, then pay more to ensure the battery is really, really good.
- A not too small screen
- Very, very quick and responsive doing the basics - word processing, listening to music, and internet browsing. These three tasks, coupled with a small bit of football manager and photoshop, constitute like 95% of what I use my laptop for.
- High spec would be nice. 4GB Ram, a good processor, etc.
- Study, portable, reliable in terms of, eh, not crashing, that sort of thing. I like how thin, sleek, portable Macs are.
I'm really tempted by a Macbook Pro, purely because it's light, fast, reliable, and has sick battery life. Over €1k just for the base-price, entry-level model seems a bit much though. A good few people have said to me that I'd be mad paying €1k for that Macbook when I can get a better spec PC for less than that. That's kinda what I'm hoping for here
Sorry if that's very tl;dr. Just trying to get everything in there. Any help at all would be really, really appreciated!0
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The Travelmate from Acer is probably worth a look. 14" screen and decent battery life (7-8hrs) as well, with a 2nd generation i3 processor.
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Acer_TravelMate_TimelineX_8473T_1102199.html
(Warning not available here currently) What would be really ideal is the Asus U31, but there are no Asus laptops with second generation sandybridges to be found anywhere in the Uk/Ireland as yet
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Hi OP
This ASUS will meet your criteria me thinks;)
Processor Intel® Core™ i5-460M Dual Core (2.53GHz, 3MB Cache, with Intel Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz)
Screen 13.3" (ASUS Color-Shine, 1366x768 HD, LED Backlit)
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
RAM 4GB (DDR3 1066MHZ)
Hard Drive 500GB
Graphics Dedicated (NVIDIA® GeForce® 310M with 1GB DDR Dedicated Memory)
Wireless LAN Wireless (802.11b/g/n Wireless)
Network Card 10/100/1000 Gigabit Fast Ethernet
Integrated Webcam Integrated Webcam with Microphone
Card Reader 5-in-1 card reader (SD//MS/MS-Pro/MMC/xD-Picture card™)
USB Ports 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB 3.0 Port
Speakers Integrated Stereo Speakers
VGA Port 1 External VGA Port
Kensington Lock Kensington lock slot
Charge Time 2.5 Hours
HDMI 1x HDMI Port
Warranty ASUS 2 Year Global Hardware Warranty
Battery Life 7-8 Hours (up to 8 hours with power management)
Weight 1-2 Kg (This Model 1.75 Kg)
Please note: Battery life depends on usage. We quote maximum battery life as stated by the manufacturer. Some Laptops may achieve substantially less whilst running demanding applications.
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/ASUS_U33JC-RX126V_1008194.html
I really hope that the screen is not too small:)0 -
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Hey, thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!marco_polo wrote: »The Travelmate from Acer is probably worth a look. 14" screen and decent battery life (7-8hrs) as well, with a 2nd generation i3 processor.
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Acer_TravelMate_TimelineX_8473T_1102199.html
(Warning not available here currently) What would be really ideal is the Asus U31, but there are no Asus laptops with second generation sandybridges to be found anywhere in the Uk/Ireland as yet.
Is i3 what I should be looking for, then? I had a read of the sticky topic and it suggests Intel's current batch are i3, i5 and i7. On that basis alone I was kind of aiming for i5 with 4GB RAM just as a ballpark figure to aim at. That Acer above only had 3GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive which seems a little small, too. I've also had some bad experiences with Acer in the past. The Asus does seem a lot nicer, unfortunately!jarecki1976 wrote: »Hi OP
This ASUS will meet your criteria me thinks;)
That is a very nice laptop to be fair! Screen size bigger than the most affordable macbook so not too small, no!
Idk though, maybe I thought I'd get better, but for €800, is this a good deal? Is ASUS a good make, with this kind of spec, for that money? It's not far off the grand or so needed to afford a Mac.
Again, thanks for any help, I really do appreciate it! Been hunting all day and not really getting anywhere on my own!0 -
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Sorry for continuing to posting hard to find laptops
, but the MSI 460DX is a styish piece of kit as well. Can't find it elsewhere at the moment and not in stock here just yet (Its pretty well brand new model), tis a bit expensive alright and nearly in mac territory, but it might crop up elsewhere a bit cheaper.
http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/20_121/productdetails/80003302/MSI_X460DX_033NL_14_i5_2410M_4GB_640GB_GT540_1_W7/X460DX_033NL/default.aspx0 -
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Jared Rancid Quake wrote: »Hey, thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!
Is i3 what I should be looking for, then? I had a read of the sticky topic and it suggests Intel's current batch are i3, i5 and i7. On that basis alone I was kind of aiming for i5 with 4GB RAM just as a ballpark figure to aim at. That Acer above only had 3GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive which seems a little small, too. I've also had some bad experiences with Acer in the past. The Asus does seem a lot nicer, unfortunately!
No bother I probably didn't read your full list of requirements closely enough. Acer can be a bit hit and miss alright although I find their higher end stuff of quite decent, though so you are quite entitled to your no go brands as i have mine 
That is a very nice laptop to be fair! Screen size bigger than the most affordable macbook so not too small, no!
Idk though, maybe I thought I'd get better, but for €800, is this a good deal? Is ASUS a good make, with this kind of spec, for that money? It's not far off the grand or so needed to afford a Mac.
Again, thanks for any help, I really do appreciate it! Been hunting all day and not really getting anywhere on my own!
Asus are a quality brand alright, although that one above is a slightly overpriced for for a first generation i5 IMO.0 -
marco_polo wrote: »Sorry for continuing to posting hard to find laptops, but the MSI 460DX is a styish piece of kit as well. Can't find it elsewhere at the moment and not in stock here just yet (Its pretty well brand new model), tis a bit expensive but it might crop up elsewhere and maybe a bit cheaper.
http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/20_121/productdetails/80003302/MSI_X460DX_033NL_14_i5_2410M_4GB_640GB_GT540_1_W7/X460DX_033NL/default.aspx
Specs
Again, sorry for my ignorance, but: this is still only i5, 4GB DDR3, and it's 6-cell. What is it that makes this better than previous ones mentioned? Does it get to a point where it's about the make/brand etc? Thanks a million for your help, regardless of whether the laptop's available of not!
Yeah, I had a look at these, but tbh, I don't think I'd be willing to go down to a poorer processor, 2GB ram, and only 128GB (flash, which is apparently slower?) storage, just for it to be light and portable. The MacBook pro light and portable is plenty light and portable for me, I also want it to be a good machine! But thanks for your help
I guess I'm very tempted to spend the €1100 on a MacBook Pro but I've always been told (and have always bought windows machine because of this) that for far, far less money you can get far better machines. If I'm paying €800-900 for machines that seem to be about the same spec (now I'm totally open to being completely wrong here, I'm just reading speclists, I'm definitely open to the idea that I've got this wrong) I might just pay the €200 or so more and get the mac. If I could get a far better machine for a bit less, or as good of a machine (i.e. 6-7 hours battery life, excellent size/weight/portability/ 4GB DDR3 Ram, i5 processor) for significantly less then I'd ditch the mac.
Thanks for all the help, been some excellent food for thought!0 -
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Jared Rancid Quake wrote: »Again, sorry for my ignorance, but: this is still only i5, 4GB DDR3, and it's 6-cell. What is it that makes this better than previous ones mentioned? Does it get to a point where it's about the make/brand etc? Thanks a million for your help, regardless of whether the laptop's available of not!
Yeah, I had a look at these, but tbh, I don't think I'd be willing to go down to a poorer processor, 2GB ram, and only 128GB (flash, which is apparently slower?) storage, just for it to be light and portable. The MacBook pro light and portable is plenty light and portable for me, I also want it to be a good machine! But thanks for your help
I guess I'm very tempted to spend the €1100 on a MacBook Pro but I've always been told (and have always bought windows machine because of this) that for far, far less money you can get far better machines. If I'm paying €800-900 for machines that seem to be about the same spec (now I'm totally open to being completely wrong here, I'm just reading speclists, I'm definitely open to the idea that I've got this wrong) I might just pay the €200 or so more and get the mac. If I could get a far better machine for a bit less, or as good of a machine (i.e. 6-7 hours battery life, excellent size/weight/portability/ 4GB DDR3 Ram, i5 processor) for significantly less then I'd ditch the mac.
Thanks for all the help, been some excellent food for thought!
Just showing you long life ultra portables at the moment. Good laptops that are thin, lightweight, and have a very long battery life with a good spec are fairly rare and carry a price premium. (Acually that MSi also has a dedicated gaming grade graphics card which is probably adding to the price as well). That and the selection of laptops that meet these criteria are pretty small this side of the pond.
As an example somthing like the Lennovo Z370 is very similar spec wise to what I have been posting so far, but at the lower price is a little heaver, a little less stylish and with a lesser batter life (But still quite decent )).
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Lenovo_IdeaPad_Z370_1091025.html0 -
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Marco and Overheal, thanks a bunch, lads.
Right, based on what you guys have said (and help from other poor generous souls around various forums) I've narrowed it down to three:
MacBook Air, 13-inch
1.8GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
256GB flash storage
Intel HD Graphics 3000
€1,420
MacBook Pro, 13-inch
2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
€1,349
MacBook Pro, 15-inch
2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB 5400-rpm1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
Built-in battery (7 hours)2
€1,618
I've decided against the initial 13-inch MBP I posted above. I want (and will definitely use) a 500GB HD, so with that in the initial 13inch, it comes to €1124. I'm happy to pay €200 more or so to up the processor from a 2.3GHz i5 to a 2.7GHz i7.
However, a lot of people have been recommending the MacBook Air. No disc drive would put me off, but I honestly don't think I've used my disc drive in months. Also, 256GB Flash Storage. I know Flash Storage is far quicker (especially booting up) than a normal HD, but are there any other differences? 256GB would be really pushing it in terms of HD size, but I could manage. If I could get more storage out of the Air I would, but 256GB is the max. I'm sketchy about the Air - anyone have any opinions on it? I was asking in a Mac-specific thread (not on a Mac forum, on a forum of people I would trust tbh) who were all recommending the Air over the Pro.
Apart from the Air, it's just a choice between 15 and 13 inches. I think I'll go into the store and have a go of both to see which feels better.
One last thing: there's two models of 13inch MBPros, and as I said above, I was happy to pay the €200 more for the one with the better processor. However, having looked at it there, I could get:
13 inch, 2.3GHz Dual-core i5, with 8GB RAM and a 500GB HD for €1304
or
13 inch, 2.7GHz Dual-core i7, with 4GB RAM and a 500GB HD for €1,349
So it's basically the same price and asks; i5 with 8GB RAM or i7 with 4GB RAM?
Thanks again for all the help lads, I realise these posts are getting longer each time, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, almost there!0 -
Well he did say photoshop. CS5? Adobe will actually take advantage of quadcore, and of a 64-bit OS and more than 2GB. Fortunately, The i3 and the i5 both do Quad-Threading (Hyperthreading). For that matter so does the i7. So the i7 dualcore would look like a Quadcore to the OS, the i7 quad looks like an 8-core, etc. - So to be honest, any of those processors would work grand for the task at hand. An i7 though is going to be a lot more respectable in years to come. I'd get the Dualcore i7 imo.
As for large files and memory, think a little forward. 2GB was standard when I got this laptop. Now the standard is 4GB. I've had to do an upgrade since. Personally, I'd shoot for 6GB. 8GB is gravy, and probably overkill right now but will cause you to avoid that 3rd/4th year 'maintenance' of a hundred or so euro to double the RAM either way. Still if it saves you a few hundred now to keep the ram at 4GB, definitely do it. Historically, double the Standard of RAM (now 8GB) is 3x or more expensive than Standard (4GB) and in 2-3 years, levels out at about €100 to replace later (to 8GB). thats even forgetting the fact I still should sell my 1GB DDR2 SODIMMs on eBay or something.
I don't disagree nescessarly per say but he did say a little photoshop not alot, and RAM is easily upgraded at a later point if needs be and is way cheaper as a DIY job anyway. There is always a little more money that you could justify spending.
Processor wise my thinking is always that 300 saved between a i5 and i7 dualcore is an extra 300 towards €1000 replacement maybe 4-5 years down the line rather than paying 300 now for a processor that would have slightly greater longevity for sure, but probably offers very little noticible performance increase in day to day usage (My understanding is that this is primarly a college laptop).0 -
marco_polo wrote: »I don't disagree nescessarly per say but he did say a little photoshop not alot, and RAM is easily upgraded at a later point if needs be and is way cheaper as a DIY job anyway. There is always a little more money that you could justify spending.
Processor wise my thinking is always that 300 saved between a i5 and i7 dualcore is an extra 300 towards €1000 replacement maybe 4-5 years down the line rather than paying 300 now for a processor that would have slightly greater longevity for sure, but probably offers very little noticible performance increase in day to day usage (My understanding is that this is primarly a college laptop).
Excellent point (from you both) on the RAM. It's 180e to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB (there's no 6GB option) in any of the models, so I reckon I'll just stick with the 4GB. I'd be happier saving the 180e now, and in 3 years time, when 8GB is looking like standard, upping the RAM myself. The RAM can't be upped in these MB Airs though, which works against them.
In terms of the question in my last post, would you both say then that it's better to go for a better processor now (i.e. i7 with 4GB RAM) and upgrade RAM at a later date if it's necessary for 100e or so, than going with a weaker processor (i5 with 8GB RAM) now? (That is, setting aside whether you think it's worth paying more for the processor)0 -
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Jared Rancid Quake wrote: »I think this is basically the last thing I need clarified, really. The CPU is the processor, which is, say, taking the Pro 15inch, the quad-core i7 2GHz. This would be what would make the computer run fast etc, more so than anything else?
I suppose fast is a subjective term really, to those pushing the Air would probably consider 'fast' to be booting to the desktop really quickly and and applications windows loading instantly. To others fast is encoding that video quicker, number crunching in football manager etc.
If you priority more like the is the former then an ssd is the key, if more like the latter then the CPU is far more important.0 -
You sure you can't be tempted by the i7 version of the X460
, it is quite closely specced to the 15" Mac book i7.
Pros: 600 cheaper, more ram (6Gb vs 4GB), more compact (14" vs 15.4") + lighter (2 vs 2.5kg), slight edge in battery life (for whatever manufacture claims are worth)
Neutral: Same processor, same size HDD.
Cons: Not released just yet. Slightly lower resolution (1366 x 768 vs 1440X900), no dedicated graphics (not sure such a problem if the only game is FM).
http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/02_NOTEBOO/20_121/productdetails/80003300/MSI_X_Slim_Series_X460_032NL_Core_i7_2630QM__2/X460_032NL/default.aspx0 -
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Only saw these replies now lads!
Marco, thanks a million for your suggestion, but I'm actually sitting here with my new MacBook so that ship has sailed
Cr17, good luck in your search! I got some seriously good help in here, so this thread should be of use. Thanks a million to the posters, again 0 -
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