Looking into getting a new laptop. Buy now or save for a Macbook?

Noelly

Hey,

I'm looking into getting a new laptop as my Samsung R530 is beginning to lack!
It's not able to run applications very well, and sometimes when watching TV online, the laptop will freeze, make this weird noise (just a continuous noise, along with the screen frozen, so I've to turn off the laptop and reload the show.. Very annoying!)

Main uses would be: music, watching online shows, microsoft word etc, skype, email, just basic really! I'd like it to be fairly fast (ie: turning on and off quickly would be a benefit!)

Budget would be €500.. and would prefer a laptop that wasn't black!

I was thinking of saving for a Macbook Pro, but not sure whether I should or just buy now!

Thanks for any suggestions!

Alanstrainor

It seems nuts to me to save up 1300~ quid to buy a Macbook pro, just to watch dvds, go on the internet and general email and word etc.

They're gorgeous machines no doubt...but...given the above i'd say you'd be mad.

Have you tried fixing your current laptop? Like reinstalling the operating system? I'd bet that'd speed it right up.

Noelly

Yeah my brother's studying comp science and I've gotten him to reinstall the OS and format everything on it but it keeps doing it! It's out of warranty with a few months too!

Torqay

Noelly wrote: »

my Samsung R530 is beginning to lack!

Main uses would be: music, watching online shows, microsoft word etc, skype, email, just basic really! I'd like it to be fairly fast (ie: turning on and off quickly would be a benefit!)

Although not a power house, with its Dual Core Pentium and 4 GB RAM, your Sammy shouldn't lack anything you'd need for your "main uses".

(This processor family is still being sold with entry level laptops, mind you)

Noelly wrote: »

I'd like it to be fairly fast

Give it a good wipe and install Windows from scratch and you'll be surprised how nice it works. Probably much better even, than when it was new with all the bloat that came with it.

Noelly wrote: »

(ie: turning on and off quickly would be a benefit!)

Grab a cheap 60 GB SSD (80 Euro) and you'll know "quickly". It'll beat any 500 Euro laptop you can buy to a boot race... by a countrymile!

The "weird continuous noise"is a bit worrysome though, care to upload a recording? Shouldn't be too hard to identify since there are only very few mechanical parts in a laptop, HDD, DVD drive and fan.

Noelly

Torqay wrote: »

Although not a power house, with its Dual Core Pentium and 4 GB RAM, your Sammy shouldn't lack anything you'd need for your "main uses".

(This processor family is still being sold with entry level laptops, mind you)



Give it a good wipe and install Windows from scratch and you'll be surprised how nice it works. Probably much better even, than when it was new with all the bloat that came with it.




Grab a cheap 60 GB SSD (80 Euro) and you'll know "quickly". It'll beat any 500 Euro laptop you can buy to a boot race... by a countrymile!

The "weird continuous noise"is a bit worrysome though, care to upload a recording? Shouldn't be too hard to identify since there are only very few mechanical parts in a laptop, HDD, DVD drive and fan.

Will grab a video of the noise the next day it happens! It's just basically a continuous really loud buzzing noise! Thanks for the advice

Torqay

Noelly wrote: »

Will grab a video of the noise the next day it happens! It's just basically a continuous really loud buzzing noise! Thanks for the advice

Probably nothing mechanical. A fresh Windows installation often works miracles. It's only 2 yrs old, tops... you should be able to get at least another 2 yrs out of it.

Alanstrainor

Noelly wrote: »

Yeah my brother's studying comp science and I've gotten him to reinstall the OS and format everything on it but it keeps doing it! It's out of warranty with a few months too!

Torqay wrote: »

Probably nothing mechanical. A fresh Windows installation often works miracles. It's only 2 yrs old, tops... you should be able to get at least another 2 yrs out of it.

Eh...

It sounds like a hardware related issue tbh.

Torqay

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Eh...

It sounds like a hardware related issue tbh.

To me that looks more like the player or driver crashing but still producing some sound:

sometimes when watching TV online, the laptop will freeze, make this weird noise

Anyway, let's wait for a sample recording.

Torqay

Just read this review from 2010. Plenty RAM, OK processor, HDMI out, cute desgn... the works. I'd say it's a bit too early for this laptop to be dumped in favour of yet another budget laptop, no?

Dannysaurus

Save up, wait a small bit for laptops to include Ivy Bridge processors in 'em

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/2/2839156/intel-ivy-bridge-desktop-laptop-lineup-ultra-low-power
^ Le info about 'em.
They're gonna be out around April/May-ish. Though not too sure about that.

In the same breath, if you REALLY need one? Don't get an MBP. I get that it's pretty, and the OS is rather decent (though that remains subjective), but as other users have pointed out, not worth it for your usage.
You'd be better off with a Windows PC imo. And if you want pretty? Personally, save that cash, go for the Dell XPS 15. Get the 1080p screen upgrade. It's genuinely much better than the ones an MBP has, and, in general, the laptop is rather pretty. You could save the couple of hundred and spend it elsewhere