Laptop comparison and recommendation

heartofwhite

Hey guys,

Need a bit of advice here. My girlfriend is on the hunt for a laptop with a view to purchase in the next two weeks or so. She will be starting college in Sept so it will be primarily for coursework but I want to find her one that will stand the test of time even when she is finished college.

Her budget is 500 max and so far I have picked out two:

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5086483/Trail/searchtext%3EACER+LAPTOP.htm#tabrev

http://www.pcworld.ie/Product/SAMSUNG-300E5A-Series-3-156andquot-Laptop-Silver/309554/301?utm_source=homepagenoms&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=TopOffer3

She knows nothing about laptops and she picked this one, I think because it is red

http://www.harveynorman.ie/computing/computers/laptops/toshiba-laptop-pskc8e-05q005en.html

I want one with:

i3 processor at least (would love i5!)
At least 4gb ram
At least 500gb hard drive
HD display
At least one usb 3 slot
Good battery duration

Does anybody have any comment on the above laptops? Or else can you please recommend similar. I do not know a whole lot about the i3 processor only that it highly regarded.

Any help is appreciated!

Jarren

This will do

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-C855-10Z-15-6-Laptop/dp/B007XERAJ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1342692320&sr=1-2

heartofwhite

I am very encouraged by that find! It is definitely one to think about as it comes in at 530 euro. What are Amazon like to deal with as regards returns and customer support?

Jarren

In terms of support /returns they are simply the best company out there.
Uses them on number of occasions, never had a single problem with them.

GarIT

This is the best you will get for that price offline in Ireland, it has everything you want except USB 3.0 http://www.harveynorman.ie/computing/computers/laptops/samsung-300e5.html

This has everything you want except USB 3.0 and it might save you a bit http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5086483/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C14418968/c_2/3%7Ccat_19780850%7CLaptops+and+netbooks%7C14419039.htm

How long is the college course? Even a top i7 will be getting old three of four years from now.

heartofwhite

It is four years long. I do not mind it getting old. I bought my Toshiba 4 years ago and it still runs just as good! I went into Harvey Norman, PC World and Curry's today and after viewing them all I think that she should go for an i5 model with 4gb ram. They were all about 600 though. I think I will try persuade her to purchase online.

GarIT

Make sure they don't sell you an old i5. The older i5s will be less powerful than a new i3.

The laptop Jarren linked is 22% more powerful than the laptop I linked. It's not going to last much longer than the i3 though, they both come from the same series and will be considered old tech at roughly the same time.

You might be better waiting until the course starts, once the new i3s start becoming available they will be better than an i5 that you would buy today.

heartofwhite

She has 99% decided to go for the one that Jarren recommended. Final say on it, is it a good laptop based on specs? Not sure if it is an old i5. She would probably play some games online but not much.

I think that it will be hard to get better for that price. It is up to her if she wants to wait for the newer i3 but I think she is just impatient at this stage because she will need to get her head around the new laptop before college.

In relation to a warranty, I assume that it comes with a one year manufacturing warranty? She is just wary about buying online.

GarIT

heartofwhite wrote: »

She has 99% decided to go for the one that Jarren recommended. Final say on it, is it a good laptop based on specs? Not sure if it is an old i5. She would probably play some games online but not much.

I think that it will be hard to get better for that price. It is up to her if she wants to wait for the newer i3 but I think she is just impatient at this stage because she will need to get her head around the new laptop before college.

In relation to a warranty, I assume that it comes with a one year manufacturing warranty? She is just wary about buying online.

Its good for the price. There will be newer and better processors on sale soon, but you wont get anything better unless your willing to wait.