Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

flying11 · 14-08-2013 02:01PM

hi,
I'm in the market for a new laptop after my old one finally packed it in.

The laptop will be used mainly for college work, internet browsing and some very light gaming. Budget is €400 or less.

I have been browsing a few sites and this one has caught my eye
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_E1-571_1468241.html

Is this a suitable laptop for my needs?

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

another question · 14-08-2013 02:12PM

Sorry not to be able to answer if the computer is suitable for your needs but I did go on to check out that website because I hadn't heard of it.

It looks really good and very good prices and they have the laptop I want in stock as opposed to Amazons 3-4 week waiting time. Anyone ever used it before, is it legit? www.saveonlaptops.co.uk (2-4 day delivery to Ireland for £9.95)

looking_around · 14-08-2013 02:21PM

they are legit, and very often linked to on here. However, they're known to be some hassle should you have any problems with the computer.
__
@flying... pretty much anything will match your needs, though I'm curious about your "light" gaming? What kind of games?

I also noticed in the link the processor is I3-2XXX .. what you should aim for is I3-3XXX or higher. If you want something to last you a couple of years.

another question · 14-08-2013 04:17PM

looking_around wrote: »

they are legit, and very often linked to on here. However, they're known to be some hassle should you have any problems with the computer.
__

Thanks for that. Hypothetically speaking, would you buy from them over Amazon based on what you know about them being some hassle if you have a problem if it meant getting the laptop 4 weeks sooner than with Amazon? Just out of interest. I don't want to make a mistake ordering from someone else just because I'm not willing to wait.

I believe ASUS the manufacturer of the laptop are meant to be hard to deal with anyway regardless of who it was purchased from.

I also noticed that the price Amazon quote of £579.97 is the exact same as saveonlaptops.co.uk which has me thinking that maybe saveonlaptops are the ones supplying Amazon with them. What are your thoughts?

Or is there any other trustworthy site with a better customer service you would recommend as I have just read some of the customer reviews and it seems it's either 5 stars or 1 star and terrible company responses for resolving issues (non of which seem to have anything to do with the owner)...I have a funny feeling about them already so I might go with my gut and avoid and be patient and go with Amazon.

looking_around · 16-08-2013 06:55AM

another question wrote: »

Thanks for that. Hypothetically speaking, would you buy from them over Amazon based on what you know about them being some hassle if you have a problem if it meant getting the laptop 4 weeks sooner than with Amazon? Just out of interest. I don't want to make a mistake ordering from someone else just because I'm not willing to wait.

I believe ASUS the manufacturer of the laptop are meant to be hard to deal with anyway regardless of who it was purchased from.

I also noticed that the price Amazon quote of £579.97 is the exact same as saveonlaptops.co.uk which has me thinking that maybe saveonlaptops are the ones supplying Amazon with them. What are your thoughts?

Or is there any other trustworthy site with a better customer service you would recommend as I have just read some of the customer reviews and it seems it's either 5 stars or 1 star and terrible company responses for resolving issues (non of which seem to have anything to do with the owner)...I have a funny feeling about them already so I might go with my gut and avoid and be patient and go with Amazon.

It would depend on how quick I wanted the laptop and how much I wanted to save. I usually prefer to buy from a "bricks and mortar" store, as you're dealing directly with people but the amount you save going online instead is quite noticeable. Only thing I ever bought from amazon is the kindle, so I can't personally comment on them. But most here agree amazon has good customer communication saveonlaptops don't.

I generally avoid companies that have been hassle. Most of the time once you get NCA involved though, they'll play fair. (Which I have had to do the odd time ...

Sure you're not mixing asus up with another brand, like Archos? I've delt directly with Asus, and they were very helpful with good, on the ball communication. But archos .. ugh .
--

If you contact the seller on amazon, you may be able to get the laptop shipped to you quicker (though that postage can cost about 40 quid or so.)

another question · 16-08-2013 07:44AM

looking_around wrote: »

It would depend on how quick I wanted the laptop and how much I wanted to save. I usually prefer to buy from a "bricks and mortar" store, as you're dealing directly with people but the amount you save going online instead is quite noticeable. Only thing I ever bought from amazon is the kindle, so I can't personally comment on them. But most here agree amazon has good customer communication saveonlaptops don't.

I generally avoid companies that have been hassle. Most of the time once you get NCA involved though, they'll play fair. (Which I have had to do the odd time ...

Sure you're not mixing asus up with another brand, like Archos? I've delt directly with Asus, and they were very helpful with good, on the ball communication. But archos .. ugh .
--

If you contact the seller on amazon, you may be able to get the laptop shipped to you quicker (though that postage can cost about 40 quid or so.)

Thanks for this, I actually went with Amazon in the end. I had decided that I was prepared to wait for peace of mind and when I went on to order the 3-4 estimated dispatch had been lifted with immediate dispatch available with 5 of the laptops in stock. I was delighted

And then to make it even better, I decided I couldn't afford the extra €35 for 2-day delivery to Ireland so I opted for the Free Super Saver for 4-5 days delivery and then I got a dispatch email yesterday evening saying 'expected delivery date Monday the 19th August'. So I'm thrilled.

And for the final icing on the cake.... My Mastercard is set to Euro on Amazon and the amount was for €721.40 right...got an email about 5 minutes late saying the card didn't accept the payment and do I wish to change payment type (I totally forgot I was meant to use my VISA not my Mastercard) so I quickly went to my account and changed payment to VISA and then I saw the button you were talking about on the 'place order' page for switching currency (it was different to the switch currency on your card one) so I said I'd give it a try and opted to be charged in Sterling and low and behold my account has been deducted by €696.08, a saving of €25?! I was amazed. Great tip, will definitely be doing this from now on. Thanks a mill.

Cianos · 16-08-2013 02:52PM

Looking for a quick recommendation on a ~13" laptop for in and around €400?

Thank you.

Torqay · 16-08-2013 03:30PM

Cianos wrote: »

Looking for a quick recommendation on a ~13" laptop for in and around €400?

Thank you.

Not much of a choice... some 13" Ultrabooks at SOL for 350 quid (+ £10 for deliver), but they're all 2nd gen Core i3 (ULV).

Squidgy Black · 17-08-2013 02:02PM

Looking for a new laptop for September, starting Computing in DIT. Hoping to keep it around €600.

Originally planned to go with an aluminium unibody Macbook, but I might just stick with Windows for now. Only problem is, I can't seem to find anything new with more than an i3 processor and 4gb ram. Any ideas?

Torqay · 17-08-2013 02:10PM

stetyrrell wrote: »

Hoping to keep it around €600.

I can't seem to find anything new with more than an i3 processor and 4gb ram. Any ideas?

15.6" Acer, Core i7 3632QM, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, 500 quid at SOL (plus a tenner delivery)... translates into €598.

Squidgy Black · 17-08-2013 03:05PM

Torqay wrote: »

15.6" Acer, Core i7 3632QM, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, 500 quid at SOL (plus a tenner delivery)... translates into €598.

Thanks, but would I be better off downgrading to an i5 and going with something with a dedicated graphics card rather than integrated?

Monotype · 17-08-2013 03:08PM

That depends on your needs. Do you plan to play games? If so, which ones?

L5 · 17-08-2013 04:24PM

Hi,
I'm looking for a recommendation to replace my dell xps m1530
Looking for good build quality, metal case preferably, backlit keyboard would be a bonus, and a decent graphics card. Budget around 800. Am I being realistic?
Thanks

Torqay · 17-08-2013 05:20PM

stetyrrell wrote: »

Thanks, but would I be better off downgrading to an i5 and going with something with a dedicated graphics card rather than integrated?

Forget about quad Core i7 and dedicated graphics for 600 yoyos. If you need processing power, this is the best offer you'll find within your budget. If you're looking for a gaming laptop, well, then this Acer is certainly not for you, however, integrated graphics have come a long way and Intel HD4000 is pretty much on par with entry-level GPUs from AMD and Nvidia. Laptops with decent gaming graphics are most likely beyond your budget anyway.

Torqay · 17-08-2013 05:36PM

L5 wrote: »

Looking for good build quality, metal case preferably, backlit keyboard would be a bonus, and a decent graphics card. Budget around 800. Am I being realistic?

Maybe... if you forget about the backlit keyboard.

HP Envy 15, aluminum body, Core i5, GT 740M, €829 at Littlewoods. (who are generally very pricey, shop around and I'm sure you'll get it cheaper elsewhere).

17-08-2013 11:04PM

What are the Toshiba satellite C850 like?

Torqay · 18-08-2013 07:31AM

Deleted User wrote: »

What are the Toshiba satellite C850 like?

Budget laptop with a variety of processors (anything from AMD E1 up to Intel Core i3). It really depends on what is under the hood. Stay clear of models with an AMD E1, Intel Celeron and Pentium processor. Unless it features an Intel Core i3, I would not touch it.

ProfanityURL · 18-08-2013 12:49PM

I was looking for a new laptop and was told to look at msi gaming laptops. Does anyone know anything about this brand?

They seem to be very high spec, but then I won't really be using it for games apart from a little total war or games like that the odd time. Is it worth buying a gaming laptop purely for the high specs? I do want something with high performance, at least i5 and 6GB RAM but maybe these are overkill.

SouthTippBass · 18-08-2013 03:43PM

I'm looking to buy my first laptop, after years of having a windows desktop. I need a windows 7 laptop for use with an external audio interface, so I need one thats got a firewire 400 port. Or one with a PCI express slot that can be changed out for one, but preferably one already included. I'm looking to spend about €600-€1000 as I'l be needing it to last me about 3-5 years hopefully.

I know nothing about laptops, so I dont have a clue whats a good make and whats not. If anybody could point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it!

theaaao · 19-08-2013 08:25PM

Im heading to the states in two weeks.

Is it worth getting a laptop over there? The mother needs a new one but then I was thinking of getting one off laptopsdirect or something.

Is buying second hand refurbished laptop a good idea? Her needs would be office internet and the like so nothing heavy. HDMI would be handy. Are these standard now?

Myself, Im in search of a reasonably desktop to replace the god awful office clearout one i got off adverts.

Id be using office and internet (youtube,movies) but would like something that would power music production software for the time being.

Would I be mad buying a desktop over? I know my friend did few years ago but is there much savings to be made?

Id appreciate anyone's $0.02....

Monotype · 19-08-2013 10:34PM

Laptops are cheaper in the US.
However, they keyboard layout is different. You can change to the Irish layout but you'll be a key short - specifically the \| key.

Torqay · 20-08-2013 09:16AM

theaaao wrote: »

Im heading to the states in two weeks.

Is it worth getting a laptop over there?

If you want to "smuggle" (that's what it is, unless you declare it and pay the due VAT) a laptop, make it look used and mail the documentation, warranty certs, etc.

theaaao wrote: »

Would I be mad buying a desktop over?

What's the airline's luggage allowance?

whellman1030 · 20-08-2013 10:20AM

I was going to buy this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-N56VZ-15-6-inch-Laptop-Graphics/dp/B00B2I6E40/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376993233&sr=8-1&keywords=N56VZ-S4207H

but amazon says on that page there's a new model to replace it.

So my question is what are the differences between the old and the new model?

Torqay · 20-08-2013 10:44AM

whellman1030 wrote: »

So my question is what are the differences between the old and the new model?

The current ASUS specs list a Core i7 3610QM and GT 650M rather than a 3630QM and GT 635M.

But that may change soon with the new Haswell generation of Intel Core processors.

whellman1030 · 20-08-2013 12:20PM

Torqay wrote: »

The current ASUS specs list a Core i7 3610QM and GT 650M rather than a 3630QM and GT 635M.

But that may change soon with the new Haswell generation of Intel Core processors.

No, no

If you compare these 2 pages:
http://www.simplyasus.com/ASUS_N56VZ-S4207H_1359604.html
http://www.simplyasus.com/ASUS_N56VJ-S4164H_1347599.html

you see that VJ is totally inferior to VZ (graphics card, hard drive, number of usb 3.0 ports).

Anyway ASUS web site states a bunch of specs in the same page (many cpu's, many hard drives, etc.), so I don't think you can rely on their own website.
http://ie.asus.com/Notebooks/Multimedia_Entertainment/N56VZ/#specifications
http://ie.asus.com/Notebooks/Multimedia_Entertainment/N56VJ/#specifications

I think the amazon suggestion is just a wrong suggestion by mistake.

Monotype · 20-08-2013 04:10PM

Torqay wrote: »

If you want to "smuggle" (that's what it is, unless you declare it and pay the due VAT) a laptop, make it look used and mail the documentation, warranty certs, etc.

Nobody's going to make a fuss about a laptop. You might want to dump the box as it would look like you intend to sell it on.
The warranty could be something to consider though - it might be a good idea to choose brands carefully, but most are international so you can send it to their local base.

Torqay · 20-08-2013 04:43PM

Monotype wrote: »

Nobody's going to make a fuss about a laptop.

Revenue begs to differ:

If you are caught smuggling you may have a financial penalty imposed on you, your goods may be seized, you may be prosecuted or a combination of all of these measures may be applied to you.

If customs find a new laptop it would be more than stupid to have the documentation and receipt on you. And telling them, "But the lads at BIE said, nobody's going to make a fuss about it", does not help.

frogstomper · 20-08-2013 04:45PM

Just wondering if anyone has any opinion on touchscreen vs non touch screen? I'm still trying to make a decision on what to buy and thought initially that touchscreen would be really handy but it makes a lot of difference to the price of some laptops and not sure if I'd even use it that much.

Monotype · 20-08-2013 05:21PM

You're allowed goods of up to €430/$575. Of course even if you bought it for a price, it doesn't mean that it has that value, especially if it's opened.
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/travellers/enter_eu/index_en.htm

frogstomper wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has any opinion on touchscreen vs non touch screen? I'm still trying to make a decision on what to buy and thought initially that touchscreen would be really handy but it makes a lot of difference to the price of some laptops and not sure if I'd even use it that much.

I don't think that it's worth it unless you can split it off as a tablet or fold the keyboard back.

Torqay · 20-08-2013 05:30PM

Monotype wrote: »

You're allowed goods of up to €430/$575.

True that. Of course, this refers to the combined value of all imported goods. So if you buy a laptop for $575 and bring back nothing else, then you're in the clear.

Monotype wrote: »

Of course even if you bought it for a price, it doesn't mean that it has that value, especially if it's opened.

No, value in this case means the purchase price.

Buying a Laptop: The current Generation

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