Laptops

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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:09 am

My current laptop (a Dell XPS M1530) is starting to act up again. It's displaying the same problems as the previous time it broke down (getting very hot for no particular reason, and shutting down (probably) due to overheating when doing anything more CPU/GPU-intensive than text editing). Last time it was repaired, the motherboard was replaced, according to the internet this was a known problem for this series.

I'm now thinking about buying one of the Sony Vaio laptops, probably one from the 15.6 inch E series. Anybody have any experience with these laptops? Should I order a totally different laptop?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:16 am

I can recommend Lenovo ThinkPads, I have very good experiences with it and so do my friends who have Thinkpad as well.

And TrackPoint is way better than touchpad Razz

ETA: But it really depends on what do you need... Long battery life? Performance? Light-weight and easy to carry? Endurance? and so on and so on...

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:23 am

I want performance mostly. I'm going for a 15 inch because I want to be able carry it around, but apart from that I mostly want performance.

EDIT: And I'll be mostly using it with a mouse.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:32 am

I've just got one of these.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-5742-core-i3-laptop-with-3gb-memory-red-08702347-pdt.html

Can't go wrong for the money.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:35 am

Coincidentally, I just bought a Sony Vaio laptop. It's now three days old. It's a 16.4 inch from the F series. Currently it's the standard 4gig RAM but I'm seriously considering upgrading it to 8. Haven't really had the chance yet to unleash demanding programs to see how well it does when using it's full capacity, but so far so good. I really like the keys, for me it's a pleasant setting to type.

So far I don't really like the touchpad, but that's most likely because I still have to get used to it.

And it looks beautiful. Compared to my 6-yr-old HP even a flatted horsefly would look beautiful, but it's damn pretty.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:35 am

Sorry if I am proselytising, but you might consider getting a Mac - very few virus problems and reliable.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:37 am

^^^^
performance is not bad, long battery life and lightweight.
But you pay for the brand...

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:44 am

get a cooling pad, it really helps

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:02 pm

My boss got his Laptop nicked last week,

so this is what he is going for now

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/261787

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:18 pm

Got a whole range of Compaq's, oldest about 12 years old, batteries died and I took them out but the rest is still running and working like new.
Keep them clean (dust in ventilation channels) and don't drop them Smile

Running on Windoze, Ubunti and OS2 warp, so far no problems yet

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:58 pm

If you are a gamer, you have to spend quite a lot in a laptop with dedicated graphics, about a grand and a half

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:30 pm

My college student son has a 15.6" Sony Vaio and it has stood up to over two years of his dragging and kicking it around. Surprised

I suggest you look at Toshiba. I've had a 17" Satellite P205D for over three years and has performed almost flawlessly that whole time.

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:55 am

Jim Morrison wrote:

If you are a gamer, you have to spend quite a lot in a laptop with dedicated graphics, about a grand and a half

I'll play a game now and then, but not that much. Also I don't really have a grand and a half to spend on a laptop.

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:37 pm

Rule of thumb is that you can't go too terribly wrong with a ThinkPad. If my customers are anything to go by, many people change from another brand to IBM/Lenovo, but very few change from IBM/Lenovo to something else.
I used to have a 2003 ThinkPad T30 as a secondary computer. It lasted until three months ago (it still runs now but the screen backlight is broken) and all I ever had to upgrade to work efficiently was the HD and RAM. From what I've seen this is about average for a ThinkPad.
Things you might need to get used to:
ThinkPads are very robust (if you rolled over it with a tank it'd probably break the tank), read: heavy.
Battery life could be better with most models. You can get these high-capacity battery packs for most models, but they protrude from the case and make it considerably bigger (and heavier).
According to various benchmarks, they're often a bit slower than other systems with comparable CPU / RAM / graphics chip.
The Fn key is where the Control key normally is. It's not a major issue but can be annoying until you've gotten used to it.

I've replaced mine with a Vaio (mostly because I can get these at wholesale prices) - VPC-EB4X1E, dual-core i5, 4GB, 500GB. Only thing I changed was replace the HD with an SSD. So far I'm very happy with it - it boots Windows 7 in under 20 seconds (power button to desktop), the battery lasts about 4 hours and Postal 2 runs at a decent frame rate in full-screen 1920x1080 mode.
Don't be put off by the keyboard, most Vaio keyboards look weird, but they're very pleasant to use.

A friend of mine is a huge Apple fanboi. He owns two MacBooks Pro (MacBook Pros?) and an Air. The build quality is impressive, but they take some getting used to, and especially the newer models are very very hard to upgrade (if at all possible). And don't ask about the price.

Things I'd never buy - but that's just my prejudiced opinion: Dell, Asus, Acer. They're not bad per se, but in my personal experience have a very high rate of defects and issues that 'should not happen'.

One other thing you might want to consider is the screen aspect ratio. Most screens today are 16:9. I for one underestimated the nuisance that a 16:9 aspect ratio is for office and programming work.

here · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:09 pm

^^^^^^
have recommended Acer laptops for friends children going to university, they have to date all stood up well - one is still going strong 5 years later (with more memory and Win7 now)

the business I work for uses Lenovo machines, business quality kit

daughter #2 has a Sony, and keys keep falling off it (started after 3 months), daughter #1 has a Acer and aside from being generally filthy (make up etc) just works but she says it is starting to overheat - fan is probably blocked with make-up mind you Rolling Eyes

FWIW

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:25 pm

Jim Morrison wrote:

If you are a gamer, you have to spend quite a lot in a laptop with dedicated graphics, about a grand and a half

If you are gamer, getting laptop for gaming is pretty stupid.

here · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:31 pm

^^^^^^^^^^
maybe if you are a gamer you need to buy a life not a laptop

joke ok? Laughing

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:23 pm

Vampiremerchant wrote:

My boss got his Laptop nicked last week,

so this is what he is going for now

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/261787

When I saw your post, I realised that the one I'd ordered was the older model. I quickly cancelled it and am now typing on the one in your link.
Not a bad bit of kit for the price. Thumbs up

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:40 pm

I've got a Toshiba Sat Pro, 3 yrs old now, it's stood up to 35*C and 90% humidity in the Solomons for 2 years, and hasn't stopped.

Only problems with it has been the sound card dropping out on a regular basis, which takes 5 min to uninstall/reinstall.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

@MoP overheating might be caused by either fan failure in the laptop or dust build up, there are many other causes but those two tend to be the most often encountered.

When buying laptops there are a few tips to remember which will help decide on any products strengths and weaknesses.

Screen - some screens are good inside but turn invisible outside, especially in very bright sunlight.
Battery - this should be taken with a pinch of salt, battery life is calculated with the pc loaded as delivered and a "few" basic tasks run over a test period. As everyone is different theres no real way to know how long a battery will actually last for you, the only advice is to get one which says it lasts as long as possible. (when buying also check out the price of spare batteries, when out its easier to swap than chase down a ac outlet Wink

)

You dont need to spend a fortune on laptop security -
Create an internet shortcut on the desktop - change the icon to file, hide the extension, and call it "my banking details" A thief would click it - once clicked it hits a site - if that site records the IP - you can pass the ip to police who can use it to track where the laptop might be. Criminals are stupid, there going to click it repeatedly online lol.
Of course something like laptop lojack is definately a good idea, all im adding is you can do it yourself too...

Keyboard - keyboards on laptops vary, as long as it feels comfortable theres not much else to em, if you need extra keys theres plenty of freeware which will give virtual keys etc.

Weight, - ive never had a laptop yet which stayed the same weight, over time ya get gadgets lol, they quickly add up. (mostly external hdd, dongles etc leads)

Looks - mostly irrelvant, theres no point paying £40 - 100 extra for the person near you saying "nice laptop" as mostly you wont see its looks, it will either be in use or laying up somewhere.

Brands - with any mass produced product there can be 99 brilliant and one turkey, its more about functionality, you need to make a checklist of what you want the laptop to be able to do, and have the budget, then look which most closely matches that - then hit the stores to see them, pick them up, ask to see them in bright light, ask to see them with different settings applied, and the big stores will hate me for this - ask to see the laptop perform under load. (the big stores hate me telling people this as it quickly shows many laptops shortcomings such as speaker vibration, drive noise etc) But its a fair test.

Then once all tested its in all likelyhood to be cheaper online, I always recommend pre-paid cards for internet buying, but credit cards offer additional protection, its worth checking out what options each offer the aim is to protect yourself and your cash.

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:44 pm

Mine's a HP Probook 4720S. It came with win7 pro 64 bit and it runs very well. It's an excellent platform for business and CAD stuff in general. 17" screen, good and bright, nice keys, high resolution and a big HDD. Mine was from Morgan Computers who are established and reputable, but still offer pretty decent prices. Always worth a look.

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:15 pm

I have a ThinkPad W500. Great laptop, except for the weight. Lenovo ThinkPad's aren't lightweight laptops, so you should take that into consideration if you plan to carry it around a lot. Wink

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 2:06 am

With all of the military cutback over here in the States, Aerospace contractors are selling surplus laptop/desktop computers for pennies on the USD.

Government requirements are to pull the hard drive out and crush it prior to sale.

This leaves a potentially functionally excellent computer with only a new hard drive and some software.

Prices vary, from $50.00 USD to $150.00 USD..

I refurbish several every week, and this pays for the odd pint..

I purchased two laptops this am, (One Dell and One HP) and one HP workstation. (Core 2 Duo, 4 gig ram DVD RW, 500 gig HD etc...

I have used Linux, Unix, and of course, the DVD restore disks.

The Mfgers will normally sell the restore disk for $20.00 USD plus shipping.

On a side note, Acer owns Gateway, E Machine, and they were the OEM for IBM Thinkpad prior to IBM selling the operation to Lenovo.

The local areas you all live in may have similar recycle efforts..

Check around..

Will

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:38 am

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

Vampiremerchant wrote:

My boss got his Laptop nicked last week,

so this is what he is going for now

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/261787

When I saw your post, I realised that the one I'd ordered was the older model. I quickly cancelled it and am now typing on the one in your link.
Not a bad bit of kit for the price. Thumbs up

It was delivered last Monday the first thing I did was get rid of the Norton and shove on Avast, have to agree for the money it is a nice Laptop (seeing as i don't like Laptops !)

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:35 am

It's new lappy season! I just got one of these puppies http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/hp-envy-17-1050ea-17-3-laptop-with-beats-audio-silver-06487037-pdt.html

i7, full HD, 17.3", and £600 off - it is lovely I have to say!