View Full Version : Im in the market for a new laptop ...
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 15:57
... im replacing this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250778921520&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_1443wt_1139
its too big, its not practical and the battery it shite
i want it for lightroom and photoshop so it wants to be pretty snazzy but nothing to special ... its a secondary computer
15" screen would be as big as id need
I dont really want to spend to much ... maybe £400? £500... £600 maybe?
any suggestions?
I would look at HP and DELL, i7 processors, min 4GB RAM and a 64bit O/S. With 600 to spend you may be able to afford a 17" screen, but if you only need 15, then you can get more processing power and RAM. Buy What Laptop and do some research online, then whittle down a shortlist. There are too many to mention specifically, but I have steered a lot of people towards HP laptops recently at work, all have been very pleased.
Just make sure you have an i7 (or maybe i5), DDR3 and a 64bit O/S, then you can handle what you want to run. i7's can run hot on laptops and eat the batteries, so be mindful of this. You should also consider paying a bit less, but upgrading to an SSD - this is the best upgrade you can make on a laptop, but you won't get a lot of storage space. eSata can then help here if you put an SSD in.
I think you are very hopeful to get anywhere near 600 for your current one, but I never ceased to be amazed at what people will pay on eBay.
Good luck with the sale.
Ali Tait
24-02-2011, 16:15
These three at the top look good value Hamish-
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops-315-c.html
My other half's oldest lad is currently working there and I could get you one with 10% off if you like.
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 16:24
I would look at HP and DELL, i7 processors, min 4GB RAM and a 64bit O/S. With 600 to spend you may be able to afford a 17" screen, but if you only need 15, then you can get more processing power and RAM. Buy What Laptop and do some research online, then whittle down a shortlist. There are too many to mention specifically, but I have steered a lot of people towards HP laptops recently at work, all have been very pleased.
i actually want to avoid bigger than 15"
Just make sure you have an i7 (or maybe i5), DDR3 and a 64bit O/S, then you can handle what you want to run. i7's can run hot on laptops and eat the batteries, so be mindful of this. You should also consider paying a bit less, but upgrading to an SSD - this is the best upgrade you can make on a laptop, but you won't get a lot of storage space. eSata can then help here if you put an SSD in.
the desktop is an i5 and its perfectly capable
whats the advantage of an SSD then .. faster? safer?
I think you are very hopeful to get anywhere near 600 for your current one, but I never ceased to be amazed at what people will pay on eBay.
Good luck with the sale.
cheers ... im not sure ill get that much either ... wishful thinking really ... but as you say it is ebay ... im expecting maybe £250 i suppose ... i just put it on ebay because of what the last one went for! shh! :)
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 16:27
These three at the top look good value Hamish-
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops-315-c.html
My other half's oldest lad is currently working there and I could get you one with 10% off if you like.
good man .... ill bare that in mind cheers ...
i think i know a chap in pc world actually ... at least he used to work there ... at very least you have seeded a good idea in my tiny brain ... cheers matey
Hamish a SSD will make it go like 'sh1t off a stick', as it's a bit like accessing RAM, well sort of, particularly useful for OS drives & swap files, but pricey for a large one.
But you'd need to hold your data elsewhere, hence GreatGig's recommendation of an esata external drive connection, to stop that being too much of a bottle neck.
Just depends whether disk I/O is going to be your pinch pint or not ;)
Jac Hawk
24-02-2011, 18:25
I've had in the recent ish past the following brands Acer, Sony, HP and Dell, in my opinion i would steer clear of Dell's as the build quality isn't all that great, and Sony's, well lets just say i needed to replace a keyboard on a Vaio laptop the cheapest i could get was £95 so if they go wrong they cost a fortune to fix.
Acer and HP are good machines i've never had any real problems with em and if either of them do need fixing, parts are cheap, at the end of the day ALL computers are just boxes filled with other manufacturers parts.
A number of people I know have given up on the main brands; not necessarily because they’re no good, but more because it’s becoming increasingly hard to get a laptop that isn’t trying to impersonate a modern mobile phone and try to do everything badly which you none the less have to pay for.
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/gbweb/LenovoPortal/en_GB/special-offers.workflow:ShowPromo?LandingPage=/All/EMEA/Landing_pages/Promos/Thinkpad-laptops-for-small-business&cid=uk|semd|ggl|uk_brand_laptop_d_ex_en|m1E3BB|s&epi=google_uk_brand_laptop_d_ex_en_m1E3BB&adid=6908947366&ci_tag=cov_uk
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/index.php?page=contact_us
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 18:52
I do actually want a lenovo if I'm honest ... I know people who have them and recommend then all the time ... When I bought my Sony I wanted a lenovo but was impatient and bought the Sony from te closest shop that sold computers at the time ...
The problem is I can't find one with a decent looking spec in my budget ... Am I likely to?
Ali Tait
24-02-2011, 19:02
Have to say I like my Vaio, and it's been fine so far, but I also took out a "whatever happens" insurance from Currys, which is a no quibble replace and repair. Powerful for a laptop too, with an i5 processor and 6 Gb RAM.
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 19:04
How much was it?
I'm not against sony ... I've had one for 3 years!
I would vote for a Lenovo against a Sony anytime, modern Sony's (IMO) are overpriced and full of bloat-ware. Lenovos are well built and well supported. But ultimatly the choice is yours, they will all do the job.
I also would not buy a PC from the High Street, again your choice, but on-line you will get more for your money and not what the salesman needs to shift!
Re SSD's, just Google SSD vs Mechanical, it's well documented.
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 19:21
So where to find a lenovo in my price range then?
Ali Tait
24-02-2011, 19:24
How much was it?
I'm not against sony ... I've had one for 3 years!
Weell, I paid an ex dem price for a brand new machine. The spec I have with all the software loaded would have cost £1800. I paid £700. Helps when you have family working at the shop!
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 19:32
That does sound a good deal!
Jac Hawk
24-02-2011, 20:15
Have to say I like my Vaio, and it's been fine so far, but I also took out a "whatever happens" insurance from Currys, which is a no quibble replace and repair. Powerful for a laptop too, with an i5 processor and 6 Gb RAM.
Wise man, trust me they cost a fortune if you need to replace model specific parts
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 20:43
This looks promising?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/222269
This looks promising?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/222269
That looks OK, preferable to a Sony I think. Short on RAM, especially for a 64bit O/S, but you could upgrade the RAM and maybe put an SSD in and it would improve it greatly. But my reservations would be, no eSATA, HDMI or USB 3.0 ports.
But if you don't need those, then it does not look too bad.
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 21:03
its basically then same spec as my desktop... this looks like it could do the job to be fair
stupidly, ebuyer is where i got my last pc from ... yet it took me the whoe day to think to look there :doh:
its basically then same spec as my desktop... this looks like it could do the job to be fair
stupidly, ebuyer is where i got my last pc from ... yet it took me the whoe day to think to look there :doh:
I should have mentioned it, I buy pretty much all my IT gear there, at home and often at work too..... sorry.
Ali Tait
24-02-2011, 21:10
That's the exact processor that's in the Sony Hamish, though mine has 6Gb RAM.
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 21:19
That's the exact processor that's in the Sony Hamish, though mine has 6Gb RAM.
cant imagine that a few gb of ram would be too much of an outlay ... only have 3 the the desktop (im still not sure why i bought 32bit windows 7)
The Vinyl Adventure
24-02-2011, 21:20
That looks OK, preferable to a Sony I think. Short on RAM, especially for a 64bit O/S, but you could upgrade the RAM and maybe put an SSD in and it would improve it greatly. But my reservations would be, no eSATA, HDMI or USB 3.0 ports.
But if you don't need those, then it does not look too bad.
from a review on ebuyer
The laptop arrived next day and is really great! Even though it is 2 core i5 processor there are 4 cores showing on the task manager (= 4 threads??). There are indeed 3 usb sockets but one is a dual esata/usb socket. there is also an hdmi socket as well as a card reader and vga as stated. I have not worked it hard yet but the build quality is sturdy.
Windows experience Processor 6.6, Memory 5.5, Graphics 5.0, Gaming Graphics 6.0, Hard disc 5.8. This gives a rough idea of performance. White LEDs on the front and illuminating the icons on rh rear of keyboard.
winner then im thinking
from a review on ebuyer.... winner then im thinking
Now that's a whole new ball game, seems a very good buy now :)
Mark Grant
24-02-2011, 22:22
This looks promising?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/222269
I would check to see if you can work OK with lightroom etc on a 1366 x 768 screen, would not be enough for me really.
If your previous machine is 1920x1080 it might be a challenge.
Not sure which laptops have 1920x1080 on 15 inch screen these days, I am looking for a new one too :)
Lenovo are great machines - I've got 5 of them! That said, its a lottery really - you will always have good and bad experiences of any make. I also have a Sony Vaio which is my main machine, and I love it to bits - but it hasn't gone wrong yet... My day job is 'puters - we buy a lot, and have been through most of the big manufacturers, currently buying HP. Good machines, as were the Dells that preceded them, but if it was my money and I needed a notebook for travelling around with then I'd be buying another Lenovo - they are just so solid, and the backup/support is great.
The Vinyl Adventure
25-02-2011, 00:45
I would check to see if you can work OK with lightroom etc on a 1366 x 768 screen, would not be enough for me really.
If your previous machine is 1920x1080 it might be a challenge.
Not sure which laptops have 1920x1080 on 15 inch screen these days, I am looking for a new one too :)
I have 2 21" samsung displays in out office, an eizo 21" in the studio and another 21" samsung in another office we work in ... This will chop and change between the studio and other office ... This is why I needed something more portable ... You have seen the Sony mark ... It's just not practical for this!
All the other monitors are 1650 x 1080, I'll use them for the large preview and the laptop or the controls (like how I did when you were down) ... Got it all planned out ;)
Ive been doing extencive reading on the best 14.1 laptops.
If construction is a factor,meaning something that is built to survive,strong hinges,heavy built mother board,rugged case and great preformance at a very fair price these are my top 3 picks. I read a lot of reviews and talked with a local repair shop before makeing these my top choices,I bet I've spent over 40+ hours resurching to reach my conclusion.A new lap top will be my next big purchase so I'm staying informed.
Click on details for specs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152219
Lenovo is now chineese owned,The guy who started Lenovo, started MSI the company that used to make Lenovo Think pads and alot of the same ruggedness carried over.(Far better graffix/ less money)
My second choice is well built but the video card lacks by compairison and uses shared memory/ The MSI has a 1 gig dedicated graffix card for 5 gigs total memory in your lap top.(and it's less money)
Click on specs.
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-edge-14/4505-3121_7-34159118.html?tag=rnav
This is a poor mans Lenovo Think Pad T410. Made very well in it's price range,but I would go for the MSI.
Both are rugged and worth spending a few pounds on,the first link is my first choice on a budget.You get the best for your money.
The number #1 reason most laptops die is motherboad failure,number #2 is broken hinges and screens.
Both laptops I picked are built to last a long time, but if money is no object click the link below.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/notebooks/thinkpad/t-series/t410
The last word in durability (drum roll please) Click here http://hubpages.com/hub/Babys-First-Laptop
Mark Grant
25-02-2011, 13:44
... You have seen the Sony mark ... It's just not practical for this!
17 inches is too big :)
What you want is one of these
http://www.tier1online.com/Product/5356-NTK4NUK/Lenovo_ThinkPad_W510_4319_Core_i7_820QM_173_GHz_15 6_TFT.htm
A bit too spendy though :) and they dont have any.
I am still looking for something with about 1600x 900 or 1920x1080 or 1920 x 1200 and about 15 inches.
The T510 is a great laptop but the T410 is far more portable.
Best laptops ever made.
Mark Grant
25-02-2011, 14:41
I have been using an IBM T41 since about 2004 and it still works :)
There are new models on the way very soon, Lenovo Thinkpad T420s, T420 and T520
http://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-thinkpad-t420s-t420-and-t520-up-to-30hrs-battery-life-21134836/
They dont look that much different to the classic style of my old T41 :)
http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/h544.htm
( look at the date of that review, February 2004 ! )
-
The Vinyl Adventure
25-02-2011, 18:56
All to much money...
Mark ... £1800 odd quid is 3x my max budget! :)
DanJennings
25-02-2011, 19:15
while we're on the subject of computer buying.... Any of you PC guys know the best place to buy a cheap reliable DVD writer drive, preferably internal, oh and it needs to be IDE. I have a SATA one in the house that I bought without checking (dumbass).
Sorry to highjack your thread Hamish old chap
The Vinyl Adventure
25-02-2011, 22:59
Dan
Ring me monday day ...
I think I have an IDE one hanging around you can have
Jac Hawk
26-02-2011, 00:20
The number #1 reason most laptops die is motherboad failure,number #2 is broken hinges and screens.
It's true that if the motherboard goes then you're pritty screwed, but there is always a reason, in my experience any failure of parts is usually due to overheating, and on a laptop it's a real problem, you see they have a sort of ram air radiator affair going on to keep em cool, air is sucked in from the bottom and blown through a radiator, which is connected by copper bars to the cpu and gpu, the thing is the radiator gets blocked really easily so it's important to clean it out periodically in my experience, also it doesn't seem to matter who the manufacturer is, they all use the same setup.
Broken screens and hinges are due to rough tratment in my opinion, so it wouldn't matter who made the machine, if you abuse it, it's gunna break.
At the end of the day i know it's good to have a well made machine, but you're not getting rid of the Sony because it's broken, and in most cases people get new computers because they need something more powerful not because they've gone wrong.
The big problem with cheap lap tops is the hinge becomes loose and floppy,
It should take 2 hands to open a lappy.
A well made mother board will handle heat better than a cheap one with flashed thin traces.It will take a little bounceing around better too.
Lap tops break a little easyer than desk tops due to there portable nature so it makes sence to get one thats built better.
And how am I suppost to vent my anger at my laptop when it dosen't listen to me, unless I can slam the lid down and throw it to the floor?
BTW: My Toshiba A305D S6848 is a 2008 after dumping vista/norton it works great but the construction is not what I would call rugged,so I have to treat it like a premature baby.
Hammish what did you think of the MSI?
The Vinyl Adventure
26-02-2011, 08:43
Looks nice, but it's too expensive
Every time I buy a computer I end up spending more than I need to ... I'm not gonna let that happen this time ... Last time it was for a fancy screen and a bluray drive ... This time I could see me chasing specs I dont need ...
That lenovo at £459 looks fine to me ...
while we're on the subject of computer buying.... Any of you PC guys know the best place to buy a cheap reliable DVD writer drive, preferably internal, oh and it needs to be IDE. I have a SATA one in the house that I bought without checking (dumbass).
Sorry to highjack your thread Hamish old chap
Dan if you don't sort things out with Hamish, and as a general recommendation for computer components and periferals I use eclipse computers...
http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/
They're based in Coventry, very competitive on price, and I've not had any problems exchanging items when necessary.
But you do need to know what you want ;)
Looks nice, but it's too expensive
Every time I buy a computer I end up spending more than I need to ... I'm not gonna let that happen this time ... Last time it was for a fancy screen and a bluray drive ... This time I could see me chasing specs I dont need ...
That lenovo at £459 looks fine to me ...
Lenovo makes a very good computer if the MSI is to expencive,your Lenovo would be just fine.I thought E 459 was close to $750 US. So it wasen't alot more money.There are less expencive MSI laptops too. Eather would be just fine.Try to get the best you can for your money.How much is E459 in the U.S.?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%2050001312%204021&IsNodeId=1&name=MSI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%2050010418%204021&IsNodeId=1&name=Lenovo
newegg is a discount online place to by computer stuff.
Here you can review all the best brands,I linked 2 pages Lenovo and MSI so you can compair brands and prices.
The Vinyl Adventure
26-02-2011, 17:04
£459 is about $750
but the Msi was about £750 over here
I am going to have a look at the Msi range a bit more though when the time comes ...
The Vinyl Adventure
26-02-2011, 17:07
This one looks good?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/240481
Mark Grant
01-03-2011, 18:46
That lenovo at £459 looks fine to me ...
Any link to that, £459 is good :)
Mark.
The Vinyl Adventure
01-03-2011, 19:33
Eh? You want a link?
Mark Grant
01-03-2011, 19:46
I thought you had found a supplier of a nice Lenovo for £459 earlier in the thread, thought you had a link to somewhere, maybe not. I still cant decide...:eek:
The Vinyl Adventure
01-03-2011, 20:40
Its come down
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/222269
There are lot of new lap tops comming out in April so menny are pushing older stock at much lower prices.
Try this with a Macbook pro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CrpUU3cCPE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7cvi00OZDM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxsDRI8At4Q&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey2fsUfq1qw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-cY21M7biM
The Vinyl Adventure
10-03-2011, 13:07
just in case anyone looked at the lenovo laptops i was going to buy ... dont buy one... the mouse track pad is the biggest pile of useless shite i have ever come across!!
we sent them back and bought the ms1 c620's which we have uprated to 4gb ram ... they are not as nice to look at, but at least the effing mouse works!
Hamish,Wow! dose the MSI work well for you?
did you see my links on the Tpad ?
There has been some complaints about Lenovo's new textured track pad.
Most people are not happy with it,They even used it on the new think pads.
Some people have taped around the pad surface and used rubbing compund to smooth it out some.
I wouldn't do that to a new computer my self.
The Vinyl Adventure
10-03-2011, 22:26
Seems to, so far so good ... Its very shiney!
I read about the track pad, but nothing prepares you for just how bad it is!
It's not the bumpyness really that bothered me, it was the fact the buttons didn't work ... Absolutly barmy ... They even pass quality control!
Thankfully we have laws over here that allow you to send stuff back within 7 days if bought over long distance, and you only have to pay return postage!
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