Laptop

[7550]

Does anyone have any recommendations as to a good laptop. I got some good info off a previous thread however I was just wondering if anyone had bought something more recently and can give some more guidance. There are so many different types, configs etc that I am now completely confused. It seems that Toshiba, Acer, Dell and IBM come out as the best brands? My needs are fairly simple, just something for general everyday use with a CD drive inbuilt to be able to view my company documents. A 14" screen should be fine and a 30GB hard drive sufficient. Is it advisable to go for a Centrino or is the P4 still good enough? Thanks, any inputs will be greatly appreciated.

[Saab Dastard]

Assuming you are going for a laptop for portability, you might want to consider weight and battery life, also what you need built-in or as add-on & carry-round.

Is it more important to have a light, slimline machine without parallel port (do you have a need to print - do you have a USB printer?) or floppy drive? Do you need a docking station for home or office use?

Consider also DVD rather than CD drive - better still CD-RW which is one of those things you wonder how you ever did without!

Check the number of USB ports and PCMCIA / PC card slots against your needs

P4 / Centrino - go to intel's website to read about what it can do for you, and then decide if it is worth a premium.

I suggest you find a magazine (printed or on-line) with comparative group test reviews to help narrowing down your choice. PC Magazine (VNU) used also do a reliability survey of manufacturers which might be worth looking for.

If you are going to support the laptop yourself, go to the manufacturer's support website and see how easy it is to get information, drivers etc.

Bottom line - set a budget and buy the best spec you can afford that answers your requirements

This isn't a recommendation, but I have had company laptops from IBM, Dell, Compaq/HP (current) and Toshiba, and I always preferred Toshiba to use, but IBM, Dell and Compaq's support sites are better.

The last Tosh I had is now 6 years old and still going strong (well as strong as a PII 266 can go :rolleyes: )

SD

[7550]

Thanks Saab Dastard, you have given me some good gen and helped a lot with starting to narrow my choices down. Any feelings about Acer as they also seem to have a good product?

[timbo04]

I have had a couple of acer computers (travelmate) over the last few years and did not have any problems with them. They are relatively cheap for the spec and you should be able to get something to fit under a £1000. If battery life is important I would do a little research because the manufacturers claims are a little optimistic. I had a basic sony vaio which could only manage 40 mins! However, one of the best machines on the market at the moment is (in my opinion) the Sony Z1 - I got one for under £1500 - it is superb and gives around 4hours use. Check out technoworld.co.uk (cheap) but avoid PCworld at all costs!

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

7550,

It all comes down to what you are wanting to do with the notebook. (Knowing that answer really helps narrow down a good set of specs to shoot for.)

I do believe that the Centrino Chipset is the best option for a notebook. If you can go to a 15" monitor, it is well worth it too.

Take Care,

Richard

P.S. Since all notebooks come with WinXP, having 512Mb of RAM will give you the full potential performance out of the notebook.

[AIRWAY]

Hi,

Bought a Packard Bell Laptop last friday with 512 ram 1.5 intel centrino 15" screen dvd/cdw 40giga and im very happy with it at the moment.

regards

[The Doubtful Guest]

i recommend to switch from pc to mac - excellent price/performance ratio and support eventually convinced me.
ibook is cost saving, if you want to go for a high-end solution power book g4 is a good choice.
dell is extremly expensive and you can order via internet only meaning you can not haggle...

good luck!
dg

i forgot:
no viruses for mac :D

[Basil]

Think seriously about size. Do you need a big screen with the weight/size disadvantage to carry? My 15" was great to use but a total pain to lug around.

p.s. When you've decided and it's in your briefcase - THINK before using briefcase to stop elevator doors from closing :O (unless you've gone for the battlefield model)

[rob_frost]

http://www.whatlaptop.co.uk/forum/default.asp

They have a busy forum, might be of some use.
Also, go to PCworld/dixons etc, and look at the laptons in real life cos theyre often different from what you think. But buy online.