Laptop Suggestion Please!

[Bird Strike]

I'm looking to buy a new laptop. Anyone with suggestion? The following specs are required:

1) Minimum P-4 1.7 GHz (Preferably faster)
2) 15" screen, preferably SXGA or UXGA
3) 512k RAM, may be able to live with 256k
4) All-in-one, as in no external floppy / CD etc
5) DVD / CD-RW
6) 32 MB or 64 MB video card
7) 10/100 Ethernet
8) 56k modem
9) PC card slot
10) S-video out
11) Infra red
12) Audio out (or at least headphone)
13) Min. 20 GB (30 GB preferred) HD
14) Preferably Win 2000 preinstalled but not essential
15) All other 'bog standard' features such as USB etc
16) Preferably 'looks nice'.
17) as light as it can be, but max 3.5 kg

Any suggestion would be very much appreciated!

[Scallywag]

Would recommend anything from the Sony Vaio range, mine's FX501 so doesn't have the spec you want, but the screen quality and general build quality is bulletproof. They do have models with the spec you require.

A friend has a Dell which again are "built to last" and he is very pleased with that.

[fobotcso]

Those three are good, but I've got a grumble about the length of time they will last before you realise that they are becoming dated.

I've got two; a Sony Vaio sub-notebook and a HiGrade(Asus) Notino and they have both been fine. But neither is upgradeable in the way that a desktop or tower can be. The older HiGrade is now 266 MHz and 6GB. I can upgrade the RAM a little and also the HDD but I'm stuck with the processor.

I suggest that you bear that in mind when you go to market and ask the sales people the question about upgradeability.

[Engineer]

Buy a non named brand with the spec that you require. Save you in the pocket. If you treat it well, will last you just as a named version compaq, tosh etc.

The chances are that in the end the back lite will go but that can be replaced with a bit of difficulty, as can the other weak point the power socket on the MB.

[lfalconer]

I worked on all major brands many years ago.. Go with Toshiba or Compaq.. They are built the best.. and have the best warranty support available.

Don't worry about the HP-Compaq merger.. nothing will change.. there will always be support for Compaq products, just as there was when Compaq bought DIGITAL. From what I've seen, Compaq notebooks seem to be the best value per $.

I've never looked at Sony though.. and must admit, they're notebooks look awesome. Not sure about performance though.

Good luck with your purchase!


Lachlan

[Unwell_Raptor]

My son is working a short contract in Hong Kong. He wants to buy a laptop while he is there - what is the best buy in HK that will be supported in the UK?

He will use it world wide.

[G.Khan]

Had a small problem with my Dell fixed recently, (in Australia), on site warranty, the engineer had spent nine years with Toshiba and said that there was nothing on the market to beat Dell!

[Bird Strike]

Now I have come across Sony VAIO GRX3P with 16.1" UXGA screen. It's slower than I wanted, as it's only 1.6GHz but the screen size is tempting. Another thing that botheres me is that there doens't seem to be a floppy drive, even as an option (at least it's not listed on their website as an option at the moment).

It's not out in Australia yet. Anyone had any experience with this?

[fobotcso]

If the Sony machine that's tempting you has a USB port, and I assume it does, then there are several External USB FDDs - including a Sony version - their PCGA-UFD5. It's a neat slim little thing powered from the USB port.

If you have several USB devices, however, you could drain too much USB current and will need a hub with a power supply.

For my sub-notebook (the one with the camera that has no drives at all) in order to rebuild the operating system etc, I had to buy the dedicated Sony CD-ROM drive with PCMCIA interface. It's the only way to get this notebook to recognise an external CD-ROM - even after booting from a floppy.

The reason is something to do with a SCSI to IDE conversion that Sony have used in making it possible for the BIOS to see a CD-ROM. I tried booting from DOS and using normal DOS CardServices and had no luck.

If you buy a Sony without an in-built CD-ROM, get the sales person to look you in the eye and tell you that you must spend a further £300 or equivalent to get one you can boot from.

[BlueEagle]

My Dell laptop has a CD-Rom station, a floppy disc station, x2 USB points, an ethernet point, 56K modem and two ports for cards.

These were all requested and worked from day one.

[Bluebottle]

Hi Folks,

I too am in the market for a new notebook and was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with Asus brand? . I've been very happy with their components in the desktops I've put together, and they seem to come in quite a bit cheaper than Dell for similar specs (have been leaning towards the Inspiron 8200).

Any comments welcome.

[fobotcso]

Asus/HiGrade in OZ

BB, you may find these two links worth a read although they won't help you with any technical stuff

Asus and HiGrade Combine in UK

HiGrade/Asus in OZ

I've had a HiGrade Notino notebook (with ASUS motherboard) for three years and have been well pleased with it. It's heavy because it has everything in it (CD-ROM, Floppy, removeable HDD twin PCMCIA sockets, IR, USB) and it is strong enough to be dropped on a corner from one metre without damage. I didn't do that! That was the test done by PC Magazine when they reviewed laptops.

It's way out of date at PentiumII/266MHz and is not upgradeable. But it's fine to pass on to my lad at Uni.

I might buy again, but then again there are others to look at. ASUS are dominating the motherboard scene at the moment in all directions. That could be a good sign.

[gofer]

Laptop in Oz and HK

In Oz the only great service is Dell - 48h. anywhere is what we get on company Dell's.

In HK and ROW Dell is very good, but perhaps a little heavy, at least in the past. Weight for power SONY - service for any Japanese model fine in strong markets in Far East, elsewhere - with different models - just OK.

Personally have has Tosh, IBM & Compaq. Some Compaq's were a B*tch and some good, the IBM's are rugged and when they get damaged they just get fixed - but usually go on running.

If the screen is over 14" (bigger the better) watch out for twist and for the screen to get cracked or to disconnect - which without and extra CRT around means the PC is US.

[Home Signal]

Bird Strike

I am just looking around for a new notebook, the one that has caught my is the new Compaq 1500SP,

P4 - 2.2GHz
256MB Ram (Max 1024MB)
32MHz Video Card
15" Screen - XGA
Firewire Port (Nice)
2 off USB 2.0 (Nice)
Internal Floppy Disk (unusual now)
30GB Hard Disk
DVD/CD/CDRW
All usual ports (Keyboard, S Video out, the only port missing is a serial port)
56k Modem
10/100MB LAN Card
Windows XP Home,DVD, CD burning software

Link :- http://ap.compaq.com.sg/products/not...me/1500series/

List price in Kuala Lumpur RM6700.00 - without bargaining

There is a simular spec NEC P440 machine, minor differences :-

Speed - 1.7MHz
USB Ports - 2 off but only USB 1.1
External Floppy Disk
Link :- http://www.nec-asia.com/minisites/p440/
Price Malaysia RM7000.00


Hope this helps, usual disclaimer, just looking for the best bangs for bucks. Except for the missing serial port (becoming very common, USB to Serial converter required) the Compaq is high on my list at the moment.

Regards


Home Signal
Iron Horse Engineer - KL

[Belgique]

Dell Built to Last?? Yer Jokin, Right?

Gone through three keyboards in underthree years plus a power supply and the battery life is now down to 30 mins.

I'd trade it for a typewriter with an internet connections.

[Green Bottle 2]

I too am looking for a laptop and am a bit unsure how the processors compare. I am looking at possibly a P4 of around 1.7 - 2 Ghz although may look at somthing like an Athlon or celeron processor instead.

Am I right in thinking the Celeron is significantly slower than the P4?

How do the Athlon processors compare with the P4 Celeron.

Thanks in advance

GB

[fobotcso]

One of my ladies is on her third hard disk in three years - on a Dell laptop.

The laughable thing about this aspect of portables is that in my Sony manual it says (and remember this is about a lightweight sub-notebook) "to avoid damage to the Hard Disk Drive, do not move the computer while the computer is switched on"!!!

Would you buy a notebook computer from a company that says that about its product in the Users Manual?

[PAXboy]

The orginal poster may also like to read the thread, "Sony VAIO notebook?" that is running in this forum.

I agree that laptop manufacturers have joined in the lawyers prattle of "Don't use this thing for anything and then it won't break and you can't sue us coz we told you not to"

[gofer]

Belgique

It comes from not leaving go of the frites when you type I think

Sorry - mes excuses - couldn't resist, not often you get a chance here in the fragrent harbour.

The power supply problem comes with most machines when you don't run the power cycle from full to empty and only then recharge, and they only have a limited number of cycles (somehere between 250 and 600 I think I read somewhere).

The Keyboards - different people, different hitting styles, the more you write the quicker they wear out - best solution posted elsewhere is to use an external Kbd. wherever possible - cheaper to scrap when tired.

[rob_frost]

Try http://www.rockdirect.com/ . I have one. I have played with friends Dells/Sonys, and its isn't as sturdy, and doesn't look as good, but performance-price wise it is good. They do use desktop processors a lot of the time, which get quite warm, and use more battery power. Customer service isn't excellent either, although it does work.
If you need to save money, I'd consider it, if not, get something better.