A Good Laptop?

[FaNbOy]

Next year, I will be taking IT as a subject at school, but I need to buy a laptop computer to do it. I'm not too sure which laptop I should buy, though. There are so many choices, and I need your guys' help to make the right choice.
Which specs should the laptop have? It needs to be fairly quick, and it has to run the programming software which is used. It also needs to be reasonably priced (not over R7000) and it must be able to be used for at least +3 years. Which laptop do you think I should get? Or is there maybe a website that can help me? Which shops should I look at?

Thanks in advance for your help. :-)

[Invert]

http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=27985

Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 2.1GHz 800MHz FSB 2M L2 Cache,
4096MB DDR2-800 SO-Dimm Memory (2x2048),
320GB SATA 5400rpm Hard Drive,
16" WXGA HD Color Shine (1366x768 resolution) TFT LCD Display,
ATI Radeon HD4570 with 512MB dedicated graphics,

A notebook like this is going for around R9k considering it's 2k over your budget I really don't think that's a lot of money when you consider how much longer a notebook like this is gonna last you.

Otherwise you can always try tomshardware.com - for product comparisons (not too sure about notebook comparisons though).

[Wesley]

Hop over to www.nag.co.za and read my columns on the subject of laptops, titled Mine's still smaller than yours! I say the Asus K50IN that I mention in the article will suffice for your needs for quite come time.

[FaNbOy]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I'll check them out now.

@Wesley: I think I will have to buy the HP 615s mentioned in your article. R7000 is the absolute maximim. We're looking for something more in the 5K-6K price range. Will the HP be fine, or should is it better to pay R2400 more for the Asus?

[Wesley]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I'll check them out now.

@Wesley: I think I will have to buy the HP 615s mentioned in your article. R7000 is the absolute maximim. We're looking for something more in the 5K-6K price range. Will the HP be fine, or should is it better to pay R2400 more for the Asus?

In my opinion, the ASUS will be much, much better than the HP. Not only is the dual-core T4200 a strong chip, but its also a power-saver because its built on the 45nm process, whereas the Athlon is on the 65nm process, and a good deal slower in most things.

The Geforce Go 102M is also primarily a business chip, meant for the occasional Photoshop render or a random programming session. It can also play games decently, too, so you won't be bored in class ;-) ASUS also has a very good reputation, and their products and after-sales service have earned them more awards than they can count. The two-year warranty is also quite decent, and shows that they believe in their product lasting. Plus with the ASUS you're getting Windows Vista Business 64-bit, not crappy, sad Vista Basic 32-bit.

If you have to buy now, the HP will suit you just fine, but the ASUS is my choice (I'm saving up for that same model). If you can wait until Windows 7 hits retail, that will be even better, and perhaps ASUS will have dropped their prices and maybe even introduced something better at the same price point.

[cov1e_stalker]

-THIS (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=28009) -
Superior specs ( P series core 2s consume less power ) and lets not forget the 9600GS.

[Wesley]

-THIS (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=28009) -
Superior specs ( P series core 2s consume less power ) and lets not forget the 9600GS.

Too expensive for Fanboy's needs or budget.

[FaNbOy]

Thanks Wes.

Where should I buy the laptop from? Which shop has the best prices/variety of laptops?

[Wesley]

Thanks Wes.

Where should I buy the laptop from? Which shop has the best prices/variety of laptops?

Look at the pricing from Take2, Laptopdirect.co.za, and you can maybe have a look at Prophecy's pricing too, although Laptopdirect is the better option.

If you have a friend with access to an account with Rectron, that would be the best idea because then the laptop will be at cost price. I believe Rectron deals with both HP and ASUS.

[Tryxst3r]

Ok, now I have a question. :P

This (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=28009)or this (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=27985#)?

[Wesley]

Ok, now I have a question. :P

This (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=28009)or this (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=27985#)?

The Gigabyte has the stronger processor and the cheaper price, but the ASUS has the bigger screen, larger keyboard, Vista Business (which I prefer to use), and an ATI HD4570. I'd choose the Gigabyte, because you're getting a better graphics card (GT130M), smaller form factor and better performance than the MSI laptop I mentioned in my column.

[Tryxst3r]

So it's a toss up between media capability (ASUS) and performance (Gigabyte)? I always thought the ATI 4 series for laptops was better than most of the GT ones?

Thanks man. :)

[Wesley]

So it's a toss up between media capability (ASUS) and performance (Gigabyte)? I always thought the ATI 4 series for laptops was better than most of the GT ones?

Thanks man. :)

There's a website that has comparative reviews of laptop graphics chips, notebookcheck. Sometimes they also do reviews of the laptops themselves, and they are quite informative.

[Tryxst3r]

Thanks man, I tried googling the said laptops but it seems that the only results I got were SA based online companies that sold them.

[Wesley]

Thanks man, I tried googling the said laptops but it seems that the only results I got were SA based online companies that sold them.

Google doesn't tell you everything, dear friend.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 review (http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI-Mobility-Radeon-HD-4570.13885.0.html)

NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS review (http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-9600M-GS.9450.0.html)

NVIDIA GeForce GT 130M review (http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-130M.13789.0.html)

The K50IN and the X6 series from ASUS have a bit in common, so you can get an idea of build quality and such from this review:

Review Asus K50IN Notebook (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-K50IN-Notebook.18971.0.html)

If all you're interested in is performance, then just look at the graphics reviews, scroll down to the bottom where it lists some laptop reviews, and choose the laptop that has a similar or the same processor to the laptop you're looking at.

[FaNbOy]

Can I trust Laptopdirect to deliver the product safely? My parents are a bit old-school and are a bit sceptical about buying things online. Do you know any retail shops which have a good selection of laptops, or should I just order it online?

[Wesley]

Can I trust Laptopdirect to deliver the product safely? My parents are a bit old-school and are a bit sceptical about buying things online. Do you know any retail shops which have a good selection of laptops, or should I just order it online?

Yeah, you an trust them, they're very reliable, and the same goes for Take2, Prophecy, and Sybaritic. I dont know of any stores that would stock the model you're looking at, but perhaps Incredible Connection will be able to order one for you. You'll just have to go in and ask the manager about it.

If you can buy from Incredible Connection, choose that option over online shopping. Its much easier to return the laptop if you have any problems, and one can also purchase an extended warranty from Incredible Connection to make sure your ass is covered better if it breaks.

[jasong]

Both of those lappies go considerably over the 7k mark but both good choices. A good value for money choice is the Lenovo G530 c2d option as well. You get that IBM build quality and a good featureset for a reasonable price. It's not a gaming machine at all but it's a great utility laptop.

[moj]

@Wesley what do you think about this (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=23803#) laptop? I'm looking to buy 2 laptops for our employees and one that's not going to be too expensive. Do you think it's a good deal? It is just going to be used for general day-to-day office functions (MS Office and emails mainly), with no resource intensive apps or need for a crazy graphics card, but i dont want them to have a slow labouring machine.

Any other laptop's you recommend?

[Wesley]

@Wesley what do you think about this (http://www.laptopdirect.co.za/laptop_specifications.php?laptop=23803#) laptop? I'm looking to buy 2 laptops for our employees and one that's not going to be too expensive. Do you think it's a good deal? It is just going to be used for general day-to-day office functions (MS Office and emails mainly), with no resource intensive apps or need for a crazy graphics card, but i dont want them to have a slow labouring machine.

Any other laptop's you recommend?

Mmm, that's a good deal, but a bit expensive for just office apps and random office work. On Laptopdirect, go to the Asus section, look it their budget dual-core Celeron floating somewhere on the first page (can't remember the name). For basic office work, that'll do very well. If you want a little more power, look at the Asus K50IN series. However, if prefer an Lenovo/IBM laptop, then by all means take it, its a great choice.

[moj]

Gees that was a quick reply! You are on the ball my friend! Thanks for the advice. I might just go for one thats a little bit more powerful so i know it will last a bit longer and not frustrate the hell out of the users. Those 2 year warranties with the ASUS laptops are a dream too!

[Wesley]

Gees that was a quick reply! You are on the ball my friend! Thanks for the advice. I might just go for one thats a little bit more powerful so i know it will last a bit longer and not frustrate the hell out of the users. Those 2 year warranties with the ASUS laptops are a dream too!

Just keep in mind though, IBM's build quality is legendary, and last year their subsidiary company Lenovo ranked second-highest in the world in After-Sales service, after Apple. ASUS is ranked third, and you don't hear too many complaints about their products either. I'm saving up for an ASUS myself, the 2-year warranty more than covers me for the forseeable future because I'll be replacing it two or so years down the line.