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What is the best laptop to buy?Rate this:
  
Published Mon 13 Aug 2007,
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So let's narrow it down - what do you need to be able to do on your laptop? List everything!
Just use word and internet really, nothing too fancy.
Have to type docs and lesson plans for work. Other than that, not much!
I'm guessing you'll want a Windows laptop (not a Mac) as you want to use Word. Macs can use Word too but Macs are expensive so, unless you already use a Mac and would prefer one, let's just stick with plain old Windows.
Word comes as part of Microsoft Office which unfortunately is not (usually) included when you buy a Windwos laptop. Office costs at least £100 (I forget how much - it might be a lot more!). So you'd need to pay for that too to use Word.
Alternatively you can download and use Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/) which is completely free and does everything you'll need. Also, most laptops come bundled with a fre copy of "Works" which is a version of office software but I don't like the look of it so I've never used it. Go for Open Office if you don't want to pay for Microsoft Office.
Your other requirement was "the internet". Well, all laptops can connect so no problem there. Windows will come with Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) which you can use. However, being a web developer I HIGHLY recommend you forget IE7 and download and use Firefox (http://www.mozilla-europe...rg/en/products/firefox/).
Firefox is way better than IE7 for a million reasons. You'll need IE7 just once - to surf the internet on your new laptop, find Firefox, download it and then you need never use IE7 again!
I can recommend specific laptops if you so wish?
Aaaanyhoo, I've checked Dabs.co.uk as I find them to be good value. There are a few details you should be aware of first:
A) Windows XP versus Windows Vista.
Hopefully you know that Windows is the thing (an "operating system") that runs on your computer and lets you do everything! For the last 5ish (?) years Windows XP has been the standard operating system. However, this year Microsoft released their new one called "Windows Vista". I'm guessing you've only ever used Windows XP or Windows 2000. Personally I don't recommend using Vista for maybe another year or two. Why? Because Windows XP works fine and Vista is new and no doubt has many problems with it. I'm waiting until Vista version 2 comes out with all the security fixes in it - then I'll feel safer to upgrade! Other people may disagree. I have not actually used Vista so I may be wrong! Can anyone else here at Woyano recommend Vista?
B) Hard Disk space
I'm sure you know what this is. Usually it's best to get as much space as you can afford. Music and videos take up a lot of room and are the usual suspects when a hard disk is full! If you don't plan on having a lot of music or videos then a 60GB hard disk is probably good enough (no less though). If you do want music/videos then think of getting more. 120GB maybe - or more if you really love music/videos.
C) RAM
"What the *bleep* is RAM?" I hear you ask! RAM is very fast (yet temporary) memory for your computer. Your hard disk is comparatively slow (but permanent) memory. So your computer will store all your programs on the hard disk (as you probably know) because they will stay there after you turn off the computer, but your RAM will be deleted each time you turn it off. So what's the use of RAM? Well, it's thousands of times faster for your computer to access than the hard disk which means programs run much faster. Ever wondered why your computer is taking aaages to boot up? Or why a program is taking forever to do something after you click a button? Often the reason is because you've not got enough RAM and your computer is having trouble emptying out stuff from the RAM onto the hard disk and then putting new stuff into the RAM, which all takes time. Most new laptops come with 512MB of RAM. Personally I think that's not enough for Windows XP and definitely not enough for the newer, more power hungry Windows Vista. If you can buy more RAM then do! RAM is relatively cheap and gets you more power out of a computer so it's always the first thing I buy for a new machine. Try and have at least a total of 1GB - so for a laptop that comes with 512MB buy another stick of 512MB RAM (they're called "sticks" cos they are long and, errr, stick-like). Get a techy friend to insert the RAM (it can be a little scary to do it yourself) and now you will have 1GB! Much better for Windows XP. You don't HAVE to do this, but I really recommend it.
D) Microsoft Office
I mentioned it before costing £100 - boy was I way off! It costs around £350! Buy it if you really need it - or download Open Office and try that. Open Office is FREE and will run all Word/Powerpoint/Excel files from Microsoft Office with no problems.
Here are some laptop recommendations (in NO particular order):
1) Toshiba A120SE £556.98 inc VAT
"Core Duo 1.73GHz 512MB 60GB DVD±RW XPPro"
http://www.dabs.com/produ...11105,4294959538,22,50540
Toshiba are a great make of laptop. Build quality is excellent which can mean you get a little less power for your buck but it will last longer (my mum spilt gin and tonic all over hers and it survived fine!). This particular model, the "A120SE", comes with Windows XP Pro and NOT the shiny new Windows Vista - I think that's fine! Also it has 512MB of RAM so I recommend you buy another 512MB to go with it (but you don't have to!).
This also has a DVD player AND writer so you can watch DVDs and burn some yourself, if you ever felt like it!
2) Toshiba A100 £665.99 inc VAT
"Core Duo 1.73GHz 2GB 120GB DVD±RW XPPro"
http://www.dabs.com/produ...11105,4294959538,22,50540
Another great Toshiba laptop. It's £110 more than the one above (A120SE) but it's got 120GB hard disk (loads of room for photos/videos/music and programs!) and a whopping 2GB of RAM. Two gigabytes of RAM!! That's what I have in my laptop so I definitely recommend it - especially because it is all done for you so you don't need to buy more and slot it in the back yourself. Other than those two differences it seems a lot like that other Toshiba.
3) HP Compaq 6715b £649.98 inc VAT
"AMD Turion 64 X2 2 GHz 2048MB 160GB 15.4"WSXGA TFT DVDRW Vista Business"
http://www.dabs.com/produ...11105,4294959538,22,50240
HP (Hewlett-Packard) laptops are also pretty damn good. In my opinion they are a little less "quality" than Toshiba laptops, but happily they make up for it with power! I currently use a HP Compaq laptop at work and I'm more than happy with it.
This one is a little over your budget at £650 but it comes with 2GB of RAM (or 2048MB to be pedantic) and a massive 160GB hard disk. That's good chunk more than the Toshiba A100 above and yet £15 cheaper. There's also a DVD player/writer like the Toshibas. But look! This one comes with Windows Vista Business! OoooOOoooo! So if you know about Vista and can't live without it then this one might be for you.
4) HP Compaq NX7400 £557.99 inc VAT
"1.83 GHz T5600 1024mb 80GB 15.4"WSXGA TFT DVDRW Vista Business"
http://www.dabs.com/produ...11105,4294959538,22,50240
This HP Compaq laptop is the same price as the first Toshiba but has more bang for your buck. It has 80GB hard disk (20GB more than the Toshiba) and 1GB RAM (twice the Toshiba). It's pretty much the same (if not slightly better) at everything else BUT it comes with Vista. Now that might be a good thing, and apologies if I am making out that Vista is "bad", but I just cannot recommend it because I've never used it.
Okay, there are some nice laptops! So all in all, if I had to choose between those four I would go like this:
If you don't mind using Windows Vista AND you don't mind spending a bit more then go for 3)
If you don't mind using Windows Vista BUT you want to stay under budget then go for 4)
If you rather stay with Windows XP AND you don't mind spending a bit more then go for 2)
If you rather stay with Windows XP BUT you want to stay under budget then go for 1)
Now bear in mind that this is NOT an exhaustive list of laptops! You may find something better yourself, if so - go for it!
I hope this has helped!
(Also I wouldn't buy 4, I'd want 2GB ram -- instead of my current measly 512MB, on my rather old computer....
One older laptop we have is a little bit slower, hardly noticeable, but the battery life is 3-4 hours! And, it cost $599 US dollars. (Toshiba Satellite)
We've had great luck with Toshibas, the prices are fantastic, they run and run beautifully, they run cool, (but a nice little $29 platform cooler is good addon). Other laptops: Sony Vaio (had to return), HP (big and clunky), Thinkpad (love it, but pricey). The new Macbook runs Apple, Windows, Linux, Unix, and starts at 1250 US. It's nice, too!
Really love the Panasonic toughbook! Add one humvee, the Brawny man, and life is good!
But I'd recommend simply getting the most hard drive and RAM you can afford, and 1 gig of the latter as a bottom line. I'd also want the dual core processor these days _ since it's here and readily available. The British pound is worth nearly two US dollars just now, so you've actually got a pretty big pocket _ my pocket wouldn't be nearly that deep. And, trust me, you're gonna want music and some of those videos, and maaan do they eat up space! _ so 60 or 80 gig HD ain't gonna cut it for long.
As for clemmati's good comment about the cost of upgrading to Vista at some point if you stay with WinXP, ( and again I echo Big Al's recommendation to do so), by that time (1 to 2 years), you'll probably be wanting to get a new laptop anyway _ and THEN you can get Vista. And by then all the developers largely will have updated their programs to Vista as well; at present, some won't work there.
...if you can run fast enough
lol...
///just a little nyc humor
http://www.pcmag.com/arti...le2/0,1895,2127439,00.asp
I'm liking this post tho - goes to show what a helpful bunch us Woyanos are!
:)
Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)