Help on laptop decision please, list provided

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alvin

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#39457 14-Aug-2009 10:59

Hello all,

I'm currently shopping around for a laptop. my budget is around 1200. i will be using it mainly of internet surfing, emails, word processing, occassional photo editing or storage, watching DVD (when the little one gets bored during holidays/travel). Obviously, i know little about laptops and specs so any help and honest feedback will greatly help and appreciated. I've been looking at Noel Leeming and Harvey Norman. more inclined to buy at NL because of the interest free deal. The list is quite long but these are the laptops that fall within my price range. i hope you can recommend something and give your reason to help me weed out the crap ones. and another thing, I was told by one of the sales guys that I should distance myself from Compaq laptops and toshibas are really good. is that true or just a sales pitch?

here goes the list and thanks in advance

Compaq Presario CQ61 - 218TU Notebook
    * 2.2GHz Intel Celeron Processor
    * 1GB DDR2 (1 Dimms) Ram
    * 160GB Hard drive
    * 15.6 Diagonal WXGA Widescreen
    * Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe
    * Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M (shared)
    * Windows Vista Home Basic
    * 802.11b/g WLAN;Integrated 10/100 LAN

Compaq Presario CQ60 - 303AU Notebook
    * 2.1GHz AMD Athlon Single Core Processor
    * 1GB DDR2 (1 Dimms) Ram
    * 160GB Hard drive
    * 15.6 Diagonal WXGA Widescreen
    * Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe
    * NVIDIA GeForce 8200M G (Shared)
    * Windows® Vista? Home Basic
    * 802.11b/g WLAN;Integrated 10/100 LAN

Toshiba Satellite L300 / 0VK Notebook
    * 1.66GHz Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor
    * 2GB DDR2 (2 Dimms) Ram
    * 160GB Hard drive
    * 15.4" Widescreen WXGA TruBrite® Display 1280 x 800
    * DVD SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive
    * Mobile Intel GMA 4500M (128MB system memory and up to 286MB video memory with 2GB system RAM)
    * Windows® Vista Home Premium
    * Integrated 802.11 bg

Compaq Presario CQ61 - 111TU Notebook
    * 1.66GHz Intel Celeron® Dual Core Processor
    * 2GB DDR2 (1 Dimms) Ram
    * 250GB Hard drive
    * 15.6 Diagonal WXGA Widescreen
    * Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe
    * Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M(shared)
    * Windows® Vista Home Basic
    * 802.11b/g WLAN;Integrated 10/100 LAN

Compaq Presario CQ61 - 209TU Notebook
    # 1.8GHz Intel Celeron DualCore Mobile Processor
    # 2GB DDR2 (1 Dimms) Ram
    # 250GB Hard drive
    # 15.6 Diagonal WXGA Widescreen
    # Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe
    # Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M (shared)
    # Windows Vista Home Premium
    # 802.11b/g WLAN;Integrated 10/100 LA

Gateway LT31 11.6" Gloss Black Notebook
    * AMD Athlon 64 L110 Low Voltage processor
    * 2GB DDR2 Ram
    * 250GB Hard drive
    * New 11.6" WXGA Wide Screen
    * Vista Home Basic
    * Built in Bluetooth
    * Microsoft Works v 8.5
    * Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student Trial

Toshiba Satellite L500D / 00U Notebook
    * 2.10GHz AMD Athlon Dual Core processor
    * 4GB DDR2 (2 Dimms) Ram
    * 320GB Hard drive
    * 15.6" Widescreen WXGA TruBrite® Display 1280 x 800
    * DVD SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive
    * ATI Radeon 3100 Graphics with 128MB Dedicated RAM
    * Windows® Vista Home Premium
    * Wifi 802.11 b/g

Toshiba Satellite L500-01F
    *1.8GHz Celeron Dual core
    * 2GB
    * 320GB Hard drive
    * Windows® Vista Home Premium
    * 15.6" Widescreen

heavenlywild

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#246488 14-Aug-2009 11:05

I would go for the Toshiba L500 due to its dual core processor, large hard drive and 4GB of memory (which is important when using Vista).

Avoid Celeron processors as they are, well, not very good at multi-tasking (ie. opening multiple applications at one time).

Balchy

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#246500 14-Aug-2009 11:37

yep I concur with heavenly_wild. I had the CTU61-111TU - not a bad laptop depending on the price, but it struggled to even run trackmania on it.

For billions of years since the outset of time, every single one of your ancestors survived, every single person on your Mum and Dads side, successfully looked after and passed onto you life. What are the chances of that like?

dickytim

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#246539 14-Aug-2009 12:56

i have a Toshiba L300 with the celeron, I only use it to surf the web, download and play videos, edit photos, upload video's to you tube and my GF does her asignment work for the BCOM on it.

I got the ram upgraded from 1GB to 3GB 5 min after getting it home, the only issue I have is the tiny HDD it has but I am going to change that shortly and put a 500gb one in.

For all the tasks you mentioned above I don't see why the cheapest computer would not serve your needs.

As far as Toshiba vs Compac, I had a salesperson at HN tell me the oposite as the computer I brought was $800 less cash back (cost me $650 in the end) and he wanted a larger sale

I can't play most games on mine but I have a desktop for that.

tomgeeknz

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#246550 14-Aug-2009 13:08

Toshiba Satellite L500D / 00U Notebook
* 2.10GHz AMD Athlon Dual Core processor
* 4GB DDR2 (2 Dimms) Ram
* 320GB Hard drive
* 15.6" Widescreen WXGA TruBrite? Display 1280 x 800
* DVD SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive
* ATI Radeon 3100 Graphics with 128MB Dedicated RAM
* Windows? Vista Home Premium
* Wifi 802.11 b/g

Definitely go with this one as it will allow you some flexibility as to what you do with it. Also see here : http://www.isd.toshiba.com.au/windows7upgrade/upgrade.html and claim your windows 7 upgrade

dickytim

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#246554 14-Aug-2009 13:22

Out of intrest what is the price you have for the L500 and the L300.

alvin

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#246560 14-Aug-2009 13:39

thanks for the initial replies..

dickytim: Out of intrest what is the price you have for the L500 and the L300.

$1199.00 on the L300 with $150 cashback while the L500D/00U is $1299 with $100 cashback

and btw, do you, guys know the battery life of L500D?

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dickytim

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#246642 14-Aug-2009 15:54

I just read on the Toshiba website the RRP for the L300 is $1,023.75 inc GST, that admittedly only had 1GB ram

Wervie67

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#246671 14-Aug-2009 16:20

try stay clear of the compaqs, nice to look at and relatively cheap... but prone to breaking and overheating.
Toshibas the way to go IMO, very solid... but thats just my 2c

dickytim

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#246715 14-Aug-2009 17:22

interesting, about Compaq's we have had 8 at work stop working due to cracked mother boards, all just outside the warrantee period, we are following up a complaint with HP (who don't want to know as they were all just over 1 year old. Basically our computer provider, who always seems to push HP product has been told that we don't want them anymore.

dickytim

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#246738 14-Aug-2009 18:28

http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4a85039101afa82e2740c0a87f3b06bf/Product/View/XC4300

if you wanted the Toshiba L300

alvin

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#246782 14-Aug-2009 21:43

dickytim, how long does the L300 battery last, assuming wifi is on

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heavenlywild

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#246784 14-Aug-2009 22:00

alvin: dickytim, how long does the L300 battery last, assuming wifi is on

Expect no longer than 2 hours.

dickytim

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#246904 15-Aug-2009 11:31

heavenly_wild:
alvin: dickytim, how long does the L300 battery last, assuming wifi is on

Expect no longer than 2 hours.

Correct, I always have wifi on and to be honest I forgot to plug this in just now and have been on for approx 45min and have just over an hour left.

This obviously depends on what you are doing, I find watching a movie drains the battery a little faster, i.e. I tried to watch x-files movie on a flight last year and it didn't get to the end. That being said I have the power settings always on the "high performance" so it could potentially get better life.

Batman

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#254218 8-Sep-2009 23:43

if you havent bought one get this one

www.dell.co.nz/tv

Paulthagerous

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#255577 14-Sep-2009 13:29

heavenly_wild: I would go for the Toshiba L500 due to its dual core processor, large hard drive and 4GB of memory (which is important when using Vista).

Avoid Celeron processors as they are, well, not very good at multi-tasking (ie. opening multiple applications at one time).

+1 for the L500D. IMHO you definately need more than 2GB ram with Vista, my brother has a compaq with 2GB and Vista and is is not enough. 4GB is what I would expect for that sort of price these days, wouldn't touch anything lower. Other specs on this one look good too.