Advice on choice of 2 Laptops.

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Loismustdye

927 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#48449 14-Nov-2009 14:16

Hi

Im looking at getting a new laptop, with around 2k as a predetermined budget for a xmas pressie to myself :-)
Im after best bang for buck, with as good a processor and graphics card as i can get for that price range. DEsktops a no go as I want the portability.

Im looking at 2 currently:
HP Pavilion dv6 - 1335TX Notebook $21002.20GHz Core 2 Duo Processor

4GB DDR3 (2 Dimms) Ram

500GB Hard drive

15.6 WXGA High-Def Widescreen

LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 (M96) with discrete 1024MB

Microsoft Windows 7 Premium

Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n; Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN

http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/computers/notebook-computers/pc-notebook-computers/hp-dv6-1335-pavilion-dv6-1335tx-notebook/prod100693.html

or:
Toshiba Satellite A500 / 01K$20002.20GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor

4GB DDR2 Ram

500GB Hard drive

Wifi 802.11 a/g/n, Toshiba Bluetooth? V2.1 + EDR

DVD SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive

NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M 1GB DDR3 Graphics

Integrated Hybrid Digital / Analogue TV Tuner

http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/computers/notebook-computers/pc-notebook-computers/toshiba-a500-01k-my30-satellite-a500-01k-notebook-with-my30-navigation-unit/prod108146.html

Both are similarly spec'd, (my GF thinks the HP looks prettier), and playtech also has the HP for $1840.

Any thoughts/advice or knowledge/experience on either product would be appreciated, or user opinions and knowledge of support (drivers, software faults, warranties etc) would all be greatly appreciated.
thanks

soleil24

124 posts

Master Geek

#273054 14-Nov-2009 17:57

FWIW, in the past I've always thought Toshiba laptops were the better built of the two (Tosh vs HP). Never owned an HP but a top-end Tecra I had a few years ago was a rock-solid piece of kit.

However, this review (http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/laptops/351643/toshiba-satellite-a500 )would seem to come down in favour of the HP (maybe not exactly the same models) and that publication is usually a good guide to "real-world" computing.

Personally I'd be put off by the HP looking "prettier" - style over substance? But then again, my laptops are Thinkpads, so what would I know?

IG

<edit> sorry, will have to learn how to do links to URLs !

zaptor

745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#273480 16-Nov-2009 12:43

Loismustdye: Hi

Im after best bang for buck, with as good a processor and graphics card as i can get for that price range.

Toshiba Satellite A500/040 from DSE ?
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4b0090af02149bc62740c0a87f3b06bc/Product/View/XC5987

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#273484 16-Nov-2009 12:55

http://www.playtech.co.nz/product.php?action=showdetail&id=8273
DV6 from playtech $1849

The DV6 will be faster than the A500/01K in the video department but other specs seem so close they don't make much of a difference imo

The HPs are built well as are the Toshibas. In terms of reliability the HP will probably have a slight edge, whereas the Toshiba would feel a bit more solid in your hands

In terms of operating system performance, both are loaded to the hilt with bloatware, which is easily removed after about 30 minutes or taking out the Toshiba boot manager, HP fast task or whatever they are called these days :)

The GT230M is basically a 9500GT with a few shaders removed(so not quite as powerful as the desktop version. --- sorry, just removed toms link, they didn't have a 9500GT on their charts :( ----

All in all, since they are so similar, go into the store, feel which one feels nicer in your hand, as to hold it in your lap, see how much heat each emits from underneath it(if it's running slip your hand under) and pick the one that feels good for you

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

Loismustdye

927 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#273596 16-Nov-2009 17:46

cheers for the advice guys.
As appealing as the A500/040 is raptor, for an extra 150 i can get windows 7, and a bigger hard drive with the hp if i get it from playtech. And knowing my luck the dse will be out of stock in my area by the end of the week when i can go in to get it :-)

I thinks I need to sleep on it for a few days, I keep coming across other options which are a few $ less and start to tempt me lol.

Valok

38 posts

Geek

#274296 18-Nov-2009 19:03

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/laptop-reliability-survey-asus-and-toshiba-win-hp-fails/

this may help a little

Loismustdye

927 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#274303 18-Nov-2009 19:34

Found out i cam get a bit of discount thru work, making the HP a lil over 1900 and the toshiba a bit over 1700. So ultimately I think the toshiba wins.
cheers

Loismustdye

927 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#275096 22-Nov-2009 07:50

got my new laptop on thuirsday, got the toshiba a500/01k, and i gotta say Im happy. So pretty, and absolutley hauls though what Ive thrown at it so far, which is mainly dragon age:origins which i got on friday .

thanks for the assist people :-)

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boby55

1539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#275101 22-Nov-2009 09:03

Thought this was interesting, Good buy on the Toshiba

AncestralGeek

91 posts

Master Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#276655 26-Nov-2009 20:42

While not all malfunctions are the result of manufacturing decisions I regard it as sad that by buying a laptop from the most reliable manufacturer I still can expect that 1 out of 10 will develop a fault within 2 years from purchase. Yes most most electronic devices that are faulty will show signs of their fault within the first three months and that most buyers of computers realise that they are not something that you buy for a lifetime there should not be the gap between failures after two years and the expectations of the failure rates after three years.

Our expectations are too low.