To buy a laptop

[Geoff]

Hi gang,
I'm looking at purchasing a laptop in the near future. I know that Birdy highly recommends ASUS and a few members have these laptops too. I've had lots of different recommendations from friends/relatives, some saying that Dell are good, as are Toshiba etc etc...I'm confused as to what REALLY is good etc. Can anyone suggest a particular brand of laptop? Of course I trust Birdy but also value the opinion of other members too. The DELL range of laptops seem to be good value for money, but does this mean they are crappy laptops?

Aldi also often have high spec laptops for unbelievable prices...would value peoples opinions. Cheers,

[Raskill]

I'm a bit of a believer that you get what you pay for, to a degree. I've looked at the Aldi ones and noted the high specs, but cant remember if they come with a decent warranty. Asus now sell fairly good ones in Big W for $999. Still, I'd be murdered if I bought one though (The minister for war and finance isnt a happy camper after my lens buy up).

Dell aren't crappy, my brother and sister in law have both bought one recently and they are top notch, with very good after sales service and good delivery times. If they have one in your price range,go for it.

Really, any laptop with a 2 year warranty will be okay, because after two years you'll need to upgrade anyway.

What were the specs of the aldi ones you saw?

[shutterbug]

Hi Geoff,

Do you want a portable (small) laptop or one that is to replace your desktop with a big screen?

My brother got a dell recently, size is BIG, great screen resolution. InspironTM 6000 with the works, only cost him $1900, after all the coupons and TRS

The Asus is great, I like them myself, but my brother could not afford it. Best person to see would be birddog if you want an asus.

For myself, I am a PC user, do all my work flow on the pc, but I have a 12" ibook, I love it. Not fast but Ok to do some PS if needed. great for wireless around the house and the portability is great.

Vincent
http://www.vlphotography.com.au/weblog

[MattC]

Geoff,

I have two Dell Laptops and I am happy. I cannot complain about their tech support and warranty repairs. One of these has been returned twice (4 rows of dead pixels and a dead hdd), and on both occcasions issues were resolved promptly (<7 days - excellent for TC) and without fuss. I have to admit that the Dell build quality is good but not quite to the excellent standards of Toshiba... but then, very little is. Toshiba really seem to get it right, even on their budget models. Toshiba seems to put a lot into every aspect of design, including protecting the screen from behind (important IMO). Also, their tech support is local. BTW, add the cost of a three year warranty to the price of a Dell. I consider laptop ownership out of warranty a risk.
Personally, if I were looking for a new lappie, I would be looking at any one of a few brands (Apple, Toshiba, IBM, Asus, Dell - not neccessarily in that order) and avoiding a couple of others (HP/Compaq and Generics). Notice I mentioned Apple. I think that they are worth serious consideration.

It would probably help if you could get your hands on the models that you are interested in for a "touch and feel".

Cheers

[gstark]

Geoff,

I have two Dell Laptops and I am happy. I cannot complain about their tech support and warranty repairs. One of these has been returned twice (4 rows of dead pixels and a dead hdd), and on both occcasions issues were resolved promptly (<7 days - excellent for TC) and without fuss.

I would be pissed that they had to be returned more than once.

Geoff, I refuse to buy Dell because the company itself sucks big time; I consider them to be dishonest traders. Don't forget that they will charge you $100 delivery, whether you want it or not.

I'm running an Asus, and you saw some of its capabilities last Saturday handling the the business end of the webcast that we did.

Talk with Birdy; you won't go wrong.

[birddog114]

Sorry, No Dell, No Toshiba, no IBM, and No HP/ Compaq here!!!!

I rather buy it from Aldi or Asus or BenQ

Toshiba = is big ripped off = Coporate or Govt. customer
IBM = Coporate customer, they don't care
Dell = A big No No with their screen and quality/ out of control.
HP/ Compaq = Coporate customer with basic quality product and they treat you like an idiot.

Do more research!

[ozimax]

Buy an Apple iBook, max out the ram and you're cooking with gas man...

(Sorry Birdie... )

Max

[Geoff]

Sorry, No Dell, No Toshiba, no IBM, and No HP/ Compaq here!!!!

I rather buy it from Aldi or Asus or BenQ

Toshiba = is big ripped off = Coporate or Govt. customer
IBM = Coporate customer, they don't care
Dell = A big No No with their screen and quality/ out of control.
HP/ Compaq = Coporate customer with basic quality product and they treat you like an idiot.

Do more research!

Ok...Birdy are tehre any particular ASUS lappie models you recommend or would it be best I just take a look and see what I want/can afford?

[birddog114]

Buy an Apple iBook, max out the ram and you're cooking with gas man...

(Sorry Birdie... )

Max

Apple iBook residence is not counted in here, was outnumbered by other

[birddog114]

Sorry, No Dell, No Toshiba, no IBM, and No HP/ Compaq here!!!!

I rather buy it from Aldi or Asus or BenQ

Toshiba = is big ripped off = Coporate or Govt. customer
IBM = Coporate customer, they don't care
Dell = A big No No with their screen and quality/ out of control.
HP/ Compaq = Coporate customer with basic quality product and they treat you like an idiot.

Do more research!

Ok...Birdy are tehre any particular ASUS lappie models you recommend or would it be best I just take a look and see what I want/can afford?

Asus has about 20 model of lappies, so it's worth a lurk on their website:
http://www.asus.com
To see which one is suited you then we can start from there

[Geoff]

Thanx everyone for their input, I do hope ASUS laptops are better than their website - there's bugger all info on their laptops, only info available on the W3N and W3A lappies..hmmm..

[birddog114]

or go here:

http://www.synnex.com.au

and you'll see more of their lappy models + RRP.

[shutterbug]

Buy an Apple iBook, max out the ram and you're cooking with gas man...

(Sorry Birdie... )

Max

Totally agree Max Check it out at an apple center

[shutterbug]

Buy an Apple iBook, max out the ram and you're cooking with gas man...

(Sorry Birdie... )

Max

Apple iBook residence is not counted in here, was outnumbered by other

[birddog114]

Totally agree Max Check it out at an apple center

Or a fruit shop nearby, Apple is in season

[robboh]

Been pondering a laptop for a while and as much as I hate to say it, I dont think that Apple offers very good value for money in this area at the moment. Thats even taking into account the normal Apple-tax over PC prices and the ridiculous prices we Kiwi's get charged by the local Apple distributer.

[shutterbug]

Totally agree Max Check it out at an apple center

Or a fruit shop nearby, Apple is in season

you are funny birddog

I love my granny smiths

[birddog114]

the ridiculous prices we Kiwi's get charged by the local Apple distributer.

So the Kiwi doesn't have their own Apple's farm,

[atencati]

I have to agreee with bird on Dell. I currently have 2 (at home) desl and lap and they quality is somewht lacking. They function well but feel a little flimsy, the paint is wearing off the laptop. Upgrading is a pain, hwever the service is good if you require such.


I was seriously looking at alienware, having heard many good things from my gamer friends. However, just look at this comparison:

http://www.dell.com
http://www.alienware.com

tell me it isn't the same website.....not sure anymore, gotta do more research.

If it is mostly for photo processing, the apple isn't a bad option. Tough decision.

Andy

[moggy]

Geoff, save your pennies and get an Asus, the build quality is superb and unlike some other brands it will go the distance. Talk to Birddog.

Bob.

[Onyx]

Geoff, if its for use for PP or display in the field - in your line of work I think you should seriously consider Apple iBook/Powerbook. Imaging professionals have traditionally used the fruit, and it's only recently that the IBM platforms have caught up and blurred the lines. Mr Sigmund will no doubt be your first stop for support if you purchase from the orchard. Even the haters would agree Apple notebooks set the benchmark for build quality others aspire to, along with Lenovo Thinkpads.

Asus represent excellent quality and good value. They have many different lines, and unlike some brands where each range represent a different target market (eg. ultra portables, thin and light, desktop replacement, corporate) their alphabet soup model range seems to overlap a bit in features... or maybe I just can't make sense of them. You know where to get an Asus at rock bottom prices. They are rare in offering longer than 12 mth warranty as standard (most these days you'll pay extra for longer).

Keep in mind there are only a handful of real laptop manufacturers: eg. Quanta, Compal, Asus. All the brands differ not by quality of components but the after sales support they offer. My experience with HP/Compaq was painful - their service agent for Sydney metro is NCSS in Prospect. Their hopeless is beyond comprehension. I have sworn off HP as a brand for life due to that experience.

Also consider tablets or convertible tablet PCs. They are typically 10" or 12" models with ultra low voltage chips that you can write/draw on - using a pen similar to Wacom tablet for desktops. If you do lots of post processing, this may have an advantage over mouse use. The slate models offer only the screen to scribble on, while convertibles have a keyboard like regular laptop and you flip the screen around to become a tablet. Of course, this new technology still cost a shitload...


Andy - if you're considering Alienware, be sure to read the comments posted on independent notebook forums. They are renouned for poor/rude customer service and attempted sensorship of complaints in their own forums. VoodooPC or Falcon-Norwest are alternative 'boutique gaming' notebooks you might want to consider.

[birddog114]

Asus notebooks come with 2 years pickup and deliver warranty + International.

[Glen]

Geoff, you are welcome to look at the suite of Asus notebooks at my place, maybe when looking at lenses?

[ozimax]

Totally agree Max Check it out at an apple center

Or a fruit shop nearby, Apple is in season

you are funny birddog

I love my granny smiths

An apple a day keeps viruses at bay...

Max

[Geoff]

Geoff, if its for use for PP or display in the field - in your line of work I think you should seriously consider Apple iBook/Powerbook. Imaging professionals have traditionally used the fruit, and it's only recently that the IBM platforms have caught up and blurred the lines. Mr Sigmund will no doubt be your first stop for support if you purchase from the orchard. Even the haters would agree Apple notebooks set the benchmark for build quality others aspire to, along with Lenovo Thinkpads.

Asus represent excellent quality and good value. They have many different lines, and unlike some brands where each range represent a different target market (eg. ultra portables, thin and light, desktop replacement, corporate) their alphabet soup model range seems to overlap a bit in features... or maybe I just can't make sense of them. You know where to get an Asus at rock bottom prices. They are rare in offering longer than 12 mth warranty as standard (most these days you'll pay extra for longer).

Keep in mind there are only a handful of real laptop manufacturers: eg. Quanta, Compal, Asus. All the brands differ not by quality of components but the after sales support they offer. My experience with HP/Compaq was painful - their service agent for Sydney metro is NCSS in Prospect. Their hopeless is beyond comprehension. I have sworn off HP as a brand for life due to that experience.

Also consider tablets or convertible tablet PCs. They are typically 10" or 12" models with ultra low voltage chips that you can write/draw on - using a pen similar to Wacom tablet for desktops. If you do lots of post processing, this may have an advantage over mouse use. The slate models offer only the screen to scribble on, while convertibles have a keyboard like regular laptop and you flip the screen around to become a tablet. Of course, this new technology still cost a shitload...


Andy - if you're considering Alienware, be sure to read the comments posted on independent notebook forums. They are renouned for poor/rude customer service and attempted sensorship of complaints in their own forums. VoodooPC or Falcon-Norwest are alternati
ve 'boutique gaming' notebooks you might want to consider.

Wow - the support in here is amazing! I want to have the option to do PP if I want to while I'm out and about but primarily it will be to show clients their images in their own homes after the event (portrait shoot/wedding etc)...so big screen is a must, and a bit of grunt too for PS work. I'm doing a lot of research at the moment with the help of all you guys. i've never been a MAC fan and I recently had a play with some high end macs in a shop and they just DON'T seem as fiesty/fast as their PC equivalent, maybe it's just me!?

[birddog114]

Your case is not required an Apple, a PC will do the job, big screen as 17" means heavy, not good as other.

[robboh]

the ridiculous prices we Kiwi's get charged by the local Apple distributer.

So the Kiwi doesn't have their own Apple's farm,

Nah, 3rd party farmer who rapes the crop

[robboh]

Wow - the support in here is amazing! I want to have the option to do PP if I want to while I'm out and about but primarily it will be to show clients their images in their own homes after the event (portrait shoot/wedding etc)...so big screen is a must, and a bit of grunt too for PS work. I'm doing a lot of research at the moment with the help of all you guys. i've never been a MAC fan and I recently had a play with some high end macs in a shop and they just DON'T seem as fiesty/fast as their PC equivalent, maybe it's just me!?

OK then, in that case, from the Apple point of view, you are probably looking at a PowerBook as the iBooks 12/14" 1024x768 displays arent as nice. Plus the PowerBook will let you do multiple displays (think projector or else customer's TV). You can do that with a hack on the iBook, but its a non-supported hack. Id say the 15" widescreen would be a good compromise between portibility and display size for you.

On first use, the Mac's UI does feel a bit slow compared to Windows. However, it pretty much carries on at that speed no matter what you throw at it. WindowsXP UI by comparison turns into a complete and utter pig once you start loading it up. As with any computer, RAM is important, the more the better; but OS X likes lots of RAM and will make use of it too.

[spartikus]

As with any computer, RAM is important, the more the better; but OS X likes lots of RAM and will make use of it too.

Damn shibby. I couldn't shove another gig of ram in my Powerbook more quickly. The GUI has always been snappy for me, PP'ing in Photoshop, NC et. al. does get a bit gluggy after a while - but stable as a rock! I wish I had a dual G5 just for an overly big image tank

[Grev]

I was wondering if anybody knows the model of the Asus laptop that has 8 hours of battery life?

Are there any other manufacturers that offers even longer battery life?

[gstark]

I was wondering if anybody knows the model of the Asus laptop that has 8 hours of battery life?

Are there any other manufacturers that offers even longer battery life?

That would be mine, the MN6e.

But you need to get a second battery that supplants the DVD burner. We tried to get one for mine just before Christmas, but what was supplied was for a different model and didn't fit mine. We ended up with a second standard battery, but the battery life in these is very good; 4+ hours is typical.

[birddog114]

As Gary mentioned, None of any notebook can handle single battery with 8 hours, secondary battery is a must.
Are you preparing to board on the next Discovery shuttle to the space?

[Grev]

As Gary mentioned, None of any notebook can handle single battery with 8 hours, secondary battery is a must.
Are you preparing to board on the next Discovery shuttle to the space?

Actually, this is what they advertised, 8.5 hours of battery life... http://www.asus.com.au/products4.aspx?l1=5&l2=24&l3=0&model=470&modelmenu=1

And yes, I need my dose of minesweeper on my way to the moon...

[Grev]

 BTW, can someone recommend a good quality Asus laptop for me? I need at least half a gig of ram, DVD writer (normal or dual layer)...

Are Centrinos that good, they have built in wireless network adapters but are they able to recieve wireless ADSL modems?

[gstark]

Actually, this is what they advertised, 8.5 hours of battery life... :

Yes, but they don't specify that it's with one, two, or seventeen batteries, do they?

Achieving 8.5 hours of battery life is very easy to say in advertising bullshit language (sorry about the tautology there) when you avoid - er, I men forget - to also quote the underlying parameters. BTW ... that's the W3, which is the model up from mine; very nice piece of hardware, but I'm very happy with the MN6.

[Geoff]

BTW, can someone recommend a good quality Asus laptop for me? I need at least half a gig of ram, DVD writer (normal or dual layer)...

Are Centrinos that good, they have built in wireless network adapters but are they able to recieve wireless ADSL modems?

hi Grev,
Have a look at http://www.synnex.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=27&search=true&text=&brand=ASUS&category=NB&stype=product&export=False.
The wireless network adapter should have NO problem receiving from a wireless ADSL ROUTER.

[gstark]

BTW, can someone recommend a good quality Asus laptop for me? I need at least half a gig of ram, DVD writer (normal or dual layer)...

Are Centrinos that good, they have built in wireless network adapters but are they able to recieve wireless ADSL modems?

Glen will certainly recommend his, I'm sure.

My MN6e was in solid use last Saturday at the AW dinner, transmitting our images live from the restaurant.

There are various models all good. I have a 15.4" widescreen, DVD burner, ATI 9700 video, 1/2 GB RAM, 80GB HDD, firewire, 4 x USB ports, TV out ...

Glen's is smaller, but I need the extra screen real estate for my work.

[birddog114]

Glen's is smaller,

Gary,
How do you know this

[gstark]

Glen's is smaller,

Gary,
How do you know this

We were sitting in your backyard one day, and Glen said to me you show me your's and I'll show you mine ...

[sirhc55]

[/quote]

We were sitting in your backyard one day, and Glen said to me you show me your's and I'll show you mine ...

[/quote]

Terri must have been out

[gstark]

Terri must have been out

She was taking the porch for a joyride.

[Glen]

Not getting into the above conversation I have a W5000 unit, the size of an A4 piece of paper, but thicker about 20mm thick, comes with 2 batteries and the inbuilt wireless connects to anything I have been near but I use a router for cable, not sure of wireless ADSL, what are the specs for that, 802.11g? Very happy, small and smart looking, looks like an apple

[sirhc55]

Surely an apple is small, round and tastes delicious

[Nnnnsic]

Was it ridiculously overpriced like an apple?

[gstark]

Do two apples make a pear?

[Sheetshooter]

A pear is a Big MAC - a single is a quarter-pounder.