Laptop

[*Glenn* 854]

Anyone on here have contacts ?? My daughter wants to buy a new, widescreen laptop, minumum of 200GB

Can anyone help me with this ???

[Mark 178]

Dell rocks the party. I bought my girlfriend a 2.0GHZ Core 2 Duo, with 250GB HD and 2 GB RAM for $1200. That was at least $300 cheaper than comparable spec laptops at any of the big laptop retailers.

Normally I wouldn't recommend a Dell and I used to always quote the old saying "nobody ever buys two Dells", but their build quality and specs have improved markedly in the past couple of years.

[martyyn 2]

I used to work for Dell and wouldnt recommend anything else.

Never heard the expression 'nobody ever buys two Dells' either, they have been top of the business laptop market for as long as I can remember. Some batteries have a habit of dying after a year, but everything else is top notch.

Glenn, if your daughter can wait, the Dell website often has special deals every couple of weeks so it may be worth watching the site for a while. The best deals are when they bring out a new model. The new one has a massive price hit in order to get some interest in it but its only for a week or two and they dont advertise it.

[JiB 0]

I own a Dell, quite happy with it. They are very good value for money. But be aware that the build quality is no where as close to the likes of "prestige" companies like IBM.

As mentioned above, wait for Dell specials as I got a whole lot of kit for free with my laptop as well as $400 discount. So very very good value for money, timely delivery and if there is a deal, often shipping is free.

[Guest Simon*]

Glenn, if your daughter can wait, the Dell website often has special deals every couple of weeks so it may be worth watching the site for a while. The best deals are when they bring out a new model. The new one has a massive price hit in order to get some interest in it but its only for a week or two and they dont advertise it.

+1

I bought my wee Dell last year during one of these specials and "up-spec'ed" everything on the website and have been really stoked with it. Recommend the larger battery as an option too - lasts for ages.

[kiwi535 538]

and you can still get new dells with XP...or you could last time i looked

[greenday-rulz21 4]

Dell ftw.

[*Glenn* 854]

Thanks for the heads up... I've checked their website

Cheers

Glenn

[melowpuf 19]

Dell also, hrmmm there seems to be a pattern here..

[bravo 34]

I have a high-spec acer I'm really happy with. (17" screen, core2duo, etc - almost 2 years old now and still going strong) I don't like the lower-specced acers friends and family have, but mine is awesome.

Unless you have a good reason otherwise, get XP-pro, not vista.

Toshiba have a good rep. IBM last ages, but not as sleek or comfortable to use, and my workmates IBM vista tablet PC has been a nightmare. IBM eventually "upgraded" him to XP tablet to solve the problems.

No mac fanboys yet??

Edited October 9, 2008 by bravo

[OLLIE 26]

I recommend MSI if you can find somewhere in NZ that sells them.

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=pr...;maincat_no=135

fantastic notebooks, well made, well specced, well priced and a good balance of style (slim) and function.

[Yuen 16]

No contacts Glenn but if she is considering HP, the Pavilion notebooks have their share of problems, at least when the new design came out early last year - not sure if they're fixed by now. So it would pay to do a Google of issues with any model you are considering, or buy an extended warranty.

[bravo 34]

My girlfriend worked for a time at a local computer store and she used to go on about MSI all the time.

They seem OK.

I have an "Insite" for work - they are just a assembler really (I think). Have the exact same form factor/case design and internals as MSI, have MSI boards, and I'm pretty sure just sold under a different name (like Ultra).

We've had some problems with some of them - mostly hardware - a dodgy wi-fi in one, a wi-fi aerial not hooked up inside in another, and a noisy CPU fan on mine.

That said they are grunty little machines and cost us bugger all.

[3series 0]

I can order these through our suppliers Glenn, although not much cheaper than www.pricespy.co.nz - make sure you have a warranty.If you can figure out what your after I'll see if I can grab a price for you.

Andy.

[ED1RTY 2]

Mac FTMFW

Sorry but ill never go back to p.c, mac is so just so much easier to use. I have a Uprated powerbook g4 laptop 12" and its good as for taking away, light and small.

Also have the newest Imac. Networking is a breeze with airport, have the apple tv also which is uber badass for latenight you-tube/movie/music from your tv/entertainment system anywhere in the house (all wireless to the computer)

oh yea almost forgot to mention I can look at my pron unprotected and get no e-virus's

[ecko_complex 3]

A MacBook Pro is by far the best laptop you can buy. There's nothing that comes even a mile close. Plus, they're bringing out brand new ones soon too! If you need Windows you can install it, if you can't go on the interwebs without getting a Virus you can use OSX - best of both worlds.

ED1RTY, here's a pro tip: don't download and execute pronviewer.exe. It's that simple.

Edited October 10, 2008 by ecko_complex

[ED1RTY 2]

A MacBook Pro is by far the best laptop you can buy. There's nothing that comes even a mile close. Plus, they're bringing out brand new ones soon too! If you need Windows you can install it, if you can't go on the interwebs without getting a Virus you can use OSX - best of both worlds.

ED1RTY, here's a pro tip: don't download and execute pronviewer.exe. It's that simple.

lol pretty much everything pwns pc these days!

Bet Bill Gates wishes he made an e-condom huh!

[martyyn 2]

If you need Windows you can install it

Haha you Mac boys crack me up.....if they are so great why would you need Windows? Oh thats right Macs are less than 10% of the market and no-one writes any software for them

Ive yet to meet a Mac person who can convince me that a Mac is any better than a PC. There is never any reasoning, its just the same old response 'they just are'.

Sorry Glenn, didnt want to make this a pc vs mac fight.

[ED1RTY 2]

I disagree

Waaay less prone to virus's

A hell of alot easier to use

You can put Windows on a Mac

You cant put Mac OS on Windows

Windows always gitches out

So much more support for mac as they dont make 'shitty' mac's only 'shitty' p.c's (There are SOME decent ones)

You don't see mac selling for $799 at the warehouse

I have more reasons but that is more than the 'they just are' comment

Edited October 10, 2008 by ED1RTY

[greenday-rulz21 4]

You don't see mac selling for $799 at the warehouse

Theres a market for cheap computers and Macs are just not cheap. So it's hardly a point to argue for mac's.

[tibbs.james 1]

I have a high-spec acer I'm really happy with. (17" screen, core2duo, etc - almost 2 years old now and still going strong) I don't like the lower-specced acers friends and family have, but mine is awesome.

Unless you have a good reason otherwise, get XP-pro, not vista.

Toshiba have a good rep. IBM last ages, but not as sleek or comfortable to use, and my workmates IBM vista tablet PC has been a nightmare. IBM eventually "upgraded" him to XP tablet to solve the problems.

No mac fanboys yet??

I also Have a high spec Acer ( or it was when i got it 2 years ago ) 2.0 ghz Core 2 duo 256mb video ram 4gb ram 120gb hdd with SATA & PCIE

The quality of the product is good it has not broken or stoped working however

Acer really need to sort their sh*t out as far as customer service, ( long story nobody wants to hear )

And on that Basis alone i do not recommend them.

However like most things certain models from certain brands always lasted well or lasted longer.

At my work we have HP , Dell & Toshiba laptops that are all 3 years plus and still going well.

edit Regarding the MAC vs PC comments above

I would Use a Mac computer if AutoDesk supported them with their CAD products as i would also use Linux if they had more support for high end applications.

All the same, if you have a reason to have a mac thats great, but at this stage i have a reason to have Windows Based computer and its simply CAD software

so apple really can't look after everybody, but i do admire some of cool stuff they have/do

Edited October 10, 2008 by Jimmy

[ecko_complex 3]

no-one writes any software for them

You obviously know nothing about computers.

Jimmy has the right idea. Buy a computer for what you intend to use it for.

Can afford a Mac? Buy a Mac. You get what you pay for. If not, Dell/Acer is a good choice.

Edited October 10, 2008 by ecko_complex

[ED1RTY 2]

Can afford a Mac? Buy a Mac. You get what you pay for.

[/end debate]

[bravo 34]

i have a reason to have Windows Based computer and its simply CAD software

Vector works?

There are others, it just seems most common.

I hate using Autodesk products - AutoCAD does everything, but man is it bloated. All the other stuff they make is sh*t (Design Review, True View etc) Only thing I like is the command line.

I use CivilCAD. But I'm doing road design, Digital terrain, sewer and stormwater design and so forth. Not product design and 3d rendering.

I'd buy a Mac if I could afford it. They are great for a home PC, and really good for multimedia. Not so good for other uses or so it seems.

My PC does everything a Mac can do. Wireless conect to media server connected to tv - runs all home entertainment from anywhere in the house too. Mobile VNC means I can do the same from my Window Mobile cellphone. Not as elegant as mac plus iphone, but I got both my PC's and my phone for about half the price of a mac book pro.

Edited October 10, 2008 by bravo

[elmarco 56]

I can order these through our suppliers Glenn, although not much cheaper than www.pricespy.co.nz - make sure you have a warranty.If you can figure out what your after I'll see if I can grab a price for you.

Andy.

Yep - pricespy.co.nz is a great place to start if you know what you need. I have also had good deals through www.acquire.co.nz and PB Technologies always have a few deals on. If it is really price sensitive, try www.graysonline.co.nz - they always have machines coming up for auction (new, ex-lease, old models, opened boxes, repaired warranty claims etc, etc, etc) and are normally pretty cheap.

As for brands, depends what she wants to use it for... If it is desktop publishing, then using anything except a mac is a bit foolish. For CAD (2D or 3D), some of the higher spec Dells are pretty good dependent on the graphics card and screen resolution - but then again, there are not many people wanting to do CAD on a laptop.

I have had Mac's, Dells, Sony's, HP's and Toshibas for both work and home and can honestly say that Toshiba are by far the best I have come across. If it is a business spec machine and you have a problem in the first 12 months, they give you a new machine no questions asked. And I know they spend a hell of a lot of time making the product more robust with things like shockproof mounting for hard disks etc. The mac's are super easy to use, and if you don't need specialist windows only software (like AutoCAD etc), they are great to use (although you can also run windows on them as well if you really want to).

Just remember that business spec machines are more expensive for basically the same specs, but are built from better components to higher specs and last longer (hence the 3 year next day on site warranty most manufacturers have for them). 12 month warranties are normally domestic spec machines - which is fine if it is only moving from the coffee table to the study....