What are the criterias to purchase a laptop?

[cyclone_sunfire]

i've got problem right now.i've planned to purchase a laptop end of this month.but, i dont know how to choose the right laptop that i want.basically, i have specified what spec. i want...intel centrino+512MB+40GB HDD+graphic(ATI/GeForce)...now, i have 2 choices....the 1st one is Aspire 2012WLCi and the other one is clon (i think so...).the clon i got it from 1 comp shop at low yat plaza in sg wang.here, i enclosed the spec for both laptops.

Aspire 2012WLCi

Microsoft? Windows? XP Home Edition
Intel Centrino Mobile Techonologies
Intel Pentium M Processor - at 1.5GHz with 1024 KB L2 Cache Memory
Supports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
Intel 855GME Chipset
15.4" Wide XGA LCD Display support up to 1,280x800
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64MB DDR VGA Memory
40GB HDD
4-in-1 PCMCIA Card Reader; supports Secure Digital, SmartMedia, MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick.
512MB DDR RAM (upgradeable to 2GB)
Integrated 56Kbps modem & 10/100 Mbps LAN
Integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Wireless LAN
Integrated DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
Li-Ion Battery Pack (5-hour battery life)
(Actual battery life may vary, depending on usage and configuration).
3xUSB, 1xIEEE 1394, 1xTV Output, 1xVGA port & 1xFIR Port
360 (W) ? 273 (D) ? 28-33.5 (H) m
Weight 3kg (6.6 lbs.)
Pre-loaded Norton Anti-Virus (OEM Version)
1-Year International Traveller Warranty
Free:- Exclusive Targus Designed Traveller Bag

RM5588

Sri Power Centrino

Intel Centrino 1.5GHz
15'' TFT LCD Screen
ATI Radeon 9600 64MB
512MB DDR
40GB HDD
DVD+CDRW Combo Drive
3X USB port + IEEE1394 Firewire
Wireless LAN Ready + IrDA port
PCMCIA slot+VGA port+S-Video out
56Kbps Internal modem + 10/100 mbps LAN
SD & MMC card reader
parellel port
weight 3.0kg
lithium ion battery
3 years limited warranty

RM4699

Intel Centrino 1.6GHz RM4899

i want to know, what are criterias that i need if i want to buy a laptop after all aspects have been considered? like warranty, service, upgrading and anything else.the 2 models are met with my requirements.do i have to look on the price or laptop's specification or service after i buy it?

that's all...please give me some opinion...thanks in advanced

[kelvinlym]

I say, if you can afford it, go for the branded ones, because they offer better service. They have a reputation to keep.

Smaller never-heard-before brands can change their names all the time. The brand you have now might be actually from the same company of another brand.

I don't see much of a problem in your case, if you have the dough.

One more thing, if you plan to go overseas, the international warranty is a must.

[The_Observer]

Why laptops? Why spend so much for such a fragile and easily stolen thing?

Always get a desktop. It's higher powered and not to mention cheaper. Buy the parts and assemble it yourself.

Easier to carry to uni or college? Forget it, rely on the old school: pen and pad...if you really cannot make it then use a PDA!

Think about the desktops, think about the poor desktop, being chased by two small but 'garang' laptops because of your 'sin'. Look at it, it's innocent. Justice for desktops...

:lol:

[pandaboy]

I think you should go for reliable brands like Acer, Compaq, Dell, IBM and so on. I've never heard of Sri Power before this. By buying those reliable brands, it'll easier for u to upgrade ur laptop, to service your laptop and so on. And yeah, warranty is important.

I can see that the Aspire specifications are not bad, it has a powerful video graphics card there. And the wide 15.4" screen. It's nice, cos I'm using widescreen laptop too! :wink:

[digimushu]

I think you should go for reliable brands like Acer, Compaq, Dell, IBM and so on. I've never heard of Sri Power before this. By buying those reliable brands, it'll easier for u to upgrade ur laptop, to service your laptop and so on. And yeah, warranty is important.



Yeap, get warranty. this is as laptops are not easy to fix unless you have some EE background. I had to open up my when it broke compaq and fix it myself as the warranty is over and it was not fun. the best service i would say goes to Dell but Toshibas have the best quality. remember...you WANT international warranty if you are going overseas...



I can see that the Aspire specifications are not bad, it has a powerful video graphics card there. And the wide 15.4" screen. It's nice, cos I'm using widescreen laptop too!



Graphics card and other stuff is not very useful in laptop as most of it is using the shared memory with the MB. Remember, a laptop is not made to have as much performance and power as a desktop. A good gaming laptop would be the Dell XPS, which costs a lot more. If you just want a machine that you can do work(word processing, spreadsheet, 'light' Matlab..etc..) in, a basic pentium laptop would do. My new Sony VAIO has just a 10.4' screen but it has a CD-RW/DVD combo driveand it is just 3.11 pounds...light eh? It is only running a centrino proc at 1 Ghz. not much processing power but still ok. If you want to play games, a Desktop would be a LOT better. if you want to run AUTOCAD/MSC.ADAMS/do OPENGL programming, a desktop becomes a must.

Laptop is built for mobility. desktops replacements IMHO are a waste of $$$. I prefer my laptops to be small and light so i can work on my stuff in the nice breezey weather outside.

and yes, it is possible to do graphics/memory intensive stuff on a laptop. If you have both a Laptop and a Desktop, you can access the desktop by using the Remote Desktop on Windows XP. However, if you are using a pirate copy of win XP, you are pretty much screwed coz they will not give you the security fixes.

Anyways....long story made short..if u want performance and if u r still studying in m'sia, get a desktop. Laptops are useless in m'sia as people just buy them as desktop replacements. if you are studying overseas..get a dell or Toshiba. or else..you will regret it
:)

Good luck!

[windy_city]

Go for Dell.
I bought my Dell laptop here.
They have excellent service; can even call them to help you fix software problems.
And the operator is nice enough to help you go trough all the steps necessary to fix any problem. Plus I have 2 year in home warranty, so if anything happen I just need to call and tell them to come n fix my laptop from my place. Easy and reliable! (Seems like I am making promotion for Dell, haha)

Anyway, my friend bought her ACER laptop in Malaysia and brought it here. (it comes with an international warranty) Acer has suck services. When the thing broke down, she went to the Acer Chicago Service center, but the people there tell her to send her pc to Texas (ACER headquarter in US) to fix it. They manage to fix it in the end, but imagine how much trouble she went through just to get the laptop fixed (and this happened few months ago, very recent stuff.)

So no matter what you choose to buy, go for company with good service!!

[__earth]

one question.

Why centrino? are you into wifi or something?

[Crazymalaysian]

one question.

Why centrino? are you into wifi or something?

Its not only the intergrated wifi man.

You get better battery life,with less heat to boot!

[taufiq]

What kind of job you are going to do with the laptop?
Different kind of processors work better for different jom
Especially if the different is between Intel and AMD

Haveyou considered Powerbook as one of the choices

[Crazymalaysian]

True i guess, but over here in malaysia, there are only a few laptops with AMD chips inside. Most manufacturers go with Intel chips.

The pentium M provides soo much more power at a lower speed, giving benefits in battery life. Powerbooks are nice, but carry a premium here :(

[__earth]

I think Intel Celeron would be cost effective though it is still not at good as centrino in term of battery life.

that would probably pull the price down a bit.

[Crazymalaysian]

Yep, and the Celeron Ms have also been released, based on the Pentium Ms but with half the cache deactivated. But dont see those here in malaysia yet.

[cyclone_sunfire]

i heard most of u guys mentioned about warranty..especially traveller warranty...i was thinking about that too...why centrino??...coz i'm goin to WiFi...i need that...and also the battery itself...i've looked at Dell Malaysia website but i didn't see the one with centrino...only Pentium M...but anyway...thanks a lot...i still searching the laptop that meet my requirements coz it is for long term use...

[Crazymalaysian]

Pentium M + 855 chipset + IntelProWireless = Centrino ;)

Centrino refers to the package as a whole, the chip alone is the Pentium M. Dell does have models with them, such as the 600m :D

[cyclone_sunfire]

ooooo...i thaught centrino is different with pentium m...now i got it...thanks a lot dude...

[Crazymalaysian]

Haha, sure no problem ^_^

Happy shopping!

[Steppe]

My father?s comments and advice (his opinions) are as follows:

Before the purchase of the laptop, please consider the followings:

1. What is one going to use it for?
If for engineering, simulation, number-crunching, etc. usage, then one will need more memory, a powerful CPU and a big screen.
If only for word processing, games and multimedia usage, then any notebook in the market will do.

2. Where is one going to use it?
If in favour of the breezy outside environment, then those low power centrino/M will definitely help as they run really cool and for a long time and they do not ?burn/boil? your lap.
Wireless LAN seems to be the in-thing now and you need to ensure that your laptop is equipped with it.

3. What is the budget?
If this is not a constraint, then go for Toshiba because this laptop is built to last.

4. Is cost of ownership important?
? eg. laptop batteries will need replacement every one to two years and they are quite expensive.

5. Need the peace in mind?
As many recom members have suggested, Dell provides very good service.
If one is concerned that one may drop it, then Toshiba can definitely stand the shock.
Computer technology changes very fast and so fast that one will most probably need a replacement in about 4-5 years time. hence long term is never a too long situation.

Thief is also a reality and a great concern if you have a laptop, especially a fanciful one. There were a few known cases happening already. In Amsterdam airport (?Schipol??, cannot remember the exact spelling), the snatch thief just snatched the laptop bag together with the laptop which was slung on the traveller?s shoulder and another thief robbed the traveller in the ladies? toilet. Two travellers were robbed at knife point in the underground trains in Europe. It is really not funny when one went all the way over to Europe on company business to do presentations/ workshops etc. and the laptop got stolen/snatched/robbed and one ended up with nothing to present/work with.

There is no upgrade path for laptop other than adding more memory. If one has 512 Mbytes, it should be more than enough for the time being. If one wishes to add in other peripherals (additional disk, dvd drives, camera, etc), they are mostly hanging off the notebook using USB port. Therefore, ensure that the laptop is equipped with USB II ports.

If I am to buy a unit, my father recommends to buy a HP N610 which is small and very light and the battery seems to last forever, I can place it in my school bag or back pack and do not have to worry so much of being snatched by thief as it is not so obvious that I am carrying a laptop around. Toshiba and NEC both make similar units. I will need to make sure that I have a 3 year warranty. A big screen is useful only if I am into design work or watching movie.

Hope this helps.

[jagganatha]

agree Dell is very nice.. most important is to ensure what you are using it for.. remember the end user is you and not anyone else..please consider properly

[cyclone_sunfire]

HP N610..sounds very nice!!! can u give me the spec of HP N610?? i have tried looking the spec but didnt find it.

[Steppe]

Ooops.... a mistake.

The model that my father recommends is nc-4010 which is the ultraportable series from the HP.

For this nc 4010 series, please refer to this URL

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF04a/321957-64295-89315-321838-f34.html

For the nc6000 series, please refer to this URL,

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF04a/321957-64295-89315-321838-f33.html

My father has access and is familar with many Compaq/HP laptops in his job.

[cquayhl]

I thought there is only one criterion...have to have enough money! Sorry, jk. :-P

[dinna_g]

okay.. i'm a laptop lover.. but my opinion is highly biased because i hate DELL and desktops... anyway, i'll give some comments based on brands and my experience in using laptop for many years already.

IMO, dell desktops are okay (but i hate the looks) but dell laptops are generally heavier than other brands. in terms of performance, it should perform well, but it is the preferred brand in the US because they have (supposedly) very good customer service. however, i heard bad complaints about the service as well.

Sony... pretty, sleek, small, sexy and expensive. Supposed to be very good in performance but most of the people I know who uses Sony laptops complains about the performance especially the lifetime of the battery. The Sony Vaio laptop I used to use at work is super slow, and the battery doesn't work at all. Anyway, Sony products have very bad reputation in the lifetime of the battery anyways. So, if you need to use the battery most of the time, cross out Sony from your list.

Toshiba and Fujitsu... I don't know much.. But as far as I'm concern, they're supposed to be okay... Probably not the best, but should be worth buying...

Twinhead and Acer.. please please please avoid these brands... My dad uses Twinhead and the computer doesn't perform as good as it should. We went to Twinhead service center in PJ and they say "You shouldn't have high expectation on the product" (What the???) and what they did was reformat the computer... Bad service.. Bad product..

Compaq (and HP I supposed)... A lot of people say that Compaq produces bad computer... I (probably the only person in this world) disagree because we have two Compaq laptops in our household.. One of which we bought in 1995 and it still works! The other one is the one I'm using right now, bought in 2001 and still rock!

IBM... IMO, IBM offers the best computer product. I would buy myself a Thinkpad T series if I have the money. However, I don't know about the customer service. Get a job at IBM and I'm sure you gonna get discount... LOL

One more thing, please don't use XP Home.. It's highly unstable. If you want to use Windows, go for XP Pro or 2000 Pro.

[pandaboy]

One more thing, please don't use XP Home.. It's highly unstable. If you want to use Windows, go for XP Pro or 2000 Pro.

Why XP home is unstable? No wonder it kept on crash on me... :twisted:

Get an apple ibook ....stable and sexy. :wink:

[cyclone_sunfire]

can some one give a comment about this laptop? esp. at processor type, chipset and video graphic...i am confusing right now...that fellar keep sayin that this laptop using intel centrino..it is true? how to convince me that this laptop using intel centrino? this is the url


http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=L4000R%20Series&langs=01#

[Randomphantom]

thinking of getting a notebook pc too. maybe the Fujitsu Lifebook S6220 model, ultraportable ...

[Steppe]

Waht is the budget planned for the laptop?

[cyclone_sunfire]

is there any other company developed a chipset and wireless network and using pentium m so they call it centrino? they dont use intel package like usual, the 855 chipset and intel prowireless...for example asus L4000R. they use

chipset : ATI RS300MB + IXP150

video graphic : ATI RS3000MB Embedded
VRAM shared system memory, max. to 128MB

wireless connectivity : IEEE 802.11b

[jagganatha]

is there any other company developed a chipset and wireless network and using pentium m so they call it centrino? they dont use intel package like usual, the 855 chipset and intel prowireless...for example asus L4000R. they use

chipset : ATI RS300MB + IXP150

video graphic : ATI RS3000MB Embedded
VRAM shared system memory, max. to 128MB

wireless connectivity : IEEE 802.11b

Well actually it is a Centrino. If you are looking for a P4 Mobile then it would read M Pentium not the other way round. Some manufacturers tend to modify their products to suit their liking guess Asus is jus one of them but Asus is a pretty good brand with very sleek laptops but be warned they only have one service centre in the states so check before buying..

[windy_city]

is there any other company developed a chipset and wireless network and using pentium m so they call it centrino? they dont use intel package like usual, the 855 chipset and intel prowireless...for example asus L4000R. they use

chipset : ATI RS300MB + IXP150

video graphic : ATI RS3000MB Embedded
VRAM shared system memory, max. to 128MB

wireless connectivity : IEEE 802.11b

Well actually it is a Centrino. If you are looking for a P4 Mobile then it would read M Pentium not the other way round. Some manufacturers tend to modify their products to suit their liking guess Asus is jus one of them but Asus is a pretty good brand with very sleek laptops but be warned they only have one service centre in the states so check before buying..

Even if they have a few services center in the states, it does not mean their service is good.
Read my post about ACER computer. Not every service center service your pc that is on international warranty.

[cyclone_sunfire]

i missed a lot here about intel centrino technology...my budget is RM5500...therefore, i think i only can afford asus either L4000R or M6000N...they just met my requirements...i need pretty light laptop coz i have to bring along it everyday to my class...and i just want to put it inside my bag pack...but i only confuse when asus has developed their own chipset to suit with the pentium m...so they call it intel centrino...i thought all centrino's packages are from intel...the 855 chipset..intel prowireless...but..which is the best...either i take the centrino package from intel or i take the other one?? here...L4000R using asus package while M6000N using asus package...

[jagganatha]

IMHO, you should go for the Intel package from a good manufacturer namely ( again IMHO = Dell, Compaq, HP, IBM)

This is because Intel's package is more widely tested and used. I am not very sure bout Asus' own chipset and stuff but as for me I'd rather go with an Intel as its more globally recognised and compatible.

[jagganatha]

Bout Acer, I have to say that this is a very funny company. The reason I say so is because there are a lot of mixed opinions bout them. It is also said that their laptops defer in quality, meaning that sometimes its a very good, fast and stable one but some models are very unstable and totally trashlike. So I am not surprised bout their service center problem mentioned but IMHO I would say go with a well renowned brand and if you are good at basic troubleshooting then you don have to worry bout Service Center's but if you are not very well versed, please consider a brand with a service center nearby to your uni.. 8) 8)

[Psycho]

Yeah, my advise would be to go for the branded ones. I've made quite a regrettable mistake for choosing a Taiwanese brand for my first laptop.

It overheats every now and then and I guess it could boil a kettle of water should i find a way to redirect all the heat there. :? Its so pathetic and not very convenient to have your palms resting on some hot surface. I was taken in by all the features offered at a competitive pricing. The other drawback could also be of the design that isn't ergonomic.

I did little surveying before buying though. So consider this a lesson.

Only with the presence of a similar featured laptop did I realize that branded laptops are definitely the ones worth buying lar.

[ceo684]

me recommends toshiba.. solid machine and efficient service center (the glenmarie, subang one).

send it in lunchtime, go walk to mamak nearby for lunch and it's ready by lunchtime.

once i dropped my lappie in the bag, about 1m height. the hdd konked within 2 weeks so sent it in.. aiyah, data all lost :evil: so nvm, they agreed to change another drive since the original drive proven konk.

From my own experience, toshiba-branded hdd is kinda slow n lil noisy, the hitachi travelstar (wic i am using now) is a solid performer, coming close to those WD scorpios. But for speed, and higher cost too - those 5.4 or 7.2k rpm drives beats all these 4.2k rpm drives.

Um actually there's not much difference in Pro/Home.. I use home version cos it has all the drivers pre-customized. If i use the pro edition, (bought outside) need to d'load drivers n utilities from website OR install from the rescue CD (lazy me, so using home).

[misled_youth]

Just my two cents:

Whenever I buy computers/PDA, I makesure I know where the service centre is.

Now, the Fujitsu service centre is in Tropicana, not too bad. But the Compaq SC is in Bkt Damansara. Bad....

Apple has 1 in Penang, and 1 in KL. Good.

And also remember, buy extended warranty if you can. saves you plenty of hassle.

Cheers!

[Patrick]

Hrmm, is Aspire a model of Acer?

I think Acer's products are overpriced. Their specs are mediocre but they charge a lot.

How much are you willing to allocate for your laptop? Are you a gamer? Do you want a wide screen laptop or a medium one?

[ceo684]

If got rm5/6/7k i'll surely take a 12.1" compact one.. 1kg only... but this one is for "pai leng" purpose la...(look cute but not fully functional due to the keyboard too small).

for normal 3/4/5k budget, a 14" normal screen will be cheaper n smaller than a 15" widescreen (its rather LOOOOOONNNGGG).'

@<hidden> yup, acer = acer aspire = benq.

a twinhead my fren had, a pentium 3 600mhz went into the service center in PJ (ss21 i think) many many times 3 months after she bought it (19 times IIRC) all because of overheating lah, etc. In the end she gave up and swore never to buy twinhead again. In the world of electronics, you get what u pay for, just like cars. Potong vs Peugeot.

acer used to (maybe still have) this ridiculous policy (to us only, not to them) that any upgrade of ram/hard disk will automatically void warranty. So u wanna upgrade RAM?, says the dealer. MUAHAHAhahHAHHAHA (evil laugh). Charge u crazy pricing, wayyy more than lowyat.

Brands that are user upgradable even under warranty include hp, toshiba, compaq, dell.

[ceo684]

It overheats every now and then and I guess it could boil a kettle of water should i find a way to redirect all the heat there. :? Its so pathetic and not very convenient to have your palms resting on some hot surface. I was taken in by all the features offered at a competitive pricing. The other drawback could also be of the design that isn't ergonomic.

I did little surveying before buying though. So consider this a lesson.

Only with the presence of a similar featured laptop did I realize that branded laptops are definitely the ones worth buying lar.

I would recommend you to look at the cooling system (how big is the intake fan and how big is the output vent area. This is where a larger n maybe heavier a bit lappie can be the smarter choice. When its new, its about the same for most lappies, after 1/2 -1 yr, when the dust starts to collect inside, the heat probs crop up. So the more efficient cooling systems are better.

BTW anyone using a 2ghz or faster machine? Wanna noe whether ur cooling system is using heatpipe technology to cool better. Heatpipes are used in those fancy overclocking heatsinks by coolermaster, vantec, thermaltake, etc and that chunk of copper + some copper pipes easily costs rm100-200. 8O

[crosshatched]

a little bit out of topic here but nonetheless, I want to ask jugak,

how come all of you know so much about these computer thingies? cache, RAM, processors, bla bla... man I wish I could understand what u guys r talkin`.. Well of course, if you are an IT graduates or something like that, you are expected to know more.. But for normal people like me, is it possible for me to understand those things, in full detail. ( contrast to basic knowledge...)

I'm given a chance to do computer science here by the way, and I'm afraid my lack knowledge on these computer stuffs would affect my study in teh future...

ANYWAY, really sorry on diverting the topic discussion here. :oops:

[wild_card_my]

I read magaznes and intech@<hidden> star... Additionally, i watch a lot of tech shows like the screen savers and call for help at techtv... i'm not mojoring in IT


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Back to the topic, i'm checking out whether it's more cheaper to buy the same model, same specs laptop from them or otherwise