This may be a silly question to some, but I guess I still have to consider it, cos it's money after all, and I'm on a tight budget at the moment.

What factors do I need to consider when buying one ?
Some people talk of batteries lifetime.
Should I be weary of some models more than others ? Is it important to buy one that has a good cooling system ?

I'm looking for something that's value for money, and would last me a couple of years for now.

Dell has been recommended to me as a cheap brand to get here, but I'm uncertain. I'm oversea at the moment, and would love to get my hand on a copy of PC World, but I can't. Any help is much appreciated.

Good cooling system is important in laptops particularly because they have very little space and can overheat easily. Dell's post sales technical support is not reputed to be that brilliant. Expect less value for money when compared to a desktop.

Good cooling system is important in laptops particularly because they have very little space and can overheat easily.

Definatley agree with that - I bought my laptop about 4 years ago, it came without a mobile processor and boy can you tell! It gets very hot.

We've got a Dell laptop. When we managed to break a key on the keyboard, Dell's technical support was first rate and the replacement part (keyboard) was with us within 48 hours.

Battery life is only an important factor if it's something that matters to you.

If you can explain what you're expecting to use it for, then requirements can be drawn from that.

I've got a dell laptop, about 2 years old now and it's still going strong, my SO and brother also bought dell on my recomendation and both of them are happy with what they've got.

I agree with Cyclone that it depends on your overall requirements.
Since I plug my laptop in most of the time when I use it battery life is not that important to me.

A full sized keyboard was important to me as was a lot of RAM and a decent processor (speed and make) and HDD space.
Also wireless internet was a major requirement too.

It really does depend on what you need it for.

We've got a Dell laptop. When we managed to break a key on the keyboard, Dell's technical support was first rate and the replacement part (keyboard) was with us within 48 hours.

Whereas when the screen on one of ours was broken, they (Dell) wanted over £750 to replace it. Got a screen from Jockland for £250(ish), fitted it in less than 10 minutes.


As mentioned above (and is the case with any computer purchase) the specs required are entirely dependant on the type of use it is to be given:thumbsup:


Cooling in a laptop is always going to be important (as is air flow within) due to the number of components in such a confined environment:thumbsup:

Just don't buy an Advent, whatever you do. :(

Personally, i'd go for a Mac.

But if you're more comfortable with a PC then stick to big brands... Acer, Toshiba, HP, IBM(Lenovo), Fujitsu-Siemens, Sony, etc. Even Dell at a push.


+

My budget is no more than 500 really. Preferably looking at the entry-level area, but however, I would like it to be compatible with 64 bit softwares which are out now (?) The size, and comfort factor is secondary. Pricing is important, and the compatibility issue.

I'm just basically gonna use it for surfing, typing doc etc. Not development, or any memory crunching exercises.

By the way, is Dual Core the latest CPU on the market ? What's the AMD equivalent ?

I just came across this ! whilst looking for Dell articles. >.< !

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33671

My budget is no more than 500 really.
OK, so you're talking the 'budget' end of the market, though £500 should get you slightly more than the very basics.

I would like it to be compatible with 64 bit softwares which are out now
Such as?

I'm just basically gonna use it for surfing, typing doc etc.
OK, so pretty-much anything under £500 will do then.

is Dual Core the latest CPU on the market? What's the AMD equivalent ?
Intel Core Duos are quite new... but Intel Core 2 Duos are the very latest and greatest.

AMD don't really have a decent answer to the Core Duos yet... well, not for the same prices anyway.

All that said, for £500 you're not going to be get anything with a top-end processor.

.

Have a look at John Lewis. Most products have a two year guarantee with them as standard but can be extended to five years for far less than many other places.

Well, having it as a 64 bit machine is better than not, right ? I dunno any 64 bit software.... :P

Gotta say, I'm a little bit out of touch with the CPU market. I kept thinking I can get a 500 quid dual core, but I take it, it's not really dual core, but some kind of first generation centrino duo.

I just want a machine that can do usual surfing and stuff, but possibly also to view DVDs with. So, does it mean that I need more memory for this purpose ?

I'd consider John Lewis, if only I wasn't abroad at the moment.

I just want a machine that can do usual surfing and stuff, but possibly also to view DVDs with. So, does it mean that I need more memory for this purpose?

Owt you buy for around £500 should easily do this 'stuff' :)


.

Sorry. Maybe I should be more specific. I don't know how many softwares out there are actually 64 bit. I thought that there are domestic type softwares are already this size. e.g. MS Office (later versions than 97). My home desktop have 32 bit softwares only. I just recall speaking to someone in PC World last year about it. I cannot recall totally what softwares were supposed to be 64 bit. I just realised that Window Vista which requires 64 bit will come out soon.

I guess, I'm trying to future-proof it a little bit. Say, the next 3/4 years ?

to be future proof for 3/4 years on a laptop, your looking atleast £1200, below the £600 mark there will always be one or two things that are too low to last 3 years...

I just realised that Window Vista which requires 64 bit will come out soon.


Don't worry - it certainly doesn't need a 64 bit processor. In fact, nothing needs 64 bit. As for watching DVDs, any laptop from the last 6 years is capable of that as long as it has a dvd-rom drive or better.

The things you are talking about running don't need a powerful computer at all.

I came across this site.
http://www.notebookforums.com/

Well, all the inputs here really got me thinking too.

If there's no current AMD's equivalent of dual CPU, then what was the highest spec of mobile processors before this ?

By the way, does anyone have a Intel Core Duo cpu ? How do they compare to your previous CPUs ?

Is the 'mobile processors' worth getting, which reduces the heating element of a laptop ? I use my pc a lot, and wondered whether I can have a laptop which allows me to use it the same way as I do a desktop, or is that still not really viable even with what's out in the market ?

My SO's laptop is a core duo, and my new desktop is a core 2 duo.

There is nothing you can't do on the laptop apart from play games, but that's nothing to do with the processor. Which isn't to say that things aren't faster on teh desktop, they are. But the laptop is perfectly useable.

I'd go for the mobile processor, she gets 5 hrs battery life, using a desktop processor would probably half that, and suddenly your laptop is tied to the power socket.

I've seen some Dell Core Duo laptops for around the 500 UKP region. I just wonder whether these are similar to its previous Intel's 'Centrino' technology. i.e. Pentium M (?) Which I presume is part of this 'mobile processor' technlogy ?

Am I right in thinking that AMD's equivalent in mobile processors are the 'Turion' ?

Thanks for all the help. I've got my laptop ! :)
I thought I post this here for those who's curious what I got in the end. Plus, what you can get for a top-end of the entry-level.

I had no idea about laptops before. After being told of the battery recall thing, I had to look into getting a laptop which saves energy and reduces heating. I also got a usb cooling base too for under a tenner.

So I was gonna choose between an AMD Turion 64 x2 CPU, or to get a 'Centrino' laptop based on this combo: Pentium M + Intel 915 Chipset + Intel Wireless Network family.

----------------------------------------
Compaq Presario V3112AU - Windows Media Center Edition (MCE)

-AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-50 (1.6-GHz with 2 x 256KB L2 Cache)
-NVIDIA C51M chipset
-80Gb hard disk
-512MB RAM DDR2 667MHz (1x512)
-14.1" WXGA Bright View (1280 x 768 )
-DVD Super Multi-Drive with Double Layer support
-Broadcom 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN
-NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics with up to 128MB shared memory
-6-cell Li-Ion Battery
-Integrated Audio with Altec Lansing Speakers
-Integrated 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader, 1xExpressCard, 3xUSB2.0, IEEE-1394
- 2.4kg

HK$7100 = 493 UKP.
----------------------------------------
Fingers crossed that this HP won't start recalling their batteries too ! >.< !! I've only just updated myself from some googling that it's the only company that has yet to recall any laptops. Saying that, the guy who sold the product was very honest and said that, the material used for the coating on the keyboard side can be contributable to a fire, if it does get caught. :/

Now I know why some laptops have a bad design, with its inflammable hard polymers/plastics.

Thanks for all the help. I've got my laptop ! :)
I thought I post this here for those who's curious what I got in the end. Plus, what you can get for a top-end of the entry-level.

I had no idea about laptops before. After being told of the battery recall thing, I had to look into getting a laptop which saves energy and reduces heating. I also got a usb cooling base too for under a tenner.

So I was gonna choose between an AMD Turion 64 x2 CPU, or to get a 'Centrino' laptop based on this combo: Pentium M + Intel 915 Chipset + Intel Wireless Network family.

----------------------------------------
Compaq Presario V3112AU - Windows Media Center Edition (MCE)

-AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-50 (1.6-GHz with 2 x 256KB L2 Cache)
-NVIDIA C51M chipset
-80Gb hard disk
-512MB RAM DDR2 667MHz (1x512)
-14.1" WXGA Bright View (1280 x 768 )
-DVD Super Multi-Drive with Double Layer support
-Broadcom 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN
-NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics with up to 128MB shared memory
-6-cell Li-Ion Battery
-Integrated Audio with Altec Lansing Speakers
-Integrated 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader, 1xExpressCard, 3xUSB2.0, IEEE-1394
- 2.4kg

HK$7100 = 493 UKP.
----------------------------------------
Fingers crossed that this HP won't start recalling their batteries too ! >.< !! I've only just updated myself from some googling that it's the only company that has yet to recall any laptops. Saying that, the guy who sold the product was very honest and said that, the material used for the coating on the keyboard side can be contributable to a fire, if it does get caught. :/

Now I know why some laptops have a bad design, with its inflammable hard polymers/plastics.


Looks a good buy :hihi:, just why does anyone buy in UK? :rant: At these prices Rip off Britain springs to mind, time to get my flight booked! - Hows the warranty? 90 days standard over there!

:thumbsup:

Give us a nice full report on it when you get it and stay clear of XP 64