Question:
Have to buy a laptop this week.
General Questions
1) What size notebook would you prefer?
The max would be 15.4"
2) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Enough for games to run decently, such as fear and other recent games.
3) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Mainly on the desk but i would like it if it was light.
4) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes, such as WoW and fear and other recent titles
5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I have no preference but i'm looking at the Toshiba Tecra A7 and the ACER 1694WLMI
6) How many hours of battery life do you need?
over 3 and hopefully nearly 4. But i wouldn't mind settling for something lower.
7) What is your budget?
$1800USD so that is like $2500AUD
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I would rather buy it in person but i might consider buying from an australian site.
9) What country are you buying this in?
Asutralia
Screen Specifics
10) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Anything would do just fine. But hopefully something above XGA and WXGA
11) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
either is fine by me
Build Quality and Design
12) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not really. Hopefully it is small
13) How long do you want this laptop to last?
3 years or so
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
Doesn't really matter as I will have an external. but 40 to 60 will be the minimum
15) Do you need a DVD, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-R drive?
I need a DVD burner. So DVD-RW
Thanks for all your help in advance.
I'm considering the Toshiba Tecra A7 with the 128mb ATI X1600, but i don't know if the 128 is enough. It also has the core duo thingy
Also looking at the Acer 1694WLMI with the 256mb ATI X700.
Are these good laptops? how long is the battery life for them and are they reliable? Any good for games? and what is the screens like?
Answer:
Re: Have to buy a laptop this week.
I'd say stick with the Tecra A7 - it has an Intel Core Duo and an updated ATI X1600 GPU. In addition, Tecras are known to have above average build quality. The Tecra should come with Toshiba's TruBrite screen, which is excellent for viewing DVD movies, games and photoshop. The X1600 is one of the latest GPUs available on the market from ATI with all the latest technologies.
Answer:
Re: Have to buy a laptop this week.
Yeah, I don't normally recommend Toshiba's, but the Terca line is decent. Better than your average consumer Toshiba anyway. Business line has better builid quality.
The X1600 is ATI's next-generation GPU, the replacement for the current X700. Definitely go for that if you can, for the latest games it will really rock.
The X1600 should be about 30% faster than the current X700.
Toshiba's displays are pretty good in my opinion, especially the TruBright ones.
Answer:
Re: Have to buy a laptop this week.
but even though it is only 128megs? The X700 is 256meg. I know about the higher meg doesn't mean better performance, but I would still like to know how much better the 128mb X1600 is compared to the 256mb X700
BTW, what is the battery life of both of these models? (Toshiba Tecra A7 011003 1.66Ghz vs. Acer 1694WLMI)