Question:
Back again - powerful, portable laptop
Hi Guys,
I posted on this forum a couple of months ago. Thanks for the advice offered then. Following up on that advice I have narrowed the choice down to two machines, each with distinct pros and cons.
Asus W3J: Best price £1233 ($2,307)
+Seems to be one of the most powerful portable machiens out their (but do I need that much power really?)
+Asus seems to have a great reputation for build quality
+lighter and smaller than the 6400.
Dell 6400 (N06645): £1227 ($2,296) - but you know what dells like, its different every day.
(1.83, 1024mb, 60GB,x1400, WSXGA, BT)
+WSXGA screen.
+3 year next day on-site warrantee including acidental damage protection (but lower build quality so more likely to need it).
As I want to use the machine to write my thesis, minimal down-time is important to me. Basically the 6400 is more likely to go wrong, but if it does I will get repaired much quicker. After all, if its buggered cuase I spilt a cup of tea on it after working late into the night, build quality doesn't really come into it. The only experince of dell on-site service was 5 years ago when my Inspiron 4000 arrived with a buggered COM port. Seemed alright then. But then if it never goes wrong its not important is it?
Non of the retail outlets near me have a 15.4" WSXGA so I don't really know what its like, but sounds like it might be useful? I've heard its good to have a lower res for gaming, but then I'll probably be using my external 17" CRT for gaming. Generally I work in the library or at the office, and do everything else on my desk at home.
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
Well orignally I didn't want to spend more than £1000 ($1700), but I've realised that i'm going to have to spend more than to get what I want.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Writing my PhD thesis: I generally have a lot open at once: Word for writing, Excel for data anaylsis, Email prog, Acrobat for papers, Powerpont for drawing diagramms, an SSH tunnel to the network at work. A couple of CygwinX Xterms running over the tunnel etc. etc.
Also, Light Photo work, playing and storing music, listerning to internet radio, some gaming.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Generally I work in the library or in the office at work, which aer both about a 2-3 mile walk from where I live, so it need to be light and portable. Also I travel on trains a fair bit and its good to be able to work or watch a film then. Other things I generally do at my desk at home.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
I'd like to be able to do a little gaming. Maybe once/twice a week. Was thinking HL2 and Rome total war (maybe Medevil 2: total war when it come out).
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I'm open as far as brands go. I've heard good things about Asus.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I'll generally be working plugged in, but it'd be nice to do light surfing/emailing in the garden or in front of the TV. or watch a film on a train.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No probelms with buying online.
9) What country are you buying this in?
UK (not london)
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
I'm easy, although widescreen sounds like it might be good for having more than one window open at the same time.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
See above.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Don't mind.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not really, but their's nothing wrong with a it looking nice ;-).
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
Well my last lappie lasted 5 years. Obviously it can't run modern stuff any more, but until recently it was still as functional as when it was new. I don't expect I'll have the sort money necessary to buy a new system for a fair few years after this.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
Need to store some music, photos. Hey even 40GB is bigger than the 10GB I have at the mo.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Well I definatly want a DVD-CD/RW drive (i'm fed up of not being able to burn CDs), and I reckon a DVD-RW would be cool.
Cheers,
Ian
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Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
Definitly the W3j! Or If you can get the A8jm thats worth looking into. The price for that Dell 6400 is insane! I would say it's around double of what you can get one in the U.S. for! The build quality of the dell is not quite up to par with Asus.
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
Well i suppose the 6400 price is a bit miss-leading as it includes the 3-year on-site service contract including accidental damage cover.
The A8jc is avaliable here, (about £900 - $1,684) but it only has the 1.66Mhz CPU. I've never seen the A8jm here. Will this make a difference do you think? Plus I've heard that the build of the A8 isn't quite up to that of W3j, which sort of defeats the object.
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
Go with the W3J over the Dell IMO...
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
DON'T go with Dell, especially if you value your time and don't have a lot of time to waste.
I bought a Dell three years ago and was also impressed by the warranty and the promise of quick fixing times,... It was such a lemon, the optical drive wouldn't even operate. To even speak to a service rep on the phone I would have to wait up to and over two hours EACH time. They did FINALLY come out to replace the bum drive (I had to PROVE it was defective over multiple phone calls talking to guys in India that I could barely even understand b/c of the thick accent). This was of course after waiting on hold to even get to talk to someone for 2+ hours each time. Yes, once they decided that they would fix my computer (I actually had to call customer service and threaten to send it back before they sent someone), the person came the next day and was very nice. He was however only a hardware person and told me I would have to call Dell to get software help with the new drive. After replacing my drive he left and of course it still wouldn't work. After many more hours on hold and with the help desk I just gave up. It finally worked, but not correctly of course. I tried to talk to someone higher up and Dell was just NO help. They would try to repair again but not send me a new machine (I had it less than 2 weeks at this point). I finally gave up completely, packed the whole thing back in the boxes and called Dell to come and pick it up! They fortunately had a two week satisfaction guarantee at that time so I just sent the whole thing back and got a refund (minus shipping of course). The whole process took a lot of time out of my life. Since you are writing a thesis (I have been there) I would not recommend the Dell - you really don't have the time to waste if something does go wrong plus you won't need all of the extra stress it will cause you as well. Trust me, thesis writing is stressful enough without the Dell India Contingency issue!
Good luck! I am looking too and seriously considering the ASUS. It sounds great!
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
there is a zepto znote, 14" with the 7600go that is also nice. i don't have a link to it.
this one is also a nicely speced machine:
http://www.evesham.com/products/info...D-AC35FC930109
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
Does anybody know anything about these systems. The evesham machien looks like a re-packaged A8jc with an x1600 what are eversham machines like? Also, is it true that the asus warrenty doesn't cover the CPU or HD. Aren't these the two components most likley to need a warrenty?
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
the evasham is not the a8jc. to be honest, i have no idea what it is. i have been trying to figure out. i don't know about the asus warranty though....you might want to ask in the asus forum or call an asus rep.
Answer:
Re: Back again - powerful, portable laptop
I went into a eversham shop today. They didn't have the C545, but I did learn that eversham use Mitac chassis.