Question:
Ideal laptop for travel and entertainment
Hey all,
I'm wondering if someone can give me a few tips on what is the best laptop to get for my situation. I will be taking off for a year of international travel in a few months. I need something that will last a fair bit of travel through dodgy areas. I would raelly just be using it for net access, music and DVD playing and academic use - reading pdfs and writing on microsoft word. It will also need a fair bit of room for mp3 and pdf collections.
WHat do people think? Thanks!!
James
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
AUS$1000-1200 (US$900)
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Accessing internet, listening to music and watching dvds, reading and writing.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Taking it with me on a year long trip, involving lots of moving around and possible a lot of travel on foot.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
No
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
As much as possible.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
doesn't matter
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Doesn't matter
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not really
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Buying in the next few months, want it to last at least 3-5 years. Would have to be completely reliable for at least a whole year.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
80-100
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Not sure. But would need it to read DVDs and cds and be able to burn. Also, will be travelling internationally, so any drives that would play multi-region DVDs would be a plus.
Thanks!
Answer:
Re: Ideal laptop for travel and entertainment
The HP dv2000 might work. Something like AnyDVD or DVDRegionFree can get around the region coding. The ThinkPad R60 will offer better quality though I am not sure if it is your price range down there.
Answer:
Re: Ideal laptop for travel and entertainment
Well, I guess the HP dv2100 would be over your budget, so you could check out the Compaq Presario V3100.
I'm not so familiar with the AUS market thought.
Answer:
Re: Ideal laptop for travel and entertainment
The Compaq V3000 series is a good suggestion; if you get the 12-cell battery with it, you can get 4-5 hours of life. Note that the 12-cell battery does stick out the back though.
What notebooks have you found that are in your budget?