Question:
Caught between 2 worlds
ok guys, i need help....... i've spent months trying to convince myself what laptop to buy.
I'm now leaning towards a Dell d620..... i shall eleborate...
1) What is your budget?
Since i'm in the uk: in total around £2000 ~ $3000
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
I want to be able to carry this without back ache
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Mainly work, a little gaming and dvd watching. As much as you can think of
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
It will be moving from work to home likely daily
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Whatever tickles my fancy here..... perhaps something like splintercell / Pro Ev / GTA / FPS
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
As long as they are reliable with good customer service i don't mind.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Preferrable 3+
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Nope as long as there is plenty of pictures
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
Done!
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen but this is not essential.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
As much as possible:
Anything is this area - although will to compromise here again
b. SXGA - 1400x1050
c. UXGA - 1600x1200
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900;
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050;
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200;
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Not bothered, but since i'll be using it to work also - matte is preferrable
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes - i don't want something plain and generic
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Within the next month
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
Around the 100gb mark, rotational speed - preferrably 5400rpm
16) Do you need an optical drive?
Yes DVD-RW, all the bells and whistles - lightscribe if its available.
So you see my problem- i need a 14"- laptop that can match my tech needs (t7200 core 2, 2gb+ of ram, docking station) with good looks and practicality with good customer service.
Hence why i am leaning towards dell.... but the asus w3j looks tempting as well as the hp dv2100, toshiba m7 and macbook pro :eek:
Bear in mind i am in the uk, so i am reluctant to go by american customer support standards with the exception of dell. Are there any smaller companies that could match my needs?
Thanks all
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
I'm pretty happy with my 14" laptop ;) I think Zepto rebrands them for UK distribution... check into them.
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
I would check out the HP nc8430. It is extremely light for a 15.4" notebook and has great gaming capabilities and still holds the business build. It can be nicely configured for your budget as well, with probably room to spare.
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
Check out the zepto, it certainly fulfills ur needs.
Asus A8Js if u dun prefer the zepto.
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
hmmm...... very good suggestions thanks a lot!
I looked into the zepto brand and found this
Everything looks good but i'm not sure about the company. Its very young and the laptop itself is well.... a little bland. What is the build qualilty like?
The powerpro laptop doesn't appear to be the same, the chassis is completely different.
As for the Hp, i don't think we got that model in the UK, the closes is the nc6400 but this doesn't have dedicated graphics.
The asus A8Jp or the A8Js are both very very appealing, and i'm just trying to decide how much support i'll get here.
..... but for the money when i compare it to what i can get with dell...
Latitude D620 Advanced (L11622)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00 GHz) with NVIDIA Quadro NVS 110M 256MB, Genuine Windows® XP Professional English(Service Pack 2) WITH Media using NTFS Unit Price Excl. VAT £1,837.00
Processors Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00 GHz) with NVIDIA Quadro NVS 110M 256MB
Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Professional English(Service Pack 2) WITH Media using NTFS
Memory 2GB 533MHz DDR2 Memory (2 x 1GB)
Monitor Dell UltraSharp 1907FP 19" Black (TCO99) Performance LCD Flat Panel Monitor with Height Adj Stand
Hard Drive 100GB (7.200rpm) Hard Drive
Modem 56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter
CD/DVD Drives 8 X DVD+/-RW Drive with Decoder Software
Wireless Local Area Networking Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps) Core 2 Duo
Shipping Documents UK/Irish - D620 Ship Accessories with Power Cord
Gedis Bundle Reference L11622 - D620 ADVANCED Nov
Standard Warranty 3Y NBD International (Next Business Day) On-site (incl. e-Learning Pack)
Protect It with CompleteCare 3 Year Completecare Accidental Damage Cover
REPLACE YOUR DESKTOP UK/Irish - D/Dock with Power Cord, No Stand
AntiVirus & Security Software McAfee Security V7.0 15 Month
Power Supply 65W standard D/Family AC Adapter
USB Memory Keys Dell™ USB Memory Key 512MB
PalmRest Palmrest with touchpad
Bluetooth Bluetooth Card
Business Support 3 Year Business Support (incl. e-Learning Pack)
Anti Theft Device & Asset Tagging Asset Tag, - Order Details (system type, barcode, Dell Order #, customer PO, shipping date)
Order Information Latitude Order - United Kingdom
Primary Battery 9 Cell Primary battery (85 WHr) for maximum battery life
Carrying Cases No Carry Case
Dell System Media Kit Resource CD for D620
Power Protection Belkin 8-Socket SurgeMaster with Tel/AV
Internet Access Services - Broadband / 3G Mobile 1000 FREE minutes of Wi-Fi broadband access at any T-Mobile HotSpot within the UK
LCD 14.1" WXGA+ LCD Screen (1440 X 900 resolution)
TOTAL Excl. VAT:£1,879.00
the additional battery is only £ 50
i can't find anything to compare for what your getting in the end. :(
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
Dun get dell in UK, they r utterly expensive becoz we dun hav such things called COUPONZZZ. Anyway, onli the Zepto and Asus can provide u with a better(or best) GPU in the 14inch range. + They really look nicer than the dell.
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
First of all zepto have been around for a while but mainly in denmark. I have the notebook you are looking at and build quality is excellent. However that norebook wont offer 3 hours of battery life- atleast not until the 12cell battery comes out.
Customer service from the zepto's franchise company -nusystems- isnt that good though there are a couple of zepto representatives from the denmark HQ who are excellent at getting stuff sorted out.
Here is the HP some of the others mentioned:
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Hewle...ES/version.asp
Its a pretty good deal for the money and well made.
Though none of the above take advantage of your budget. You could get this:
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Asus_.../version-1.asp
A beast. The 7400 is overclocked i believe(though it wont compete with the x1600 and 7600 in the others) and you get asus's excellent build quality. However im not too sure about asus customer support in the UK as most asus owners here are american.
As for the w3j bear in mind the hd is a 4200rpm unit which is just a joke at that price. So you would have to upgrade it. They can do this here:
http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/products.php?cat=39
As said we dont get dell coupons so they are never that cheap. Also bear in mind the gpu on the dell is designed for CAD and stuff not for gaming unlike the notebooks i have pointed out.
You could save a lot of cash and get the zepto but if you are unhappy with the brand and want to spend more get the asus.
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
who told u that hp nc8430 is not avilable in the UK just check those sites for this model. now i think u found this help ful
http://www.shoplaptop.co.uk/sess/utn...iew.shopscript
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Hewle...P3/version.asp
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
I think they have finished that bottom offer. Gutting as it was great. You might want to call laptops direct and see if they are planning on bringing it back.
Answer:
Re: Caught between 2 worlds
Nah, i think i'll discount the nc8350 because its 15". For portability i would prefer a 14" and lower.
as for the ell expense - i'll get academic discount which i think is around 25% so i'm good on that account.
Also bear in mind the gpu on the dell is designed for CAD and stuff not for gaming unlike the notebooks i have pointed out.
i'll be using this to design ASIC and SoC's on FPGA's as well so i think the gpu is the best balanced for some gaming/work/dvd's.
I'll end up installing a linux distro and some point, and my only concern is the driver support here.
The discussion on the gpu is
All of the laptops on laptops direct are not the core 2 models, and the hp site hasn't updated anything for the 8340 so again...... i am leaning towards the dell.
What about the sony sz3 series?