Advise on Laptops

[iml109]

I swear I saw a thread about laptops / notebooks before, but I searched and searched and I found none. So forgive me if this is redundant, but I would like to have fellow forumers to advise me on purchase of a new laptop.

Now, I am going to use my laptop to

1) Play SIMS 2 and SIMS online.
*and play World of Warcraft, the Burning Crusade too soon
2) Update blog, do a lot of photoshop (if possible.. hehe)
3) Play music and possible pirate dvds (as I'm going overseas again soon)
4) store lotsa photos / music
5) <to be added in>

So far, I've of course looked at Dell and honestly, I know nuts since I am an IT idiot. Sony Vaio is super chic, but is the system good enough?

I've been told that to use a laptop to play WoW is a bit too hard, but not impossible. However, not a common off the shelf laptop can do. I played SIMS 2 on Acer before, but the screen will hang. Thus, I think Acer is out of the pic.

Anyone have any advice I can take? :) (btw, my budget is around RM6-7K)

[USJ27Resident]

Boy - with a budget of 6k plus... get a Rm24xx plus and customise your laptop la... max the RAMS (like 2 - 4 Gb, prepare for Vista!!) and max the Graphics Card (like 256MB! or more... esp for Sims ) choose a wide-screen for better viewing... like 14.1 or 15.4 but then, the weight factor will kill you... :p Oh... not forgetting, upgrade to 9 cell battery - for longer lasting juice... :p

Remember one thing though - DVD Burner and 3-4 USB ports a must!! Meaning... you can burn CDs, VCDs, DVDs and have ample USB ports for surround speakers, mouse, external HDDs etc etc... not necessary to have oversized HDD onboard...

Lastly - a laptop or notebook is just that... mobility !! For heaven's sake, if you need to use it... put it on a desk or table... all the unnecessary movement CAN and WILL kill the internal HDD sooner than later... Also puuting it on your lap (if you are a guy... ) think of the effects of heat and EMF on your family jewels... :D

The Dell XPS is one neat bundle or you can consider the Dell 640m... just remember to customise it to your budget la...

[isarahim]

I know this sounds a bit silly, but nevertheless it's important for me coz otherwise I make a lot of typos and other mistakes.

The CTRL button should be farthest to the left at the bottom row

Some laptop manufacturers put the FN button there, and the CTRL button one step in. You can't imagine how much problems this causes, coz all other keyboards in the world have the CTRL button as per my preference.

So when other people look for CPU speed, disc space etc etc .....
..... Isa Rahim looks for where the CTRL button is located haha.....

[Sugarfree]

..... Isa Rahim looks for where the CTRL button is located haha.....Hahaha..just checked my Toshiba laptop. The CTRL/FN buttons are at your prefered spots! :D

[HTH]

I agree with isarahim. Dell laptops has the CTRL button on the farthest on the bottom left.

Dell XPS range is good for multimedia and gaming. You might want to get external keyboard and mouse for gaming, you might damage the laptop keyboard and internal touchpad (mouse) with all the hammering. And sound wise, laptop speakers cannot compare to external speakers. With a budget of 6-7K, I m sure u can find a good laptop for gaming.

[youngteenguy]

I swear I saw a thread about laptops / notebooks before, but I searched and searched and I found none. So forgive me if this is redundant, but I would like to have fellow forumers to advise me on purchase of a new laptop.

Now, I am going to use my laptop to

1) Play SIMS 2 and SIMS online.
*and play World of Warcraft, the Burning Crusade too soon
2) Update blog, do a lot of photoshop (if possible.. hehe)
3) Play music and possible pirate dvds (as I'm going overseas again soon)
4) store lotsa photos / music
5) <to be added in>

So far, I've of course looked at Dell and honestly, I know nuts since I am an IT idiot. Sony Vaio is super chic, but is the system good enough?

I've been told that to use a laptop to play WoW is a bit too hard, but not impossible. However, not a common off the shelf laptop can do. I played SIMS 2 on Acer before, but the screen will hang. Thus, I think Acer is out of the pic.

Anyone have any advice I can take? :) (btw, my budget is around RM6-7K)

wow 6-7 k can get you a very decent laptop but since you are going overseas i propose that you get one with an international service from what i know, dell and hp are quite decent on their pricing and specifications. you might want to look for a notebook that sayz "core duo" as they are the market standard now. for games, just go for a notebook that has a 256mb graphic card and not those that says intergrated graphic cards. Yes additional rams is needed. for the price you are paying you might want to get a decent 1.5gb (gigabyte). that should cover it so just shop on the laptop with the look of your choice. my choice would be a compaq/hp v3000 series pretty cool laptop. Macbook? i'd rather not.

[mlkok]

For that budget, try the Asus A8Js. You might have to look around but it's got good enough specs for your needs. 1Gb Ram, 512MB NVidia 7700 graphics.
.
Here's the link: http://my.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=5&l2=26&l3=270&model=1373&modelmenu=2

It's also light enough to carry it around.
If you've never heard of Asus, it's one of the top motherboard makers in the world. So far, the reviews on their notebooks is good.

Hope this helps. :D

[peterymlee]

With a budget of RM6K, I would suggest you get an iBook instead ... since you will be doing lots of graphic editing and music. The only setback I see if that the iBook will not have good features when it comes to gaming.

Value for money, Dell XPS is my suggestion. The money you save, go buy legal software. :)

[iml109]

I checked out Dell XPS last night... :( screen so small ler???

The reason I put my budget at 6-7k is because VAIO is so *pretty* but err.. i think its not suitable for gaming, am I right? So, other than specs, I want my laptop to be pretty pretty too!! Any other laptop with other colors other than black, silver?? (demanding, that's the nature of a woman! ;) )

[iml109]

Wow, thank you for introducing me to Asus.

http://my.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=5&l2=25&l3=309&model=1188&modelmenu=1

Super nice!!! But where to buy??? The website didnt' tell me?? And the price too??

[bslee]

Whatever..NEVER buy SONY..I've heard the parts like battery spares cost arm & leg..dropping your jaw in an instant.

Compaq, HP, Toshiba, Dell, Fujitsu are currently the most popular amongst Malaysians and I'd say local after sales service can be easily depended upon and Low Yat Plaza has compatible battery packs if one insists on going cheap. (although not highly recommended).

I ain't sure of the quality of Taiwan branded Acer, Benq, Twinhead..which used to give the established brands a run for the money but not anymore.

You'd may have to factor in cost of upgrading RAM chips to 1GB and possibly a bigger/faster hard disk (5400rpm) later to soup up the performance of current/latest spec laptop. Its beneficial..believe me. Standard config (unless there's an upgrade offer bundled) is with minimal memory and somewhat lowest quality/performace but usable hard disk.

[USJ27Resident]

Whatever..NEVER buy SONY..I've heard the parts like battery spares cost arm & leg..dropping your jaw in an instant....

Sony products that have so far died whilst in my possesion... 25" tv, 29" WEGA, Sony Discman, Sony CD Deck (HiFi) and Tape Deck, Sony VCP... and oh almost forgot Sony PDA Clie-TH-55. I think they all have a built in self destruct mechanism to kaput! after 2-5 years... :mad:

Like what the rest of the gang had said, keep the RAMs and Graphic Cards bumped up for performance... the smaller the HDD capacity the better access and HDD survival rate......

[starrnorth]

My personal non-preference : never buy acer, sony, toshiba and twinhead
my personal preference : dell because you can customize it online and immediately you know the price.

someone said laptop is laptop, not desk top, so forget those big screen elephants (17 inches screen) unless you use on the desk and never intend to move it. go for 14 inch - it is not small, but it is wide screen. 15 also can but a bit big already, and you do not want to

spend more on the RAM so that your computer do not hang while opening up lots of pages at once (

since you are travelling overseas, you might want SKYPE feature so you can talk for practically free. Then dell xps might be the one.

Go for duo core now.

[concern!!!]

im using acer ... n i found no problem so far...(touch wood).
for my budget and the spec i want ..acer giv me the best :)
dell in my past experience - heavy, bulky but customer service is good..
sony - not for gaming for sure, kinda low spec(for your budget)

anyway iml109, this is what i recommend to you :

ACER ASPIRE 5594WXMi,
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T5600 (1.83GHz, 2MB Cache, 667MHz FSB) supporting Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel® EM64T)
Intel® 945PM Express Chipset
Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945abg Wireless Connection
14.1" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite colour LCD, supporting 1280 x 768 pixel resolution
ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1600 with up to 512MB HyperMemory™ (128MB of dedicated GDDR2 VRAM; 384MB shared system memory)
120GB SATA HDD
1G DDR2 RAM (upgradeable to 2GB)
Integrated 56Kbps modem & 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN
Integrated Slot-Load 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
Integrated Bluetooth® 2.0+EDR
Integrated 1.3-megapixel Acer OrbiCam CMOS Camera with Acer VisageON & PrimaLite Technology
Acer Video Conference featuring Voice and Video over Internet Protocol (VVoIP) support via Acer OrbiCam and bundled with Acer Bluetooth® VoIP phone
5-in-1 Card Reader supporting MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, xD-Picture, Memory Stick & Memory Stick Pro
Magnesium Aloy Casing
6-cell Li-Ion Battery Pack (3-hour battery life) with Acer QuicCharge™ technology
(Actual battery life may vary, depending on usage and configuration).
3xUSB, 1xIEEE 1394, 1xTV Output, ExpressCard™ slot, 1xVGA port & 1xFIR Port
334 (W) × 243 (D) × 28/35 (H) mm
Weight 2.35kg (5.25 lbs.)
Acer eManager
1-Year International Traveller Warranty
Free:- Acer Designed Carrying Bag

Price : RM4630

[burntan]

I don't know about Acer now, but about 6 years ago I am selling Acer products, desktop and laptop..... at that time, I experience 100% faulty return rate, then I stop selling Acer products.

[sirgalahad2010]

IBM (sorry, now its Lenovo!) ThinkPads or any HP Compaq notebook.

No need to look further!

Of course, the latest Sony VAIO notebooks are marvellously desirable - much like a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG! But, oh, the cost! :D

[isarahim]

IBM (sorry, now its Lenovo!) ThinkPads
The rebranded Lenovo manufactured IBM ThinkPads have the CTRL button at the wrong place. So they're out as far as I'm concerned. The pre-Lenovo ThinkPads are sometimes ok sometimes not.

[concern!!!]

IBM, HP(not compaq and home version) no doubt is good .. but that is business laptop .. not for gaming/video editing for sure...

[racheljansz]

I have use Compaq, Dell, IBM & Acer. Use to be Acer sucks but now a days with the Laptop life span about 3 year before it's obsolete, go for the ‘value for money’ type - Acer
For games you need
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T5600 (1.83GHz, 2MB Cache, 667MHz FSB
Intel® 945PM Express Chipset
ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1600 (128MB of dedicated GDDR2 VRAM)
120GB SATA HDD
Minimum 1G DDR2 RAM (upgradeable to 2GB)
Do beware laptop tends to over heat.
If you want a good machine and want to spent RM7k try Apple, it run windows OS as well if fact better.
What ever brand you go for make sure you find out their service center location.
Also get 3 years (First year + 2) warranty, I have never regret especially laptop when it come to laptop.
Get insurance also if you live in KL.

[scorgio]

Heard this from a Taiwanese:

"If you want to buy a Taiwan brand notebook, get Asus. Their engineering ability & technology is the best in Taiwan."

[iml109]

Thank you all for the immense information!! And thanks for including all the specs too (although I don't understand anything about it).

As it is right now, I am more confused thnt initially, (haha...) so I will take my time to make the correct decision. Seems like Sony is out, so I guess I won't even look there now.

Whichever it may be, thank you so much!!

(will update u all once I buy it! :) )

[HTH]

before u buy, maybe u can identify a few 'candidates' and post the spec here, so we could offer some advice.

[Sugarfree]

before u buy, maybe u can identify a few 'candidates' and post the spec here, so we could offer some advice.Yeah, and have her even further confused! :p Hehehe. Don't get me wrong. I am just as IT-idiotic as they come, so I understand perfectly how IML feels. What perhaps all IT-savvy can do to help, when eventually IML posts her laptop choices is to say exactly what does what. Eg, "oh, if you increase the ram to 2gb, you know, it'll help to enhance the graphics a lot" and so on. No jargons, please. Just plain simple English. :p Before I bought my laptop, God knows how much research I did before coming to a decision. And still I'm kinda blur about all the IT stuff. But nevertheless, I'm a happy man. :D

[kfboy]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am also looking for a laptop myself, but at a much lower specs (just for MS office and mobility). I came down to 2 brands namely DELL Inspiron and HP nx6125. DELL no doubt has excellent customer support compared to HP in my area (no DELL or HP direct support but they source it out to third party).

Just remember one thing, always get extended warranty.

[Sugarfree]

Just remember one thing, always get extended warranty.Good tip there. I paid about RM650 extra for an extended warranty to cover 3 years. You never know how fast 1 year whizzes by. And usually things will start to..urmm..conk after 12 months, so it pays to extend the warranty to 3 years. :)

[HTH]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am also looking for a laptop myself, but at a much lower specs (just for MS office and mobility). I came down to 2 brands namely DELL Inspiron and HP nx6125. DELL no doubt has excellent customer support compared to HP in my area (no DELL or HP direct support but they source it out to third party).

Just remember one thing, always get extended warranty.

Personally I would go for Dell Inspiron 640m (actually i m using one hehe). Dun go for Inspiron 6400 and 9400, because they are really heavy. 640m is lightweight, and the keys are nicely arranged (ngam ngam hou) for my rather thick fingers. The wide screen is good to have multiple windows (especially for work).

The integrated graphic card (Intel graphic Media accelerator) is sufficient to run work-related applications. Of course, for processor power, memory and hard disk, the more the better lar (as your budget permits).

And yeah, if you can afford it, an extended warranty is recommended.

[iml109]

:( My fiance found out about my budget and blew off the roof top!! Now he wants me to spend only around RM3-4K. Can get nice laptops on that kinda budget meh???

Btw, if want to play game, what specs I really need to upgrade? (Sigh.. fiance says going overseas is for work, no need to buy a laptop that play games wor!!! sigh.....)

[Sugarfree]

:( My fiance found out about my budget and blew off the roof top!! Now he wants me to spend only around RM3-4K. Can get nice laptops on that kinda budget meh???

Btw, if want to play game, what specs I really need to upgrade? (Sigh.. fiance says going overseas is for work, no need to buy a laptop that play games wor!!! sigh.....)Let me ask you. What do you really, really, really, really want? Search your heart. A fiance who takes out all the fun in your leisure pursuits or one who supports you in everything that you do? :p Hehehehe. Kidding! (but of course, yes!).

Now, the thing is with even a RM1990 laptop, you can still play PC games on it. But bear in mind, the more you pay, (meaning, the higher the specs), the better and more realistic your games will be; thus more fun! If ultimately, it's the games that thrill ya the most, then settling for a low end laptop will leave you disappointed. Think carefully before you buy. Better still, before you plonk down the cash for that dream laptop, perhaps, you may want to try out your fave game on it first. Buy only if you are happy with its performance. As for what specs is best for games...ah, well. gotta leave that to the experts! :D I'm only good for some wisecracks and general observations. :D

[iml109]

Let me ask you. What do you really, really, really, really want? Search your heart. A fiance who takes out all the fun in your leisure pursuits or one who supports you in everything that you do? :p Hehehehe. Kidding! (but of course, yes!).

Hehehe... Whichever my selection may be, I will post a list of shortlisted ones before I buy so all the IT savvy ones can help me make a choice again! :p

[HTH]

Or u can get a Rm2+++ laptop for work, and then get PSP for games :)

[kfboy]

Personally I would go for Dell Inspiron 640m (actually i m using one hehe). Dun go for Inspiron 6400 and 9400, because they are really heavy. 640m is lightweight....

And yeah, if you can afford it, an extended warranty is recommended.

I used to have an Inspiron 9400. It is as good as a desktop (very powerful, in terms of processor power as well as someone using it to hit your head), and it is as heavy as you carrying the weight of a 17" CRT monitor.

Anyway this time, I have decided to go for Lenovo C200 (cheaper) instead of DELL or HP. Any comment on this?
This is a very low end system but is good enough for MS office and internet access.

Soli iml109, this may not be high enough for ur gaming use. With that money, why not invest in a desktop (yeah, still boils down to do you really need a laptop). For sure you get heaps more gadgets.

[kwchang]

Personally I would go for Dell Inspiron 640m (actually i m using one hehe). Dun go for Inspiron 6400 and 9400, because they are really heavy. 640m is lightweight ..I checked - the Dell 640M is not actually what you call a 'lightweight' - a review I read on the web said it weighs 5 pounds. That works out to roughly 2.3 Kg which is not lightweight by my standards. I am looking for a DELL notebook that weighs less than 1.8 Kg if possible, better if 1.5Kg or less.

I have lugged along a 2.3Kg notebook in my recent travels and I tell you, it is quite uncomfortable.

[PeterHng]

I checked - the Dell 640M is not actually what you call a 'lightweight' - a review I read on the web said it weighs 5 pounds. That works out to roughly 2.3 Kg which is not lightweight by my standards. I am looking for a DELL notebook that weighs less than 1.8 Kg if possible, better if 1.5Kg or less.

I have lugged along a 2.3Kg notebook in my recent travels and I tell you, it is quite uncomfortable.

Should go for Dell Latitude series then. I used to use C400 Latitude, it's only 1.5-1.7 kgs. I'm not sure the latest Latitude series coz mine just decommissioned after serving me for more than 5 yrs (with warranty as well for 5 yrs!)... That's why I'm still with Dell (XPS).. :)

[HTH]

Anyway this time, I have decided to go for Lenovo C200 (cheaper) instead of DELL or HP. Any comment on this?


I think in term of specifications, whether Dell or HP or Lenovo they are similar. But Lenovo has a slower harddisk at 5600rpm, but i think not noticeable. Enough for work related stuff, Office and internet.
You might want to check whether it is Windows Vista ready, and whether they have a free replacement program, since Vista is just around the corner.

You can check out a review here (http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3391&review=Lenovo+C200). But I don't like the keyboard layout. The FN Function key is on the farthest left bottom, instead of CTRL. I use a lot of CTRL-C, CTRL-V, CTRL-Z, so it's critical for me. And the Pg Up and Pg Dn is near the arrow keys, me no like.

BTW, the laptop is about 6.14 lbs, that's 2.7kg.

[HTH]

I checked - the Dell 640M is not actually what you call a 'lightweight' - a review I read on the web said it weighs 5 pounds. That works out to roughly 2.3 Kg which is not lightweight by my standards. I am looking for a DELL notebook that weighs less than 1.8 Kg if possible, better if 1.5Kg or less.

It weights about 2.4kg. Mine with 9-cell battery, is almost 2.8kg. But u get a 14-inch wide screen 1280x800 pixels. Perfect for multiple windows.
I used mine for work, internet, DVDs (with TV out) and for older games like Never Winter Nights.
My complain: the free Dell Fabric carrying case, it's a monster that weights almost the same as the laptop!

[kfboy]

You might want to check whether it is Windows Vista ready, and whether they have a free replacement program, since Vista is just around the corner.

But I don't like the keyboard layout. The FN Function key is on the farthest left bottom, instead of CTRL. I use a lot of CTRL-C, CTRL-V, CTRL-Z, so it's critical for me. And the Pg Up and Pg Dn is near the arrow keys, me no like.


It is Vista ready but there is no foc replacement program. Dell does however gives you options to go with windows xp or Vista (only during order). I do not really trust Vista that much yet. Besides, it comes with so many versions that I really don't know if the basic is real basic or more basic than XP Home edition.

Good point you brought up regards the FN key location. I do use a lot of left CTRL button too. Hmmm.. now gotta re-consider. It's like having "~" key on the right of "Backspace" button on some keyboards.

[HTH]

I once used a laptop with FN key on the left. And there is this program that needed me to CRTL-F2 often. So instead of pressing CTRL-F2, I was pressing FN-F2. That sent the laptop into hibernate mode. Argh!!

[concern!!!]

with 4k+ budget can get a lightweight fujitsu laptop...(for ms office + lightweight job)

[PeterHng]

Should go for Dell Latitude series then. I used to use C400 Latitude, it's only 1.5-1.7 kgs. I'm not sure the latest Latitude series coz mine just decommissioned after serving me for more than 5 yrs (with warranty as well for 5 yrs!)... That's why I'm still with Dell (XPS).. :)

Chang, you may want to find out abt Dell Latitude at their website. (http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/latit_nb?c=my&cs=mybsd1&l=en&s=bsd)

[VeeJay]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am also looking for a laptop myself, but at a much lower specs (just for MS office and mobility). I came down to 2 brands namely DELL Inspiron and HP nx6125. DELL no doubt has excellent customer support compared to HP in my area (no DELL or HP direct support but they source it out to third party).

Just remember one thing, always get extended warranty.

Instead of HP 6125, i would rather recommend nc6320, i just moved from 6125 to 6320 ( company pay mah) :-)

I must say, its much cooler and has a build in mic (useful for skype and alike).

[joey70i]

I am using a Toshiba currently...no problem so far. Last year my laptop's hard drive got corrupted which I suspect from the net, I was surprised by the after sales service. It was very good and fast and the centre also is very near to Subang which is in Glenmarie also another plus point.

What I am saying is that never forget about after sales service coz being a laptop it will be a bit more fragile compared to desktop. Do a bit of checking on the reliability, location and costs on the various brands of laptop.

:D

[mlkok]

Dell has the Latitude D420 which is pretty light but then when you have to configure it with somewhat decent specs, the cost will turn your hair white. This is Dell's marketing strategy. Entice you with cheap prices and unworkable specs and charge you back thru the add-ons.
Samsung has a couple of lightweight models. There's one 15" that weighs around 2kg. Pretty light.
If you really want light and am willing to pay, the Sony TX & G models are something you can look at. 1.25kg & 1.1kg respectively with DVD burners built in to boot. Pretty good build.

[iml109]

Ah yes, now i see this thread.

Finally my fiance agreed to help me out, so I didn't list out what are my choices.

However, during CNY, I saw the Asus promotion of laptops, so I bought one of it that cost me less than RM4k for office use.

As for gaming, I was advised by EVERYONE (including the salesperson) DO NOT consider using a laptop at all, its just not feasible. So i bought a PC instead (self installation one) that cost me RM3k. :)

[casey88]

Dell is cheap if you do not customised anything. Once do customised it, then the price will be much expensive if you buy the parts from Low Yat and fix yourself. however the services after sales, is good as they will come to your office the next working day if there is any faulty parts. They can replace it on the spot.
If for me to choose, I have better budget, then I will choose Fujitsu brand. for example like Lifebook S7111 which is around RM5799 .
http://www.fujitsu.com/sg/services/computing/pc/products/notebook/s7111/specs.html